Monday, September 13, 2010

Mountain Bike Monday - Dedicated or Dumb?

While many people would use Saturday to sleep in, we often choose not to. Instead, we rise before the sun comes up to go mountain biking. Dumb? Maybe. Dedicated? You could call it that! In the summer it's so very hot that you have to get an early start or else the heat can really make the experience not so enjoyable. But, Saturday wasn't hot...instead, it was quite chilly! It was long sleeves weather!

We decided to get up at 5 a.m., load up, and head off to meet our friend, Mountain Bike Mike, at the park for an early ride. We started the ride at 6:30 a.m. and set out for the 13 or so miles of Lakeview Trails. We had a very successful ride. Though it took a little while to warm up (literally), it was still a beautiful morning!

There are so many things you don't see if you sleep in. Things look so different in the morning than they do during the rest of the day. The animals were hardly stirring when we began our ride. We did see a beautiful deer cross the trail in front of us, along with a few squirrels. Mushrooms too! It's so hard to make yourself get up and go ride so early. The easy thing is to stay in bed and rest. Your mind is telling you that the smart thing to do is rest, but you know better. After you get up and get going you're so glad you did!

After completing the first ride we refueled and met up with our friends Jim and Missy for another ride around 9 a.m. They also wanted to venture to the Lakeview Trails. This time we completed 2 of the 3 trails. The second ride with our friends was beautiful! The sun was up a little higher and more creatures were stirring. We had an awesome ride with them. Plus, we got to visit, which we hadn't done in a while. It's so nice to ride with others. I really enjoy what you learn from riding as a group as well as the friendships you build. You can discuss strategy, technique, and really can help one another.

By the time we arrived at the Jeep, my cyclometer read 23 miles! I was super excited as this was the longest journey on my mountain bike yet, and on my single speed nonetheless. Spot did me good! I felt really good. I ate plenty along the ride and at breaks. I drank lots of fluid. Dynamo says that nutrition is key to not "bonking" on the long rides. Because I sweat so very much, I lose a lot of electrolytes and other stuff that I need to focus on replenishing. He says that I need to find a good "mix" for my Camelbak, but I'm not sure that I can hack those sports mixes. They just don't taste very good to me. But, I've got to find something because I can't keep riding long distances without focusing on replacing what I'm losing.

I knew it was time to increase my mileage. I needed to push myself in hopes of strengthening my legs. Endurance!!!! Riding long distances should help me increase my time on the short rides. So, I'm going to keep stepping it up. Dynamo is a very good and patient trainer! He's never given up on me. He does say that I need to be a little more positive. Sometimes I let my mind wander and think thoughts like "I'm tired." and... "I can't do this." The game is totally mental! Positive thinking does have power. Trust me!

So, the answer to my question about whether we're dedicated or dumb? DEDICATED! is my answer. Even though I was a little tired after the ride I felt stronger and better than ever. I told Dynamo that I couldn't believe that in about a year's time I went from barely being able to do 3 miles on my geared bike to now 23 miles on my single speed. Nothing in life is easy. It all takes work. Inch by inch we improve. It doesn't happen overnight. I'm glad that we force ourselves to rise early and experience the day. I'm so grateful that we are healthy enough to be able to ride. I'm sure that this exercise will help us when we're older. It certainly can't hurt!



2 comments:

Kristi said...

My husband doesn't get up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday for ANYTHING unless work is calling!

Jim Rosen said...

23 miles! Way to go Rachel. You have gotten so fast on the bike! As far as electrolyte replacements go, maybe you sure try Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes. http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html?navcat=fuels-energy-drinks