Breaking it in

This post is a little dated. I just can't find the time to get my thoughts down...

The day after bringing my bike home (I've got to come up with a name for her), I was just itching to get her out and try out my clipless pedals. I had been trying them in the house and thought I was ready for the road. Picture this: my bike in the dining room, all four girls watching me as my hubby holds the bike and I try to clip in. It took me about four times, including getting off the bike and sticking my foot in so I could see where it was going. It was so windy outside that I knew I would be blown off the bike, so I decided to wait.

The next day it was cold, but not windy. My little one was sick so I was stuck holding a cranky baby (she's not really a baby but she's the youngest so...) all morning. When she went down for her nap I saw my chance. I told my older girls I was going for a quick ride. I added to my oldest that she was supposed to watch me from the window and if I fell it was her job to make sure I was okay. Off I dashed. I was coasting down the driveway with my right foot clipped in but unable to get my left one. I was running out of pavement and knew I needed to stop and start over. I remembered the guy at the bike shop saying how important it was to make sure you leaned the way of the unclipped foot when stopping, so I leaned to the left and stopped. No problem. Okay, now to just start again and get my left foot clipped this time. I pushed off with my right foot already clipped (I see my mistake now!) and pushed too hard. It was like slow motion. I felt myself tilting too far to the right, (those same words of the saleskid going through my head) and now I was helpless. I fell. I had gravel ground into my hand, a sore right knee and two deep purple brusises on my bottom.

In retrospect, I wonder why it never even occurred to me to unclip my right foot. As I was lying on the ground looking up at the sky, I thought "I'm glad I got this out of the way now and not during transition". Of course that was after I thought "What an idiot I am?! and "I feel so stupid!", and "OUCH!" My daughter did come out to make sure I was okay and gave me a big dose of encouragement when I was able to get both feet clipped on my next try. I'm going to chalk it up to inexperience and hope it doesn't happen again.