Loop The Lake - Pre-ride...

(Post 2 of 9)


Pre-ride…

We arrived around 6:15 am.  Cars were slowly showing up at the parking lot next to the event tent.  Some cars carried bikes on the back, some on the roof, and some SUV’s and minivans hid their bikes inside.  


The first thing I noticed when I swung open the car door was that it was cold.  My hubby and I were both surprised and figured it must be 10 to 15 degrees colder than it was at our house.  The sky was still pitch black so I figured once the sun came up, things would warm up pretty fast.  


We walked over to the tent where package pickup began at 6:30 am.  I showed my drivers license and received a manilla envelope with two stickers in it, one for my bike and the other for my helmet.  They put an orange bracelet on my wrist, the kind that you have to cut off otherwise you’re stuck wearing it for all eternity.  They checked a list for my size and handed me a pretty cool event t-shirt.  It was long-sleeved which I thought was weird in South Florida.  However, many people pulled the shirt on as soon as they got it since it was chilly.  


So far, things were humming right along even though I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.  Everything seemed to be well organized and the event staff and other riders were friendly.  They broke out the pre-ride breakfast and the hubby and I grabbed some bagels.  I felt insecure being the newbie and said I wanted to eat over at the car.  


As we walked across the parking lot I took notice of the bikes all around me.  Road bike, road bike, another road bike, holy shit.  I pointed it out to my hubby and worried about me and my beloved bike, the hybrid.  Would we be able to do this?  Was it suicide?  Would it be a mortifying, humiliating, embarrassing day?  Awwww, crap.  


As I mulled it over in my head, the sky began to lighten as the sun rose and I began my first lesson of the day.  I tried to observe what people around me were doing, without appearing obvious.  Okay, so there’s a rider number for my bike.  Where does this go?  I look around.  Sticker on top tube, gotcha.  And the one for my helmet?  Right up front, no problem.  I’m watching and learning.  And the more I looked around, the more I checked out the other bikes.  I saw so many names I recognized, and one or two that I didn’t.  Were those the really, really expensive bikes?  Well, too late to go buy a road bike so me and my beloved (hybrid) bike will give it our best damn shot.  


I had to go to the bathroom, probably a nervous pee because part of me was definitely wondering what the hell I was doing in the middle of all this.  I rolled my bike next to me as we walked toward the bathrooms.  They had set up some bike racks that I had never seen before.  Uh-huh.  Another lesson.  I picked up the bike and hung it from underneath its seat.  Uh, okay.  That’s what everyone else did.  Alright.  I went about my nervous pee business and then we headed back over to the car.


I had bought a Camelbak for the ride.  It was loaded down with a water reservoir and some assorted stuff I might need like tubes (even though I didn’t know how to change a tire), sunscreen, bug spray, a rain jacket, etc.  When I picked it up to put it on, it felt really heavy and I immediately balked at wearing it.  I told my hubby that I thought it was really going to weigh me down, plus when I looked around barely anyone else was wearing a pack.  He agreed and started stuffing some of my snacks into the back pockets of my jersey.  Meanwhile, I squeezed as much as I could into the waist pack I always wear when I ride.  


Other riders were on their bikes and heading out of the parking, I assumed to the starting line.  I mounted up and slowly rolled after them.  My hubby followed me, camera up to his face, taking pictures.  We shared some small talk banter that I can’t remember.  And then I told him that I love him, I’ll see him later, and please don’t come get me.  And he said that he wouldn’t.