Finally TrainingWell, when I first set out on this whole biking adventure, people assured me a couple of things. First, I was told that if you really start to ride a lot, you WILL crash. I was also told that, as you learn to adjust to clipless pedals, you WILL get stuck in them. And for what it's worth, getting stuck in clipless pedals essentially means you WILL crash. So I guess I am doomed to crash at least twice? Well, I got the first crash out of the way today. I have to say that, while I knew I would likely wipe out on this bike at some point, I certainly did not expect it to play out the way it did. Little did I know that I would be pedaling along, carefree, when the bike would suddenly fall over for no reason... in my own basement. Yep. I fell over and crashed The Bike for the first time when I was attached to a trainer. I wasn't even going anywhere and I bit it. But, as predicted, I was also unable to get out of the clipless pedals. So when the bike went down, there was no saving myself. Fast ride to nowhereAs I've mentioned before, I am a bit of a procrastinator. This means that, although I have owned The Bike (it really needs a name) for a few weeks, I have only ridden it about two blocks. I have been waiting for weather that wasn't... well, wasn't Michigan weather. Ever since The Bike arrived, we have had record-breaking Polar Vortex, snow, ice, sleet, 50 degree rain, and more snow and ice. The Wheel of Weather has brought everything except for days where the kids have had to actually go to school. So while the Pure Michigan scenery has been lovely and ever-changing, it has not lent itself to going outside for a bike ride. So the training has been put off. Luckily, my buddy Craig gave me a "trainer" for the bike. Basically, this is just a tripod that attaches to the rear of the bike and holds the rear wheel off the ground, a la Ferris Bueller's famous Ferrari experiment. Today when The Wife said she was going downstairs to run on the treadmill, I figured this was a great time to set up the trainer and go for my first real training ride. Setting up the trainer was real easy. I mean, there were no instructions, but how hard could it be? You set the bike in the rack, screw a couple of bolts towards each other, adjust the tension on the wheel, whatever. This is easy. I was off. Well, no. Actually I wasn't. I was just pedaling and not going anywhere. It was awful. But at least I had The Wife there. I was biking. She was running. Both going nowhere. And we had her absolutely horrible play list of Pop 40 hits that all the cool kids are listening to. Just as I started to contemplate whether I'd rather be stuck in an elevator with Cardi B, Imagine Dragons, or a leaking canister of cyanide gas, it happened. With no warning, The Bike inexplicably fell out of the trainer and collapsed to the side. Lucky for me, I had not yet mastered the whole "bailing out of clipless pedals" yet. So I also went down with the bike. Luckily, there were no injuries. After laughing it off and figuring out how to PROPERLY secure the bike in the trainer, I was back in the saddle. The mildly uncomfortable saddle. Blazing Saddle...And ThighsI have no idea how far I rode, because I don't have one of those fancy computers on my bike. However, The Wife thrice asked how I was supposed to know how far I had pedaled. I am pretty sure that was her telling me to go out and buy a fancy computer. Regardless, The Wife ran 5 miles on her treadmill and I pedaled as hard as I could right beside her the whole time. Luckily, I was able to keep up with her. Oddly, a trainer doesn't allow you to coast. So I am thinking I rode at least 5 miles right? Considering I upshifted a few times, I think I probably rode more like 15 or 60 miles. Whatever, it's not important. What IS important is that I got my first training ride in and I learned a few things. Like I will need to ride a lot more to develop that biker's callus and ease the pain on my backside. I also learned to be thankful for Will of WillPower Training and all he has done to get me into shape in the last year. The fact that I didn't pass out or die speaks volumes about what he has done to whip this over-40 Dadbod into shape. My legs were feeling it, but I could definitely feel the benefits of all those dreaded "leg day" Mondays. Most importantly, I learned that I will need headphones. And my own playlist. With the first few miles behind me, I am happy to be on my way to killing this WAM charity ride for Make-A-Wish Michigan. Hopefully that stupid groundhog was right and I will be headed outdoors for some actual bike riding soon. In the meantime, check back often for updates. And please consider donating to help critically ill children realize their dreams.
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