It's like riding a bike....

Since everyone is blogging, I thought maybe I'd try a blog on my training for http://www.thesmartride.org/ in November. Let me know what you think.

Just about 3 months until the SmartRide so we are getting serious about training. I must confess that after those 10 miles I rode in the parking lot of the elementary school across from our house in May, I didn't get back on the bike until last Monday, August 4th. Kathy & I have been to the gym in the mornings (finally that membership is paying off!) and walked about 2 miles on our days off from the gym. But that's not going to help much when November rolls around unless I get on the bike. So last Monday we got up and rode at 6am...some in that famous parking lot, and a little on some neighborhood streets. I still was riding with only my left foot clipped in.

For those of you wondering what the heck I'm talking about -- do you remember your first bike? Mine had a banana seat with flowers on it and pink streamers on the handles. Anyway, those came with basic pedals....the kind that if you pedalled too fast sometimes your foot would slide off the pedal and sometimes you'd get a lovely bruise on the back of your leg from the pedal. Now they have all sorts of fancy things to keep your feet in the pedals: "cages" -- basically a little basket that your toes jam into and "clipless pedals" -- kind of like the bindings for skis / ski boots only MUCH smaller. I'd successfully managed using them the last time I did charity bike rides in 2000 and 2001. There were a few mishaps along the way (stitches in my chin leading to the dimple I always wanted) and some embarrassing falls when I'd forget to unclip when stopping. Just picture it -- person biking up to stop sign clipped into pedals...braking....comes to total stop....bike topples over because you forgot to unclip so one foot was free to support you on the ground. :-)

So yesterday was the day. We were going to bike, and I was going to use those blasted pedals. Why you ask? Because with the clipless pedals (odd name, I know) you are able to both push down on the pedal and pull up, using muscles on the front and back of your legs. (Some of those muscles haven't been used in years!)

So while Kathy ran to the grocery store (my least favorite thing to do) I poured myself into the spandex shorts & jersey and put on my cycling shoes. I moved the bike to a nice wide door jam, and got on, clipping in on the left as I'd been doing. After numerous tries -- and reminding myself to pedal backwards and not forwards or I'd end up riding down the stairs to our basement -- I managed to get the right foot clipped in. Yipeeeee!

Kathy came home and we went out for our usual spin around the parking lot and Julie practiced clipping in and clipping out. Over and over again. Then it was time to go out on the road. Where the cars are. GULP. So we went to the end of the road, clipping and unclipping whenever the spirit moved me. Back down the road to the house. At this point I think we've ridden all of 2 miles. My bike computer says we rode much further than Kathy's...but I think her's is more accurate. Darn it. Then we are off for a circuit of our neighborhood -- down Ridge Road to Southway. Right on Southway to Crescent, Crescent to Hillside to Laurel Hill and back to Ridge. Approximately 1.75 miles using the more accurate computer. We did that for a couple of times and then called it a day. Yippeee.....one very short ride done WITH the clipless pedals and on roads -- real roads in traffic!