OTT Class #11: Bike/Run

On Wednesday (6/14), started at Triangle park, all of us on our bikes and carrying our running shoes in backpacks. Rode over to Kilauea hill. Bike up the hill once, run uphill for 4 minutes and return to the starting area. Repeat two more times for a total of three bike/run iterations.

Considering this was my first day of really trying after being sick, I didn't do half bad. There was one moment I would rather forget though...I hit a parked car. I was going uphill on my third iteration and was dead tired. I had found that looking down made things psychologically easier as I didn't see the vast expanse of the hill up in front of me. I remember at the start of the cycling clinic they warned us about that, saying people have hit parked cars before. I remember snorting at that and thinking "who would do something so stupid?" Now I know, it's me.

I had looked up that section of the hill and didn't see the car. I have no idea why, I'm sure it was there when I looked. So, I went on my way, looking down and thinking the way was clear and I wouldn't have to look up until I crested that section of the hill. At one point, I glanced up and there was a car about one foot in front of me. I gasped (like that would help), and hit it doing maybe five miles an hour. The car was unharmed, although I did interrupt the even distribution of dirt on its bumper.

As for myself, I laid splayed out on the ground for a minute, contemplating my situation. My first reaction was what any person would do when not actually injured...I looked around to see if anyone saw me. I thought I had gotten away from that mortification when I heard a voice ask "Are you ok?" I looked around and saw no-one. Perhaps my helmet hadn't done its job? Then the voice said she was upstairs. I still saw no-one, but assured the disembodied voice that I was ok.

I got up, moved my bike over to the sidewalk and put the chain back on. I'm surprised it had popped off, but no damage seemed to have happened. I checked the car, saw only the dirt was disturbed, and then got on and rode off. I did notice a silver lining, I felt nice and rested starting my way up the rest of the hill!