This week marked the dawn of a new era for me. Today the girlfriend world collided with the velo-world. Yes thanks to the good folks at American Cycle and Fitness, Angela has herself a brand new pretty pink Trek 6700 WSD.
When I first met Angela she said to me, “I feel like I am totally the opposite of any girl you would ever go for”. I asked her why and she replied, “Well I don’t ride bikes”. I went onto to explain to her that cycling is my world and I don’t want or need to share it with my girlfriend, it is my time and my time is very important and essential to my healthy well-being. Furthermore, I explained that I don’t want her to ride bikes with me but there would be one simple rule: You have to support my racing and my training habits. She then gave the best answer…”Well that’s simple, I can be very supportive”. That’s when I knew I had something good. Ang has put up with a lot in the supportive training/racing department since that day. I have missed family anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, etc. It has not been easy for her to explain to her family when asked where I am, that I am riding my bike. Typically the response is, “He’s riding his bike, how come? (especially in January and February) Doesn't he have a driver's License?”
After a running-induced injury over the winter season, Angela got the notion that she wanted to explore the idea of getting her own bike. She worked the angle swiftly when she explained how it would give her something to do during races and would enable her to ride to several different vantage points easier. So we started looking around. Her main criteria was that the bike was NOT pink. However, ironically when we saw the 6700 WSD, she knew she had to have it. It was like the two had met in a past life or something. So Christmas came early in May this week when we picked up the bike, shoes, shorts, two jerseys, computer, gloves and helmet. I left ACF wondering what I had got myself into.
Today was her first ride. We did a simple loop starting at the Veteran’s Park in Rochester and riding portions of the Clinton River Trail and the Paint Creek Trail. She had never used clippless pedals before, so this was a challenge! Three tip-overs later (one of which was in front of a crowd near Rochester Brewery), and I think she began to get the hang of it.
Overall, she was quite a trooper and I think she toughened herself up a bit. She is passed out on the couch next to me right now, so I think I wore her out.
We’ve made a deal that she will only ride with me on my recovery days so as not to disrupt any of the value from the intensity days. However, I think these may be the training days I look forward to most now. Her overall goal, is to ride the Monday night recovery ride out of ACF, Royal Oak by the end of the summer. Look for her on a RO neighborhood street near you hammering on her pink steed.
2 comments:
A new riding friend for Tikky perhaps?
Wow, that's cool.
(got you message the other day, but I was in Utha's dessert and didn't have my phone with me...)
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