Century Training Week 10

I got back to my training log...somehow I had "lost" it. Well, it had gotten moved in the flurry of my life this past month.

I not only got back to my log...but also to my training. I'm now re-thinking my original goal for May 8th's ride. I know I can finish the 50 mile, but I'd like to try for the 100 still, I just want to finish with some sort of dignity. But that's my pride talking. It seems that everyone I know knows someone who has finished something way grander than what I am trying. In fact, finishing a century isn't a novel idea. It's just for me it keeps me on a target with a goal. Something that seems way beyond what I would normally do.

I rode 11.5 miles on Saturday and 8.4 miles yesterday. I was going to ride today, but not sure as the weather looks bad and it is suppose to be an off day today. I overdid it last year and then I couldn't ride for 3 days I was so sore. I don't want to do that again.

This last month hasn't been a total waste as far as my rare bike riding goes: I've ridden to work more or walked more than I have since it snowed; I got to ride 3 glorious days in Cannon Beach, OR; I've learned some bike stuff at the Boise Bike Project. I've re-evaluated my goals to make shorter term goals as well. My goals for the month of April are: 1) stay on track, 2) decide which ride to ride on May 8th, 3) volunteer at the Boise Bike Project and 4)get the junk food out of my diet this month (I had way too many cookies last night!)

Sometimes I feel like I get off kilter with my walk with God...sometimes I just don't look at the training log (God's Word, the Bible) as often as I should. It gets pushed around as my schedule gets busy and allergy season starts. Even though I am reading through a Bible reading plan and I consistently go to church on Sunday and am involved in a small Bible study I sometimes feel like I am in autopilot. My life gets crazy with deadlines and allergies and two lovely daughters in the house. (Can you tell it's allergy season for me? All the trees are looking great which means my nose is not!)

Today I am reminded once again to live each day to the fullest. To love God with all my heart, soul and mind. To love those whom God has put around me as I love myself. It is in these two things that my life regains balance and I am on track!

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Luke 11:33 (New International Version)

Century Training revisited

Bronchitus UGH! I am a big chicken to ride my bike alone. Mostly I think it is because to me riding is a social affair. Dave got bronchitus a couple of weeks ago which means I was stuck either riding my bike alone or riding the stationary bike. I have liked riding outside so I was bummed. And so being the "athlete" I am I just hoped every day that he would feel well enough (aka able to breath) to go outside...and every day ...no way jose.

So here I am revamping my century training. I am going to start up again on Week 5 and I am going to ride inside....even though the weather is still good outside...well I might end up changing my mind at the end of the week. I am going to Cascade for a couple of days and so I might (if I get gutsy enough) take my bike with me to ride a little up there. Maybe I'll blog about it. :)

We'll see.

A weekend in Ketchum (end of Week 2)

Yeah! I have pictures of riding! Woo hoo! But I am at camp in Cascade right now so the pictures will have to wait! (I'll add them here!)

Dave and I went camping right outside of Ketchum because we found some incredible bike riding (that I can do! :) ) there when we took our Jr. High Road Trip. It was such a great weekend of camping and riding.

We started a little later than we had expected so we got the last available slot and paid double because it was a double spot. Oh well, cheaper than a hotel! We set up the itsy bitsy tent that we had borrowed from Mike and Kelly because the other tents that we own are HUGE which will translate into being really cold at night. We found the perfect place to set up the tent. It was nice and flat except our stakes would not go into it. So we settled for our next perfect spot. Once we got the first stakes set up it was a snap to set up. We then cooked our dinner on the grill of the fire pit. We were way too hungry so I put on the shish-kabobs when the flame was too high...oh well, Dave said he really liked it (the meat was dry on the outside and a little raw....so he redid it for me....I just love this man!)

The next morning we decided to check out the Harriman Trail. The trail is named after Mr. Harriman (no kidding huh?) What we found out at one of the markers was that the Harrimans were the parents of Winston Churchill. I thought that was cool.

The Harriman trail is basically a gravel trail. It goes up to Galena. The Park Ranger suggested that we ride the 13 miles there and get lunch then come back to pack up our stuff and ride the other trail in Ketchum. I didn't even have to think about it....no way! I think it would have been fun except my bottom was still sore (see other post) so there is no way I could make it.

We rode about 2 miles up the trail. On the way up I felt like the biggest looser. I could barely peddle 4mph at a lot of the parts of the trail. At one point as I struggled up the trail this obviously great mountain biker flew by me. Wow, did I feel stupid on the bike at that point. Dave kept encouraging me so we went further than I thought I could go.

Then we turned around! What a difference going downhill makes! I was flying! I hit at least 15 mph for a long time.

When I passed the place that the mountain biker had passed me I thought about my misconceptions of myself and of him. I didn't know when he had started. I didn't know that going downhill made such a difference. I had judged myself against him and found myself wanting. I need to stop doing this.

I do this in my Christian life as well. I see how well someone is doing and think I am just not living my life right. Or I do the other way when I see someone doing poorly and I forget the struggles that God has walked with me through to bring me to where I am now.

We had some lunch, packed up camp and took off to a trail head for the Wood River Trail right at the Southern edge of town. Dave has such great ideas as always trying to start our rides uphill so the ride home is really great (even with a sore bottom).

I rode another 18 miles that day. (On a paved trail) I don't know how I did it, but it was a fantastic ride. I can't wait to go again when my body is more used to bike riding again.

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pature." Psalm 100: 1-3

Ow, that hurts! Week 2

Last night while I was finishing up my bike ride with my husband I realized that I am not truly a bike rider. Oh, now I want to be. I read a bike magazine (I started reading it so I would know what Dave was talking about when he talked about this shock, or brake, or whatever bike term when we went out riding when I first got my bike). I love following the Tour d' France. (Confession: this year I didn't because I had started becoming too much of a fan...and I just didn't have time). I love watching the mountain bike races in the Olympics. I really like riding my bike...at my pace.

I think that is what got me last night...my pace vs. Dave's pace.

It was the end of a quick ride (we got going late due to painting my classroom...oh, and it looks great! -thanks, Dave!) and the sun had already set. It was going down for a long time and we didn't have our lights. ugh! I don't see well as it gets darker (a light would have come in handy). It wasn't completely dark yet, so no problems, Dave would take the lead and I would follow.

At this point of the game I am really saddle sore. What that really means is that my butt hurts! Dave says I should not sit so much. Not sit on the seat? Why do you think it's there...so I kept sitting...and my butt kept hurting. I couldn't wait to get off my bike. I know though that however sore my butt is it is faster to bike than get off and walk it to the car so I keep riding.

My hands have places that have gone numb so I keep readjusting my hands on the handle bars (hint I found in one of the bike magazines). My right baby toe was gone to sleep (it does that) so I readjust on the pedal too.

Overall, I am more than ready to be done with this bike ride!

Dave is now leading since he sees way better in the dark and as it is getting dark. I know that if I follow close to Dave's rear wheel I will receive a few benefits. Benefit #1: I will not loose him. Benefit #2: I can hear him if he tells me something....like about the cat that was in the path. Benefit #3: I can draft him and it will make my ride easier and it could even be a faster ride for the both of us.

This worked for a little bit. Every time I would get in a good drafting position he would go faster. A little faster was OK with me. I wanted to get off that saddle. But he was beginning to go too fast. I gave up. I just couldn't keep the pace and this is where I realized the truth.

I am not a bike rider. I just really want to be.

Dave is a bike rider. He reads a little, but what he does most is get on the bike! He has bike shoes that clip in the pedals. He commits to the ride. He has the gear...and uses it. He can change a flat tire in no time. He fixes little things that go wrong. The big stuff he takes to a local bike store. He can not ride for a while and then get on the bike and ride all over the place. He rides our stationary bike to get ready to bike outside. He is a bike rider.

Now if you asked him, he would say he isn't really. But I know why. It's because he doesn't ride as much as he would really like to ride. He gave it up when our kids were little. He would ride to work and ride around the hills by our house with our dalmatian (named Pongo). But he didn't even ride as much as he used to. He rides with me know. I hold him back. It's not a real ride when I show up. But he did say yesterday that I was his favorite riding buddy! :)

The thing I am reminded of this morning is that when we walk in our life we can have people in our lives that we will mentor/disciple and that we need a mentor/discipler too.

I need Dave because it makes me a stronger rider. He makes me go when I don't want to go and teaches me more and more what it means to be a real rider. He needs to go with a stronger rider for the same reasons.

I need the older women in my life to make me stronger. They remind me to love my husband and love my kids. They remind me about the seasons of life and how to walk in grace during the easy and hard times. I need to be the older woman to the younger ones that God has placed in my life for the same reasons.

23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.Hebrews 10:23-25 (New International Version)

REST....is it a necessary part of the training?

Yesterday was my day of rest as part of the "plan". I didn't want to rest. I wanted to get on my bike and make my sore muscles behave and not be so sore. But instead I went on a great morning walk with my wonderful husband. I was sore all day yesterday. It wore off as the day went on, but by the end of the day I was glad that I hadn't gotten on the bike.

This morning when I woke up almost completely recovered from my soreness. We woke up too late to ride before Dave went to work so we went on another walk. I'm suppose to ride today according to the "plan" so later when it is way too hot to be outside I'm going to ride my stationary bike and watch another part of Pride and Prejudice on my computer.

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3)

I am so thankful for the rest that God gives.

Riding a Century? Are you nuts? Week 1

Last year around this time I got a book that was really how to ride a century in 100 days...or something like that. Being a planner I really liked how organized the book was and I really liked the chart. So I started the plan...did really good for about a month. Until my riding buddy, Dave, got sick. Now, I am a chicken to ride alone. I really don't like it. I rode to work and back for about a month (that was mostly alone...but not that far). Anyways...with no motivation and no riding buddy I gave it up. I thought that I could just ride on my stationary bike...but that is pretty boring so I just didn't ride much this past year.

What's a century though? Well, it is when you ride a bike for 100 miles....well there's some other milage also that counts...but, since I am a novice in this whole arena...let's just say I really want to ride the 100 miles. I know that there is no way that I could just get on my bike and ride tomorrow, so the plan in the book made a lot of sense to me.

Back to today...well, Saturday night actually. I thought that this week would be a great week to start the 100 days again. The way my week looks will work with what the plan requires for the 1st week. Ride Monday easy 30 min, rest Tuesday, ride Wednesday easy 30 min, Thurs-Friday rest, Saturday ride 1 hour moderate, Sunday rest. EASY right?

I don't know about you, but I tend to procrastinate. So since I woke up way earlier than normal on Sunday morning I started....well, I rode 30 min on my stationary bike! Then I talked Dave and David Jr. into riding on Monday (Dave's day off) on the green belt. After about 1 mile David Jr.'s bike got a flat..but I had an extra tire in one of my saddle bags (not my hips, the bags on my bike). So we got that fixed and rode another 4.5 miles into the heart of Boise. We had a great lunch at Prontos (a great pizza place) and rode back to the car. In total we rode 11 miles! ( a little more than the 30 minutes of easy riding)

Today I am sore! It's ok though. I am so glad to have started once again on my journey to ride a century. I just hope I can get up tomorrow to bike before Dave goes to work. It is way too hot to ride later in the day. I'll have to plan for it though. :)

Trying to ride the century reminds me of when Paul writes to the church in Romans...

I want to prepare to ride the century, but I put it off to another day; I don't want to be a couch potato...and yet that is sometimes what I am....woe is me.

"For I know that in me(that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present iwth me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will tod, I do not do; but the evil I willnot to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me...O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:18-20,24-25a)

I am thankful to God that in He has conquered sin and that through His power I can live a right life and I can flee sin. Praise the Lord for His everlasting goodness to give us a powerful savior!