I'm a triathlete.
I'm a swimmer.
I'm a cyclist!
When I started this year, or this life, did I ever dream that I would compete in a cycling race? NO! Well...this is what happened: I was invited to watch a local criterium race with some friends on Friday. Criterium racing is when cyclists complete several laps of a 1-2 mile loop at high speeds. At first, you just complete laps for a certain period of time, the goal is to just stay with the pack. And then, at some point the race officials will announce that there are 10 laps left, and then the real racing begins. Competitors jockey for position to ultimately sprint around the last corner for the win over the finish line. It's intense to watch, even more intense to be in the race.
I was talked into participating in the beginner's racing clinic the next day and was told that I should also be prepared to race an hour after it finished. My friend gave me an ultimatum, "If you participate in the clinic, you are also going to race!" When I went home on Friday, I thought that there was no way that I was going to go back the next day and race. I am not even trained. I am still trying to catch up from taking time off of training for my vacation. But...I really want to improve my cycling skills by participating in the clinic, and you only live once, right? The next morning, I packed my bike in the car and all of my cycling stuff and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. The beginner clinic was tough, I had to learn to draft from the other riders, to corner (take tight turns), and to ride in a pace line. These skills were all out of my league, but I did pretty well. I decided that I would go ahead and race in the women's novice race that came up after the clinic. Let's just say that it was an experience of a lifetime, and something I will probably NEVER do again. From the time the gun went off, those ladies clipped in and got going so fast, that I was already left in the dust from the start line. I sprinted the first few laps to try to catch up with them, but that was a near impossible feat since they were moving as a pack and getting the benefit of drafting. I quickly burned myself out (terrible race strategy). Needless to say, I was lapped a few times, but I DID NOT QUIT. I also managed to average well over 16 mph, which is fast for me at this stage of my training and recovery from my surgeries. The reason I say I will probably never do it again is because it is dangerous. Riders are very close to you, they whip around corners at full speed, and there is a very high likelihood of crashes. Not my cup of tea. On Friday, several riders were rushed to the hospital. I'm lucky to have gotten out of there without a scratch.
The grand irony of my cycling experience is that two years ago on July 12th, 2013, I posted the comment and picture below from the PT clinic. On July 11th, 2015, I competed in my first cycling race, as shown in the second picture!!! Thanks to the wonders of Facebook and their "On this day" reminders, the picture from the clinic popped back up on my timeline. I texted my physical therapist (#1), whose clinic I was in when I took the picture back in 2013, and he said, "I got so happy reading your text. So proud of you. You make what I do worth it." I was happy that I made him happy, and happy that I made myself happy by going after another first and doing something I never dreamed of even when I had perfectly functioning feet.
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Reflection
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