I am trying something new. A blog about all the hectic, exciting, and sometimes painful adventures that cycling takes me through. It may sometimes seem like all I do is sit around my kitchen and make my next recipe, but cycling is how I spend the other hours of my day in which I’m not sleeping or eating…or doing school work.

Last week my cycling coach and I took a road trip to Richmond, Virginia to watch the cycling world championships. Well, to be honest, we used the world championships as an excuse to do a training camp and go ride some amazing mountains. I have never quite understood how I am better at climbing mountains than riding on flat roads. All we have in Indiana is flat roads. I really am an odd person I guess…

It was really quite an eventful trip. I climbed the biggest mountains that I have ever ridden. While at the top of the mountain, I had, for me, a near death experience (not really).  I had a beaver growl at me and I thought it was going to attack me. After the near beaver attack, I had to descend a steep slippery mountain which I have pretty much never done before. Going down a wet road on 50 mph on a bike with skinny tires while wearing spandex is frightening, yet wildly fun at the same time.

My favorite part of the trip had to be watching the junior race. It was cool to see that I have actually raced against about 1/3 of the kids there who were racing in the world championships. Granted, the majority of them kicked my butt in those races. Either way, I think it is still pretty cool. One more thing I thoroughly enjoyed was dessert each night. No, it wasn’t pie or ice cream. Cyclists are kind of known for their rice and pasta intake. So for dessert, I scarfed down sticky rice mixed with peanut butter and copious amounts of nutella. Mmm I could probably eat a jar of nutella. Or two.

Now onto the weather. Lately, the weather has been, for lack of a better term, bipolar. While in Virginia, the first day was 70 degrees and sunny. Then, the next week was crappy, cold, and rainy. One of my rides was in the 45 degree pouring rain. By the time I was done, I couldn’t feel my feet or hands. I couldn’t even shift my bike which kinda sucks when trying to ride a steep hill. Oh, one more miserable part to that ride was getting drilled with icy rain drops in the eyes and face. Sometimes I truly wonder, “Why in the heck do I love this sport so much?”

Last but not least, almost winning. Well, I guess it is last and least because I didn’t win. But don’t worry, I have plenty of excuses. I did some cyclocross races Sunday. If you don’t know what that is, google it and you will see how extreme it can be. And yes, it is true. People do drink beer and heckle you throughout the whole race. If that isn’t motivation to ride faster, I don’t know what is. But anyway, I ended up getting second place in the first race. I would have won (who knows, but we’ll just go with that) had my wheel not come out mid race causing me to stop to get it back in.

In the second race, I made my way up to 2nd place. I was going well until a concrete block tripped me. Actually, who am I kidding. I just ran right into it. So anyway, after falling I was back in about 5th place. Then, on the last lap, my chain conveniently came off and it conveniently took me forever to get it back on so I conveniently let out a few four-letter words.  I’m sure spectators wondered how such an innocent little boy could muster up such strong words. In my defense, I was in the heat of the moment.

So that just about sums up my most recent cycling adventures. I got to ride in another state. Chill in an RV and eat my bodyweight in rice. Apparently not make friends with an angry beaver. Turn myself into a pedaling icicle. And got to almost win. Twice. Hopefully next time I can do better because who wants to almost win? In the famous words of Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”