Cycling Chitchat: I’m hooked too 😁

Yes, it’s really quite easy—getting hooked, I mean. You approach it timidly at first, noticing how good it has been for someone else to be there, because you see them vigorous, full of energy and plans. And if you admire them enough, you’re encouraged to give it a try. Before you know it, you’re already immersed in it all, entertaining the wildest ideas you never thought would cross your mind.

In my case, I came into the world of cycling because I felt lost, shut away at home and even a little agoraphobic. I received what felt like a message from another plane, reminding me how much I had loved riding a bike since childhood. I told myself: this could be a way to force myself to go out, to do some sport, to stop dwelling on the things that drag me down all the time. I don’t really know if the idea was entirely mine—perhaps someone planted it there—because it clearly felt like some kind of protective thought… maybe from an angel who wanted to shield me from myself.

And so here I am.

Yesterday I bought another pair of cycling shorts for my collection, and I’m on the hunt for my cycling shoes. When I bought the bike it came with toe‑clip pedals, and about a month ago I finally swapped them for Shimano RS500 SPD-SL Road Cycling Pedals.

Cycling really is expensive. Every component, every upgrade you want to make, and you have to stay on top of maintenance—not only to take care of the bike, but also, by extension, to take care of yourself.

I’ve also managed to get a better cycle computer than the one I first bought—you might remember, that Cateye model. Now I’ve got an Igsport BSC 100 Max. It’s a bit better, more expensive of course, and it automatically uploads my training sessions to Strava when it switches off.

I sold the one I replaced this week, as I needed to recover a bit of money and I think the deal was good. I also sold the tent I had bought, because it was really a bit too big and heavy to carry on the bike. So I managed to sell it for the same price I had paid. It also seems I did the right thing, since I only used it twice.

In this post I’ve decided to share the statistics of my sporting practices, mainly those related to cycling, during my first week of June.

And if we look at the stats from Sunday to Sunday, there’s even more.

Last Sunday was 31 May, right? 😄 Well, here are the other activities my cycle computer recorded.

In May I rode 383.40 km, and my goal is 200 km per month, which I would have surpassed today—that is, June’s target—had I gone to Las Terrazas as I had planned. It’s a 140 km trip in total, but at the last moment my body warned me not to go. I really felt too tired for such a journey.

So, the places I reached with my Bianchi also speak of how hooked I am on this world and, of course, of the risk of getting even more hooked.

Where will all this take me? I don’t know… perhaps to race on the La Guayaba circuit.

😂

This crazy idea has crossed my mind, but just so you get an idea of how much I’d have to progress to reach that point, let me tell you that this photo was taken right before the start; at around 9:47 a.m. the cyclists set off to ride three laps of a 20 km circuit, with climbs, false flats and plenty of broken glass on the road as well. I’ll tell you more about this in another post.

I was told that the women’s categories, including the one I could compete in—the elderly ladies’ category—don’t do three laps, only one. And it might seem like a piece of cake, but let me show you.

First lap of the circuit, crossing the finish line at 10:14 a.m.

Second lap, crossing the finish line at 10:40 a.m.

😟

It may not be fast for you, as a high‑performance athlete, but I already have in mind those times I should be able to achieve there. Because if you look at the first lap, there are women who are not detached from the peloton.

And he finished the third lap at 11:07. I’m giving approximate times so that you can get an idea of how racing works there.
👉 The third lap took about 27 minutes, and the total time from the start was 80 minutes.

It’s also true that different categories race together there… so at first you just need to try to prepare for the times in which you’re competing. If you want to add something extra, it will take much more training and time, because here we’re not talking about achieving this goal in one or two months — it could take much longer, even years.

So yesterday I cycled about 21 km to get there to watch the race, and at the same time I took some photos.

😁

I went to accompany a colleague I met on a Escapada Exprés to Cojímar with the Citykleta Project, and it turned out that since he is from Marianao we are neighbours and go to the same gym. I looked after his belongings while he was racing. And while I was there, chatting with some cyclists, I met some very pleasant people.

And speaking of the gym, I’ve already had four sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Vladimir’s Gym in Vento. He’s a very good coach, by the way. I missed Friday because I went to Baracoa beach to take part in the clean‑up for World Environment Day.

And I think the strength exercises there are doing me a lot of good, because on the way to the beach I managed times I had never achieved before. Of course, always with caution, since I was cycling in the city. However, that route lends itself to sprints in certain places, such as 5th Avenue before reaching Jaimanitas and on the Panamerican road. In Santa Fe you can also sprint, but there are some stretches of road that are a bit rough.

I didn’t finish half‑dead or anything like that. On the contrary, I felt really good, so perhaps I can start increasing the pace each time. And keep doing these long‑distance rides, which are excellent for building endurance.

I’m an amateur, that much is clear, but I’d like to keep training to improve and to set myself greater challenges. 😃

By the way, there was plenty of work to be done around there, but I’ll prepare another post about that.

I think I did well to stay at home today and not cycle 140 km. I also did it because of the electricity issue — these past days my neighbourhood has been without power for many hours. Imagine if I had gone out early in the morning with no electricity, after a whole night without sleeping well because of the heat and the mosquitoes, and then returned in the afternoon only to find it gone again. Yesterday they restored it in the afternoon, and that was another reason to stay, so I could dedicate time to editing photos and doing household tasks that require it. And so I also felt encouraged to write this post.

I also have to send some images to several people who requested them, and without electricity and connectivity that can’t be done. So that’s what I’m working on. The community’s weekly post is also waiting for me… this whole situation we’re living here is a bit overwhelming. The best thing of all is that I have my bicycle, and I can say with certainty that all this helps me enormously to stay healthy — both physically and mentally.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you… today I may have gone a little overboard with words, and yet I feel there’s still so much left untold. Wishing you a beautiful Sunday.

You can support the Community by delegating HP
| 25 HP | 50 HP | 100 HP | 250 HP | 500 HP |

You can support the Cycling Community by delegating HP
| 25 HP | 50 HP | 100 HP | 250 HP | 500 HP |

Here I don’t just share stats. I post my best workouts, training insights, and the stories behind them.