Well, today was a big day for me + cycling:
Allow me to introduce you to my first pair of cycling cleats. I suppose now I am “official.” We went out to Sander’s Ferry and Brent showed me how to clip in and out, get started and stop. Not that hard! I thought I would never be able to learn, and I was wrong! I almost fell over right at the end but caught on to Brent and he helped me steady. Clip-in pedals just make you more efficient on the bike. I had been riding with tennis shoes + toe cages and this was not good because it made my quads work harder (and fatigue quicker) and it gave me foot cramps. Today with the pedals + cleats it was unbelievable how much easier it was to pedal (=less work) and how much more balanced I felt on the bike. I was able to get down in the drops (the curve of the handlebar) & even stood up a little bit – something I have never been able to do with the toe cages. I used to not even be able to reach down and get my water bottle while riding! So I was very encouraged by the pedals + cleats today.
Unfortunately, it was a hard ride (and shouldn’t have been)! It was windy today! It felt like we had a headwind out + back. My legs were also really tired from yesterday (boo!), so we just took it easy. Not going to lie, it was a little discouraging because it was so hard today. Maybe that’s because I also kept looking down at my shoes the whole time. Ha!
The scenery was beautiful, as usual! It was not too hot, either.
Can I just say that it feels very good to do things that I don’t think I can do? I have mentally discounted cycling for so long because I had this vague idea that I would never be able to get used to clip-in pedals and would never feel comfortable or balanced enough on the bike to stand up, draft, etc. I thought that I would never understand the gears or be able to make it up hills without wanting to die. Basically, I gave up on cycling because I didn’t think I could do it. And it was really hard when we started out at Oak Mountain (5 years ago?!?) and obviously I need much much more training. But it is getting better, definitely! I actually want to ride and I can’t believe that!
Three cheers for proving yourself wrong about yourself!
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