Tag Archives: cycling

Slow and Steady to hit 2,000 km on the bike

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Hi there! Anyone else wondering how time is flying by so quickly as we head into the last stretch of 2023? I’m sitting here listening to holiday tunes with the view of our Christmas tree in front of me, my daughter baking Christmas cookies behind me, and thoroughly enjoying the lead-up to Christmas. It’s been quite a full year, but one thing that has kept me going since early last spring has been cycling. I didn’t have any goals in mind when I started, other than to get fit, to be able to get out with my friends, and to keep fit. I’m not talking about really long distances: mostly under 60 km and only once or twice a week. But last month I noticed that I was close to hitting 2,000 km for the year. That would be a career high for me and was motivation enough to keep going, even in the cold weather, and strive to hit it before the end of the year!

I should really pedal back to last March. I like going for a spin with others, but to do that I know that I have to be at a certain level of fitness in order to enjoy it. So that was my first goal. My husband was such a huge help in getting me out the door and cycling in those early, ‘non-fit’ days. It’s tough work building up your strength and cardio-ability! 🤪 He was patient, and although sometimes he couldn’t figure out how I was going so slow (thank you, beta-blockers, for my Long QT syndrome!), he was always by my side.

Once I reached my fitness goal, I was able to join my friends! What I love about this group of gals is that they are out for fun and fitness. The area we live in (County Louth) is really quite beautiful, so it is lovely to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. And there is always a coffee stop with something nice to eat. 🙂

Once I had momentum, I added another goal: to be able to bike on an away cycling trip with the local cycling club (Cuchulainn Cycling Club). That happened in August and I was absolutely delighted to be able to cycle and enjoy the amazing views of the Copper Coast in County Waterford (I mentioned that in a previous post). I took the feature image above of the beach on one of our breaks along the coast. Isn’t it gorgeous?!

After that trip, I joined a group with the club and enjoyed seeing even more of our area as I learned new routes with them. A common theme in all of my biking is that we always stop for coffee and something nice to eat!

I’ve been so fortunate to find people who are always willing to bike at my speed. I am so thankful to have been diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, and to be on medicine (beta-blockers) to keep me safe. But that also means that my heart-rate can’t increase to the level I sometimes want it to. And THAT means I.Go.Slow. I have accepted this, and am mostly at peace with it. But sometimes I still get frustrated. So I appreciate it when the people I bike with are supportive and encouraging. And I’ve truly been blessed with having those people in my life.

Cold weather would usually signal the end of my cycling season. But this year I made sure to have some proper winter gear and it has absolutely helped to keep me going! I’m so glad, because biking has really helped me mentally and physically this entire year.

Here’s to fitness with friends (and always with a break and something nice to eat)!

In Peace,
Dana

Collage of Dana's outings on the bike throughout 2023

It was such a great year on the bike for me! Not every spin was a winner, and there were plenty of times when I just had to push through, but that’s how life goes. I’m so thankful for every time that I do get out and that my body and mind gets stronger with every spin. 🙂

“… the only thing we have to fear is fear itself…”

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who happened to have a home in Hyde Park, NY, which is not far from where I’m from, was speaking in his first inaugural address as U.S. President in 1933, in the depths of the depression, when he spoke the words “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.  What a statement of truth. Although, thankfully, I have never had to face anything like the Great Depression, I have found myself thinking from time to time, of this statement about fear, as I conquer little fears in my life.

I was fortunate to be able to bike with my brother during a visit home to the US. We had fun cycling along the greenway in Connecticut.

You might laugh, but one of those little fears of mine was of using clip-on cycling shoes. (I said you might laugh!)  A number of years ago I became interested in triathlons. I trained and competed in a few, and I had a lot of fun doing so. Typically though, when cycling for the distances I was, you’d trade in your sneakers and pedals for special cycling shoes which clip on to special pedals. Of course, being clipped in means that you have to unclip to be able to put your foot on the ground to either balance yourself or get off of the bike. It takes some getting used to, to be able to quickly “free” your foot.  You’d be surprised at how often you’d have to stop suddenly, and put your foot down quickly! If you don’t unclip fast enough, you, and your bike, tip over.

I enjoyed triathlons for a number of years. This was a special bike that I had (and used) for 15 years! (notice the cages on the pedals)

Well, I was afraid of tipping over so I stuck with my sneakers and ordinary pedals … for years (many, many years).  When we moved to Ireland 10 years ago, I stopped cycling for a while. But a few years ago I started again.  Then last year I upgraded my bike, and finally, just a couple of months ago, I decided to upgrade to clip-on shoes.  Even entertaining the idea was huge progress for me!  I was finally leaving my comfort zone. I had the support of my husband, who has become an avid cyclist.  He knew that after I got the hang of them, having the proper cycling shoes would actually help my cycling! Oh I was so stubborn, due to my fear.

My husband and I biked 90 km round trip to Bergerac, while on vacation in France. I tipped over at around 30 km – but I’m still smiling!

The first few cycles with the new shoes went great, but I hadn’t really been tested with a need to quickly un-clip.  That would happen on our vacation, when we were cycling in traffic!  There was, as it usually happens, a need to stop quickly and I was able to un-clip in the nick of time! Let me tell you that my heart was racing!  Well, that worked out O.K.; I managed to not fall over, or get hit by a car!

I loved biking and enjoying this amazing scenery along the coast in France.

There is a little more to this story, though. On another outing while on this same vacation, I managed to actually tip over.  I was really lucky to have it happen the way it did!  We were in the country this time (no traffic!), and I was going really, really slow as we were debating if we were going to turn around at this junction or the next, and as I went to turn, I hadn’t maneuvered properly and as if in slow-motion, I tipped over! Thankfully I didn’t hurt myself, and I learned that you can still un-clip as you are falling. 🙂

We enjoyed cycling along the greenway paths in France.

I’m still super cautious with un-clipping, but I’m so glad that I finally switched over to proper cycling shoes.  They really do make a difference with your cycling!  And it all came down to conquering my fear.

Here we are on a break while biking around our home turf in Annagassan, County Louth.

As I get older, I have become more aware of little fears that have held me back. Little by little, though, I’ve been learning to face them and over come them.  Because if we face what is in front of us, then as FDR said, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”.

My husband and I really enjoy cycling together (my cheeks are really pink from working hard!)

What little fears will you conquer?

In peace,
Dana

And this is what all of the fuss was about! Well, sorta. The fuss was really about overcoming a fear, which, although it took years to do, I did overcome. It’s those little things that make us who we are 🙂