30 mile weekend

I did not get any pictures from my weekend. Although the bike pictures would look identical from last week. Our bike workout was in the same place this week. The difference was we were going on our first ride. I was not going to be able to skip outta this one! Every training starts with the team manager going over fundraising & business stuff. Then the mission moment was by a guy who had been through cancer with both his former wife & father. Before the ride we did a tire changing clinic. Coach had us remove our tires for practice as fast as we would. Once we got our tire off we had to hold it up in the air. Getting the tire off is not that hard. It's getting it back on that can be tricky! Especially the back tire because you have to get the chain on right. What important is remembering all the little details, opening the brake, unscrewing the lever (but not too much!), & reversing the steps right. Then spin the tire to make sure it doesn't rub & check the brakes!!
Once we finished that we all took a restroom break & got ready to ride.
They had "the slow" people start in the front & fast people or more experienced I suppose in the back. There were mentors going back & forth the group & leading the front & back.
I started out in the slow group but somehow slowly fell to the back of pack. Don't get me wrong I'm not competing at all with these people! I have never cared about being the caboose ;) I didn't pay attention or hear (if it was said) that this was a 20 mile ride! It was NOT easy either. I was still petrified to be on my bike AND we were riding on the street for a section to get to the bike path. Starting & stopping multiple times AND the eminent risk of falling infront of a moving vehicle keep my heart pounding out of my chest!
When we go on the bike path we went on a trail through a canyon first. The calm rational person with in me will tell you it was beautiful & probably an awesome place to run it walk. The scaredy cat in me will tell you it was terrifying will all the turns and ups & downs! We had to exit the trail back on the street to get to the portion of the path that runs along the 56 freeway (hence this ride called 56 bike path). It was LONG! & there was some serious hills I MEAN SERIOUS HILLS! After the biggest hill we had a pit stop where coach was collecting clothing we needed to shed (the sun was up & hot) he had water & food if anyone needed it. I asked if we could turn around here, I was seriously worried about making it all the way back! He said it was just a short way further to Black Mountain Road which would be 10 miles. I set off that way only to find the hill unjust went over was nothing compared to getting to Black mountain road!!!!! The good thing about this ride is I learned very quick that I have an awesome bike! On the up hills my bike has an extra gear I can drop into that makes it near effortless to climb. That paired with my clip pedals/shoes that I complain about being able to push AND pull the pedals around make hills my (trying to find a word for b*#~h)
The top of black mountain I was breathing so hard & exhausted! Everyone (all 4 people that were slow like me) took off back down the hill fast. Something I learned this ride also was I DO NOT LIKE TO GO FAST! I was holding on for dear life & braking down the massive hills on the way back! At times I tried to take in the scenery & enjoy the ride but mostly I gripped the handle bar & prayed I didn't wobble & crash to the ground so the asphalt could rip my skin off my body like I'm sure it wants to!
Yes I'm being dramatic but no I'm not exaggerating!!! This is really what it is like for me! Why I love doing something I am not good at & enjoy in rare moments is beyond me except that I know I will get it eventually. Some day I will be a triathlete (for reals). Once I got back to the street/trail portion I was relieved knowing I was very close to my car! Unfortunately I missed the exit from the trail & hit a dead end, had to back track then because there wasn't a mentor in sight couldn't figure out how I get back to the path to the cars with out going on the insanely busy streets! I rode on the sidewalk which is a huge no-no but I was too scared to even attempt maneuvering on the busy street! It took so standing around on street corners to finally make my way back & then I made the last turn & FINISHED!!!!
The thing with bike rides on Saturdays now is I don't have that time for my weekly long run. My hope is that early Sunday will work for the long runs. It was hard to imagine I could do a long run the day after my bike ride BUT I still made the plan to do it. I really think the fact that my bike is so awesome I actually felt pretty good post ride. I am not sure this will be same situation in weeks to come but we shall see. So this week I really needed a long run because next weekend is my next race! I made plans to meet a fellow triathlete I met at my last race for a 10 mile run at lake miramar. It is 5 miles around the lake so we would do 2 laps. My new running buddy is faster then me so I was worried about keeping up. Everything came together on this rub & I felt great (well I whined a lot) & kept up with George. I enjoy this run I grew up in this neighborhood. My family spent so much time here. It was also where I ran the morning of my brother's birthday 7 miles. It was good to be with someone who kept me going & encouraged me. AND at te end of the run I had my fastest 10 mile time yet!