Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Challenge Accomplished
I did it! Haha! I did it after all. I completed the 1000 mile challenge in 100 days, after I had almost given up on it. Here's how it happened:
Day 94: I decided I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I changed my bike tire with a lot of help from Kyle, hopped on the trainer, set up Hulu, and rode for 36 miles. I rode until it got too late to be making so much noise, and I felt really invigorated and still fairly fresh by the end.
Day 95: On the trainer again, this time for 35 miles. This time it was my knee that gave my ride an endpoint. It started to hurt around mile 30. It never got so bad that I had to stop, but it hurt enough that I thought I should.
Day 96: From the very beginning my knee reminded me that I've been pushing too hard too fast. I wanted to ride anyway but I only went 7 miles before I had to stop. I grimaced as I walked around the apartment, in pain and completely discouraged. I didn't see how I could complete the challenge now.
Day 97: I put the challenge out of my mind, because today we got to test ride the Pino again. My knee complained a little, especially since the boom (the front of the bike) was too short, but we only went 4 miles so it wasn't a big deal. Besides, riding the Pino was amazing.
Day 98: The epic Gettysburg ride - see the previous entry. An enjoyable 67 miles that suddenly put me back in the game.
Day 99: I now had two days to ride 54 miles - entirely doable as long as my knee didn't betray me. It didn't. I got in 34 miles on the good old recumbent in UVA's gym. The only time I had available to ride that day was from after 10pm until midnight, but that was ok; it meant less people were around to want the bike. Plus I got to watch two intramural basketball games through the window.
Day 100: I really wanted to finish the challenge outside, if only because people look at you funny if you raise your arms in victory at the gym. In the morning it was much too cold, but just before 5:00 the sun came out, the wind died down, and it seemed just nice enough to ride. I was on my way to the gym at the time but I rushed home instead, hoping I would have enough time to get ready, get out, and get in 20 outdoor miles before I needed to drive to 7:00 tutoring.
The ride wasn't overly rigorous in terms of route or performance, but it certainly challenged me in other ways. First a suicidal rabbit dashed across my path and almost caused me to veer into a passing car. Then I made the mistake of turning around to head home...on a hill...without shifting down. As I started to climb I shifted too soon and the chain came off, leaving with no way to pedal, no momentum, and no time to clip out. I gave a jaded "really?" as the bike tipped over and we clattered to the ground. At least the absurdly high socks that I decided to try out protected my shins from scrapes. After brushing myself off and absolutely coating my hand in grease trying to fix the chain, I started the ride home. On the way I stopped to take a photo of my friends the donkeys. I've been meaning to take a photo since I first saw them, and this time they were enjoying dinner near the fence so I couldn't resist. Apparently I wasn't paying enough attention when I went to start pedaling again, because I clipped in too soon and suddenly found myself sprawled in the middle of the road with a painful wrist and shoulder. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I always wait until there are no cars in the road before I get back on it.
I managed to make it home without any further incidents after that, thank goodness. I had to book it though, because I was running out of time. I didn't realize how close I was cutting it, however, until I checked the clock at home - after snapping a victory photo of course - and discovered I would have to rush off to tutoring immediately: no dinner, no shower, just time to trade my bike shorts for jeans. When I made it back from tutoring around 9:30 I was starving, exhausted, run down...and it felt oh so good. Victory at last!
| posted at: 23:23 |
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