The Chocolate Chase 50 and Some Super Weirdness



A month or so ago, my friend Roger suggested we ride the Chocolate Chase 50, a bicycle ride with pit stops at bakeries and sweet shops. Bicycling and chocolate- why not? I would train, as riding in Brian Head in snow had been impossible,but since we were returning to Vegas, I'd get back in form.


Life happened, and between moving and visiting relatives in Seattle, by the time the ride came along, I'd ridden exactly twice- eight and fifteen miles, respectively.
I loaded up the bike and headed to The Bike Shop, where it started. Roger and Gary met me there and they weren't much better trained.
Here's where it got weird. We unloaded and I held my bike as we talked in the parking lot. Suddenly I felt lightheaded- a lot. I started to take a knee and the lights went out! I came to (just out a few seconds) and stood up. What the heck was that? My elbows hurt from smacking the pavement, and fortunately I wore my helmet, as Roger reported it clanked against the asphalt. Roger used all his first aid training to check me out. He looked at my eyes. I felt okay... fine, really. I decided to ride.
We took off and Gary got a flat at less than two miles. No problem, he had a tube and air. I realized I had a tube,but no air. No sweat, I've got new tires and tubes. Mine went flat at mile 22, and I watched Roger and Gary disappear over the horizon. I spotted a Firestone store across the street. In an amazing display of irony,the store with more air than almost anyone had no Presta valves for my tires. I walked the bike back to the intersection and put on my puppy dog eyes. An angel named Marie stopped her bike and loaned her cartridge and valve to me to pump up my tire. God bless you Marie! Roger and Gary reappeared and we rode onward, no air between the three of us.
I hit the wall at mile 38. My backside and feet were killing me. Windmill Avenue appeared, and I knew I could turn right and hit the bike shop early, but I trudged onward. At 45 we stopped for ice cream and what a difference! I felt like I could go the distance.
My buddies and I completed the fifty, and except for the weird pass out incident and a really sore fanny and feet, felt okay when finishing.
All in all it was a fun day, a real workout with treats like brownies, cookies and ice cream at intervals.
But that blacking out thing was really strange.


1 comment:

Mel said...

That sounds a bit scary... Too much Diet Pepsi? Not enough chocolate? Maybe you should ask your Doc... Seriously!