Hopes Fulfilled, Fears Unrealized!

How often in life does that happen? Well today was one of those days for me. It took me a while this morning to get ready for my first ride on the new Q-ROO! First I needed to go to the road and get my computer setup exactly right. I have 120 metres measured out and marked on the pavement for this purpose. Of course the book tells you what data to use based on your wheel diameter, but since I am very anal about this, it was of course not good enough for me. When I'm going 30km/hr I want to know it's exactly 30, not 29.99! So I got that just right( by the way I was within about 10 metres over 50 K) ,then I took some time getting my water bottle just right, deliberated on the right clothes for the weather, got my I-pod tucked in somewhere and finally headed out. I decided to do the same 50K which I had done 2 and 3 days previous, to get some sense of how this bike was going to live up to Heaths' promises. Fortunately the wind was similar to my previous 2 rides as well, so I knew it would be a good comparison. If anything I could perhaps expect that my legs would be a little dead, after riding and running 2 of the last 3 days, distances that I'm still getting used to.

Here's the scoop. I felt good immediately. My positioning felt perfect and my new shoes were good! While I was initially concerned about the saddle, as my ass acclimatized it was also good. I tried to just relax to make sure that I was in control, such that my outcome would be a realistic comparison. Well I'm pretty sure that it was realistic, as I still had gas in the tank at the end. I rode my 50K in just over 1 hour, 33 minutes, for an average speed of 32.1km/hr. This was 6 minutes faster then 3 days ago, and almost 14 minutes faster than 2 days ago. The best reference is the 6 minutes because that day I rode harder, and it was by far my best ride yet....before today. So....6 minutes don't seem like much? Well actually it's huge! That equates to over 20 minutes in an Ironman! More importantly it equates to 'energy' saved which I can take out on the run with me. Probably more important than my time improvement however is the way I felt. I know that I can get faster quickly, just by the way I could control my cadence, and stay always on the side of safety as far as burnout goes. Of course the proof is in the pudding but at least as of today I'm convinced that I will soon be riding as fast as I ever did....even considerin the aging process.

In comparison the problem my old softride had was that it encouraged me to always go to a bigger gear, or I would start bouncing up and down. To be able to "spin" in lower gears is a key strategy to energy preservation, and extending your muscular endurance. If you need proof of that, watch that Armtrong guy some time climbing hills. he spins like mad and can keep it up almost forever.

So overall the hopes were fulfiiled and then some, but then there were the "fears unrealized". Well actually only one fear. The most beautiful thing about my softride....you can see in the pic...is that it is a suspension beam bike, which oh so nicely takes all the bumps out of the road....saving on you know what. So that was my fear. I have not rode a conventional frame bike for 15 years, and was "very afraid" of a "very sore" ass. Not so my friends. Much to my disbelief, it felt no harsher. I can only credit the carbon fiber fame and fork, which is definitely recognized as the "softest" ride compared to steel or aluminum.

You wouldn't believe how motivational this whole experience was. I had to call Heath at the bike shop to tell him all about it. He was delighted but not surprised. He said and I quote, "if you told me that you would ever ride your old bike again, I would be very disappointed in myself".

So here's the old girl. I will of course keep her around for Sunday rides with my grandchildern.




By the way. They stopped making softrides. Must be a reason eh?

So, you can see I was having a pretty good day. And then.....I went to the mailbox....
I got a letter, addressed to me personally. By the time I got it open and read it my day had changed significantly. I was in tears. What that letter contained made the rest of my day pale in comparison. Here's what was in it and why it affected me so.

First off, the letter was from a young lady who shall remain nameless because anything else would be breach of confidence. When she reads this I hope she will not be bothered that I take the liberty of sharing the general message she sent.
Realize that I had no idea what so ever that she was reading the blog or that it had affected her in any way. She said she was amazed by the things written there. She told me that the blog made her think about "stuff" that she otherwise wouldn't consider. She said that my notes made her think about things in a different way. She claimed to hurry home from school just to check it out, and that she especially liked the quotes. Wow to me!!!
If it seems like no big deal, it's because I have done a poor job of paraphrasing. Here's what blew me away. I had no idea that anything I was doing or saying was having any impact on this young lady, and the message for me was this. In everything you do, in everything you say, you are having an impact on others, many times even without knowing it, and furthermore, that impact may be positive or it may be negative. It also occurred to me that generally you can choose which it shall be...positive or negative. She also talked about her hopes to have impact on others herself, and I can tell her and you that its too late to have this hope, as its already transpired. She has already done so. As I read the letter earlier today, and even as a reread it now I almost chock up with emotion.....in a wonderful, peaceful way. Thank you young lady! Now that I know she reads this I would also encourage her to comment publicly when and if she is comfortable doing so.

So that's why my day changed when I picked up the mail. I feel humbled.


I dedicate day 28 to Heath,(who else today?) bike guy and nice guy, who can ride a lot freakin faster than me!

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."....Helen Keller

Love always
peter