After two weeks off the bike (which was amazing and perfect and so necessary), I was ready. Ready to hop back in the saddle and see what my legs could do.
I started with an evening ride on the cross bike down a dirt road. 18 miles later, I was all, yeah. That was kind of long.
For my real baptism, I spent the next day riding the Aberdeen Loop with Sarita. I rode the 7 3/4 miles to the trailhead from my house, listening to This American Life in my headphones all the way. Riding a mountain bike on the road is never ideal, but I need a good 30 minutes to feel good on a bike.
Timing on a bike goes something like this for me:
10 minutes: I feel so slow. Why do I do this?
20 minutes: THIS. HURTS.
30 minutes: I am a super star! I love my bike! I am so strong!
It paid off. I had a PR going up Bambi's trail. I am still Not Even Close to the QOM on this trail but really? It's a competition against myself. And I live in Gunnison, where everyone is an über athlete or at the very least, a marathon mountain bike racer. So I'll take my PR and not hang my head in shame.
Once we did get to Aberdeen (after the heinous dirt road. If ever a dirt road was heinous, that road is IT.), it looked like this.
And it was fabulous. Sarita and I both rode faster, better and smoother than last June which is good since it is now September. We SHOULD have more cycling fitness in September than in June, at least in Gunnison where the roads aren't clear of snow until late March.
And then we headed home in to the impending storm (and back down and up the heinous dirt road AGAIN).
I felt so GOOD, you guys. There is so much to be said for taking two weeks off and then going on an epic ride with a friend.
So then I was all, this will totally transfer to cyclocross fitness, right?
I'll let you know the answer to that one.
