Saturday, July 5, 2008

"You're in unchartered territory."

I rode just over 31 miles today in 2:56min. That's at least 7 miles longer than my longest ride 2 years ago, and 9 miles longer than my longest ride during this training. When I asked coach Roger about our distance during the last portion of our ride he said, "You're in unchartered territory." What a proud moment. I am bushed, but have a true sense of accomplishment! I learned I can battle through exhaustion and finish the ride, that endurance sports are as much mental as physical, and that I should've gone back and gotten my gloves when I realized I'd left home without them. My hands would be better off had they been covered and padded for those near 3 hours.

The great news is that my numbness wasn't so pronounced today. I still had hot spots in my right foot, but, thanks to my new pedals, I was able to change the angle of my shoe in the pedal and got the hot spots to diminish. It took constant effort, which was part of my battle today, but I succeeded and look forward to my next ride.
On the schedule tomorrow is a "recovery ride" - an easy 10-15miles. I haven't done one yet, but I think it's about time.
My adage for the day: Gloves - never leave home without 'em.

Until next time...

2 comments:

Kristi said...

Ride on, Sista!

Anonymous said...

Good Job on the training! If the hot spots on your feet remain, you might want to try some insoles/orthotics made by Specialized. Most specialized dealers should have them and they run about $50. They saved my feet. As for the hands you already know about the gloves but make sure to change hand positions OFTEN. Great job again!

Jon W.