I Think I Can....

Each day I ride, I feel more and more like a cyclist. I'm still not there yet but today I thought, for the first time, "I think I can."

I haven't been on many rides yet. There are still eleven months to train and no need to rush it since I'm not exactly the most athletic guy on the planet. I have time to build up my stamina and endurance. Those who know me also know I'm not into cardio at all. Usually that's a blessing because I don't really need to do cardio. But when one sets an insane goal of riding a bicycle an average of 78 miles per day for seven consecutive days, cardio becomes a necessity. Today, that lesson hit home hard.

It's the Fourth of July. A holiday. I took advantage of the day off work by committing to ride more than I've ridden so far. Thirty miles was my goal (not much more than my last ride - like I said, I'm in no rush). Instead of leaving from my house today, I chose to drive to the office and ride from one end of Red Rock Canyon to the other... and then ride back. Actually, let me be honest -  I decided to ride as far as I could, turn around, and head back.

Funny thing about cycling is once you're out there, you're committed. If I rode 10 miles into the canyon and wore myself out, I'd have no other choice but to ride another ten to get back to my car. I know I can do 25 miles though because I've already done it so I kept that in mind. Plus, I came extra prepared today... I brought two water bottles (one filled with an electrolyte drink), plenty of trail mix, and my iPod. I believed in myself. I had faith. I was motivated.

What I didn't realize was that today was going to be one of the most humid days we ever experience in Las Vegas. The humidity was about 55% (those of you in Miami & Baton Rouge will say, "Pshaw!"). But seriously, when you've spent six years in this "dry heat" and the temps get well past 110F during the summer, the humidity hits you like a steam press.

I arrived at the office parking lot around 6:30 a.m., got out of the car and spent ten minutes stretching. Pulled out my bike, loaded it up, put on my shoes, harnessed the water bottles, and set off with a smile (and some Depeche Mode playing on the iPod).

Mile One: No problem.
Mile Two: No problem.

Mile Three: While waiting at a stoplight, I had to move over onto the sidewalk as about thirty riders in a group came up on me and passed.
Mile Four: I pushed myself to stay with that group.
Mile Five: I pushed harder.
Mile Six: I wanted to turn around and go home.

I did nothing different today. Had my breakfast and coffee before I left. Made sure I had plenty of sleep last night. Brought extra provisions. But here I was at the six mile mark wanting to quit. Honestly, I'm going to blame it on the humidity. You see, the thing about that dry heat everyone talks about is that you don't sweat as much. But here I was at 7 a.m. and already drenched. I don't know why but it really sucks a lot out of you. Of course, I had also just tried to keep up with a pack of experienced riders. In the end, I tried to keep in mind that each day is different... our energy levels, our motivation, our drive... and maybe today was one of my low days in all areas. So I started to turn around.

Before I did that, I decided to stop for a few minutes and replenish. I drank some water, ate some trail mix, and rested. While I was there, I took these pics:

After just a couple minutes rest, I realized I could probably make it a little further so I continued onward. Like my ride a couple days ago, I was riding UP into the canyon even if the incline wasn't terribly bad. My pace was slow, my clothes were wet, my faith was failing. Fortunately, during this climb, there were slight downhill sections. These rejuvenated me. Probably allowed me to breathe a little easier too. Plus I could see that in the not too distant distance, the incline was ending and the route was flattening out. So I persevered.

And persevered.

And persevered.

I stopped again around the 12 or 14 mile mark to hydrate and fuel. And to take a photo of the burro crossing sign (trust me, I was using any excuse at all to stop for a few minutes!):

What I was beginning to feel at this point was a renewed love of Las Vegas and the desert. Yes, we have all that neon craziness on The Strip... but we also have some amazing natural beauty that's, literally, right up the road. The mountains, the big sky, the open spaces... we can change our view in a matter of minutes here. And this ride was proving how wonderful that experience could be.

And on I go. I came to a little town called Blue Diamond and realized I'd made it 80% of the way to the end of the canyon. Suddenly, I laughed. I smiled. I think I may have whooped & hollered. My energy, drive & faith in myself had returned.

I continued on to the "T" in the road. I was familiar with this area since I was here on my last ride (it's where I saw the burro). At the intersection, I turned around and headed back to a driveway I had seen for another break. This was a real rest stop... I think I stayed there for ten minutes. I parked my bike, sat on the ground, drank & ate, and watched this group pass me by:

One day. One day I'll ride like them. One day I'll ride with them!

But not today. Many of them waved as they passed by. This is a little bit of community. Riding alone, I've never really talked with the other riders but most of us wave, nod and say hello when we cross paths. Even from the other side of the road. It definitely brings a sense of belonging.

At this point, I knew I was going to exceed my goal because I had looked at the route the night before. And, as I said, I knew I had no other choice but to ride back to my car. This knowledge, combined with the rest stop, gave me what I needed to finish my trek - even if it was again an uphill climb.

As prepared as I thought I was, I really had no idea what I'd gotten into. My iPod ran out around mile 22. My water ran out around mile 30. I knew there was a viewpoint with facilities not too far ahead so I didn't worry much... until I got there and realized they had restrooms but no water fountain. Ugh. Although I didn't get any water while I was there, I did get these pics:

Once again rested, I set off on the final leg of my journey. There was one other short stop after a tough hill, then the rest was all downhill. About 2 hours and 20 minutes after I left, I arrived back at my car feeling proud that I not only met my goal, but far exceeded it. Thirty-five miles. I'm more than a third of my way to my first century. I no longer think I can. I know I can.

Mileage goal: 30
Miles completed: 35

Time: 2:23
Avg Speed: 14 mph

Climb: (not sure)
Notable sights: Burro crossing signs, 3 or 4 packs of experienced riders, the clouds hanging over the mountains, my car at the end of the ride.

Lessons: this cycling app has some issues so always confirm route distance after returning home; for rides longer than 30 miles, I'll need a Camelbak or a place to refill on water.

(Not quite accurate route map from Strava)