I am often asked what is bike camp about? The answer is simple; bike camp is about helping a camper reach their personal goals that he or she thought were out of reach.
Today was such a day. Yesterday I rode a little too hard, I was dehydrated and I did not follow my riding plan. Today I vowed to take it easy on the climbs and conserve energy. By the 3rd climb I was suffering. The group was climbing fast and I was sliding back. I had a ton of negative thoughts. I was turned inside out on a supposedly submax day. Then I reached deep inside myself and began to recite my mantra, “I can do this, I can do this, I can ride with these guys.” As I was going up the next hill, “rotation, hydration, rotation, hydration.” I kept on sliding back but the group did not drop me and I was able to ride with my friends. At one point we averaged 20+mph for a long period and I kept up. Yes, I was suffering, but I was keeping up and I was also building confidence.
So what is bike camp about? Convincing myself I can ride and that all the hard work I put in during the winter is paying off. I learned the same lesson from Michele a friend who is being treated for breast cancer. Her mantra is, one-day at a time and then anything is possible.
Now for the numbers: 70 miles, 4:23 ride time, 2500 ft of climbing and 1765kjs used. Plus, as an added bonus, I rode in redwood forests and had an awesome group. Basically, today was another great day of great riding.
Tomorrow is the climbing day if the weather holds. I now have the confidence even if I do not have the power. See you guys at the top.
