It’s just like riding a bike!
Posted on August 11, 2010
This week I discovered that it is not necessarily true. Getting on a bike after many years was not 100% what I expected.
I picked mountain biking as my Rugged Maniac training activity this week. It is not an obstacle but I know one area I have to work on is building my aerobic endurance. I’m not afraid of the cargo net, the mud crawl, or the series of walls I’ll have to climb over but having to run in between each obstacle and still have the strength to do them has me thinking I need to do something about it.
Why Cycling?
- Builds up your stamina.
- Enhances your overall fitness levels.
- Low-impact alternative to running. (I’m the victim of a freak playing Frisbee at the beach ankle injury)
Problem One:
I don’t own a bicycle. My plan was to borrow one from a relative, get on it, pick a direction and just go. This led to…
Problem Two:
I guess I don’t take bicycling as seriously as my relative does. There was a 20 minute cycling orientation I had to go through first.
- I was told that everything I knew about riding a bike was probably wrong.
- I learned about seat height, foot pedal placement, and gear changing
- I had to take a supervised practice run down the driveway.
Finally after a helmet fitting I was ready to go.
I had a five mile route measured out because I thought it would be a good starting distance for my first run. I started at a good speed and soon learned walking it was not the same as biking it. It felt wonderful. I made a good choice. It has been a long time since I’ve been on a major road traveling at a speed faster than walking, with no seat belt, windshield or comfy seat back. I was reminded of when I used to go skying where I was constantly getting warnings for going down the mountain too fast. I started getting that adrenaline rush, but being older and wiser now, I used the breaks more often. The cars were a little distracting and I know my foot moved a few times from its suggested pedal placement. At what I figured was the half way mark I really started getting the hang of it. The ride did not take much out of me this time and I didn’t want to over do it with something in a way that was new to me. As part of my training each ride this week I will have as a goal to increase the distance I travel. Also I live near a state park and I will be trying some of bike trails to add a little terrain resistance to my routine. I have a new appreciation for cycling and plan to keep it as part of my exercise routine all the way up to and past the Rugged Maniac race.
I think for my next experience I want to try a dry run of an actual obstacle course to get a base line of how I will do with the different challenges.
Until then, have fun, stay safe.