riding with an old friend literally.

i was very excited today cause i got to ride with fred! it was just like old times. i hadn't ridden with fred in many, many months cause of my schedule with my races, and because he usually pulls one of two excuses: 1) arthritis, 2) fish tanks. (even if he says #1, i know it is really because he is tinkering around with his fish.)



for some background for my new readership....i met fred a year ago in april/may. he found me riding an old 10-speed clunker up redwood road. at that moment he decided i was going to race bikes, because of my impeccable biking form swerving all over the road and my great ability to shift gears.

fred: you might want to shift gears
beth: okay (proceed to move tube shift lever all the way down 5 gears)
1972 motobecane: CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK.

fred noticed my natural ability right away; who wouldn't?! anyway, long story short is fred is the best-- period! he has helped me so much--talking me into buying a real road bike....helping me buy the bike....and then when i couldn't figure out how to use those clipless pedals, he took me to a parking lot and helped me learn to clip in and out, etc....and last summer and fall fred helped me lots and lots teaching me how to balance, ride straight, turn...ya know all those simple things you were supposed to learn as a little kid riding a bike...(but, alas, i had a very sad childhood in ohio, living on a state route w/ no biking). in addition to teaching me to ride a bike, helping me train, and providing endless mechanical support-- he also told me you can race bikes on a track!!! who knew?!?! i was very excited cause i use to run track. he took me down for my first beginner session in november and i was hooked!

anyway, fred recently said he'd help me out the next couple of sundays to get ready for the district/state track meet, as i have no clue what i am doing. training with fred is always fun and amusing, as i often get some funny stories about bike racing in belgium and wrestling on the cobbles after races. his advice is always great, as he tries to explain what to do with analogies--which are priceless, yet sometimes confusing and contradictory:

"Ride big, like a German. Rrrrr"
"Float through the pack with grace like Patty Kline. She rides like a gazelle"
"Panache!"
"Leap like a leapord!"
"Like a praying mantice, ride like that up a hill."
"Like a cat walking through tall grass."
etc., etc.

Gazelle....German....Praying Mantice....?

Anyway, today we rode to the port of Oakland and he had a very good time yelling at me and telling me how he can't wait until I am done with track so he can kick my ass going up hills, as i haven't gone up any hill other than the banking at Hellyer in a couple of weeks. The last time we went up hills together, was on that tandem...and we all know how much i loved that.