Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Challenge Challenges
I have a new goal: to stop making cycling goals.
My most recent goal -- to complete the 1000 mile challenge by March 10, which would be 100 days in -- seemed challenging but entirely attainable. But then I was bombarded by several impediments (or excuses, take your pick):
You know what makes it difficult to train, especially on a recumbent bicycle? A painful tailbone injury. Last weekend was the Charlottesville Ultimate Winter League tournament. In the first point of the first game, before I even had the chance to cut out of the stack, a guy on the other team sprinted right into my back and sent me sprawling. I'm still not entirely sure what happened since I definitely didn't see it coming -- I believe my first words from the ground were "What was that?" -- but it felt like someone had misaligned most of my body and taken a hammer to my tailbone. Pushing off to sprint or jump was especially painful. Unfortunately we didn't have any female subs so I had to keep playing. I grabbed a handful of advil off the sidelines after the point and made it through three long games, even though my cleat split open halfway through and had to be duct-taped back together. But it was all worth it: We won the tournament as a huge underdog: during the season we finished 6th of 10 and every team we beat during the tournament had trounced us in earlier games, including the previously undefeated power house that we faced for the championship. Needless to say, it was awesome! I don't even mind so much that my tailbone still hurts more than a week later...
I can't blame my cycling hiatus entirely on the pain of ultimate victory, however, since my schedule couldn't afford much cycling time anyway. I had a thesis draft due on Friday and only two weeks notice about it. I mean, yes, I should have started the writing process over winter break, but who does that, really? Thanks to the late warning and my procrastination I really had to buckle down. I did practically nothing all week but put in hours and hours and hours at my desk. (Which, by the by, is also highly inconvenient with a tailbone injury). I wrote 25 slightly-above-mediocre pages though, which is a good start and will make my life easier come April.
After barely surviving a dark and stormy night drive to Maryland followed by a trip to New York the next day (look for an entry coming above!) I was all ready to get back to training. Snow and the accompanying freezing temperatures precluded any outdoor riding but I looked forward to using Kyle's trainer in conjunction with Dave's huge TV. Unfortunately, I need to change the back tire (to protect it from the wear of the trainer), reattach the front wheel (which had to be removed to force the bike into my car), and possibly take the bike into the shop to fix a strange fluctuation around the back cassette (gears). And so my riding gets put off again and again.
The goal is to finish fixing my bike and get in a ride tomorrow. My tailbone will just have to endure. Still, I don't know that I can cover 200 miles in 6 days. I know that on the trip I'll need to cover that distance in 2 days, but then I'll be (1) better trained (2) outside (3) with Kyle and (4) without any other responsibilities or excuses. Wedding planning, cover letters, homework, and the next chapter of my thesis are all calling my name rather insistently this week. Buggers.
I'll keep everyone updated of course, but I fear disappointing yet again. But hey, what ultimately matters is that I make it across the country, right? Setbacks now are simply learning experiences, small blows to the ego, and motivation to become better.
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| posted at: 11:43 |
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