Trial Run

Ok, so today was the Big Day- the trial run of the short distance duathalon that I will be doing in the park on Tuesday.

I picked up my fine feathered friend, Miss J and can't tell you how great it was to have her with me! She is an awesome person, and did fantastic despite having some technical issues that were completely out of her control.

Her courage and strength today I totally admire, and brought me back to the times when I tried new things. Not so long ago I remember swimming my first 25meters in the pool and thought of what an impossible task further distances would be. I also recall trying to ride a road bike for the first time last summer and because of the negative experience, I let a year slip by before I was to try again. Here I am today, actually doing this, because at the end of the day, I decided I was not going to let those horrible, humiliating feelings stop me from accomplishing this goal. I hope Miss J feels the same way I do, and will continue on to do some duathalons with me!

So today, Mr.P and his lovely wife Mrs. L were so kind and gracious in helping me. Mr. P did not waste any time in cracking the whip and got me standing on my road bike. I must admit I felt like I was hyperventilating as it is a very wobbly feeling. Much much different then standing on a stationary spin bike! It did get easier and I realize I need to be in a bigger gear to feel more stable, but I obviously need to practice a whole lot more of this.

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment for me was drinking from my water bottle while riding (albeit I was riding considerably slower while trying to manage this task). This was soooooo huge for me, and I did it a total of 3 times without falling! I amaze myself to think that when I was 12 years old, I would cycle around the Army Base without holding onto my handle bars with ease. Now the thought of doing this terrifies me! Crap I say to anyone who maintains that you never forget how to ride a bicycle!

After having completed a 7 mile practice loop, Mr. P got me to do the whole duathalon, starting with the run (2k) bike (13k) run (2k). It felt pretty good although the last leg of the run, my legs were feeling a bit like lead weights. However, now I have a better idea of pacing myself!

One thing I am a bit nervous about, is the transitions which means changing shoes and racking/un-racking your bike. Since I have a hard enough time trying to find my car in a parking lot when I go shopping, finding my bike could be a very Big problem. I am seriously considering coming up with some sort of marker-a balloon? a flag? something!

As for the weather, I got a mix of it all, some sun, some wind, lots of cloud, and yes-rain. I asked about the whole rain issue and if I would slip and slide all over the place. Both Mr. P and Mrs. L were able to reassure me, that unless I took corners uber fast, that I would likely be just fine. Mrs. L also gave me a little tip and told me not to ride on the painted lines on the road, as they tend to get more slippery then unmarked concrete-who knew?

All in all, I must say, I had a very good training session. I feel much more confident knowing that I can complete the distance. I am still quite anxious about having to ride in a situation where there are many many people-I guess one scary thing at a time!