Getting dropped

So most of you know that i'm training for a Triathlon Sprint in September. I'm on vacation with my friend the Finks and the Metzls in lovely Hilton Head Island for the week. It's been a challenge to maintain the level of activity and I've definitely felt a bit guilty about this.

The other day while out on a ride (because I did bring my bike with me), I stopped in a bike shop and inquired as to whether they had any group rides. The guy informed me that there are rides every Tuesday and Thursday from the shop. I missed Tuesday but showed up this evening. At first I thought it was going to be me and these two older guys, but we rode a couple miles to a park. We chit chatted a bit and then this flock of cyclists headed our way. There were easily 25 cyclists. I have never ridden in a pack this large, but I was excited to ride.

At the outset, I was hanging with the pack. I thought it was a good pace, but honestly I wanted to ride a bit harder. Oh naievete. It bites you in the ass. We turned down this one road and the pack took off! I wasn't in the far back, but this woman informed me from behind that we were getting ready to get dropped. It took a second to realize that, hmmm, I don't know where I'm riding TO and I'm not entirely sure how to get back!

I see this woman up ahead and I'm gaining on her. Because I'm friendly and I see this as an opportunity to meet new people, I ride up next to her and ask her what the pace is (assuming she has a flight deck of some sort). Well, apparently this woman had a hard time talking and riding at the same time. She loses concentration and heads off the road. I am freaking out at this point. Is she going to fall of her bike or just come to a screeching stop? Have I just put this woman in great peril by asking a stupid question? Is she going to.....?

Well, I look back and call out to ask "are you okay?" but I admit, I don't stick around to find out the answer. I knew she was fine, but I thought she would be pissed. So, I ride hard and I ride fast. I'm not sure I did the right thing, but I had no idea where I was going and I also feared getting cussed out. I realize while I'm typing this that I might, in fact, be a horrible person, but it all happened so fast.

Like I was writing before, I rode hard and fast and found some cyclist riding ahead of me and asked him where I should go. Thankfully he was nice and informed me where the pack had taken off to. I eventually caught up with a few riders and asked how to get back to the shop. This guy wearing an NC State jersey just told me to follow them. So I did follow them. At one point, I felt like they were trying to lose me. I felt like saying, "hello. did i not just tell you that I do NOT know my way around here?" I repeat, "I am NOT from HIlton Head." Jerks. Anyway, after a couple of miles we end up at a bike shop....just not THE bike shop that I started out riding from! UGH. I asked them to kindly point me in the direction of the main road and so they did and I was on my way back to the resort. And I did make it back safe and sound.

I look forward to getting back to the group rides in Charlotte. They seem a lot less dramatic and a lot more fun. Bring the fun, Charlotte. Bring the fun.