Clipless Pedals, Day Two

After such a successful outing on Saturday I was ready for a more challenging ride on Sunday. I know I need to get used to riding multiple days in a row, my training so far has been every other at most. I also have a long way to go in being able to handle hills.

I decided to head to Griffith Park, which offers more inclines for me to ride on, and train my body for the difference. I haven't been on a hill since Thanksgiving, but thought with the new pedals I'd have a stronger stroke and do OK. HA!

Within 1/2 a mile I learned otherwise. I was stopped at the crazy 6 point intersection of Lankershim/Vineland/Camarillo, I had my right foot out and on the ground. Next thing I know, I'm tilting to the left and there's not a damn thing I can do to stop it! Didn't get the left foot out in time for a save, no I went down and went down HARD! My elbow took the brunt of the fall - OUCH! I've been saying if I wipe out I want to catch it on video for everyone to enjoy, no such luck this time, but at such a major intersection I did have a very large live audience to my collapse. Good times.

After picking myself up and getting situated on the bike again, I tucked my bruised ego away and got on with it. I don't know if it was the back to back riding days, the crazy wind resistance or the inclines on the route that I'm not used, but this ride kicked my ass! It was probably a little of everything, but I couldn't even get up the first hill at Griffith Park without stopping. My rep calls my lower gears "granny gears" but without them, I don't know that I'd survive and inclines! At least not yet.

I made it around the loop with a detour to the LA River bike path. They've extended the path another 3 miles, which makes for a nice long stretch. However, I have two issues with the river path, one is the DAMN GNATS! Constantly in my face, my nose, my mouth, it's very distracting and skeeves me out! The other is the extremely inconsiderate gatherings of people who don't know how to share the road! Slowing down so I don't hit your kid, dog, grocery cart while you stare at me confused is just RUDE!

Got through the ride and the frustrations along the way. Have a big bruise/scrape on my elbow. It joins the one on my calf as well as one on my knee that I have no recollection of getting and the beautiful brown one on the inside of my elbow from having blood drawn! I am a rainbow of battle scars these days :)

My new goal is to keep going back to Griffith and riding that loop until I master the incline without needing to stop to keep from having a heart attack! That combined with base miles will be the schedule going forward.

I've got my first century this Saturday, the Paul Hulse ride in Santa Clarita and the 65 mile "Day on the Ride" the following Sunday. Those two biggies with my continued base miles and inclines will hopefully prepare me for the ride in June!