R2R Florida Challenge Day 3 - Ocala, FL

When I arrived at the hotel today, John Wordin, President and Executive Director of the Fitness Challenge Foundation and Ride 2 Recovery said something to me like:  You're here already.  I guess he was reminiscing about my slow ascents and descents on the Golden State Challenge.  

A few minutes after I released myself from the clipless cleats without falling, I was elated to tell him it's been 3 days and I haven't fallen, yet.  He told me that I'll fall at some point.  Yeah John, thanks.  That's what I need to hear. ;-) 

I'd like to think I've already met my quota of falls.  You can read about my first time using cleats here.  Wayne Stetina recommended I get on my mountain bike clipless pedals and click in and out 50 times for at least two days.  He also told me to point my toes down when getting out to make it easier to roll out.

I talked to the guys at Cycle City where I bought my beautiful TREK hybrid that got me up Big Sur on the Golden State Challenge. :-)  They suggested I get on the trainer at the bike shop.  David from the shop asked me to show him how I get off my bike.  He told me that I get off my bike correctly. He recommended I make my mantra to clip out on the bottom of the pedal stroke.  I practiced clipping in and out on both the left and right side for 2 hours and 15 minutes and I rode 2 days using the clipless cleats where I live.  

First day, I road 3 miles home from the bike shop.  I was really nervous riding home and I asked a friend to follow me home with her car.  She said it looked like I was getting in and out rather easily.  I stopped and clipped out and in at a few stop lights and stop signs.  The next day I rode about 12 miles with no falls, too.  I brought the mountain bike pedals and shoes to the Florida Challenge as Plan B.

The R2R Steath bike I'm using on this ride has Shimano road pedals and my TREK has Shimano mountain bike pedals, I click out the same on both and I believe I'm going to easily be able to go back to the mountain bikes pedals.

I rode all the way today with my biking buddy, Barbara.  At some point, we caught up with her husband, Wayne Stetina, who was riding with and supporting Delvin McMillian.  From that point on I dubbed Delvin our ride leader.

Delvin and Wayne, the coach, kept us going at a very comfortable pace.  It was a really nice ride.  I'm so impressed with what R2R and their sponsors did to get Delvin on a bike to accommodate his injuries and many others, too.  To watch Delvin and others on their specialized bikes is heartwarming; they are troopers.

I've met a lot of new people on this ride and I'm pleased to see a few of the people I met at the Golden State Challenge.  They are inspiring.

I don't know that I'll write much more for the of this ride.  I'm still working on my thank you blog and thank you cards for those who sponsored me on the Golden State Challenge.  I need to get those cards out when I get back home.  I'm already late.

So . . . until next time, I'm still riding with some awesome people.

Always,

Debi
AKA Deborah Palmer