Fill your lungs with that country air!

Just back from ride 4. About 3.5 miles, undulating country road. Felt I did much better today. Went a teeny bit further, still along the same route - as hubby is still on his road bike and I still don't want to play in the traffic - but felt I dealt with it a little more easily. Fewer stops and panics at hills and corners and if I have to get off and push I'm doing it straight off (more or less...)rather than having a 10 minute breather!!! Hubby is setting me achievable (with a struggle!) targets, which helps me to do more than I'd do by myself. I still can't quite get that challenge mentality quite right. But I am feeling pleased with myself having done more than I thought possible in a fairly short space of time. I'm still beetroot red and sweaty on return and hope I don't bump into the neighbours, but I'm caring less about that and more about that "Wheeeee!" feeling you get being on the bike. The aroma of the muck spreading the farmer has been doing still fills the air, but hey! it's the countryside - it's better than car fumes! Hubby's brother is coming to stay with us tomorrow, for a week, so that will impact on our outings, and I'm not brave enough to go out alone. We'll play it by ear, he's a good lad and might be OK staying to keep the cats company while we're out!!

Where's my head at?

Thursday Fine day again, but a wee bit windy. Went out on the bikes, same route as before. Had raised my saddle a little and it seemed a little easier to "find" the pedals, that sounds crazy, but anyone starting out will know what I'm on about! Got on better on the way out, managing to change gear a little more without it being an MGM performance. Coming back (the more uphill bit) was still a struggle, though I think confidence plays its part too along with the breathing and fitness. It was a little easier than the previous run, but still pretty jolly tough. Friday Ditto, but my head must have been elsewhere. Things I managed on Thursday I was struggling with on Friday. How can that be? A few bits of the route were a little less daunting, as I knew how hard it was going to be for my little legs and I just tried to push myself a little. Another factor that played its part was that the farmer had been muck spreading and parts of the route were covered in dung and the aroma was just a bit too country! Hubby has been following me en-route like my guardian angel and watching me change gear, etc., yelling UP or DOWN as the case may be, if I haven't quite got it right! I'm really trying to listen and learn, but (there's always a but, isn't there?) it's a lot to take in and master when you are unfit and a beginner. We're both stubborn and think we know best, but (there's that but again) although I know he knows best in this case, putting his advice into practice is definitely easier said than done!! Maybe I'm expecting too much, or maybe not enough!!!? Who knows? Saturday - no time - no cycle Until tomorrow...

Hubby has wheels again, sooner than we thought!

Hubby's bike is back from the bike shop, job done (really quick and reasonable price, great stuff!) So we are ready to go back out again. Trouble is we will probably have to wait until tomorrow as we have Cat Things to do today. That's another story - but basically we are (informal) volunteers for a couple of cat "charities". Today we are going to help with 12 cats (feeding, cleaning litter trays, tickling tummies, etc) belonging to a chap who has had a stroke. And we've to deliver some food to a nearby farm where there's a small colony of semi-ferals. Now if it was earlier in the year and we had the long clear nights.... But maybe my numb bum will be better by tomorrow anyway!! Til tomorrow...

Doing rather than Thinking

We are up to date now with the tale. Today the sun was shining, so THIS WAS IT! Hubby looked out his old racing bike, (Raleigh Pulsar 25years old but in good nick) dusted off several years of cobwebs and got it ready for the road. We donned our helmets, and the closest thing I could find to cycling gear, I wheeled my mandarin coloured Juniper out to the street. We pushed the bikes round to a very quiet country road near where we live. Didn't feel as daft as I thought I would, even when the neighbours stopped to chat. Then it was time to actually do it! I felt ungainly and unsupple (is that a word?). Just getting my feet onto the pedals felt awkward, but away I went. It was flat to start - OK - then a bit downhill - freeee wheeeel! Then up hill again for a bit - good grief I'm puffing a bit now and my legs are beginning to struggle and I realise why folk wear padded knickers! I'd had a few how-gears-work lessons. (I don't drive either!) but it'll take me a while to get the hang of them. We got where we'd planned on going, round about 1.5 miles, much quicker than I expected. Had a rest for a few minutes until I felt marginally more normal, and then time to go back. More uphill on the way home and I realised how unfit I am. My little leggies were now burning going uphill. Stopping and resting more than I'd hoped. Then off again, hubby bringing up the rear - just in case! Then another "wheee" down the hill, and then I heard a nasty graunching sound a bit behind me. Hubby's bike had given up the ghost. Symptoms - bottom deraillier jumped into real wheel breaking the deraillier, bending the frame and spokes. So that was him pushing it home and me having frequent (much appreciated!) rests while he caught up. As we started nearing parked cars and traffic I felt too wobbly to risk cycling so pushed Juniper home. Hubby's bike is off to the menders, hopefully it'll be back, sorted, in a couple of days. I was tickled pink, but knackered - sore bum, wobbly legs, sweaty and beetroot-red faced, but everyone has to start somewhere. And I've started!!

NO WAY!! turns into YES, LET'S!!!

Hubby wanted us to get mountain bikes. It took a good few weeks and lots of soul searching to get from a) “NO WAY!! I could never do that!” to b) “Well…maybe…” to c) “Yeah! I think I can give it a go” to d) “Yes, let’s go to the bike shop” All the daft, mostly negative, thoughts of the day went through my head. What will the neighbours think? What if I fall off? Pictures of Dumbo pre-flight and flying. No bike will cope with my short-legged bulk! My face will go all red and sweaty, no - purple and sweaty! People will laugh at me. What will I wear? No way they’ll make bike gear in my size! You name it - I thought it. Funnily enough very rarely did I think of physical obstacles, mostly psychological ones! Shows where my head was at. I’m not sure how I managed to get from a-d above. My hubby, as always, was a great help, I'd never have done it without him. It's been a rough year til now, but that's another story, and he got me through that too. One of the first catalysts, or inspirations, for me was the sight of a local shop assistant out power walking – red faced, but going for it big time. When next we saw her she was slimmer and had a spring in her step previously unseen. Around halfway through the “process” of changing my mind-set about this, we took a trip to Halfords (a shop I had previously felt “allergic” to!) It wasn’t so bad. No-one stared at me as I stared at the bikes. There were all sorts of interesting gadgets, computers and the like (more my kind of thing – cerebral rather than physical!) But overall it wasn’t as scary as I thought. I started looking on the internet and came across a reference to a bike forum with a sub-section for cyclists over 200lbs. Sounded like the place to look. It was… It was inspirational. That sounds like I’m being a bit of a nut, but truly it changed my outlook. Here were people, scattered mostly over the US, but some from elsewhere, who were full of enthusiasm and encouragement. Some are athletic giants and others more podgy lumps (like me). But they were supportive of the little steps people were taking as well as the big ones. Many had BLOGS filled with tales of their individual triumphs. They were giving practical advice, as well as moral support to each other. I’m so grateful I stumbled across it. It struck me that, here in the UK, so many people are so worried about being “cool” that they forget that some of us will never be “cool”, don’t want to be “cool”, but have a right to “be all we can be”. I’m on my soap box now, but it really has made me think about my attitude, as well as other people’s.

So that was it, in my head I had made that leap, it would be good for us. I will do it.

I asked a few questions of http://www.bikeforums.net/ What stars they are, can't thank them enough...Have a look!

We had a look on the web to learn a bit about sizes and specs and such things. Next step was walking into the local bike shop to get measured and ask their advic,e. Off we went... I was nervous, but realised just getting through the door was a big change for me. I'm not used to trying to do things without being sure I'll succeed, usually I'd chicken out. But I did it. The guy in the shop was a gem. He was short, like me (I'm 5'2") but half my girth. He reassured me the bikes would be strong enough(!) and that I could get one short enough too. Hubby being "normal", though he has long legs and a short body, (my opposite) wasn't a problem.

Spent half that night discussing it. We decided if we were going to do it we should do it right and decided to up our budget and buy better bikes than we'd first thought of and went back the next day, descision made.

We went for Marins, me a Juniper Trail and hubby a Rocky Ridge. He checked they were in stock and that was that. Mine would arrive in less than a week, hubby's mid November. Blimey, we'd done it.

Waited, more impatiently than I had imagined, and went to get fitted and pick it up. It looked great. When I sat on it in the shop it seemed so alien, but there was no going back! Thought we'd need it delivered but managed to get it in the back of the car.

We'd bought good helmets too, so we were all set.

The chap we'd first seen at the shop said it night be a good idea to have the saddle lower initially to help with my confidence. I hadn't been on a bike for over 35 years! So that's what we did.

My first few turns of the pedals were very tentative, needed holding up(!) but I stayed upright and managed down to the bottom of the lane, a u-turn(!) and back again. All of less than 100yards probably, but I didn't fall off!!!! I felt absurdly pleased with myself - you'd think I'd done a marathon!