Bicycling Story #2 This article was originally published in Triathlete Magazine, 1999 I’ll never forget as a 5 year old kid, my favorite thing. My yellow, banana seat bike with the streamers hanging off the handlebars. I felt like a real studette riding that thing around, especially after I was able to ride without my training wheels. That was my first bike and my first taste of the second discipline of triathlon. I used to ride that thing everywhere, not for exercise, more for show. I was proud of my yellow banana and wanted everyone to know. My sister Lisa, didn’t have a yellow banana, she had her more advanced “red rider” which could go faster than YB, but didn’t have such a cool seat. During one of our many sister to sister quarrels, or should I say “fight to kill” arguments, she decided that if she couldn’t kill me, it would have to be my treasured Yellow Banana. She grabbed it, ran down to the river by our house and threw it in. Seeing that it was flood season, it was Bye, Bye, yellow banana. I think I have just gotten over this tragedy, and wiped that last tear off my face. It wasn’t until 1994 that I bought my first real bike. It was a 10 speed classic ready to catapult me into the cycling world. With this new acquisition I graduated from neighborhood rides to more serious beginning triathlon training rides. Here’s how I got introduced to triathlon. I was in Worcester, Ma in 1994 working full-time at the Central Branch YMCA as member services/fitness director. Lynn Oski, a good friend of mine, is who I have to thank for getting me involved in my ultimate passion of 5 years now. She told me what to do, and I did it. Swim in the pool, which I did, but not very successfully. I found it much easier instead, to re-enact those childhood water games such as bumper butts or marco polo. I wasn’t turned on by the thought of swimming, which at this time seemed to consist solely of avoiding sinking. But, I tried, and with her help, I at least was able to make some progress and develop a good enough stroke and fitness level to allow me to do some laps in a row. My next challenge, cycling! No Problem, I’ve got wheels and I love to ride. I was disheartened to find that it was close to torture riding my rusted $150 ten speed bike up the rolling hills of Worcester, Massachusetts. But, I loved every minute of it and just enjoyed being outside and getting fit. To this day, I still find so much joy out of the simple pleasures derived through training in this sport. Eventually, I decided I should lighten the load of my bike by taking the front oversized basket off. Not because I was using my new knowledge of the necessity of aerodynamics, but because of the laughs I had received from passersby, which were many at my speed. I thought I was moving right along, as my computer was always computing 15-20. I didn't realize this was kilometers per hour, not miles per hour! Eventually, it became time to train with my friends, all experienced age groupers in the sport. The morning of my first ride, I woke up 2 hours beforehand and made sure to eat a hearty breakfast and to drink tons of water. Lucky thing! This ride was like nothing I had experienced before. Despite the pain and the frustration of holding my friends up, I loved it. I was so angry that I was so slow, that I became utterly determined to learn how to go fast and to get better. My goal: to be able to ride with the others someday soon. One big thing I have learned in this sport is how important it is to set daily goals. By doing this, you will finish each day with some sense of accomplishment. This will give you the confidence you need to get better and to go into the next day determined, excited and with a purpose in mind. Lynn set me up with a little training schedule which included some speed work, strength work and distance work on the bike. Each day I rode, I had a purpose and would set a realistic goal to strive for. I made my quest a little bit easier by investing in a real triathlon bike. It felt like heaven and rode so smoothly, I felt like a different person on that new bike. It immediately made me faster. Now, the rest was up to me. The more I rode with others, the stronger I got. Sometimes you really need to challenge yourself and go through the humiliation of being beaten and beaten badly in order to get stronger. Actually, I think this is the only way. Each defeat should make you that much more determined to succeed. Use this to motivate you to work harder and to learn to train correctly. Find out what works for you, set your small goals everyday and celebrate your daily improvement. After 5 years of being in triathlon, I am still getting my butt kicked in cycling but at different levels. Now, my biggest challenges are hanging in the Boulder group rides which are normally all men and me. The challenge of hanging in with the likes of Wes Hobson, Cam Widoff, Dave Scott, Pat Brown, Ken Glah, Tim Deboom, Andy Bruckner, and numerous other really strong cyclists and triathletes alike, is the ultimate. When I hang in the whole ride, I feel like a million bucks, when I don’t, it just makes me all the more determined. I know that each day I get out there and push myself to the limit, I am pushing myself closer towards the realization of my goals. Whether you are riding a Litespeed Vortex, my idea of the fastest bike around, or a classic ten speed, you can and will get stronger and faster with hard work, belief in yourself and the ability to use defeat to your advantage. Don’t forget to have fun! We are so blessed to be able to take part in such an awesome, nourishing sport!! Ride on! Back to Articles Page

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