"I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say." - Daphne du Maurier
There is no second guessing it, you will know. It's like nothing you've ever felt before. You're anxious but nervous, yet completely comfortable. Thoughts bring smiles without realizing it. The feeling never fades and can actually get stronger with time.
In January of 2010 Bootsy and I were in Tempe for the Arizona Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon. Since we were signed up for Ironman Arizona in the fall we thought we would kill two birds with one stone and preview the IM race course while in town. Renting road bikes to do so seemed like a good idea at the time.
Big mistake! Huge!
Our rentals in Arizona were just the beginning of a love affair for Bootsy, it proved to rekindle an old flame in me. Subsequently, we have rented road bikes on other occasions as well. Once riding the vineyards in the Portland, Oregon area and again locally when our tri bikes were in the shop being tuned.
Bootsy has been sucking around about road bikes for more then a few years now and our foray into rentals had only proven to fuel her fire. I had never jumped on board, always with excuses; "We have races to train for so lets stick to the tri bikes. It's an expense that isn't needed outside of our triathlon pursuits."
The reality is that I know my love for road bikes, with the comfort and stiffness they provide. Just the thought of the ride brings the taste of adrenaline to the back of my throat and reminds me how the road whispers to me as if it were a secret. I simply didn't want my love for losing myself in a ride to interfere with the complexity of triathlon training.
This year we have chosen to race late in the season so we aren't under the same riggers of early season triathlon training. We are training regularly but with a little more latitude and a fair amount of our scheduled rides written as "Endurance Bike - Mountain or Road".
Enter road bikes...
I hate to say it but Bootsy and I aren't getting any younger. We have raced long course triathlon a bit over the past few years and realize we will eventually begin to slide away from the stringent nature of year to year Iron distance training. We can see ourselves moving more toward organized events and away from a regular race schedule.
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| Photo by Bootsy |
In January of 2010 Bootsy and I were in Tempe for the Arizona Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon. Since we were signed up for Ironman Arizona in the fall we thought we would kill two birds with one stone and preview the IM race course while in town. Renting road bikes to do so seemed like a good idea at the time.
Big mistake! Huge!
Our rentals in Arizona were just the beginning of a love affair for Bootsy, it proved to rekindle an old flame in me. Subsequently, we have rented road bikes on other occasions as well. Once riding the vineyards in the Portland, Oregon area and again locally when our tri bikes were in the shop being tuned.
Bootsy has been sucking around about road bikes for more then a few years now and our foray into rentals had only proven to fuel her fire. I had never jumped on board, always with excuses; "We have races to train for so lets stick to the tri bikes. It's an expense that isn't needed outside of our triathlon pursuits."
The reality is that I know my love for road bikes, with the comfort and stiffness they provide. Just the thought of the ride brings the taste of adrenaline to the back of my throat and reminds me how the road whispers to me as if it were a secret. I simply didn't want my love for losing myself in a ride to interfere with the complexity of triathlon training.
This year we have chosen to race late in the season so we aren't under the same riggers of early season triathlon training. We are training regularly but with a little more latitude and a fair amount of our scheduled rides written as "Endurance Bike - Mountain or Road".
Enter road bikes...
I hate to say it but Bootsy and I aren't getting any younger. We have raced long course triathlon a bit over the past few years and realize we will eventually begin to slide away from the stringent nature of year to year Iron distance training. We can see ourselves moving more toward organized events and away from a regular race schedule.
Grand Fondos and weekend rides through specific areas in our region are things we see ourself doing. Places where we can combine our love for cycling and the intimate views it provides with some photography are things we would like to start knocking of the bucket list. There are plenty of places we've breezed through in the car maybe stopping to get a quick picture or two that we have wondered if we would like to get back to and ride through.
We have the privilege of living in the West. From weekend rides through the San Juan Islands to rides through the mountain of Montana to the rugged beauty of the Badlands of South Dakota, these are just a few areas well within reach. Some of these areas, with their amazing beauty, have pulled us back toward road bikes and the freedoms they provide.
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| Photo by Scott Jones |
So as my Tri bike lies in wait for my return to regular riding this summer, I ride the road and some trails. Yes it's true, I have more then one love and I will return soon enough but first love can be a temptress. A longing can exist for her touch, her feel and how you just may have felt in days gone by.
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