Training Weekend

As the saying goes, sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug. This past weekend I’m pretty certain I was the bug. See Jerry and Colin came into town for a weekend of bike riding in the hills around State College. I, being a fool, decided I would try and tag along for as much as I could and maybe learn a thing or two from them. That, as it turns out, was a bad idea.

Jerry and Colin rolled into town on Friday afternoon. Since it was an unseasonably warm day I decided to leave work early and join them for an “easy” afternoon ride to loosen the legs. It was a bit windy but overall it was a decent day. We were out for about two hours which was plenty for my first outdoor ride of the year. Saturday, however, was a different story. Not only was it cold, there were gale force winds and snow. It was brutal to say the least. Jerry, Colin, and I started out riding together but I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to hang on with them and decided to cut my ride short.

The winds were swirling every which way and I almost got knocked off my bike on several occasions. It was like being punched in the face over and over. Then, I hit the wall. I don’t know if it was a serious bonk or just the weather conditions but I had to throw in the towel and call for a ride. It’s the first time I’ve ever given up on a ride but for some reason I didn’t think I was going to finish in one piece. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but while I was riding home in the warmth of Cathy’s car I realized I made the right choice.