No matter what anyone tells you, some days you are just not going to be able to exercise with the same intensity and vigor you regularly achieve.
There are a whole bunch of reason for that and for me this week, well it would appear that I ran into a few major road blocks that left my grand ambitions a bit less grand and a lot more realistic than I had hoped to achieve.
As per Bike to Week I packed all the heavy rain gear I could wrap my body in and mustered out in even the most fierce of spring rains. On the way home Wednesday, I was buoyed by the fact that when I left work the streets were partially dry and it wasn’t pissing down. In fact, it was warm and I thought I might have overdressed as I was likely to overheat. Sadly, about a 1/3rd into the ride that was not the case and the huge, nickel sized raindrops came at me and everything in its path like a path of locusts feasting on a field of corn. Instantly, my glasses fogged up, and I was partly blinded. I had a good pace and was feeling pretty strong until I reached the bottom of Kerr St. - my hilly nemesis.
Kerr St. is an initial steep climb up the south slope into Vancouver. By the time I get to the 1.5km top of the hill at 54th Street, I have pushed with my 10+lbs of books and iPad and backpack as hard as I think I am able, breathing hard and feeling on the verge of puke - but I don’t. Instead I reach another road block - literally.
Just as I am about to reach the intersection winded and ready to meet the easing of the hill a large cube van pulls in front of me cuts off the bike lane and leaves me no room for the curb or between the turning lane. I pull to a stop - disoriented, lose momentum and balance and unable to uncleat (remove the clip in pedals) I fall still connected to my bike to my right heavily. Then the bike goes over me and does a flip overtop of me and viola - there I am, bike askew, laying in the midst of Kerr St., stunned, blind, in inches of street water, drenched, angry and wondering why in hell I bothered going out when I could have taken the Skytrain...
But I didn’t. I took the road and my bike and so I had to get up, haul my defeated soaked ass, make sure my bike was in one piece and pedal home for the last 5kms of my trip home. And I did, slowly to return home happy to be alive, none the worse for wear and still managing to burn my usual 700 or cals. Nothing a hot bath and a few Advil couldn’t handle.
Road block two...
Saturday, the Ride to Conquer team decided to repeat a shorter 7am ride from Stanley Park to UBC and loop back. I was emotionally healed from my tip over on Wednesday, and was feeling strong when I woke at 5am to get ready to hit the streets by myself at 6am.
On my way into the downtown core I noticed a slight wobble in my front wheel. Nothing to worry about I thought. Then there was the fact that my computer wasn’t working after the fall on Wednesday. I thought maybe water, batteries, whatever. I’d deal with it.
It seems like it was the week of 1/3 barriers as just at Jericho Beach, I heard a clicking sound which was my odometer magnet bouncing off my fork. I stopped had a look at it appeared that a spoke had been loose. I tightened it up and off I went leading the pack at a strong lovely 35km/hr pace right before the climb of the UBC Hill. And then the clicking began again only this time when I went to check the spoke and fix it, it wouldn’t tighten and my wheel wobble was worsening to the point where I was feeling unsafe at any significant speed. Its one thing to have a back wheel askew, and then perhaps blow out on you, but its another if the front goes. That equals a certain face plant into the concrete or pavement, and I wasn’t about to risk a bad accident a few weeks before my big ride to Seattle. So there I was, pedaling half my usual output, braking all the way down any steep hills just so I could limp home safely.
I made it home. Four hours, 65 kms, and an average heart rate of 126 - significantly lower than my usual 145ish when I am working as hard as I can for as long as I can. I still burned 2400 cals.
When the skies finally cleared Saturday afternoon, I was able to sit on my porch, looking into the sun and made the realization that while some barriers are about will, determination, fortitude and one’s drive to achieve one’s goals, sometimes barriers are out one’s control and you simply have to accept it and move on.
And so for now, the bike is in the shop getting repaired - one less barrier for the next time I get on the saddle and ride...
