Group Rides

Wow, what a ride!  Every week, a group of bicyclists gathers at Ellacoya State Park to do a ‘group ride’ all together.  This week’s ride was about 75 riders, which splits up into three groups; first-timers, beginners and intermediate (funny, I noted, no “experts”).  This was my second week on the ride and the weather was great again; sunny, mid-70s and we start and finish at the lake (how amazing is that).  A group ride is great because the other riders often know the ride route, offer support and advice and just general encouragement, which cannot be underestimated.  My Felt Z100 bike is incredible, it rides comfortably, smoothly and it’s very light-weight.  The only problem I have at this point is operator error… I’m still getting used to the gears!  We start out riding by the lake, pretty even ride, so I shift through to get a feel for things, which I feel like I understand fairly well.  CJ and then Myles from MC Cycle and Sport, organizers and mentors for the ride, ride up beside me giving me pointers on how to use them (I used to ride a mountain bike, and that was 12 years ago).  Having them nearby – and their encouragement – is so reassuring.  For my first ride, we took a route through Gilford, up Watson Road.  I try to shift to an easier gear going up a hill and – drop – low gear.  Mash, mash, mash on the pedals as I try to correct it.  Ugh.  Standstill.  Myles comes up beside me, stops and helps me get the gear right to finish up the hill.  I have to run back down a bit, turn around and start again to get the momentum going again.  Wow, this gear this works well when it’s dialed in right!  Up, up, to the crest of the hill… Myles told me to meet him at the theater, which is at the bottom of the hill.  The ride down – especially after that struggle and feeling stupid going up the other side – was amazing.  I just let it ride, wide open, like wind in my sails.  At one point, I look down… 40 mph.  Wow, and I thought I’d be anxious about that.  It was fantastic, made me feel more alive.



Here's an early spring photo, which is now all luscious green leaves. 
I'll try to get over there to take a picture of what it looks like now.

For this week’s ride, I was really looking forward to two things.  Firstly, we were going to do the Timberman bike route.  See, having the home field advantage, I can actually train ON the course, so that will help to really prepare me for the race.  Secondly, this week Lori Oakley from the Laconia Athletic and Swim Club and the Lakes Region Triathlon Club would be joining us!  Lori is so encouraging, and a great support person to have in your corner, and while others in the Tri-Newbie Training Program had already had the opportunity to ride with her, this was my first.  We started off the ride easily enough, along the waterfront, which I can only show you how breathtaking it is.

I feel strong, pretty confident.  I’ve been spinning classes since about April, so my legs are stronger; I just have to learn make the best of these gears.  I call it “More turn for your burn”.  I’m really focused on learning that.  I did pretty well until I got to a big long hill.  Even with easier gears, it’s still work.  Another rider pulls off, and I stop to help (I could use the break too, to tell you the truth).  I keep up momentum until I crest the hill and ride the slope down to the meeting point where the rest of the riders are waiting for everyone to catch up to turn and ride the route back.  I managed to reach down and get my water bottle, take a drink and set it back too – without crashing, which is important.  A few minutes at the meeting point, and we’re off again, except that I’m still winded, and that hill I just glided down is now the one that I have to climb back up.  Mash, mash, mash the pedals, here we go again, I know I’m in the wrong gear.  But now I’m afraid to get stuck like I did the week before on Watson Road, so I’m cautious and struggling.  I stop at one point, catch my breath, and start up again, still struggling.

Then, a familiar voice comes up behind me… Lori Oakley!   She had gotten a flat, but caught up to me, and now she’s looking at my gears while riding behind me.

“Shift down! [I click the gears]  Again. [I click.]  A few more, still have some room [click, click, click]”

Ahhh!  Now we’re in business!  My feet aren’t mashing the pedals anymore, and I can actually make some progress.

“Is that better?”, she asks, pulling along side me. 

“Yeah, thank you so much!”

Lori comments how I was killing that hill, even in the wrong gear, and tells Myles the same thing when we catch up with him.  Good, I think to myself, when I get these gears under control, I should be doing really well!

I love having great coaches.  Not only was she able to help me out of a bind (I’ll get used to the gears, it’ll just take practicing and getting the ‘feel’ for it), she was so encouraging.  She helped me focus, breath calmly, exhale completely (to avoid CO2 buildup which is what seizes up muscles).  THIS is what group rides are about.  I had stopped to help a fellow rider earlier, and it came full circle when I needed help myself.

The rides are fantastic, 15 miles in a group that suits your abilities.  It’s open to the public, all are welcome.  We meet Mondays at 5:30pm at Ellacoya, and it usually finishes up about 7:00pm.  The rule for weather is that if the road is dry, we ride.  I really hope you would consider coming.  While parts can be challenging, it can be really exhilarating.  Hope to see you on the road!

Learning to be "True to the Tri"

Last week I caught a major respiratory infection, which set me back for a days, but it’s been a productive and educational week still.  Thursday night I had a session with Jaime Poire, a member of the Lakes Region Triathlon Club and Triathlon veteran of 11 years.  He walked us through race day to visualize the mental and physical preparation that an athlete has to do to focus and have a great race.  Training doesn’t end at learning how to swim, bike and run better; the nature of the Triathlon is not three separate events.  The transition between the different events is critical to your performance.  In addition to answering more questions that he probably imagined we would have, he told us some of the tips and tricks that he’s developed over the years, like how to quickly mount and dismount the bike at transition.  I hadn’t thought about the rules of Triathlons, but Jaime shared with us the rules of passing and drafting on the bikes.  Of course I hoped I’d be passing people on the course, but didn’t know the safe and proper ways to do so while abiding by the rules.  The race, while it is a competition, is best raced against yourself, as a personal challenge.  For that reason, we race with integrity for the rules, or “True To The Tri” [T4].  He was a wealth of knowledge, and mostly all things we would never have known without him!  (Thanks Jaime!)

Friday night, I dared to go back to swim practice, still fighting the respiratory infection.  I couldn’t breathe very well anyway.  But at least I would try.  (The Sunday before I had a great day in the pool.)  I actually had a great practice, and didn’t really have any trouble until the 11^th lap.  It was great to feel that because the next day was going to be a big one with the Mock Mini Race!

Saturday morning, bright and early, the Lakes Region Triathlon Club hosted and staged a Mock Mini-Triathlon.  We would do this short course as a method of learning the challenges of facing the transitions after the actual exertion of each facet of the race.  We would feel it get harder, realize how important the Triathlete’s focus is in transition.  Starting out, just as Race Day, at registration, we got out bodies marked on our arms and legs with marker.  I took some time to warm up at each event and check over my gear; the bike is in great shape, I loosen up my muscles with a couple laps around the nearby race track, and swam a bit to get the cold lake on my skin.  We regroup to walk the course, observing and studying where the “In” and “Out” points are, and any obstacles that may be in the way.  Once we’re in the water at the starting point, we get the signal and start off.  I try not to rush and focus on breathing well to make it.  It wasn’t easy, especially with the respiratory issues I’m already fighting.  The team is cheering on shore and Jean in the kayak is keeping me going as I start struggling more, but make it to shore to run through the course to the transition where I have my bike.  As I reach down for my shoes, I about fall over dizzy, but keep going… throw on socks, shoes, helmet and I run off, hop on the bike and bike through two laps of the course, still catching my breath from the swim, having to focus on this now.  Good dismount, run it back to transition, rack the bike and sprint off to the finish line.  What a rush!  We learned a lot about the event, the preparation, and the focus that it takes to be great at the sport.  It was a great feeling, and the encouragement the entire way of the Lakes Region Triathlon Club volunteers was amazing!  Thanks so much!

A new bike, and how I learned about bike shorts

Thanks to MC Cycle and Sport of Laconia, I am now outfitted with a beautiful new ride! Myles and his team at the Shop are AMAZING. Absolute PROS, and I cannot speak highly enough of them!  www.mccycleandsport.com is their website... see them for whatever gear you need! Here's a pic of my fab new Felt Z100!!

So, now that I have the bike and had it fitted, I was ready to take it home.  But, then we realized that the bike rack I have (which was recently given to me) is missing a strap.  There was no way I'd put this bike on anything shaky, so I decided to go get changed, get a ride back to MC Cycle and ride it back to my office!  It was a good day for its inaugural ride, after all!  So, I changed into my workout gear and went back to get my sweet new ride (SO happy).  Now, here comes the point where I should have taken some good advice.  See, I haven't worn shorts in literally four years (at least) due to the fact that I'm not happy with my weight.  So, I wasn't in any rush to get bike shorts on if I wasn't doing a lot of riding, which I wasn't going to be this day.  So I didn't know the reasons people wear bike shorts.  Getting used to the bike was fairly easy once I got on the road.  I loved the ride, although the trip back to my office is up a good hill, so I was pretty tired and happy when I finished the 2-mile ride.  After work, I had "Brick Training", where we practice the transition point between the swim, the biking, and the run, where you have to get into shoes (from swimming), get gear on, hop on the bike and go your distance, hop off, run your bike to your transition point, change your shoes, take off helmet, etc and start your run.  It takes practice, as I learned, and everyone has their own system.  SO, the first trip around, I'm doing great, loving the ride of the new bike... see the dismount coming up... hop off the bike, and - BAM.  My cotton shorts caught the handle bars, and I go down, feeling like slow motion, until my face finally grinds the pavement.  Bike shorts.  Oh, I see now, I thought to myself, as I peeled myself off the pavement, laughing.  The trainer comes over, concerned, asking if I'm okay.  Yeah, of course, just a little scraped up, and not my most graceful moment ever, still laughing as I finished running the bike to transition point.  This is my learning curve... hahaha.