Countdown to Triathlon – 144 Days, 20.57 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 80 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

The Journey - Installment Eighty

   

  

         Our ride began as we set off heading west on Capitol Mall, over railroad tracks just before the Tower Bridge.  I had been over that bridge many times in my life in a car, but never on a bike.  The perspective from a bicycle is quite different from speeding over the Sacramento River in a car.  All the riders were still within sight of one another at this point.  Once over the bridge, the men and some of the fast women riders took the lead as we rode on West Capitol Avenue toward Davis and then disappeared from view.   We turned onto a bike trail for six miles.   By this time, there were only a few women riders in view, myself included.  According to the directions on our yellow card which was attached to our bikes, we were to turn and go over some railroad tracks.    There was some confusion because several of the women felt we were supposed to continue on the bike trail.  Instead of insisting, I figured that I was probably wrong and turned back to continue on the bike trail with the others.

            This was our first mistake in following the directions but it turned out to be a God-intended mistake.  We came upon Yvonne who had been riding way ahead of us.  She had made the same mistake and had not turned when she should have but had continued straight on the bike trail.  She was stopped and off her bike examining her tire.  She had the great distinction of being the first to have a flat tire.  I can’t remember who was with me other than Lisa and Terri.  Lisa and I had been riding with Terri and talking with her as we rode along and getting to know her.  I found out that she was the lady from Modesto and one of the people I had called several weeks before the bike ride when I had received the letter from FOTF along with the roster of the riders.  I had left a message about possibly getting together with her and doing some practice rides but we had never been able to get together before the ride this weekend.

          As we came upon Yvonne and saw her predicament, I wondered what was to be done.  It was so early in the ride and I didn’t have a clue about changing a tire even though my son Hollen had shown me how when I was training in April with him in Hawaii.  We looked forward and behind us and not another rider was in view.  We called the Minivans to tell them of the situation.  They were not able to come to our aid because we were on a bike trail.  As we tried to describe where we were, they seemed to think that we should have made a turn and gone over the railroad tracks.