Keeping the Jitters in Perspective

It's the weirdest thing - about 2 weeks before an event, I develop a sore joint. Usually a knee or an elbow, but sometimes a shoulder. Anything like this happen to you?

Right on schedule, my knee started acting up last week - exactly two weeks before the Becel Ride.

It's not a strain from overtraining. I'd have to overtrain for it to be that ;-)

It's Phase 1 of the pre-race jitters, and it's all in my head.

I think it's my body offering me an out in case I want to chicken out. Can't do a ride with a bum knee, right?

Fortunately this kind of thing always passes with time, and ultimately gets replaced by the helpful jitters that show up a day or two before the event - the ones that get the adrenaline flowing, make sure that I get my race kit organized on time and don't oversleep on race day. Those I don't mind.

Do I need more self-confidence? Probably.

Have I ever backed out of a race because of it? Nah. I'm careful to tell lots of people about my upcoming events, which means there'd be too many people to answer to if I bailed on one!

I think this case of the jitters is pretty easy to figure out - it's been a wet, rainy spring and I've barely been on my bike at all. Actually - until this week, I HAVEN'T been on my bike at all - I've been riding my husband's for the past year while mine waited patiently for a repair. His bike fits me reasonably well so I've been making due.

So - in the back of my mind, I've been anxious about finding the time to get my own bike repaired in time for the Ride, and about being ready seeing as how the longest ride I've taken this season is 8K...and that was on the level track at the park.

Solved both of those problems this week!

1 - Husband got my bike over to the shop in time for us to pick it up a full week before the ride. So great to have my shiny red bike back. It rides like a dream!

2 - The owners of the shop wished me well on the upcoming Ride and told me to think about doing the 50K course. "If you can do 25K, you can do 50. If you can do 50, you can do ANYTHING."

Understand that these are not buff, athletic people trying to convince me that something crazily challenging is as easy as pie. They are just average folks who have a lot of encouragement to offer.

With their morale-boosting words in mind, I headed out for a training run on Sunday. Did almost 14K and it was awesome!

Huh...look at that...my knee doesn't hurt any more.

And they've got me thinking about the 50K for next year. Bring it on!

Here's this week's recap -

At the playground of the first drive-in of the season

Saturday - Spent half the day at the spring carnival at the kids' school - it's my 6th year running the loot bag table - then picked up my bike and went home for a family nap before heading out to the drive in! Love, love, love the time before the show - playing on the retro playground, being out in the evening air, so many kids running around in their PJs, no rushing involved. Also love the great prices on the big tub o' popcorn and carton o' Junior Mints. Love those a little too much, actually.

Check out the historic trail marker. And yes, that's my shiny red bike.
Added a handle-bar mounted pouch this weekend - perfect size for keys, blackberry, snack and a raincoat.

Sunday - 13.9K ride on my bike. So happy to be back in the saddle! I live in the heart of the city and am reasonably comfortable dodging traffic, potholes and sewer grates when I ride on the streets, but I'm lucky to have nearby both a cemetery that can take me fairly far north and a trail that can take me a ways east-west. It's an interesting trail that follows the path of a defunct railway line. I really like the markers that indicate where the stations used to be. Played catch and wiffle ball with the kids for a long time after dinner. Love spring evenings.

Monday - Short walk at lunch, Curves after dinner.

Tuesday - Rest day.

Wednesday - This was some good toning for my arms: the  front gardens needed watering and I was too lazy to drag the hose to the front yard, so I made 12 trips back and forth to the kitchen to fill my big watering can and haul it outside.

Took the kids for a 2K training run after dinner - big mistake. We were all too full from dinner to do more than stroll, and all got upset stomachs from trying to move quickly. Lesson learned - and how! 33 pushups later in the evening.

Thursday - 1K fast walk at lunch, Zumba + 30 pushups after dinner.

As happy as a kid in a candy store. Wait - he IS a kid in a candy store!

Friday - Race kit pickup day! Treated the kids to a trip to Sugar Mountain afterwards. Hey - life can't be ALL about fruit and veg, right? 

What I'm reading this week - When we were strangers by Pamela Schoenewaldt.