I wanted to wake up at 5:30 am but my alarm never went off, so I woke up at 6:30 am instead. Since I had to make sure my son got to school, I had to wait another hour or so before I could go for my 45 minute ride.
Morning Ride
At 8 am, I got on my new Trek Silque bike with my clips and started to ride. It was raining. (I had asked my trainer about that and he said that people ride in the rain.) I realized that I didn’t have my wallet, my cell phone or any other piece of ID. I didn’t have my riding gloves either. I remembered KC from Brickwell saying to me that if I fall, the gloves will protect my hands. Well, I better not fall.
Riding to the Boardwalk
I rode cautiously to the boardwalk. There was a lot of traffic. I got on the boardwalk and thought I would be alone but there were still plenty of other people out there – running, cycling or just walking in the rain.
I went for 15 minutes at a moderate pace. The next 15 minutes I went faster. My heart went up to 140+. The wind was blowing against me and it felt nearly impossible to peddle. I pushed through. I kept thinking about what my friend, Constance Korol, said, “just get through it.”
The wind was shaking the bike. I wasn’t feeling that stable. I slowed down but I forgot about the clips and down I went. The bike fell on top of me and my feet were still clipped in. An old man came running over to me, “are you alright?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you. The wind is so strong it took me down,” I said. He didn’t answer. He just walked away.
I got back on the bike and rode home. I smiled to myself. I “got it done.”
