Lessons Learned One Crank Revolution at a Time

October 8, 2020

What an incredibly humbling experience it was to participate in the 36-mile nighttime gravel ride Saturday. I knew I was in trouble when we weren’t even 50 yards passed the starting point and I was struggling to keep up with Vidal and Jeff. Forget trying to keep up with the pack, that wasn’t even an option for me. All I could think was, “What did I get myself into?”
It took us a couple of miles to convince Jeff it was absolutely okay for him to go on ahead and not to worry about me, Vidal would not leave me behind. In a matter of minutes he had dissapeared from sight and the remainder of the ride it would just be Vidal and my view of his backside. 🤷‍♀️ Vidal and I have ridden this distance on both our rode and mountain bikes. What we didn’t have experience with was this type of surface. The gravel we’ve encountered on the Trinity River Trails has been minimal and mostly on flats. It was both an exhilarating (the sunset and full moon were spectacular) and terrifying (riding on portions of the highway in darkness) experience that I’m glad we participated in.
Sadly, I didn’t finish. At approximately mile 16 my thighs were not only on fire, they started cramping. I pushed through and completed 24 miles before having to wave the proverbial white flag and have the sweeper vehicle bring us in.
I’m not disappointed. My greatest mission was to not purchase real estate with my knees, elbows or face and I accomplished that goal. My second expectation was to push myself and test my limits. I did that as well and was left with the desire to do this again someday….with alot more practice on gravel surfaces. To be honest, this surface was more like caliche, powdery and chunky. It reminded me of the street I grew up on in Mathis.
If this had been a race I would have a DNF (did not finish)next to my name. I’m not letting this discourage me from spending time in the saddle and exploring new trails. I’ll never know what it’s like to be successful if I don’t dust myself off, continue riding, and be better prepared. Hats off to Jeff for completing the course, patiently waiting for us at the finish, and sharing a great meal afterwards. Don’t let setbacks keep you from challenging yourself and be blessed y’all!