One of "Those" Endurance Rides

Last Sunday I went on a Club One group ride in Marin: Fairfax; Nicasio; Pt Reyes Station; Inverness; Tomales Point and return. 73 miles, 5100' climbing. Being the kind of person that's always looking to have a good time, I went out to dinner, played pool and danced until 1:30 a.m. the night before. When my alarm clock went off at 7 a.m. Sunday morning, I was slightly tempted to skip the ride but the little voice inside my head reminded me that I hadn't been on my bike for a week so I better drag my ass out of bed, which I did.

When Rey and I arrived at the meeting place, the other Club One members were there and ready to roll. Thankfully, the weather forecasters were wrong about possible rain on Sunday and we rolled out into a beautiful, sunny day.

I was very surprised to discover how much climbing there was during the first half of the ride and imagine my great joy when I discovered that there would be continuous climbing all the way to Tomales Point. I figured I would need extra nourishment to get me through the ride so I drank a cup of coffee and ate a slice of pizza and a piece of coffee cake when we arrived at the Bovine Bakery (20 miles into the ride).

The hilly ride continued and I was excited to see the coast on the horizon. However, I was not excited to see the steep climb that awaited us up ahead. Holy Cow! Do I have the legs for this today? Despite the voice inside my head that said, "There's no shame in getting off the bike and walking up this stretch considering that you've had minimal sleep and are a bit dehydrated from last night's drinking" I pedaled my way to the crest of the hill before beginning my descent into Tomales Point. Despite my tired legs and labored breathing, I was glad that I sucked it up and stayed on my bike.



During our short break, the group and I tried to soak up as much sun as possible to warm ourselves against the windy chill. Although we would have liked to just hang out under the sun, we knew we had to head back so onward we went toward the rolling hills. Of course, on the way back, I just had to stop and take a picture with a cow. The expression on its' face is: "What the deuce are these creatures looking at me?"






As the ride back to Fairfax progressed, I found myself losing a lot of steam. I was so happy and relieved when I saw a sign that said Fairfax was just 9 miles away. Unfortunately, those last 9 miles felt like 90 miles! By the time we rolled into the parking lot, I was ready to take a nap. The lesson I learned on this ride: keep the partying to a minimum the night before a long ride. Duh!

An Attitude Adjustment

Have you ever taken up an activity that requires coordination, deftness, and memory retention and felt absolutely frustrated because you found yourself struggling? Well, I found myself very frustrated during my capoeira class (Brazilian martial art) last night. Granted, last night was only my sixth capoeira class and many of the people in the class have taken capoeira for years. Still, I'm the kind of person that expects to have a natural inclination towards all things athletic. Yeah, yeah, I know, things don't work that way but that's the way my mind works nonetheless.

My frustration began to build when the instructor started throwing in complicated combinations (at least complicated to me): kick here, kick there, spin your body this way, spin your body that way, etc. In its' physical manifestation, the frustration was evidenced by my deep sighs, furrowed brows, and muttering under my breath. Mentally, I was thinking, "Why can't I get this?", "Why is she throwing in complicated combinations in a beginners class?" and "Maybe I should just leave and go do my grocery shopping." Of course, deep down inside I kned I didn't have it in me to quit the class halfway through so I was stuck trying to talk myself out of my negative attitude.

The funny thing is, I knew I was feeling frustrated, I didn't want to feel frustrated and, yet, I got even more frustrated at myself for feeling frustrated! Talk about a vicious cycle.

Luckily, Sarah (a very experienced capoerista) saw me standing helplessly in the back of the room and worked with me one-one-one. Working with Sarah lifted my spirits.

Towards the end of class, we formed our roda (a roda consists of a group of people and musicians in a circle wherein they clap, sing and play musical instruments while two individuals "fight" or "play" (depends on the type of game being played). I knew from past experience that beginners were expected to get in the game but I had no intention of playing last night. I thought I would blend in with the crowd and make myself invisible until the roda ended. My plans were quickly evaporated when Luis came up to me and encouraged me to play the game. As crappy as I was feeling, I knew I would walk out feeling crappier if I turned down the opportunity to play so into the circle I went. Coincidentally, I got to play with Sarah and it turned out not to be so bad.

Last night, I was again reminded how our attitude shapes our perceptions and our experiences. I now wish I had been more successful at talking myself out of my frustration, put in my best efforts, and been satisfied with the fact that I was at least trying. I can't take back my negative attitude from last night but I can use this experience in the future as a reminder when I catch myself spiralling into a deaftist mode while trying something new or challenging: A positive attitude will keep me motivated and get me much farther than a negative attitude. As my peeps say, "Si se puede!"