Just did Fiesta 150!

[Jiffer]

I just did a ride called Fiesta 150 in So Cal. It's 75 miles from Irvine to Del Mar, stay in a hotel and have a "Fiesta", then ride back the next day. I have done a few centuries, but this is the first time I did back to back long rides like this. There were several people from our cycling club there, but my "core group" was me and four others, two guys and three girls. We rode with the rest of our club the first day. The five of us were the "fast group" and we stopped to regroup with the rest several times. It was fun to actually be in the "fast group" for a change!

Today, we decided to just do our own thing. We wanted to get back, so we just "got 'er done"!!! We found that the five of us really work well together and are pretty much all the same level. We were surprised by how well we did both days, my average pace being 17.0 the first and 17.1 the second, with over 2,000 feet of climbing both days (a lot of flats on the coast and all, though, which was awesome.)

We really thought we'd be hurting the second day a lot more than we did. My main pain issues were from my saddle and shoes, but my legs were surprisingly much stronger than anticipated and I am getting SOOO much better on the hills! Whoopie!!!! :D

I am in love with Bio Freeze. I have used it twice now on long rides when my lower back was really hurting. Both times it took the pain away for the rest of the ride.

Yay for me!!! I did good! Hee hee!!! :D

[Tri Girl]

Congrats, Jiffer. Sounds like a really fun ride! Your average was smokin' fast. Congrats on a fun weekend! Do you have any pictures to share?:)

[Jiffer]

Congrats, Jiffer. Sounds like a really fun ride! Your average was smokin' fast. Congrats on a fun weekend! Do you have any pictures to share?:)

Funny you say my average was "smokin' fast". When we started out the second day, there was an immediate hill and I was behind a big group. My first thought was, "Just stay with them", but I immediately realized they were going too slow, so I passed them. ALL of them. As I passed someone I knew from my club I said hi. She said hi, and then as I got ahead of her she said, "Bye, you speed demon!"

I LOVED hearing this! Me! A speed demon! :D I've worked hard to improve my speed, including my climbing speed, which has always been pathetically slow ... ALWAYS passed by everyone. But that's starting to change. Can't believe I'm starting to pass people now. Just goes to show that training really does make a difference. This ride was such a thrill to me, because I discovered just how much I've improved since I started cycling a few years ago, but even just since January of this year.

Yay!!! Be inspired ladies. If we keep working at it, we'll all improve ... if we want to. :)