First (and 2nd) Bike Ride

Hello friends (all 5 of you reading this blog....maybe).  I hope you're all having a great Wednesday and getting ready to enjoy a 3 day weekend up ahead.  Now that I've tackled my first two rides, I'm really looking forward to riding this weekend.  But let me tell you about the not so great first ride and confident building second ride.

On Cinco de Mayo, there was a triathlon on Key Biscayne and the 3 of us (Chels, Michelle and myself) woke up extremely early to see our first triathlon in action.  First of all, I know that I'm late on reporting here.  I'm still trying to get a blogging schedule and routine down...please bear with me.  Back to the triathlon...it was definitely motivational and answered a lot of questions for us.  I was particularly interested in how the transition area was set up and the manner in which the triathletes tackled T1 and T2.  

The swim portion...dun, dun, dun.

Besides being totally pumped up, I can admit that I was slightly intimidated but it was all so positive.  I'm very much a visual person so thankfully we were able to go and experience it together.  I had so much adrenaline inside but that was subsided with hunger.  I needed coffee and eggs, stat! And a margarita later. Okay maybe more than one. 

No lime mix here...we make 'em fresh.

The following weekend, Michelle and I finally went out on the bikes and I did not like it so much.  Let me just put it out there, that Michelle totally left me behind.  I was thinking that we'd take them out and get to know them slowly and feel them out a bit, but she just took off.  We decided to bike around our lake because I was too chicken to ride on the road.  I was trying to find the right way to sit because I was not comfortable at all and making sure I wasn't going to hit walkers, runners, dogs, kids, and other cyclists, while trying to keep pace with Michelle.  We finally stop at 2.5 miles and I'm explaining to her that someone has literally punched my groin area and that my saddle sucks! She asked if I was standing when we saw bumps in the pavement, but no, I was too busy being scared.  She quickly recaps the whole gear thing for me and we're off for the 2.5 mile ride back.  It was definitely better for me, but I had already done the damage.  My bum was bothered and I was leaning too far forward that my hands were carrying my weight on the handles, thus my palms were killing me as well.  I was cycling as fast as I could just so I could be done with it.  I walked the bike into the apartment and pouted, because that's my specialty. Pouting.

Second go round was this past weekend and it was soooooo much better.  On Saturday we went to Bike Tech (www.biketechmiami.com) because I had received an email that they were having a sale.  The item in mind to buy was padded shorts.  I had no idea how much they would help alleviate the saddle woes, but my tush needed any and all help.  I found Pear Izumi shorts with maximum padding that were half off.  Hello! Michelle got a pair too.  We headed home and decided to go for an afternoon ride and I did so much better.  The shorts felt ridiculous, sorta like a diaper.  During the week I had read up and saw videos on bike riding posture, so as not to repeat my mistakes from the last ride.  The shorts helped and my new info helped and I was so happy.  I kept pace and wasn't as nervous that I even finished the ride as the pace setter.  We rode approximately 6.5 miles and I topped it off with a Samuel Adams Summer Ale.  Cheers to that!

This weekend we plan on tackling the road.  In the area we live, there is an area with a bike designated lane and our favorite person (James) at Bike Tech gave us a pep talk.  He said go early (when the sun breaks) and find a comfortable pace for both of us.  So that is what we're going to do Sunday.  Ride and BBQ.  Carpe diem!