Cyclery Ride (Loop #21)

Our bike shop!

Joy here...Back in the summer of 2007 The Man and I moved from Toronto (where we finished our doctoral work, met, and fell in love) to Ottawa where he got his job as a professor and where I started a postdoctoral fellowship.  He had loved cycling before moving to Canada to start his doctoral studies, but upon moving to Toronto and realizing just how poor he would be as a phd candidate paying international fees and living on peanuts, he had to put aside his love of the sport for the four years it took him to finish his doctorate and postdoctoral fellowship, so one of the first purchases we made when we arrived in our new city was a road bike for The Man.  And I figured, "hey, if he's getting a bike, why shouldn't I?"  I didn't know the first thing about bike riding, but I figured that I might as well give it a try.  What's the worst thing that can happen?

My bike in 2007, just gathering dust (notice, I didn't even
have clipless pedals on that first ever bike of my own).

Well, one of the worst things that can happen is that before you even know how to shift gears, stay up on the bike, or turn corners, a new colleague will take you on a 65km bike ride, complete with steep hills and rip roaring descents that you will hold the brakes the whole time riding down.  It will be a death march, and you will put your bike in the closet and not touch it again for nearly 3 years.

In July 2010 a friend of mine convinced me to try that same 65km bike ride again (43kms of which is a loop through Gatineau Park).  I suffered through that ride, but I had practiced enough on my bike so that I was able to survive that ride, and even do it again.  For the rest of that summer, I did that 43km loop through Gatineau Park, the local national park in our area, 6 times in total.  It was a real triumph.  (See this blog post for a bit of a description of the park itself.)

The 43km loop through the Gatineau Park.

But then last summer, the Summer of the Sisterhood, I had a great group of girlfriends to ride with, and I rode 22 loops of that same park, learned how to feel comfortable on the bike, and built up some cycling fitness that was entirely new to me.

So that when I started cycling this summer, I suddenly began to feel like it was the sport for me.

In fact, I was feeling so confident with my cycling this summer that I've competed in GranFondo events (like the Gatineau MedioFondo and the Ottawa MedioFondo), time trials, and even a bunch race.  So that when our favourite bike shop's cycling team was heading out for their fast group ride through the park, The Man and I figured that we'd join them (for what would be my 21st loop of the park so far this summer).

The Cyclery group guys waiting at the parking lot
to start the loop of the park.

When we arrived at the meeting spot, I was too nervous to start with the group, so I got a head start, and heading out on the 43km loop on my own, knowing that they'd catch up to me in no time.  So I rode solidly towards Pink Lake, the first climb, on my own, feeling strong and consistent, and then I rode up the climb, passing casual riders and breathing hard.  Then I topped the climb and saw a couple of women riders waiting at the side for the rest of the bunch group to come along so that they could join in, but I just kept on going, imagining the group breathing down my neck.  I pedalled hard, and I pedalled solidly.  And as I hit the descents, I did my best to keep pedalling through them, resisting the temptation to coast, and I tried to keep my speed as the road kicked up again.

The view from the top!

Before I knew it, I was out of the rolling section of the park, heading right towards the second major climb up to Fortune Lake.  Still the group hadn't caught me!

So I started up that climb.  My legs were hurting, but I felt strong.  I was climbing at around 15km/hr, just pedalling in my comfort zone and to my own rhythm, when suddenly I heard something behind me. I looked over my shoulder thinking a car was coming, but, no, it was no car.  It was the charging group of cyclists who just powered up that climb beside me as if I was standing still!  I didn't even bother trying to speed up at all in response to their speed; I just watched them ride right on by me.  But then as the rest of the group made their way up the climb, I realized that not everyone was passing me.  The Man caught up with me, and we rode the rest of the hill together where the group waited and met up again, and there were many others who we waited for who didn't power up past me.  And then as we regrouped, I joined them and rode in the group comfortably, just sticking to the wheel of the cyclist in front of me, something I would not have been able to do even at the start of this summer.

They turned around at Champlain lookout, and down they started, but I stopped to snap a photo and have a drink, and for the rest of the ride down, it was my turn to chase them!

We regrouped at the end, and I was happy with my ride.  After a week's recovery from my week's holiday, I'm glad to be back on the bike and riding at the same level that I expect.

Here are my ride stats:
Distance:  65km (11km warm up, 11km cool down, and 43km loop of the park)
Average Speed:  27.8km/hr
Max Speed:  69km/hr
Perception of Effort:  Moderate

Maybe next week I'll have the courage to start with the group and ride with them!

Over and out,
Joy