Out of My Depth

Bikes on the dock at our lunch stop

On Saturday I went for a bike ride with a group I hadn't ridden with before, nor even met. It was a gloriously sunny autumn day, perfect for a bike ride (save for the periodic stiff wind). We met, seven of us, at a metro station northeast of DC and rode east to a little harbor that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay, where we had lunch.

The harbor at Galesville, MD

The route went from urban to suburban to rural, through neighborhoods bursting with colored leaves and on main roads with barely any shoulder to ride on and cars jetting past non-stop (a bit nerve-wracking!). Due to some construction detours and wrong turns, what was meant to be a 50-mile ride ended up being nearly 60 miles.

Country lane

I had suspected before the ride that this group might be a little too intense for me when it came to their style and pace of riding. I knew I could ride the 50 miles, but I hadn't done a long ride in several weeks and I have always been slow, especially compared to others who bike regularly. What can I say? I come from unathletic stock and my muscles simply aren't built for speed. I know this about myself and it doesn't generally bother me. After all, I'm not trying to qualify for the Tour de France; I just want to push myself to increase my capacity every time.

As it turns out, all my fears were completely founded. I was the slowpoke of the group, consistently behind in spite of my best efforts. No amount of Gatorade or number of energy bars was going to enable me to keep up with the group's aggressive pace. Nevertheless, it was still discouraging to be the straggler, the one everyone had to wait for at the turns or come back to get when the others were out of sight.

We passed many fields like this one

Also discouraging, and a little annoying, was all the unsolicited advice they kept giving me. Because I was slow, they assumed I was an inexperienced cyclist who didn't know how to ride and didn't get on the bike very often. Well-meaning comments such as, "Stick with us and we'll get you into shape quick," or "It's better to spin on terrain like this so you don't wear yourself out too quickly," or "You should really think about getting [insert bike gear/accessory]; that would make a big difference for you," and even "How are you feeling? You doing alright?" only served to heighten my self-consciousness and pummel my morale.

"I know what I'm doing and I ride all the time!" I wanted to shout. "I'm just slow!"

At the end of the ride, the group organizer read some statistics from his odometer:

• Total distance: Nearly 60 miles (Not a trivial accomplishment!)
  
• Fastest speed: 30 mph (Insanely fast on a bike. Someone was showing off--and going downhill.)
  
• Average speed: 15.8 mph (I'm quite certain my average speed was much slower and that the group averaged closer to 20 mph for much of the ride.)

Although I walked away from the ride feeling rather demoralized, I am proud of myself for completing it. Sixty miles is nothing to sneeze at, and I really gave it my all. I am grateful for a healthy body that was able to ride such a distance, however slowly, and I know I will benefit from all that exercise. I also got to see some beautiful scenery in a part of the greater Washington, DC, area I'd never been to before, and I can't imagine a better way to enjoy that spectacularly beautiful day than from the saddle of my bike.

My final thought on the day: Next time, ride with people who are slower.