Mountain bike failure: cardio catastrophe

We had a nice weekend.  We managed to get some relaxation and some activity in.   The activity however...well...it went kind of  poorly!   Let’s start at the beginning.    It was rainy on Saturday so we ran our errands and hit up he movie theater (we saw “Halloween”...it was pretty good.). . It was a good day.   We relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company.  Sunday was clear...so we decided to go biking!

We headed out for the same place that we had hiked at last weekend    (That was the purpose of last Sunday’s hike...to reconnoiter.). It was even prettier this week...we explored further down the trail.  But alas I didn’t take pictures of the scenery this weekend!

It was (is) a great trail, very flowy.  And yes flowy is the proper mountain bike term!  A flowy or flow trail is one that....well...it flows.   It isn’t very rocky or full of exposed tree roots.  It isn’t very steep and instead more gently rolling hills.    As we rode along I actually talked to Jason and mentioned that this trail was perfect for me.  The hills were rolling which pushed me to the edge of my physical limitations and the trail had just enough rocks and tree roots to push me to the edge of my technical/skill limitations.   I was feeling GREAT!

We rode on!   We were about an hour into our ride when it happened.  It?   Did I wreck?   Nope!   I hit a wall in my limitations.  Oh boy did I hit a wall!   I found myself unable to breath.  I got off the bike and stood there...trying to catch my breath...but the dizziness was rolling over me.   I sat down beside the trail.  Wow!  It took me a while to recover!

I did recover....or so I thought.  We travelled on....assuming that the person that talked to us the previous week was correct and that this was a big loop!  But I had this gnawing fear that this was an out and back.

And then it hit me again!   I found myself once again sitting beside the trail trying to recover.  I was half crying and miserable!  

Yes I did have a helmet...it was just off my head while I rested.   I recovered and got back on that bike.  But that gnawing fear had grown....seriously if this was an out and back trail, I was in trouble because I was already well past shot!   We rode a big further and ended up seeing two other bikers.   We asked them about the trail....it was not really a loop. They showed us the map.   They advised that wecould make it a loop only if we rode on the road for about 3 miles...a busy, no shoulder, narrow road....about 3-4 miles further down the trail and navigated a very steep ascent to get to the road...a one mile side trail.  They advised that most bikers made it an out and back ride and that’s what we decided to do.  Yes, we actually continued on to complete the trail.

I made it to 2 miles from the end of the trail....and I knew there was NO way this was going to happen. I was already completely wiped out and I still had the complete return trip!   We turned around.   The return trip was brutal for me.  I ended up doing a combination bike/hike.  I would walk a whilethen hop onto my bike and ride a bit before I would end up getting back off and walking....repeated over and over.   Yes, I am ashamed to admit I walked a  part of that trail!!! (Ok I walked maybe 1/4 of it).  

We eventually made it back to the car...what a lovely sight!!!    I was in tears at the horrible ride that I had just had.

I was fine though and we headed to the car wash to give the girls a bath.

My legs were sore and tired.   But it wasn’t my legs that made the ride horrid. (Well they contributed.)   My cardio capabilities is where my problem was!   My meltdown was due to my lack of cardio conditioning.  This has GOT to change! I realized this during vacation while we hiked with bears.  But I didn’t realize how bad it really was, until today.

That trail chewed me up and spit me out this past weekend.  But I WILL be back.   I will make it to where I turned around and I will do it without sitting on the edge of the trail multiple times before getting there .  I will also make it without tears!   I will make it back to the car with less walking too!!!  And eventually I will make it to the end of that trail!  I will also eventually be able to make a complete out and back ride without getting off my bike to sit on the side of the trail or even walk any portion!   Before this is over I will conquer that trail!!!!

All in all I rode about  a two and and a half hours. I walked probably a half hour. (Rough estimates because I wasn’t exactly watching the clock when I got off to walk segments...or when I got back on to ride.). We were out 2.5 to 3 hours.   And regardless of whether I was riding or biking....I was active...so while the ride was a colossal failure...it was an an exercise victory!