Drafting Is AWESOME!

I don't know if I've mentioned on my blog that I'm training for a triathlon. Well I am. It's pretty hard core too. I've taken adult swim lessons because my swimming skills leave something to be desired. And I've been taking pretty long (well, for me) bike rides - 20+ miles, to add to my running "skills".

Thankfully, I have a daddy who is WAY into cycling. You see, cycling really isn't my favorite sport. (Sorry Kelly) I enjoy leisurely rides with the family as long as there aren't any hills, but when you start talking about climbing hills and racing I get freaked out.

A couple weeks ago I asked my Dad if he could take me on a bike ride and give me tips on my technique. I remember most of the stuff he taught me when I was young, but racing is a completely different monster. He was all kinds of excited about taking me out for a ride, so we set a date.

I knew going into it that he was probably going to kick my butt. He has a fancy road bike and I have a crappy "Target Special" mountain bike. (He's promised to fix up one of his road bikes for me to use in the race, but it's not ready yet.) He also has YEARS of racing/riding experience on me. He was racing bikes when I was born for crying out loud!

It was a fun ride and I learned a lot. He taught me about keeping a "cadence". Having a good steady rhythm is important on long rides. He also taught me how to draft. Let me tell you... drafting is AWESOME!!!

We rode out to Gresham and had the wind at our back the whole way out. Then we turned around and I felt like I was riding up a hill even though the trail was completely flat. Headwinds are horrible and I fell about 100 yards behind Daddy. That's when he showed me that if I could stay about a foot behind his rear tire and to the left a tad I'd be able to keep up with him much easier.

*insert angels singing here*

I couldn't believe the difference! Drafting is scary... sort of like extreme tailgating, but it totally rocks. He said you have to really trust the person you're following. Unfortunately it's illegal in the triathlon. You can be disqualified for drafting! It's a good skill to have though.

It was fun to learn from my Dad and I look forward to riding with him again sometime. (Hopefully with a better bike.)