I literally jumped out of bed on Saturday morning. I was ready for the 64 mile ride through the hills in Chappell, Texas. I could hardly wait to be climbing uphilll on my bike and coasting downhill. I thought about the ride that lay ahead and the ride that I had planned tomorrow. Honestly, I can not remember exactly how I envisioned it, but whatever I was thinking it would be; I was way off.
The drive to Chappell, Texas was through thick fog. I normally like a little rock music on my way to a run or a ride, but being by myself in the early AM, driving through a thick fog, I let the Ryan Adam Ash & Fire album that I normally start my day off with at work play on my car radio. I hit slow traffic pulling into the race. I looked around at everyone’s bikes or their cars, and I felt no frustration with the traffic, instead I felt like I was a part of something.
I was in the ideal state of mind for an endurance event. I was not at all hyper and not at all tired. I phoned one of my fellow riders to find out where everyone else was, and I even started the conversation off with, “How are you this morning?” Instead of my usual, get to the point, “Where is everyone?”
As I parked on the grassy field in Chappell, Texas, I suddenly felt really nervous. What if I could not make it? What if I get lost? What if I fall down with my new pedals? Wasn’t I suppose to check the air pressure in my tires?
I was getting all of my gear out of my car and walking over to greet one of my co-workers when I literally bumped into a good friend. She was parked right in front of me. I told her how worried I was about everything, and she assured me that I would do just fine. Her husband checked the air pressure in my tires, and I was all set.
Cowboys Fan and Mr. I Ride Really Fast on a Bike and I waited at the starting line for what seemed like a long time. Cowboys Fan and I were having issues with the spedometers on our bike. Mr. I Ride Really Fast on a Bike was observing the situation when his tire blew. It was like a gun shot. We were not even on the bikes. We were just standing next to them. He had gotten new tires, and apparently the tire was not on right, and the tube itself hit the ground and blew. I thought to myself, no worries, Cowboys Fan watched a YouTube video.
We decided that I would go ahead and start since they would pass me by before too long. I had about a twenty minute head start. I started out REALLY slowly. I was extremely nervous about my clips. I want to say the Flat Tire Duo passed me on mile 5. I definitely had the endurance to stay up with them, but I was terrified off falling with my new pedals.
I was by myself when I came up to the first rest stop. The officer stopped us suddenly. Surprise! I forgot to unclip my shoe and I fell over. This time I fell on my left side, so I got a knee scrape to match the one from my mishap on Tuesday. It would not have been a big deal, except the arches of my feet cramped up when I fell down, and I could not stand back up. I was bloody, dirty and in a lot of pain. The EMT was there right away because we are at the rest stop. She looked at the blood gushing out of my knee, and said that I should not worry. She would bandage me up and call for someone to take me back.
Back? WHAT?
“No,” I said, “I am finishing the ride as soon as I can stand back up.” I was at the rest stop another 30 minutes, and then I was off again. Now I had fallen. It hurt, but it lessened my fear of falling. I zipped along. For once, I was the one passing people by. I was strong on the hills, pedaling away while my fellow bikers struggled.
I had some bike issues, and ran out of water at one point, which led to lengthy stops at the rest areas, but I was still making great time.
The last eight miles were supposed to the worse. They were mostly uphill. It was easy, I am certain that I could have done it a few more times. I pulled in to the finish line not caring that I was the last one of my co-workers to get there. I felt a great since of accomplishment, and I was thinking of ways to continue cycling after the MS150 was over.
This sense of accomplishment lasted for about 30 minutes….