Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bicycles, Balance, and Bees (Oh my!)

Last spring, sometime after the wetsuit swim, but before the Danskin race, Patty and I decided to go on a nice 20 mile bike ride on a Saturday so we would be sure that our legs could handle the 11.5 miles we would do on race day.  By that point we had been doing our weekly after-work rides and I had graduated to crash-pad-free cycling (Yay, me!)

But, I did of course have my trusty helmet,


my bike gloves to keep my hands from numbing up,


my top tube padding to protect the nether regions,


my bike computer, to help keep track of all the important things you need to keep track of while biking (I believe *cadence* is an important tracking statistic in order to uh, you know, keep track of your, um...well, hey! Isn't it fancy?? )


and my biker jacket



...er, biking jacket.


We headed off for a nice out and back on the gentlest of slopes. ("Out and back", for those not in-the-know, means that you bike, or run, *out* one way, then turn around and go *back* the same way...pretty clever, eh?)

Dave came along but we did not insist he keep our more, shall we say, leisurely pace.



We were enjoying our ride and got to the 10 mile marker, at which point I encouraged Patty to have some energy gel so that she wouldn't flag over the next 10 miles.  I gave her some very helpful advice to get past the taste and texture as she had never had it before.


All was going wonderfully well and I was feeling just oh-so-competent.  And then we got to mile 16.  By this point the sun had come out.

Patty and I were chatting about something very pleasant


when all of a sudden I heard a strange, low noise that rapidly moved from somewhere around my left ear to up under the right side of my helmet...



COME BACK FOR THE CONCLUSION THIS WEEKEND!



16 comments:

  1. Don't be such a tease, Julie!!

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  2. Well, we got to "bikes," so we have "balance" and "bees" left. I wonder what the noise could be!!

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  3. Stopping by to meet a new friend and follow.
    Please stop by and visit mine. Fab Friends Friday.

    http://giftsbyamotherstouch.blogspot.com/

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Mothers-Touch/145287092196864
    Thanks.

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  4. Found your blog on FTLOB....I hope it isn't a bee, I have a true fear of them...but I will for sure be back to find out!

    (I secretly want to do a triathlon)

    Cheers

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  5. I love your illustrations! I will be back for the conclusion!

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  6. Hi there, I love your drawings, they are super cool! Do you make them yourself?
    Happy weekend!

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  7. I assume by the title it's a bee! I am terribly allergic to bees and therefore scared of them. I will be back to read the ending.

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  8. Mollie and andrea: sometimes these posts get really long so it seems better to break them up...sorry to make you wait :D

    Tales of a Hockey Wife and cakeologist: I am definitely no fan of bees myself!

    Missy and Susi: Thanks! And yes, Susi, I do all the drawings and writing myself:)

    Kurt: You're just too smart...

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  9. I feel so bad, somehow I missed you had a new post until I saw it today. As usual, I was cracking up. I like your "biker" look Haha. Question would u do the half or full in Vegas?

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  10. Oh, I knew you'd find your way back :) I *think* I would do the half...my friend and I were talking about that last night because there's a full she really wants to do here in November, then we could wrap up the season with a nice 'little' half :) Plus, I don't even know if I'll be ready for a full :(

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  11. You'll be ready for a full! But ill be glad if we both do Vegas and you do the half bc I know there's no way I could do a full there

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  12. Haha - Your pics on this made me laugh! Very cute! My sister-in-law is a big runner/tri-girl. She's training for a half iron-man too. Thanks for stopping by Friday and for the blog love! :)

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I love comments and I always reply to each one!

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