22 May 2012

I can!

Indy Pass in May

My fourth ride after five weeks in a cast and no bike, I pedaled nine miles up Independence Pass. I thought I could do six miles. I did nine.

My fifth ride, I went halfway up Deer Creek Canyon. Non-stop. I had gained 3,000 feet of elevation my first two trips up Deer Creek Canyon this season, before I broke my wrist, slow but non-stop. I worried I would have to start over after five weeks of no climbing and no riding. I went halfway up Deer Creek Canyon without stopping. Slow, and not pain-free, but non-stop.

I must continue to rebuild strength in my wrist and in my elbow, and I have to rebuild what little speed I am capable of maintaining, but I didn't have to start over from scratch. My 15-month streak of a 60-mile-day every month has served me well. Training through winter has paid off.

It is so tempting to try to overdo it now that I'm back on the bike. One wrong move now, and my riding season likely will be over. Even though I'm two to three weeks behind on my training right now, I'm stronger now than I have been in the past when I've been trying to get myself back in shape for summer. I could do the MS-150 this weekend if I had to, and I think I'll be ready for Ride the Rockies in three weeks. My saddle may be sore, but I'll be ready. I can do the miles. I can climb. I can.

It was a very good thing I didn't try to go further up Deer Creek Canyon. I flatted half a block from home. Brand new tires. My first pinch flat ever. If I'd gone another seven miles up the mountain, I may have flatted fourteen miles from home. That would not have been a fun walk. (I'm not so good or confident at changing or repairing skinny tires, and The Lizard was many, many miles away at work.)

But I CAN walk my bike 14 miles! When I have to.

yup, a gonner

flat tire festival

PS: Scaled Vail Pass over the weekend, then did the full 60-mile commute to and from work yesterday. And gave blood in between. Now my total mileage count for the year so far stands at 666. YIKES!!! Yikes!!!

6 comments :

  1. You go girl! Yes, You CAN! And I CAN too! :) So interesting your talking about the temptation to over-do but realizing it is better not to. We shall keep this in mind. Yes, we will. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations! That is an amazing achievement! And how awesome that you've maintained some strength - it's so frustrating to experience the setback after not training for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations and keep it up! Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh dear. I do hope you haven't caught the flat-tire virus from me.

    Awesome climbs! I knew you'd bounce back. Your previous hard work and training have stood you in good stead; your muscles remember what they're supposed to do; you haven't lost your stamina. Keep up the great work!

    P.S. You must have some very well-oxygenated blood! (Some lucky person will get a transfusion one day and experience a mysterious urge to ride a bicycle through the mountains.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just maybe, the break did you good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You are a rock star! An amazing accomplishment. You just keep getting stronger and stronger.

    ReplyDelete


Dusty words lying under carpets,
seldom heard, well must you keep your secrets
locked inside, hidden deep from view?
You can talk to me... (Stevie Nicks)

All spam is promptly and cheerfully deleted without ever appearing in print.

If you are unable to leave a comment and need to contact me, please use the email address in the sidebar. Thank you!

Related Posts with Thumbnails