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Blonde Beginner Battles Bike

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innerwildchild
In: Burton
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It was awful, wonderful, spectacular but incredibly, quiveringly exhausting. I cycled to the training centre - about 8 kilometres uphill. I shouldn't have done it. My knees were trembling even before I arrived. They assigned us each a motorbike. I had a red one, a gigantic beast, Suzuki 125 (ha ha). Never having been on a bike before, I was in shock most of the weekend. The weather was hot, seemed like 42C in heavy leather jacket, helmet, gloves and boots. At first I was tickled pink that I'd actually let out the clutch. Then, halfway through the morning it rained, a solid downpour to make up for the heat. I told myself I was fortunate to be getting a taste of riding in all weathers but after another few hours of gruelling concentration with mascara running down my face, hair flat against my head in rat's tails each time I took off my helmet and wet jeans clinging to my legs, I was ready for a break. I spent the lunch break lying flat on my back. Rain, sun, I couldn't have cared. When they called out 2nd half, I staggered back to the bike, willing but wasted. By 5:30 pm, I was exhausted. I knew I was done in when I pulled up at the make-shift crossroads. I must have sat there a while because an instructor bellowed "What are you sitting there for? Which way are you going?" I replied "I dunno." He shook his head and insisted "Go park your bike. You're done for today." With a sigh of relief I made for the bike hut, parked the beast, got my leg halfway over and collapsed underneath the thing. Helpful instructors pulled it off me. I could have done it myself I swear, given time. But still, the battle scars were worth it. My legs are covered in bruises but the bike's okay! That night I downed tranquillers and tylenol and slept like a baby. The leather jacket must have weighed a ton. Unfortunately I had to drink a lot of coffee to wake up at 5:30 a.m. I don't normally drink coffee so I was hyper all morning, responding to instructions with rather abrupt heads-up reactions, slightly popping eyes, lots of revs and false fart-starts all across the course. It was pretty windy when we took the test. It didn't seem to matter to any of us. We were purely determined. I thought through the first few exercises before I tried them. Kicking into first, I remembered to look over both shoulders and let out the clutch fairly smooth. I successfully negotiated the slow turn and stayed within the orange cones, remembered to keep my head up, got into second gear, shot across to the other side and managed to stop with my front tyre inside the square. And so it went on until I saw a set of exercises that looked really easy. "I'll ace this one" I thought. "No problem here." And of course, it was the one that did me in. I knew I hadn't done it well but still I was shocked when I saw the instructor coming towards me looking sorry. Apparently I hadn't gotten up my speed up enough and with other points against me, that was me out. I cycled home that night, slowly, feeling pretty sorry for myself. I fell into bed supported by lots of cushions and a tub of ice cream. As I tried to compose myself for sleep, my body was vibrating brrrrrrrrm brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm, squeeeeeeeal! skiiiiiid! brrrrrrm brrrrrrrrrrrm! I was bowed and bloodied but for sure I knew it wouldn't stop me. Carol

It was awful, wonderful, spectacular but incredibly, quiveringly exhausting. 
I cycled to the training centre - about 8 kilometres uphill.  I shouldn't have done it.  My knees were trembling even before I arrived.    
They assigned us each a motorbike.  I had a red one, a gigantic beast, Suzuki 125 (ha ha).  Never having been on a bike before, I was in shock most of the weekend.  The weather was hot, seemed like 42C in heavy leather jacket, helmet, gloves and boots. 
At first I was tickled pink that I'd actually let out the clutch.  Then, halfway through the morning it rained, a solid downpour to make up for the heat.   I told myself I was fortunate to be getting a taste of riding in all weathers but after another few hours of gruelling concentration with mascara running down my face, hair flat against my head in rat's tails each time I took off my helmet and wet jeans clinging to my legs, I was ready for a break.
I spent the lunch break lying flat on my back.  Rain, sun, I couldn't have cared.  When they called out 2nd half, I staggered back to the bike, willing but wasted.  By 5:30 pm, I was exhausted.  
I knew I was done in when I pulled up at the make-shift crossroads.  I must have sat there a while because an instructor bellowed "What are you sitting there for? Which way are you going?"  I replied "I dunno."  He shook his head and insisted "Go park your bike.  You're done for today."
With a sigh of relief I made for the bike hut, parked the beast, got my leg halfway over and collapsed underneath the thing.  Helpful instructors pulled it off me.  I could have done it myself I swear, given time.  But still, the battle scars were worth it.  My legs are covered in bruises but the bike's okay!
That night I downed tranquillers and tylenol and slept like a baby.  The leather jacket must have weighed a ton. 
Unfortunately I had to drink a lot of coffee to wake up at 5:30 a.m.  I don't normally drink coffee so I was hyper all morning, responding to instructions with rather abrupt heads-up reactions, slightly popping eyes, lots of revs and false fart-starts all across the course.
It was pretty windy when we took the test.  It didn't seem to matter to any of us.  We were purely determined.  I thought through the first few exercises before I tried them.  Kicking into first, I remembered to look over both shoulders and let out the clutch fairly smooth.  I successfully negotiated the slow turn and stayed within the orange cones, remembered to keep my head up, got into second gear, shot across to the other side and managed to stop with my front tyre inside the square.  And so it went on until I saw a set of exercises that looked really easy.  
"I'll ace this one" I thought.  "No problem here."  
And of course, it was the one that did me in.  I knew I hadn't done it well but still I was shocked when I saw the instructor coming towards me looking sorry.  Apparently I hadn't gotten up my speed up enough and with other points against me, that was me out.
I cycled home that night, slowly, feeling pretty sorry for myself.  I fell into bed supported by lots of cushions and a tub of ice cream.  As I tried to compose myself for sleep, my body was vibrating brrrrrrrrm brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm, squeeeeeeeal! skiiiiiid! brrrrrrm brrrrrrrrrrrm!
I was bowed and bloodied but for sure I knew it wouldn't stop me.
Carol

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