Training Ride #4 - Hare in the Rain

Today was leg 2 in my double-decker training weekend. When I arrived at the Coweta County Fairgrounds, the base for the ride, there was no sight of anyone. I was my usual 30 minutes before ride time and usually I'm trying to dodge cyclists and trying to find one more blade of grass to squeeze my car into. I pulled into the parking area and after a few minutes, a guy knocked on my window and said "Did we miss something? Where is everybody?"

We finally saw a few people and they pointed us to the registration desk. I asked "Are we having the ride today?" This sweet, jovial lady replied "Oh yes, we're SO glad you're here!" I asked "How many riders are you expecting?" She said "No idea! Only 10 pre-registered but we're SO glad you're here!" Ten ri ders? My mind automatically thinks - great - no support, no one to talk to. Then I did my last check on the weather and learned that the weather experts decided sometime between 11pm last night and 8 am this morning that no, it would not be sunny and 60 in the morning with rain starting at 4pm. The rain would start in 2 hours and there would be no sun. Well, I believed them LAST night - so here I am totally unprepared for rain. No jacket. I'm so thrilled at this point. So I go to plan B. Instead of riding 60 miles, I will ride as fast as I can for 30 miles and try to beat the rain. Memories of freezing in California's rain-out day last summer are bouncing around in my head.

I take off. I'm pedaling as fast as my short, squatty legs will spin - paying special attention to my shifting and getting the big head. Wow - I can go fast when I want to. Good-bye Tortoise, Hello Hare. I clip along pretty well and then, while climbing a hill a cute little bunny rabbit hops by me like I'm nothing. I could almost hear her saying "Me Hare, You Tortoise, Heee, Heee, Heee" as she bounced back into the bushes.

I then started thinking about how desolate I was. I mean, there was no one now. The one guy ahead of me turned onto the 60 mile split, so it was just me. I started wondering if this was safe. I starting feeling REALLY alone. So to counter this, I started thinking of yesterday's song, "Never Alone" even if I was sarcastically thinking "yeah, whatever."

I got back to home base, covering the 30 miles and arriving at 10:15. The drizzle was just starting and I was safe. I walked towards the registration to thank them for having the ride and saw 5 men at a table - with a route map on a bulletin board, a computer and hand radios going. They had been tracking us - me - the whole time. I really was "never alone" even if I thought I was. So if you think I skipped church to ride my bike today -- no, I didn't.

For anyone else having a "yeah, whatever" day, I hope this weekend's theme song will give you a boost . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhZh-Riia0Y