Weeks 12 & 13: Reality checks

I took a break from blogging last week to devote more time to my thesis and it kind of paid off I guess? I was hoping to be done with data analysis by now but it’s taking longer than I expected and I definitely need to consult some of my professors before actually writing the results up. I’m perhaps foolishly hoping that this will be the last thing that takes longer than I expect (everything so far has taken longer than I expected lol) and that I’ll be able to wrap things up in the next few weeks before graduation weekend. I’m technically going to receive an August degree because I’m not defending my thesis before the graduate school’s deadline but I should definitely be done before 4K send-off.

Reality has been hitting me like a brick the past two weeks. So many things have happened that have made me think “wow… this is really happening!”. I’m actually going to finish my degree. There have been many moments where that felt uncertain or just so far off that it wasn’t exciting.

I had a similar reality check related to the 4K when I found out that I was selected to be a ride director for Team Zion! Directors make sure everything runs smoothly and that the team follows the Ulman Foundation’s protocols and values during the trip– kind of like a team captain or section leader position. So I’m not only really biking across the country, I’m really going to lead a group of college kids on bikes across the country… yikes. The position comes with a lot of responsibility but I’ve also been told it’s a very rewarding position. Plus I’ll have a co-director, so it won’t all be on me!

The reality of it all has me down juuuuust a little because much like my thesis, I’m not as far along with my training as I’d like. At the start of last week I hadn’t done a ride over 30 miles in months and hadn’t even ridden outdoors in two weeks, partly due to the weather (we got more snow in Lexington this week, really) and partly because I’ve been having some mental blocks about riding out on the roads I usually do my longer rides on. It takes a lot of effort just to get out there and it’s not as safe as just biking on the trail. I knew it would make me feel better though, so last weekend I got on my bike and did a 40 mile ride, no expectations, no speed goals, just hitting the distance.

When I’m nervous about trying a new route I do three things: wear my most obnoxiously bright gear, use two strobing rear lights (one on my back, one on the seat post of my bike), and inspect the route on Google Maps. While doing the last one I found this:

…which I quickly recognized as a safety marking from an organized ride. Ride organizers will go out and mark dangerous turns, cracked pavement, potholes etc. to avoid crashes and injuries. I figured it was the 2015 Horsey Hundred based on the Google Maps timestamp, but once I got out there I realized it was a part of the 2021 Horsey Hundred route, too, so this route wasn’t new to me at all! So, I was much more comfortable the rest of the ride (including the pictured turn, which I took much faster than the recommended speed limit… oops).

It was a chilly but beautiful day, and physically the ride felt good. As soon as I got out to the horse farms I remembered why I was out there once or twice a week last summer. The roads are narrow and winding but practically empty besides a few cars and trucks towing horse trailers from one farm entrance to the next. I also passed a few cyclists which is always fun! I enjoy the solitude but it’s good to know I’m not entirely alone out there :) I also did some climbs that were steep and long enough to activate the “ClimbPro” feature on my Garmin for the first time, which shows you how much of the climb is left so you pace yourself a little better. I’m definitely still not a Climb Pro but they were short enough that I didn’t suffer too much.

On some of the cold/rainy days I went to spin classes at the gym. I wouldn’t say they’re great prep for 4K just because they’re so short and very unlike the type of riding we’ll be doing (very long stretches out of the saddle, lots of sprints, etc.), but they’re definitely good for my overall fitness! Kentucky’s cycling instructors are all super different and I found an intense instructor last week. She had picked great music though so the class was super fun– I ended up going back this week and the class was boy band themed! It was one of those workouts where you walked away feeling exhausted but so satisfied. I did realize that the classes don’t make my legs sore though, which isn’t a bad thing but it made me face the fact that my cardio abilities are holding me back more than my strength, so I’ve resolved to include more high heart rate, heavy-breathing workouts in my weekly schedules.

Not much else to report on from the past two weeks… this week particularly was a bit of a blur. I spent a lot of time staring at my computer, watching statistics tutorials on YouTube, and just trying to stay on top of things. I feel like I’ve been saying it for months but I actually think the warm weather is here to stay, so hopefully that will mean more riding as the semester wraps up!

Until next time,

Lauren