Fall Down and Get Back Up Again

Well it has been about two weeks since my last update, and so much has happened in that time.  One of the biggest things I have learned in my journey so far is that everything has its ups and downs.  My cycling was finally going in a direction I wanted.  I was feeling stronger.  But there was still one thing holding me back.  My Thursday group rides.  Don't get me wrong, I love my group that ride with weekly.  They have watched me grow as a cyclist since my start.  They are encouraging, helpful, but at same time tough.  You have to be tough to hold their wheels.  One thing I've noticed this year though is my Thursday rides have been to say the least, jinxed.  Something has gone wrong on every one of them.  Determined to have a good ride I set out ready for whatever may happen and to stay away from every attack that was made.  It was turning to be a great ride for once.  Snagging a QOM on Strava and a few other trophies, and feeling for once going to finish strong.  Then it came, the rain.  We all know that rain changes everything and it changed my ride that night from a great one to one of the worst.  WIPED OUT! and KNOCKED OUT!  An accident bad enough that landed me in the hospital.  I was lucky though only to come out of it with minor injuries and a bit of bruised ego.  In true cyclist form though I was more concerned about saving my ride stats and the condition of my bike than myself.  But I wasn't going to let this one incident slow me down.  And that's when my training seemed to take off.  This past week was probably best week ever had on bike since I started.  My heart rate was lower than ever been, and finally my Thursday ride ended peacefully with no hiccups to speak of all while finishing off feeling like I had only just warmed up and was ready for another loop.  And my heart rate?  Only a max of 156 but sitting happily 80% of the ride 140 or lower, even few times dropping down to 90's.  And with it came a schedule change in my training after 5 weeks of doing the same thing.  My coach thinks than now after all this time, after all the ups and downs, after all the hiccups in the road, that we can begin to lengthen more hours in the saddle and more miles.  And in my true fashion, what was my response?  Bring it on!