So my first ride with Coach Brett was last July. It was quite humbling to say the least.  Complete with a low speed tipover. I wasn’t sure I was cut out for this tri thing, let alone Roswell, Georgia cycling, after that little ride.

And here was the elevation chart from our 47 mile ride last year.

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Brett put a certain ride loop on my training schedule last week.  I read it, and I texted him, “No, I am not doing that.”

“Yes you are.”

“No, no I’m not,” I wrote back. “I can’t make it up that climb once, and certainly not three times.”

[It’s the reverse way I usually ride. I go DOWN that one every ride. I have always thought, “Glad I’m not riding up this sh*t.”]

He said, “You’re riding it.”

“NO, no I’m not,” I said again. (Was my phone broken? Why wasn’t this man understanding? I had knives and death emojis and everything.)

“I’m coming with you then,” he wrote.

Son of a… $%&@.

Persisent little bugger, this coach of mine.  The Expert was scheduled for work travel, so I procured a blessed teenager who would wake up and come babysit at 6:30 in the morning.

Fine. I was ready. [I was kind of shaking in my boots though.]

(Oh, and I had a TERRIBLE run yesterday. So ugh to that.)

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For the record, I am a decent cyclist. Though I wasn’t so sure after I cut my hair on Tuesday. Samson seemed to have lost her strength.  But lawdy, I think it was time. The hair was everywhere.

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And then it wasn’t there.

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“But can you put it back in a ponytail?”  Yes.

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[Okay, enough of the hair.]

Anyway, Samson.  Losing my strength. Nah. That couldn’t be true.

Roswell has a couple of climbs that are dubbed “The Three Sisters”–and they are pretty ominous when strung together… But I have been riding the Sisters (especially the Big one) over and over, so I know I am getting stronger on the bike. And I’ve been living here a year now. Roswell = climbs. And out of the three disciplines, I do like to ride best.

And I am okay at it.  However, I am also a heavy cyclist.

So there comes a time when the road pitches up (usually around 9-10% and more grade) that I get to really cursing, and actually fearing that I can’t haul my body UP the climbs. (The Big Sister tops out around 15% (?), and I call that stupid.).  I fear that my legs will give out (even when Eminem says they won’t).  Have they EVER given out?  Actually…not technically.  I did, one time, give up on the Big Sister.  But I don’t think my legs actually gave out. My mind did.

Even still, I had that weird fear today. That, and low-speed tipping over.  Which almost happened again.

Anyway. A couple of positives going into the ride:
  1. It was early, so the 98 degree heat did not have a chance to catch us.
  2. I slept awesome last night. In the bed by 9:30, and slept well.  My knee and hips have been hurting. I hurt so badly when I went to bed, that I texted the Expert and said, “Going to bed to sleep away this pain.”
  3. Seemed to work.  Woke up feeling better in the hips and knees.  [That could be from visiting Dr. Miracle Man Hands (Dr. Hamid Sadri) yesterday.]
    and
  4. I am down 20.2 pounds (the 0.2 being important, of course) since April. (Less to haul up said hills. Thumbs up.)
So here was today’s joy ride.

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Slightly a little more climbing than last year. Slightly a lot more, I guess.  Really packed in 2,400 feet in 30 miles.  And yes, I rode that loop three times. Not once. And I didn’t fall down.

And where I am a rocketship going DOWN the hills, going UP, I am more like the Little Big Sorta Chunky Engine that Could.

But I go and go, and that’s all I can do.  Brett focused on one particular stretch of climbing (I guess about 3 miles worth of “up”) where he spoke from his perch on his very tall bike, “This is Placid.”  And so we rode that.

And I am good at the “this is Placid” type of climbing.

Brett and I had a great ride, and you know what?  I feel okay. I feel strong. I feel leaner. Really, nothing to complain about.

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Less than 40 days to Placid. What the what.

Crazy. But all really all good news.

16 Responses

  1. I love reading your blog. I am on my 2nd year into triathlon and only on the OLY wagon so far. Just did my first in Louisville KY and the bike portion about killed me! It was so hilly! I am use to the flat lands of farmer Illinois. However my friend is wanting me to do IM WI….but I am scared to death of the hills! This made me feel better…that even slow you make it. Get it done! Way to go girl!

  2. Great job! At least you have hills to practice on. I’m headed to Lake Placid to ride the course next weekend. I’m preparing to be rudely crushed since otherwise my training is on total flat ground. FLAT.

    See you in Placid!

  3. You rock!!! Look at that smile! <3 Have fun continuing on the road to Lake Placid! Or something like fun… 😉

  4. Your hair looks awesome, and 20.2 down??? WOOHOO!!!! I can tell in your pics, but more than that, I bet you feel amazing. I need to take some of what you’re doing and apply it in my own life. I’m about to do an aqua bike this weekend at my heaviest tri weight yet. That will surely snap me back into gear. 🙂

  5. I was in Lake Placid this weekend for the LP Half Marathon and was thinking of you as I watched so many tri -athletes practicing around town. You are going to love this course and will certainly rock it all! Love the hair!

  6. I’m doing the oly too this year! Also my second year. Doing the huge chicago Tri for my oly. I’m a shakin in ma boots but I can do it.

  7. Love the hair!!!!

    Also, I always thought I was the only one thinking “I am going to fall!” every time I have a climb, because I feel slowing down, and thinking eventually I’ll stop and will not be able to take my cleats in time to prevent from falling.

  8. Way to crush it!!! And I don’t mean the hills (but great job there as well). I mean taking note of the fact that you are a stronger rider and can accomplish the goals set in front of you. And that elevation and grade is Placid worthy. There have been 2 training rides in my life where I have literally cried and gotten off to walk. Some day I will face them both again…

  9. I’m glad you busted that myth that you can’t lose weight while training for a triathlon. Now THAT’S inspirational!! Good for you!

  10. First your new hair ROCKS… adorable and so summer!

    Second, way to tackle those hills!

  11. You are:
    1. A machine
    2. Adorable in your new hair cut
    3. A phenomenon
    SBM

    🙂

  12. I love reading your blog, it’s so inspiring. And it always makes me laugh! I’m just about to finish my first year doing tri in a couple of months. And I did my first half IM a month ago (I did one sprint out of the blue last August) and skipped OLY – as well as I jumped from running a 5 k straight to a half marathon 4 years ago, I hate the 10k distance 😀 I’m looking forward to your Lake Placid RR already now! Keep moving forward, you’re one awesome SBM! Lucie (Czech Republic)

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