April 30th rides

First day on a bike in 4 days! Yikes! That's the longest I've taken off in a few months, maybe since January. The last few days have been filled with a houseguest, rain, and some other really fascinating excuses I won't bore you with.

Today's ride was divine, but it was cold enough out that I needed a cashmere turtle neck sweater under my jersey again. Rode my regular route, but cut out the biggest hills because in a little while I'm getting on my old bike, in sneakers and yoga pants and riding to the gym. I wanted to save a little somethin' for Pilates, and the hill at the end of the ride.

My foot ached in a familiar way that made me remember the aches I used to get in my hands about 5 days in to a vacation. When you work with your hands full time, not using them for a few days can be painful. That's how my foot felt.

Hope you all had some fun today!

I bopped around town on my Jamis Coda with it's new pink Butterfly saddle (thanks, IFjane). It was cool, but delightful. I'll probably ride over to spin class this evening, too. My road bike is at my SO's house for vacation storage, and my Bike Friday is all packed up for said vacation.

it's getting close--whoo-hoo!

Good, fast, for me, ride this morning out in the country - 10 or 12 miles. Met a neighbor leaving and at my cattle guard when I returned so it was a nice, neighborly ride.

I called the bike shop in San Antonio and they promised me my new bike would be ready to ride when I got into town. So I walked the mile or so to the bus stop and took the bus to the LBS, so I wouldn't have to fool with leaving my car. Rode about four miles home from the grocery store on my new Big Dummy today. I am use to riding loaded with groceries but not use to riding upright. Not as efficient but it gave my neck and back a rest which was nice.

Well I didn't ride today, BUT....a milestone day for me all the same:

Today was the first day I did a real 'activity' since hurting my hip 2 1/2 weeks ago. I had been in terrible pain for almost 2 weeks. I finally felt good enough to go for a 3 1/2 mile walk with a girlfriend this morning, and I survived! :p I'm a bit sore in various spots, but I think it will be ok. If I feel good toorrow, i will continue carefully easing back into walking, biking, and roller skating. YaY! I'm really happy. :)

Yay, Lisa, that's great news! You must have really pulled something! Don't over-do it!

My ride to the gym was the first time on my old bike since I got my new bike in Sept, and boy, did it feel weird! It didn't have that old familar feeling. More like I'd never sat on it ever before, and it didn't quite fit, and the stuff was all in odd places. Kind of like when you see an ex boyfriend, and you don't remember what you ever saw in him.

Still, I'm lucky to have it. I don't mind locking it up, so it's perfect for errands. Thinking of putting clipless pedals back on it. I don't like riding with toe clips anymore.

Nice ride today. I rode up to the trailhead for my regular bike path, which was about 8.5 miles. My dad met me there and we did about 8 miles together. He drove home and I took a long ride home. I ventured out on some new roads and ended up riding along the closest thing to a country road in my neck of the woods. Absolutely lovely.

Total ride was 30 miles, including four separate trips up over the bike trail bridge. :)

I quickly changed into my riding clothes and was out the front door of my school promptly at our officially quitting time. I wanted to do some hill climbing before I make my way to Chattanooga for the 3-State, 3-Mountain this weekend. Really, I wanted to make sure the adjustments my LBS made worked so off I went. As I rode out to the big hill I wanted to climb I was chased by a Boston Terrier. He came flying out of yard on my right. He darted in front of me into the other lane and realized a car was bearing down on him. He quickly changed course and darted in between my wheels. I ran over his front paw. Thank goodness he did not take me down but I was concerned about his foot. I stopped and went back to the house he ran to. I finally found the owner and I think he thought I was going to yell at him. When I explained what had happened and I was worried about his dog's paw a look of relief spread across his face. He did not seem too concerned about the dog's paw but did say they would keep an eye on it. It looked like I took some skin off of it but he was bearing full weight on it so I'm going to assume I did not crush it. I returned to the road and continued to work my way to the Hatton Hill. I started my climb and came upon two young kids walking their bikes up the hill. I asked them if they wanted to race to the top, they quickly replied "no way" and added "you're not going to make it." I keep climbing and I heard the young girl call out "you need a really good bike to make it to the top." I continued my climb and when I reached the top I knew I had "one good bike and one good set of legs." The return ride was uneventful. In the end I logged 23.5 miles with an average speed of 15.99 mph. A good ride in my book. Time to let my legs rest for I'm sure the ride in Chattanooga this weekend will proved to be very challenging. I am now keeping my fingers crossed that the rain holds off and those riding have dry roads to climb and descend.

34 miles with the Wednesday night hill club. My first time back riding with them. The route we did was one of the more challenging ones - and I felt so much stronger than when we did a similar route (including all the major hills) last June! My overall average speed was 1.5 mph faster than that time. One of the other riders said to me, "Are you sure there are no hills in Florida?" :D

Kind of chilly, but a beautiful night. I'm so happy to be home.

Yay Red... great feeling, huh... four days can feel like weeks!

And Tulip bopped on butterflies - kewell!

And Bee, I saw you had been on your Dummy - is it really called that? What a strange name for a bike.....

Great to read all your rides (or movement at least BleeckerSt)... love to hear stories like you riding with your Dad, SpotLight. And Mak, so glad you and the dog were alright - dogs can be such hazards - they have brought down a few of my fellow riders as well as TE-ers... glad you weren't one of them.

I had a hilly ride like OakLeaf - just under 40kms, but hard hard yakker... took me just on 2 hours. A good workout, by all accounts