Twenty Mile Club

I did it ! Yesterday I pounded out twenty miles on my bike and ran/walked for one mile. I felt good the whole time and to be honest I almost killed myself because of it.
I had not planned to test my ability to finish a biathlon Thursday. It happened because the map I was reading neglected to include some important details.
I picked up a riders trail map from the local bike shop while having my racing seat replaced for a more comfortable WIDE butt model. Oh happy day, these new gel versions are sent from heaven I can not sing my new seats comfort enough. Although the shop owner told me the new heavier seat would slow me down I went for cushion power.
Anyway the map lacked some big details,the major one being designated bike lanes. The route to a local park was marked as having a bike lane but that wasn't true. I spent the whole trip riding in the street with bad drivers. For a short distance I tried the sidewalk but never in my life have I been on sidewalks literally coated with broken glass. As my rider continued I missed a short cut in thanks to no notation on the map. There actually was a hidden entrance to the park off road marked only by two foot yellow poles in the woods. Since I missed it I ended up pushing five extra miles to the parks main gateway. Only after talking to a recreation worker did I discover the bike trail ran through the woods. I thought about taking some of the trails but I have to be honest. I noticed an archery club and saw several white men walking around with bow and arrows through the woods. I said to myself heck no your not riding on these trails and end finding stray arrows.
My fun trip to the park to exercise turned into a twenty mile haul sprinkled with a one mile walk.I road the loop a few times and then the idea to use the day as a test for the bike portion of a race hit me. I made my way back using a different route which was up hill for eight miles and then level the rest of the way. I start running out of fuel but instead of listening to my body I insisted to myself it was a mental block. It wasn't, I had not eaten properly and because I was putting a tremendous amount of strain on my vital organs mainly the heart it revolted. Fifteen miles in a chest pain that was more of a slight tightening so I stopped and walked one mile. I then began riding a slow easy pace back home.
I always make sure I have plenty of fluids but neglected the fuel a mistake that won't happen again as I'm not into suffering. I usually leave home with at least something to eat in the form of fruit or trail mix but since it was to be a short trip I never bothered.Hence bad planning will send you down a dead end road.I have now crossed the mental block of wanting to compete but not mentally feeling I can. I took the hills,the streets, curves and the heat with no problem.I did it all on a heavy older model mountain bike and no a road bike which I have not owned in years. My excuse was I did not want to spent money on a bike I may not use much. A heavy bike has no place in a road race it just to slow and tiring.I 'm now ready to make the investment. I love off road cycling but I see myself doing more time on the black top for now.I relearned the importance of diet even when I have no desire to eat and most importantly I discover nothing is impossible it you keep working at it.