I Love to Ride My Bicycle (I Think)

In the past year I have spent many happy, albeit tiring hours in "spin class". For those not up with the latest gym offerings, spin class consists of 20 or so stationary bicycles set up in a dark room. An instructor blasts a mix of fast-paced, loud music and instructs the riders through a 45 minute fake bike ride up and down hills, along country roads, or through city streets... or whatever terrain you want to imagine. The nice thing is that as an individual rider, you can adjust your resistance and pace to give yourself a challenge based on your own athletic stamina... and you will always keep up with the rest of the pack!
So, spinning has become one of my new favorite things. It is an excellent workout, and I have to admit, I feel like I have the potential to be a great biker, based on my in-class performance. I can really push it up those hills and I can deliver a pretty powerful sprint. And I always leave class nasty-sweaty--an excellent indicator that I busted my butt at the gym.
This weekend, I got to test out my biking prowess on a real bike, on a real road. Gideon tracked down a serious road bike for me to use, and on Sunday afternoon we headed out on a ride.
Now let me back up a bit to explain a little something... Gideon is a REAL biker. He has been riding for years and racing, too. In fact, at one point he was second or third in his race category in the state of Virginia. I clearly remember watching too much Tour De France coverage while on our honeymoon in Italy, if that gives you a better idea of what I'm talking about. Gideon has been wanting me to get on a bike for a long time; I was never interested until I started spinning.
Still, my idea of a bike ride is more along the lines of a cruise through the park, with a bike basket packed with a picnic, and a bell on the handle bars to let folks know I'm coming. Gideon's idea of a bike ride is just a step under the aforementioned Tour De France. Plus, I am a bit afraid of cars on the road, whereas Gideon rides his bike to work every morning through D.C. traffic. Could a husband and wife ride actually work?
Well, after making some adjustments on my borrowed bicycle, Gideon and I hit the road. Fortunately, we live right near Rock Creek Park, a beautiful park that stretches from Northwest D.C. into Maryland. We got to the park with no major issues, besides me losing my brand new water bottle while speeding down a substantial hill. (Gideon went back up the hill to retrieve it for me--bless his heart.)
Once in the park, we started riding north. This is when the trouble started. And when I say trouble, I mean, this is when I started feeling my bike seat in a not-so-pleasant way. And my back started hurting. And my hands started hurting. I toughed it out for 25 or 30 minutes until I had to stop to recover. Gideon was trying to be patient with me, but I could see that his hopes for a serious bike partner were fading quickly. I cried and pouted a bit, because I was hurting, and because I was doubting my own potential to be a real biker and not just a spinner.
Then I got back on the bike and this is when the fun began. In an effort to get home quickly, I started racing Gideon back towards home. We rode like bats out of hell. After letting me think I was really smoking him, he pulled into the front position and let me draft behind him as we sped along the road. We rode like this to the park exit, and I kept up with Gideon. And here was what I realized: the faster you ride, the less you notice the pain! Ahhh! Stop whining and ride! I was having so much fun, I even powered my way up the big hill (where I dropped my water bottle earlier) without stopping.
When we got home, I felt what most real bikers must feel--a feeling that keeps them going back to the road--a feeling of pride, exhaustion, exhilaration, and the satisfaction of a nasty-sweaty workout. And I'll be back out there next weekend.