Bike Luck, vultures and being s#*t

After the ride!

Last Saturday I ventured out of my comfort zone. I participated in a 45-mile charity bike ride called Bike Luck which benefited Camp Luck (The camp strives to improve the lives of kids and families coping with congenital heart disease by empowering them to live life to the fullest). I needed some training time on my bike and this would be a good way to have a controlled ride with a group of riders, maybe a couple hundred or so. This was my first group ride.

The ride began at 8 a.m. and I was smart and lined up in the back. I did not know what to expect at all. The ride director warned us about debris from the rains in the bike lanes and some roads in not great condition. Since it was a pack start, we all started out bunched up and slowly. Soon it thinned out and there were different groups to ride with. I even was the lead rider a couple time, which I told people was probably not such a good idea because I have never done this before. Everyone was nice and said, "Just keep cranking."

While leading a few riders, I did get the opportunity to yell out, "VULTURES!" to warn the others of what was coming up. There was roadkill in the center of the two-lane road and the vultures were hopping back and forth between it and the side of the road. I don't think the others quite understood until the rider behind me looked up and said, "Oh! Roadkill Center AND Vultures!" Dodging three vultures was a little nerve-wracking because I had no clue which way they were going to go.

It was a really great experience to get out of the city of Charlotte and see things while riding. There was a lot more elevation that I thought there would be, but I finished.

Observations while on the ride and afterwards:

Sorry about the language, but it pretty much sums everything up!

I think most endurance athletes go through these emotions. Then, soon after finishing or the next day say, "Hey, that wasn't so bad. In fact, it was great. What can I sign up for?"

About 30-35 miles into the ride I thought, "I am going to need to defer the upcoming triathlon. I am not ready. I can't do it. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!" I finished, got into my car and drove home. What happened between finishing and getting home? Well, I said, "Darn it! I am going to do it. I'll try to take what happened here and use it at Mountains to Main Street."

Also, my wife checked the deferral policy and said the date had passed!

So, 19 days from today I will be participating in my second attempt at a half-IRON distance triathlon.

As usual, thank you INFINIT Nutrition for providing me with one product for my nutrition and hydration. It gets me through everything!

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To help me through my journey, please visit: gofundme.com/help-triing-by-50-spread-the-word. Any help is appreciated.