Happy Holidays!

Last year I started pretty much every holiday out with my B Cubed Fitness people. I loved it and it was becoming an awesome tradition. Well all the holidays this year seemed to fall on Sat OR I picked up morning hours, making boot camp not an option. I was sad because I don't think I missed out on any before. I couldn't go on Christmas Eve because we had a TNT training.

We met at Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach. It was a coastal ride along the 101 PCH 20 miles with an optional 13 extra hilly miles. Riding on the Pacific Coast Highway is a lot of traffic lights and vehicle traffic. Not to mention surfers, pedestrians, other cyclists....pretty much everything I have been afraid of riding on the streets. The idea that you may have to stop quickly because the light changes, or a person walks in front of you or a car pulls out...EEK!! Not to mention we are riding in a group and have to watch out for each other. I was so surprised that I felt pretty at ease going along the highway. We had to stop at lights, stop signs, watch for hazards. It was a beautiful day and the ride was along the coast! The first turn around was at 10 miles. I really wanted to get home to see my kids before going to work later so I headed back. Some people kept going on up to 33 miles. Just like always I felt pretty accomplished just getting outside my comfort zone and getting the ride done.

Fast forward a week and things were a little different...I still missed another B Cubed event New Years Eve last chance workout. BUT we rode from fletcher cove again. This time I committed in my mind that I would go all the way out and back the 33 miles this time. I also had my friend Deana there volunteering to do the sag wagon. She was there rocking her alumni jacket. Everyone seemed to notice and ask what team she was on. She did Rock n Roll full marathon TWICE with TNT. It was so fun having her little kiddos there cheering me on and high fiving me! Once past the 10 mile turnout the route got very hilly, so far we don't do nice easy hills, they are tough! I was so tired, it was hot and a few time was ready to just turn around and say I had gone far enough. Good thing I can be prideful and willfull cause that overrides the complainer inside me. The last hill before the turn around just about took me down. In my head I was like where the bleep (yup I curse in my mind) is Poinsettia!!!!!!!!!!! Thank God it was right there when I was at that point. The ride back was almost fun...yes I almost had fun.

It helped that Coach Gurujan and Coach Tony caught up and were able to give me some tips along the ride. Knowledge helps me with my confident.I even stood up on my bike while I was coasting!!! I really had to push the last half of the ride as I was tired and I had to make it all those miles back. It helped having Tony lead the way because he was very good at communicating and looking out for everything.

The last two rides I have felt more and more confident and sure of myself. I feel like my bike & I are definitely getting to know each other and forming a bond that is going to get us through this race & now that I have gone further I am confident I can actually ride the 24 miles I have to for the race!!!