Wednesday, June 08, 2011

A Runner Gets on a Bike ...

And .... I’m back! I spent the last week and a half NOT running. Instead, I biked about 200 miles on a 6-day bike trip in Italy’s Piedmont region.

Did I mention that I have not biked (or cycled, or whatever you people on wheels call it) in 13 years? And that when I did, I never logged more than 25 miles at a time? My husband bikes. And he thought a guided group bike tour would be fun way to introduce me to Italy.

Somehow, I didn’t find the time to bike. Much less biking up and down hills. It seemed like such a hassle. You’ve got to make sure your tires are inflated, your derailleurs and other parts are in good working order, you’ve got to find your helmet, your bike gloves, a tool kit and spare tube, blah blah blah. So I ran instead. Much easier. Just lace up your shoes and go.

Now, 200 miles doesn’t sound like a lot. But Piedmont is SUPER HILLY. One steep hill was more than 5 kilometers long. Every day was a 6-hour bout of interval training. I mistakenly thought that my runner’s fitness would get me through the trip. Yes, it would be painful. But hey, I’m a runner! Half of cycling (or biking) is coasting, right?!

Boy, was I wrong.

Next up: Days 1-3 of biking in Italy. Subtitle: What the hell was I thinking?!

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