Judging by the title, you might think that I have a long road in front of me. And, I do. Last Saturday, I got a text message at 5:45 a.m. saying practice was cancelled because of rain, but then it was rescheduled on Sunday.
My mom and I went to the local bike shop, B&B Bicycles, Saturday afternoon to find some "warm" clothes to wear. B&B is in the process of moving, and they barely had any gear out, so I wasn't feeling too lucky. I'm also REALLY picky about tights, and the brand I like is going out of business. But, just like everything else in this adventure so far, the man at B&B managed to find the right brand, the right size, and the right fit for me. And, they were on sale.
My mom graciously bought a cute warm-up jacket as well as a hat for underneath my helmet. I finished up the transaction with gloves and shoe covers. All I needed at that point was to try out my new gear.
Sunday was a miserable day. Miserable!!! It was freezing, but that wasn't the bad part. The stupid wind was gusting so hard that it almost knocked me off my bike more than once. When the wind wasn't blowing, I felt like I was doing well. But, that stupid wind wouldn't go away, and I pretty much wanted to quit.
I also keep getting major sinus headaches when I ride. I'm not quite sure why, but it's bad and it affects my sight. The most valuable lesson I learned Sunday was that I can't close one eye and ride while also fighting the wind. It was NOT a winning combination.
By the time I got home, all I wanted was to soak in the hot tub. But since it was going to take over an hour for it to heat up, I settled for a hot shower and hot chocolate. It took about three hours to finally be warm again, but when I look back at the ride, it was so worth it. The pain, the wind, the headaches... it's nothing compared a cancer patient.
On a positive note, I'm 44% of the way to my fundraising goal. If you haven't donated yet, please do so soon. I can't wait to give $3,800 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
First Practice
When I signed up for my Century Ride back in late September, the first practice seemed so far away. And it was. People kept asking how the training was going, and I kept telling people that it doesn't officially start until November 19th.
Well, it's November 21st, and you know what that means... Training FINALLY started.
I wish I could write that everything went beautifully, I'm the best on the 18-person team, and I felt like a stud after our 20-mile practice. Instead, I'll tell you the truth...
Last week, I felt run-down and had a couple of canker sores in my mouth. Canker sores mean one of two things-- either I was getting sick or I was stressed. Unfortunately, the first reason was the cause.
By Saturday morning, I felt so run-down that I didn't want to get out of bed. But, once again, I remembered that my poor, pitiful sinus infection (or whatever I have) is nothing compared to cancer. I got out of bed, drove 61 miles to Texas Motor Speedway, and rode the 20 miles.
I probably appeared to be the most unfriendly person on the team. I kept to myself, shivered through the mission moment, and wasn't overly talkative. The wind was in our face for half of the route, and the windy part was also part of the slight incline that we rode. Pile that on to the fact that I didn't feel well, and you can probably guess that my riding abilities were far from impressive.
By the time I got back to my parent's house, I felt so rough that I took a nap. This so-called nap lasted until about Sunday night at 9 when I had to go back to my apartment. Don't kid yourself, I slept all night, too. Can you tell that I really didn't feel well?
While I am very unimpressed with myself and disappointed in my performance on Saturday, I also have a lot to be thankful for. The Solvang team is full of selfless, inspiring, and caring people. We've all been affected by Leukemia or Lymphoma, and we all feel very strongly about raising money for the cause. The next 16-weeks of training may not be the funnest thing I'll ever do in my life, but it will definitely be worth it.
With only six days until the next training ride, I'm loading myself up with Sudafed, Advil, Mucinex, etc. Hopefully, I'll be able to report about a better performance next week.
Well, it's November 21st, and you know what that means... Training FINALLY started.
I wish I could write that everything went beautifully, I'm the best on the 18-person team, and I felt like a stud after our 20-mile practice. Instead, I'll tell you the truth...
Last week, I felt run-down and had a couple of canker sores in my mouth. Canker sores mean one of two things-- either I was getting sick or I was stressed. Unfortunately, the first reason was the cause.
By Saturday morning, I felt so run-down that I didn't want to get out of bed. But, once again, I remembered that my poor, pitiful sinus infection (or whatever I have) is nothing compared to cancer. I got out of bed, drove 61 miles to Texas Motor Speedway, and rode the 20 miles.
I probably appeared to be the most unfriendly person on the team. I kept to myself, shivered through the mission moment, and wasn't overly talkative. The wind was in our face for half of the route, and the windy part was also part of the slight incline that we rode. Pile that on to the fact that I didn't feel well, and you can probably guess that my riding abilities were far from impressive.
By the time I got back to my parent's house, I felt so rough that I took a nap. This so-called nap lasted until about Sunday night at 9 when I had to go back to my apartment. Don't kid yourself, I slept all night, too. Can you tell that I really didn't feel well?
While I am very unimpressed with myself and disappointed in my performance on Saturday, I also have a lot to be thankful for. The Solvang team is full of selfless, inspiring, and caring people. We've all been affected by Leukemia or Lymphoma, and we all feel very strongly about raising money for the cause. The next 16-weeks of training may not be the funnest thing I'll ever do in my life, but it will definitely be worth it.
With only six days until the next training ride, I'm loading myself up with Sudafed, Advil, Mucinex, etc. Hopefully, I'll be able to report about a better performance next week.
Please help me reach my fundraising goals!
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