Training

As a follow up to the “Am I crazy??” blog post, we’ve decided that barring unforeseen circumstances that could cancel our trip (an injury, a typhoon blowing up, etc) we’re going to ride our bikes to the beach during the three day weekend of Silver Week.  Hurray!  I’m excited! 

In order to prepare for the grueling 62 mile mountainous trek, I’ve been training.  I mapped out the course we’d be taking and have been riding that road most days after school.  Clearly I can’t make it all the way to Miyazaki and back in the three hours of daylight that I have after school, but I usually ride for about an hour.  Let me tell you that it’s one thing to ride 62 miles on a flat stretch of land.  It’s a COMPLETELY different story to ride 62 miles through mountains. 

The first bit of road is relatively flat, but it doesn’t take long to get out of town and just go STRAIGHT up.  The first time I rode my bike, I was huffing and puffing and honestly wondering if this was such a good idea.  I had to push the bike up a good chunk of time simply because I physically couldn’t pedal any longer.  I reached a bridge, rested on the concrete side, and decided to head home.  Since I timed myself, I knew that it took me thirty minutes to get there and established that spot as a good first break spot on the actual trip.  It’s a perfect spot because there’s a nice shade cover, the sound of water is peaceful, and it’s there that my phone always loses signal, so I always switch from listening to I heart radio to my iPod.  Downhill was A LOT more fun!  Although I was terribly sweaty, I was nearly dry by the time I got home thanks to the wind I got whizzing down the mountainside.

The next time I went, I took it a little faster, making it to the bridge in twenty-seven minutes.  I pushed onward a little farther beyond the bridge, but exhaustion set in, and the sun was setting, so I turned back home.

The third time I went I got smart.  Ian has a GPS wrist watch that calculates all kinds of useful things like speed, distance, vertical distance, location, etc.  I wore that, and whenever I got home, he checked the information.  I was surprised to hear that after huffing and puffing up the mountain to the farthest point I’d been, it was only a measly eight mile ROUND TRIP ride.    Eight miles!  (At home, I could make an eight mile trip in about forty minutes, no problem.  I really miss flat land when biking….)  It was funny when Ian said “Holy crap!  Your highest speed was 33 kph!!  WHEN WERE YOU GOING 33 KPH???”    I knew EXACTLY at what point I was going 33 kph.  Coasting down a mountainside is fuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!!!  I actually had to use my brakes because had I not, I probably would have gone flying off the side of the mountain!

Sunday was my most recent expedition out.  Despite it threatening rain, I took my bike out.  Rain doesn’t scare me!  I went faster and farther than I’ve ever been.  Hurray!  I made it to the bridge in twenty-four minutes, and that was my first real break.  Every other time that I’ve been, I had to break even before that.  I determined at that moment that I was going to make it to the top of the first mountain, dang it!  My game face was on and mentality was set, but (alas!) Mother Nature had other plans.    It had already started raining on me, and it was starting to rain heavier.  That didn’t bother me.  What bothered me was my phone.  Even though I had it wrapped up in a plastic sack, I was afraid that it would get wet, so I turned back.  Coasting down the mountain in the rain was NOT fun.  The rain made my brakes more difficult to use, and with my speed, the rain falling on me felt like pin pricks on my skin.    By the time I got home, I was soaking wet!

So far, I’m happy with my training.  I have three more weeks to gear up and prepare for it, so hopefully I’ll be ready come September 15th!