SaiKaiTai

...and it felt pretty good, too

All these years, while I was perfecting the art of the Couch Potato, she has diligently, faithfully, almost, religiously, gone to the gym and worked out in aerobics, step, toning, yoga and all manner of apparati (treadmill, stairmaster, elliptical, yadda, yadda). The woman is capital "F" Fit. But she's never been a cyclist. That's what I do. She's trying more lately, though, and really enjoys it when she does get in the saddle. She's a good girl

Sooo.. she wanted to go out for a ride on Sunday but isn't too crazy about the road (and cars) so I need to find something out of harm's way yet I try to increase her distance and challenge a bit each time out. She's not a fan of hills, either, particularly DOWN hill (and she doesn't do much in the way of up hill) so I need to plan carefully.

I took her to a beautiful MUP I ride along our watershed/reservoirs -I written about them before- but it a nice little 1/2 mile downhill run to the dam and, yep, to get back to the car, you have to go back up that 1/2 mile. Google shows it as a 5.1% average, Garmin puts it closer to 6% and there are a couple of 8% humps along the way.

First time I climbed it, it was tough. I've done it a couple of times since and it's really not a challenge for me anymore. Well, it was a different kind of challenge this past Sunday. We made the first short climb up to the dam after I gave her a couple of tips and, boy, she was struggling and cursing. We got across the dam and before we started up the 1/2 mile, I told her to get in the lowest gear she has, go at an easy 60-65RPM and I'd pace her up the hill. Well, to do that, I had to get in a MUCH lower gear than I normally would choose and I barely got my HR over 125. Even at that, I'd look back and see that this pacing thing wasn't quite working out... she was wayyyy behind But, dang, she stuck with it and she climbed that sucker. She was really feeling it at the top but when she got there, she was just beaming. I was so proud of her. AND she has a much better appreciation of the condition I'm in, now (thanks to her). I guess I do too. What a great day.

spoke50

Oh well... not quite as scary as last week's thread where the guy "road his wife"

chipcom 

Well, at least you didn't smoke her AND drink her.

stapfam

I'd stop training the wife if I was you.You may have had to coax her up the hill and she may have struggled- but to have her beaming at the top of the hill is an ill omen. Before you know it- she will be disapearing for a couple of hours to "Practice" going up those slopes.


Just watch out for the next request to go out out for a ride--You are going to suffer



Just tell Mr's S we are proud of her- but she has to take the camera with her. Then when she gets to the top of the hill she will be able to get a pic of her struggling mentor.

Pat

It is a good ride when everyone is happy.

gcottay

Yes, I can imagine that great smile combining victory over the incline with contemplation of consequences for the life and riding partner who dropped her like so much trash on the path. Marriage is a wonderful thing with so much to learn, especially for those of us just a bit short of chromosomes.

cyclezealot

So true. Its nice to ask the wifey what kind of ride she enjoys if you want her to continue riding with you. Have we not heard that idea around here more than once. Why won't me significant other ride with me?

rocoach

It didn't happen without pics.

SaiKaiTai

I had some of these very thoughts, myself, and I did make sure she was OK with it after we got back home. I had some thoughts that maybe I asked her to do more than she wanted and that it was hard enough that she got no pleasure out of it. No worries, it's all good. She actually felt bad about my "having to" slow down to wait for her. Not an issue.

Safe to say, I know what she's comfortable with as far as downhills go. Uphills? No clue since she's never really done any to speak of. But sometimes we just little a little prodding to get us to expand beyond our comfort zone. I will not take her up or down anything I know she can't handle.

cyclezealot

To please your S.O. , Does not mean you can't go out and do your own thing from time to time. ..

SaiKaiTai

What does this mean? If by "go out and do my own thing" you mean "go out and ride", I ride without her far, far more than I do with her and I like it that way. I love riding with her sometimes and I'd love to ride with her more but riding with her ain't my kind of ride.

cranky old dude

Your post title conjured up images of a barbeque, or rolling papers!

Sounds like a great day out on the bikes. You are indeed blessed. My wifes
legs are much weaker than mine, but she uses an eliptical trainer when she's
able to. She can no longer ride DF's and has no desire for a recumbent at all.
However, she does enjoy occasional jaunts with me on our low end EZ Tandem.
Though I thoroughly enjoy solo rides, I'ld poke along with her on the tandem
any day over riding by myself.

As you so well demonstrated, life with the wife can be life at its best.

BluesDawg

Next time (if she will still consider riding with you) forget your normal pace and hang back with her.

BluesDawg

or a John Prine song. I was afraid you meant she had passed away.

SaiKaiTai

Normal pace??? Guess you missed that part, I wasn't even close to my normal pace.
I really couldn't have gone much slower without falling down. Oh sure, I guess I could have walked along side her as she rode up but I don't think she would have liked that much. Me either.

Guess you missed the part where she was happy, too.

<sigh> I'm only 55. How much longer before I become blindly literal?

Well, Cranky Old Dude gets it! Right on, Cranky Old Dude.

BluesDawg

Chill. I read and understand. I just see it differently. I'm not saying that you rode your normal pace, but your post suggests to me that you didn't forget about your normal way of riding. There is a good article on page 59 of the October issue of bicycling about how riders of different paces can ride together. "All Together Now".

Maybe a flatter route would be better next time out.

mikesdca

This thread title is practically screaming out for a snide comment...

bakaster

or at least a crude inuendo

Tom Bombadil

You should have ridden circles around her ... shooting her "The Look" every time around.

SaiKaiTai

Fair enough but there's still an implication here that I need or was asking for advice.
I absolutely do not question that it's good advice and well-meant but I know and trust Mrs S enough to believe her when she said it was a positive experience for her. I dare say I have a much better idea what's a good push of her limits and what's too much. OK, I admit that the climb back up was harder for her than we both -both- thought but it was also doable. Nothing wrong with "hard, but doable". I did -as I said- check with her later because it was harder than we thought and she said -may I quote myself?- "No worries, it's all good" or words to that effect. She wants to do it again. Only longer next time.

luv2cruz

"Smoked the wife..." ?

Hickory, pecan or applewood?

Sorry, couldn't resist....

Terrierman

When I smoke my wife, I inhale. How about you?

Sixty Fiver

If she was beaming when she finished that climb I would have to say you are screwed.

I expect that if she embraces cycling as much as she does other sports you are going to be chasing her a lot more.

jim6b

"Smoked the wife on Sunday"

The sounds like the title for one of those delightful English comedies.

Wish it were, could use one.

SaiKaiTai

Oh, you better believe I do... right along with the Kool-Aid I drink.
I've always wondered, is that Wolfe's Kool-Aid or Jones'?

I had this very thought myself.

Ya know, I love riding alone and I really love riding with Mrs S.
I'm hoping that the cycling hook "sets" but, yes, if it does, I am in a world of ****