1. Gearing – a recreational cyclist, whom I considered myself to be prior to this trip, generally thinks that one has to push severely harder on inclines. Their pace slows as they murder their thighs and knees. Even during the first 100 miles of this trip, I found my pace to be so inconsistent and chaotic. I would speed up to 18 mph for a few minutes until my burst of energy ran low, and then I would be back to 10 mph while I caught my breath. This should not have to happen! My dad always says, “Let the bike do the work for you.” True, this is why gears were invented. Gearing is like art (leave it to the artsy-fartsy girl to see the artistic side of a sport!): it is precise, but once mastered its so freeing! Once I paid attention to the rhythm of my legs and the revolutions, my cycling became so steady! Your speed going up a hill should match that of your speed on flat ground (as much as possible), so adjust gears accordingly. It is so grand to ride a bike with proper gearing; perhaps it is the closest thing I have found to flying!
2. Mentality – Some people are motivated by negative emotions, such as anger, which can truly fuel one’s adrenaline and lead to insane achievements. In the long run, though, I think this ends in disaster. Positivity is the state of mind I am constantly striving toward. For me, a variety of things stimulate positivity while riding: cracking jokes with my dad, upbeat music, talking to strangers, anything with action and risk, big cities and aesthetically pleasing small towns. Everyone has their own ways of keeping positive, so know yours and be proactive about incorporating them into moments that are physically or emotionally stressful!
3. Breathing – I owe this one to my aunt Kelly Wilder, who gave me a simple and seemingly obvious tip but one that I had not incorporated until this trip. Prior to this trip, I have always breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth. I thought someone had told me this is the healthiest pattern of breathing for athletes. Once I tried deep breathing though, the faintish feelings I used to get after climbing a hill disappeared! Yoga could have helped, but thanks to my aunt I got the tip anyway!
4. Water – water everywhere! Even when you’re not thirsty, drink, drink, drink. The other super helpful thing I have learned is that water is not only for drinking, but for pouring on yo’ face! As I alluded to above, I used to get these strange physical symptoms after climbing a hill: tingly face, shaky hands, shortness of breath, overheating and blackouts. It happened two times at the beginning of the TORCH Tour, but I have been quite proactive in preventing them. Breathing is a big help, but I have also found that pouring water on my face at nearly every rest stop will calm everything down.
It is really fun to see the improvement we’ve made – I believe we’re getting stronger and stronger each day. For my dad that’s a miracle! We had prepared ourselves for the worst: to have to call it quits after we reached the Twin Cities if strenuous physical activity compromised my dad’s recovery from surgery. Quite the contrary, he feels like biking 50 miles a day has actually sped up his recovery! Thanks to all our family and friends for your support, words of encouragement and prayers! We have now completed 544 miles and are heading for Muscatine, Iowa. We’ll keep you posted as long as phone and internet service allow!