Apr 26, 2008

Firsts on a Saturday

Today was supposed to be my morning swim, followed by a 2.5 hour ride and a 20 minute recovery run. In between the swim and the ride, I was to have gone to my LBS and partake in a women's only flat tire clinic.

I was way too tired when I woke up, and my swimsuit had actually broken (the one I could find at least - my good Speedo suit is still MIA), so I decided to take this as an omen and sleep a little more. After breakfast, I get a hold of Lana to see if she would be up for accompaning me on a portion of my 2.5 hour ride. I find out that in fact there will be a 24-40 mile ride this afternoon from Ann Arbor to Dexter to (possibly) Chelsea out and back that would perfectly meet my need for a ride. Afterwards Lana would show me how to fix a flat, so I figured hey - perfecto! I skip the flat tire clinic and head to Lana's all ready for my longet ride to date.

So, today was a day of firsts for me.
My first group cycle-only ride (my first actual groupish ride was the brick on Tuesday) - done
Falling off my bike at an intersection in Ann Arbor - done.
Getting a sweet chain tattoo in Chelsea - done.
Learning how to fix a flat mid ride - done.
Getting a flat to learn how to fix mid ride - done.
My first go at 40 miles (we ended up going to Chelsea) - done.
Getting talked into doing the MetroGrand 20 miler cycle tour the day AFTER my first duathlon - done.


Pictures = proof as Greg and AJ say, so here are some nice little shots of the damages from today.



My first drop. No blood, but missing skin in 3 places. It was actually quite graceful. :) Because all drops of this nature are played out in super slow-mo.

I have to say that the damages are not nearly as impressive as Lana's from her drop last weekend. I was sort of hoping for something more dramatic, but I will take this as I wear a lot of skirts.

I was at an intersection braking to stop, when I started to lean to my LEFT. I always clip out of my RIGHT first, so I was confused and just sort of fell over. No, seriously. I just fell over without even fighting it. I got my right foot unclipped in time, but that really is NOT going to help when falling to the left. My first fall ever! Awwww... look at Runnergirl... she's growing up in front of our eyes!

Poor Sweet T though- my seat, handle bars and left shifter we all janked up. And by janked I mean terribly off true. Got that nearly all fixed (thank you Lana!) so Sweet T is definitely ridable, but the handle bars are still slightly not trued. A quick trip to my LBS while getting a computer, my aero's and whatever else installed will fix that right up.


My first Chain Tattoo. No interesting story for this one. It happens. I hadn't even noticed until someone mentioned that I got my tattoo. I thought that they meant the lack of skin from my fall back in AA, but then I remembered that a tattoo is a chain mark.

Looks hot, no?



Now on to the really good part - my first flat tire. No pictures to show as I was riding, but I tell you what. Ka-ka-ka-ka-karma.... she's a biotch. I SKIP a flat tire clinic to ride. And bam! I get a flat tire! And the odd thing, I watched it happen like I knew that this was the time and place. It was as if something told me that I was going to get a flat so I needed to look down, and right as I did I see my rear wheel skim a very pointy pebble. That was all it took!


*whfffffffffffffft*


"Oh, that must be air leaving my tire" I thought. Odd how it all happened so fast. Chris behind me assured me that it was my tire going flat, and thank goodness someone had a tube and a flat kit. Thank goodness even more someone had a pump. :o) So my flat tire clinic happened afterall. On the side of Dexter road. Right before the hills leading back into AA.



Man. I just rode 40 miles. Me. I did that. I am feeling more confident about my cycling abilities, but I tell you - dang. Hills are great things for the first 20 miles or so, then they get a little laborous. I guess that means that I need more work on hills!


So about the Grand Metro - it is a 20, 40 and 60 mile race through the Metroparks down in southern Michigan (Willow, etc.). It is the day after the du (ironically at the same metropark), but I think that I can do the 20 miler with little issue. I think that I should be able to get it done in about an hour 15. That is not so bad, and rumor has it that there are pancakes at mile 11. I MEAN COME ON - pancakes!!!!

Tomorrow is my dry run at Willow. I feel good about it going into it. I am sure that I will feel the same coming out of it.

Keep on running!
Runnergirl

1 comment:

Danielle in Iowa in Ireland said...

Falling over - totally a rite of passage! It's best when it is in front of a whole bunch of people.

I always manage to get chain tattoos on the back of my calve and then I don't notice it in the shower and then consequently they stay around for like a week. Totally hot.