Race Report: The Bike

The Bike

My goal with bike was to maintain a steady cadence of over 80. I set my bike monitor to show that and steadfastly ignored the other data – time, speed, mileage, etc. I knew the course was comprised of a bunch of rolling hills and I just wanted to stay steady – spinning lightly up the hills, hammering the downs, and just riding smooth and steady. I was very successful in that. The ride is the loneliest longest part. The bikes were really spread out and there were long stretches where I was the only bicyclist I could see. Then I would come upon a spot and see oodles and wonder in amazement – where have they all been!? I passed a few, was passed. Nothing remarkable. I ate. I drank. It rained. It stopped.

There was one section that was an out and back with an uphill on the out. I was having a nice time just seeing other racers, spinning up the hill. Then I turned around and wheeeeeee!!!! I flew down that hill! I had the biggest ole grin on my face, just could not get enough of that speed. I think that fastest my odometer showed I went was about 32mph. My average speed turned out to be 16mph.

The longest and most grueling part of the bike was a portion that I mentally had erased. The course was a long road, with a loop at the end, and this out and back spur off the loop. Once I had come back from the out and back spur, I thought I would arrive back to the beginning of the loop in no time, which meant time for the last stretch home. But in fact the distance was a good quarter of the loop to get back to that home stretch. And that part was hard. I kept wondering, where is the road back, when will I get there? I’m tired. That girl just passed me. Another hill? My glutes hurt. Still? Still no home stretch? This is why they say the mental part is just as important as the physical training. Really, I kept pedaling no problem. Sure I was tired, but I was more tired further down the road and yet my pace and energy really picked up. But at that point in the ride my mind was too full of jibber-jabber and it actually slowed me down. Interesting.

Finally, the home stretch! As I passed the overflow lot I caught sight of my senior center van, and it gave me so much energy. I kept thinking of my crew waiting for me, watching all the athletes coming in, watching for me. ‘I’m coming!’ I was shouting in my head. Emotion kept rising in me, thinking of Pat, of Marge, of Fran and Beverly and John and Susan all driving such a long way to catch sight of me for a brief moment. It was so kind of them. I flew down the last portion and then it was time to slow down for the curves and wet leaves under wheel. I barely heard the person saying ‘dismount at the white line’ and am so thankful that volunteers repeat directions over and over in a clear voice, with hand gestures. You are just in such a fog and it’s amazing how hard it is for your brain to process, ‘Dismount at the white line’.

As I dismounted I caught sight of my crew and shouted some of their names. I was so so happy to see them!! My regret is that I didn’t slow down at all to say hi other than wave delightedly with a huge grin on my face. Although it is a pretty big grin.

Bike Time: 1:31 minutes

Transition Two: I racked that puppy, flung my running shoes on and was out of there! I moved fast enough that my folks didn’t get a chance to say hi at transition! I was sorry to take off without even a hello to them but couldn’t fathom not going as fast as I could. So I did.

Transition Two: 1:43