Weekend Rides?

I rode my longest ride ever, yesterday....116 miles. :eek: Hadn't planned on it, but that's what we ended up doing. Left the house at 5:45am and didn't get back until after 2pm...so it was a fairly casual pace...but still such a long day in the saddle. I've come to realize, that once I hit the 90-mile mark...everything beyond that is just mindless pedaling, to me. :p Like I'm not really enjoying it much, at that point...but I just want to finish and be done with it. I sincerely doubt that I will ever ride that kind of mileage in one day, again. I felt like a zombie for the rest of the day.

Today we rode 77...and with not much recovery from Saturday's ride, it was rough getting through it. I'm getting too old for this. :o

Linda

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Originally Posted by Bike Writer

I'd like to follow your ride but the link does not work. I loved reading about a rider last year on that same ride. I really enjoyed it.

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Try this? http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lariss...84979924902812

Or just Facebook search "Larissa Rides for Clean Air"

Should pop up!

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Originally Posted by Owlie

It's fascinating to read about your journey. And I had a good laugh over the showers comment. They sound like the ones at my junior high, at least until they built the shiny new gym.

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Oh man, there really is nothing worse than being misted at with lukewarm water when all you want to do is be bathed in hot hot hot water.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I am really enjoying reading about your great adventure, and it is certainly that! Glad to read the knee is doing a bit better, and may it all be downhill today and with a good tailwind :cool:

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I'm glad you're both enjoying it!

Today we did 88 miles and tomorrow we have 101 miles from Thompson Falls to Missoula, MT. There's about 3000 feet of climbing, but since I can't stand on my pedals for climbs due to my knee injury it's going to be a total bummer. My hammies and glutes are getting stronger though and I'm much better at pedaling without using my quads much at all (particularly on the right, though it's easier to be symmetrical about it).

Today was just incredible... I can't wait to post pictures once I get to Missoula, such beauty: moody, broody clouds resting on gorgeous mountains and then it cleared right out as we got closer to Thompson Falls. My rear end was screaming at me-- the pressure is just insane after this many LOoooooong days in a row-- EVERYBODY on the trip is feeling it. Luckily no chafing or saddle sores developing. Still, the thought of sitting on that saddle all day tomorrow is pretty much the worst right now. More poor tender buns.

The best part about all this riding is the massive quantities of food we eat. Today I had:
3 packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal and a banana first thing

On the bike: 2/3 Reese's fast break, 2 sleeves margarita shot blocks, cheese crackers with peanut butter, 1/2 baguette with nutella, pickles, some beef jerky I picked up at a convenience store when i was craving meat, some nuun tablets in my water

Dinner: salad with bleu cheese, grilled chicken breast with a humongous pile of mashed potatoes and gravy, sauteed mushrooms, corn and then banana cream pie for dessert.

It's pretty hard to get enough calories eating healthy stuff because it just won't all fit. I had to cram the pie into me. One thing I have learned is to avoid any and all foods that will make me want to go urgently on the bike. That eliminates a number of my favorite veggies, but fewer things are worse than having to go #2 badly and there being no services for 30 miles. I've got wet ones with me, but there's no making that any better.

Anyway. I'm having fun. Everyone on this trip is just wonderful and entertaining and warm and kind and I would recommend this ride to anyone who wants a big adventure. It's seamlessly organized and a great deal for riders for a wonderful cause.

We did 42.4 miles today... it was excellent, EXCEPT that it was BRUTALLY HOT. I think the boyfriend may have been on the verge of heat exhaustion, as he was getting goosebumps in the last 5 miles. We tried to stop and cool off with wetting down our heads, drinking water, eating shot bloks, and so on, but it was still just the plain fact that we were doing 42 miles on pavement in the sun in 95 degree heat.

It's definitely made me want to get a few lighter colored jerseys, though!

We've been busy this week! We did an (easy!?!) century today from Missoula, MT to Avon, MT after having done another century from Thompson Falls to Missoula just the other day. Today we had cool weather, crystal clear blue skies, and tail winds. Made it to camp with 7 hours of riding and 4000 feet of climbing. Pie in my belly and friends all around me!

Here are some shots from the last few days:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...32351411_n.jpg

My friend Ben after a very painful (everyone had sore bums) century to Missoula:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...80472170_n.jpg
Checkpoint:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...08789029_n.jpg
A perfect bend in the road:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...88094744_n.jpg
The moooon!
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...78541076_n.jpg

Reesha, even the bikes look exhausted! Beautiful pictures.

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Originally Posted by redrhodie

Reesha, even the bikes look exhausted! Beautiful pictures.

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Glad to see the bikes get to rest as well, they DO look tired! Pictures are just beautiful, thank you for sharing them. It looks HOT though...

This morning I got out at 7:15 for my first ride since last Sunday as I've been trying to give my bruised patella a chance to heal. It was right at 30 miles and I focused on making it 30 easy urban miles. There were only 3 hills in that route that made me downshift, and I just focused on enjoying the cool air after the huge thunderstorms we had before dawn this morning. I HAD planned on heading out at 5am, but the alarm woke me to sounds of thunder and rain, so I just went back to sleep smiling.

Things were starting to heat up again by the time I got home so I timed it well. I did not, however, have the right kind of liquid nutrition with me for a 2.5 hour ride with climbing temps. I wasn't sure how far I would ride as I left it up to my knee. She felt fine - no more painful after 30 miles than before, and indeed it feels much better now than it has all week :D As soon as I walked into the door I tossed a scoop of Accelerade, water, and 3 cubes of ice into the blender. It went down very well! I did take one salt stick capsule during the ride and had a small energy bar. I should have had Heed with me but had forgotten I am out...

My route took me downtown, and then back north to check out 24 Hours of Booty and Bootyville. This is the first year it has been held in Indianapolis, and I think I want to do this next year with my mom in mind. They have already scheduled it for 2013 and I wound up riding part of the route as that was how I got there/went home. It didn't seem to be a huge operation, but this was the first year it was here so one assumes it will likely draw more people next year.

Look at that sky! Reesha, your pictures are gorgeous.

I had planned a dawn ride, but a thunderstorm got in the way of that plan. Fell asleep again and woke up at 9:30--kitty has been waking me up at 4:15 or so, so I've been sleep-deprived. Between that. sheer laziness and a flat tire, I didn't get out until about 11:30. It wasn't too hot, just oppressively sticky. 20.2 miles, with free food (some event) in the middle. I just confirmed that I can't do real food when it's hot, but the potato chips were welcome!

We did a North Shore beach and country ride. I've done this ride a couple of times; it's nice, mostly flat, a little climbing in the second half (1200 ft.). We start out in Topsfield and head to Ipswich center, along the river and by several nature preserves and marshes. There is one spot in Ipswich center where you have to stop at a hugely busy intersection and wait for a clearing or a nice person to stop. Then, once you get across, you ride up a hill. It's a little awkward. I actually got off my bike and walked, no one was stopping. Then we ride to the beach loop part of the ride. It was windy and the greenhead flies are out, but we did stop and look at the view. Then we head back, along the shore, through some nice neighborhoods, along some bluffs and eventually head back to Ipswich center, where we bought sandwiches for later. Usually, we eat in a park right after this, but we got started early, so we continued on. We rode to Georgetown center, got more water and ate in a shady park. After the beach, most of the ride is shaded and there were hazy clouds. Good thing, as it was 91-94 during the ride; it didn't seem to bother me at all. It's dry out and I hydrated well. The fact that the ride doesn't have much elevation helped, too. There's one little obnoxious climb after leaving Georgetown, where we got into farm country in Rowley and Topsfield. We went ahead of our friends, got back to the car and changed out of the sweaty stuff in the car,poured water over my head.
46 miles, and we stopped for frozen yogurt at Cherry Hill Farm in Danvers on the way back.

Did a nice 28 mile ride on a nearby National Monument - great scenery, good road, minimal traffic. The small down side is loading up bikes and traveling to a good starting point (I'm spoiled - many rides around here can be done starting from my driveway).

We started at 7am to beat the heat, but there was no avoiding the smoke from wildfires. I've attached a pic from not quite halfway through the ride. It's hard to appreciate how much smoke is in the air unless you've seen it under normal conditions, so I'm also attaching pics of the view from my backyard on a typical day, and today. There are three fires within a 100 mile radius, none closer than 25 miles or so, but collectively they're having quite an effect on air quality.

Did about 30 local miles today, over to the Delaney Reservation in Stow and then stopping at the Acton-Boxborough Farmer's Market. It was hotter than yesterday and more humid, but this ride is all shady. Leaving at 8:45 helped. Got some really good strawberries and lettuce, but we only had one bag (I didn't have my pannier on).
Then we came home, ate lunch and I went swimming in the pond for the first time this year.

30 miles starting at 7am. Temperature was good, but it was horribly humid, and despite a large breakfast, I was hungry by the time I got home.

The weather is soooooo icky! Temps in the 90's, dew points in the 70s, no end in sight. As my Red Ribbon Ride (the MN AIDs/HIV fundraising ride) is coming up in mid-July though, must keep going out and training! I did 55.5 miles on Saturday and just 31 yesterday. The humidity was actually worse yesterday and 10 minutes into the ride I had sweat dripping off of my chin. :eek: Oh, of course I also had to have rear flat less than a couple of miles from home. I was proud that I managed to change it in 15 minutes as it used to take me 20 for a rear.

I am planning a long ride on the 4th and forecast looks awful. :( Oh well, a bad day on the bike beats the best day in the office.

I've been riding only 3 weeks, and I don't have my old legs yet, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely. Right now, I'm just focusing on aerobic fitness and losing weight. It was super hot this weekend, but I got out early both days and was thankful for that, as the temps quickly climbed and we also got afternoon storms. On Saturday it was particularly hot, but I got 33 miles in. I was out at 6:30 and back at 8:30 but it was already so sticky outside, I couldn't imagine riding any more! Sunday, I slept in an extra 30 minutes and rode 26, but was still back before it got too bad. I'm lucky that I can ride in the am on the weekdays, too. I distinctly remember riding all summer long after work and the heat not getting to me so much. Must be the age and the extra pounds. :o