Did 125 and turned 46

Hi all,
I haven't been posting much because I was training for my big ride which I did last Saturday. Through the rain, wind, puddles, grit, cool temperatures, and the hills (especially the final ones on the Cape) I MADE IT! I rode 125 miles at just under 15 miles per hour for The Harbor to the Bay AIDS ride from Boston to Provincetown. I rode with a friend, Scott, from the club who helped me with morale and encouragement. Because it was raining, we couldn’t paceline which obviously meant the ride was harder as there was no rest for the weary.

My day started at 3:50 AM when I got up to get ready in the dark. David drove me to the site in downtown Boston and dropped me off. After breakfast, opening ceremonies and about ten trips to the bathroom, we were off around 6:30 AM in the pouring rain.

We went through Quincy, Weymouth, Halifax, Plympton, and Plymouth, to name a few. We had lunch at Bourne and then crossed the Sagamore bridge by foot as the sidewalk is very narrow and cars are speeding along inches from you. We then rode the length of the cape, mostly in the rain, although it cleared up about an hour before we finished. This was a really good thing as we hit the hills of Truro after riding more than 100 miles. The wind picked up and we had a good head and cross wind which kept blowing me and my bicycle sideways, however, when we reached the edge of Provincetown though it was beautiful with the ocean extending in front of us. At one point when it was raining, we saw golfers playing in all their gear in the rain. I said, “They are crazy!” Then it was clear we were too, but at least ours is for a good cause!

We made it into Provincetown a little before 5 PM having spent a little over 8 hours on the bike. We arrived at the Cape Inn Resort which is a motel at the edge of Provincetown. My good friend Janet met me there and after taking a much needed shower (my skin was a different color from the grit), the riders and crew prepared for the final slow ride into town escorted by a police car and cheered by bystanders. We ended up at a club called the Boatslip where there were final ceremonies and FOOD. After dinner, Janet drove me home and all the way home, I kept saying, “This is really far.”

I am still tired from the ride but glad I did it. Today I turn 46. Not bad for a middle aged woman who never did any exercise until a year ago when she discovered her love of cycling!:D

YOU DID IT!! You've just given me the courage to try this next year. I'm 39 and thought I was too old to do something like this...

Give yourself a big pat on the shoulder...

Congratulations on a ride well done:) !!!! Happy Birthday...it only gets better as you accomplish more on your bike and you know that it isn't your age holding you back:p :p :p

Congratulations on a ride well done:) !!!! Happy Birthday...it only gets better as you accomplish more on your bike and you know that it isn't your age holding you back:p :p :p

Your a tough woman making it over a 100 miles with wind and rain.:D What a great accomplishment.

Well done Pata!!! The distance is achievement enough, but then the rain, no pacelining, and hills AFTER 100 miles :eek:

What a fantastic way to celebrate 46 times around the sun!

Congratulations! I too turned 46 this year, and while I'm not trained for a 125-miler right now, I am in way better shape than I was at 36 or even 26. It's so empowering to be finding fitness past 40, isn't it!? :D

Happy birthday!

Emily

What an amazing accomplishment in poor riding conditions.

Well done you! That's really awesome.

And many happy returns. (Have you set a precedent for celebrating your birthdays?!!!!!!!!)

wow! that sounds like one amazing ride. What are you going to on next year's birthday to top this one??? :p

Fantastic!! I hope I can follow your lead....

I know that route very well from long ago when I was a kid and we used to summer in Nantasket....;-)

Thanks for everyone's suppport. It was really an incredible experience, albeit wet. It was the hardest thing I have ever done physically, as I have only become athletic in the past year and a half. I did get back on the bike this week, and the good news is that I still like it. :D (I was only a bit worried.) No rides over 60 miles for a while though. This week has definitely been one of rest. I was amazed at how deeply exhusted I was for a number of days. A sign of age I think. :rolleyes: