NOT A CYCLIST

 

... but I signed up for the Shiner GASP100 on May 5th.  Yep, that's 100 miles on a bike.  (And yes, if you're wondering, my girl parts ARE scared). 



This would be funnier if it were me ..



So here's the thing.  If you've been paying attention, I have identified myself as a runner for the past 4 years until recently.  It's not that I gave up on running, I just have this "thing" (some would say injury, but I hate that word so I'm calling it a "thing") in my leg/foot that is taking a long time to heal. I've come a long way in my recovery, but it's silly for me to focus on running and make running goals when I clearly have absolutely no idea how long it will be until I feel comfortable building up any sort of mileage base.  But I'm not BROKEN, so there are other things to do to get me off the couch.  And I desperately need to get off the couch.

I've got this BEAUTIFUL Specialized road bike.  It's light, it's fast, it's red .. and I feel like a complete poser on it. The first few months I rode with regular pedals, my running shoes, and a borrowed helmet.  Much to my surprise, it appears I may have a bit of talent when it comes to being on two wheels.  I'm not - wasn't - a great runner in terms of speed or efficiency, but I have a suspicion the bike and I may be friends. 

I decided it was time to nurture this friendship so I bought proper road bike shoes.  I asked for, and received, a new helmet (so I wouldn't have to borrow one anymore) a light set (so I can ride on roads early in the morning sans cars) and a tire pump (again, so I wouldn't have to borrow one) for Christmas - thanks Dad.  Then I waited .. and finally mustered the courage to buy the cleats for the shoes and had the pedals put on (SIDEBAR: they are called clipless pedals, but the act of getting in and out of the pedals is called clipping in.  Whatever.) I could finally attach myself to the bike - yes, that's right, attach myself to the bike. Those of you who know me are chuckling because you have no doubt seen me and my lack of coordination and grace. 

Day 1: The all-knowing they say you aren't a cyclist until you fall.
My first ride clipping in, I made it about 3 miles before I fell.  I was attempting to cross Coit road and failed to get my foot clipped in, lost momentum and fell over.  I picked myself back up, clip-clopped (thank you TPG for those words) back across the street, managed to get back on the bike and go home.  *whew* Glad I got THAT out of the way!  And I wasn't bleeding at all!  Just a few bruises, nothing to write home about.  It was funny! 

Day 2: I decided I needed to practice. 
I took my bike to the business park behind my apartment complex and started riding all around the parking lots.  Start, stop, clip in, clip out, rinse, repeat.  Low and behold I was building up a bit of confidence with this routine .. and what did I see in front of me?  A parking garage with just enough of an incline to make for a fun "downhill" experience so I started the sequence .. from a dead stop, at the bottom of the incline.  Halfway up I realize I have no momentum and I can't decide quick enough what I'm supposed to do - unclip and put my foot down or push through - so I fall.  Again.  This time there was blood.  I sat there for a second.  Still kinda funny, I got up, inspected my bloody leg and my bike (is that gear shifter bent? no, surely not) and seemingly all that happened to the bike was the saddle got a little twisted.  The next day I was pretty sore from the fall.  My knee was swollen and it was hard to bend and the scrapes were pretty tender.



Doesn't look too bad, but it got pretty swollen.

 Day 3: The straw that broke the camel's handlebars
In spite of the 2 previous falls, I felt confident that I was getting better and had set out on a ride with my friend TPG.  We were heading out for an easy hour and a half ride to explore the newly marked on-road bike routes in Plano.  Can you see where this is going?  6 miles in, I wanted to stop so we pulled into an apartment complex.  I unclipped, rolled to a stop, and put my unclipped foot on the ground.  Or at least I tried.  All I can figure is I set my foot too close to the pedal and either unknowingly clipped back in or the cleat got stuck in a different part of the pedal.  So with all the force and intention of putting my foot on the ground, I fell.  HARD.  Broken spirit, broken handlebar.  Not funny anymore.

All cleaned up after fall #2



In all it's glory.

It's been 2 weeks and 3 days and I finally took my bike to the shop.  The scabs are all gone with the exception of the one on my ankle - that one was pretty deep (gross).  And the swelling in my knee has gone down quite a bit.  For all practical purposes my knee is fine, but I still can't put ANY pressure on it .. as in I can't get on my knees (insert dirty joke here).  I imagine 2 hard falls on the same spot will do that to you.  (I guess time will tell if anything is really wrong, it's hard to say because it's in a weird spot, not the actual joint or knee cap).  When I pick my bike up on Saturday it will be 3 weeks exactly since I fell.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little bit scared to get back on the stupid thing so I borrowed a bike trainer from a friend. I figure this will allow me to get in some training rides and practice with the clipping in/out thing for a while.  Oh, I almost forgot!  When I was in the bike shop one of the repairmen walked by, looked at my bike and said, "Wait, this is aluminum.  This almost NEVER happens."  Dude.

So like I said.  I'm not a cyclist.  In the end, I might decide to use cages instead of bike shoes.  I might buy a pair of mountain bike shoes combined with these pedals ..

half platform, half clipless .. or whatever they're called

.. because mountain bike shoes have more grip and the pedals have features that appear to the less coordinated like myself.  Hell.  I might even be that person who wears a hydration pack while riding instead of using a bottle.  I haven't decided yet.  But what I have decided is that I'm ok with it.  I'm going to do whatever I need to do to get me to that 100 miles.  Or whatever my bank account will allow.  And eventually I won't feel like a poser riding a bike that I don't deserve.  But for now, I'm not a cyclist.  I'm a runner on wheels.  Hmmm.  Runner on wheels.  I like the way that sounds :).