December rides

Thanks, salsabike and rebeccaC :) After a couple months of Seattle winter damp, it was so nice to ride in the warmth (even if it was cold at the summit, and the first 1/2 of the descent). Though I have to chime in on the PNW winter discussion above, and say that what I LOVE about the winter here is how it encourages you to curl up under a blanket with chocolate and a book ;) My cats love that too!

But I will be bundling up for my commute to work tomorrow. Sigh.

I was super-nervous leading up to the ride (hard to get breakfast down, the whole works) so it was almost a relief to start the climb--and as hard as it was, I never felt awful. A few times I started to feel discouraged about how long I had been climbing and how much further I still had to go, but then I would make myself look around a bit, take in the view, and try to tell myself that the longer it took, the better, since it was so beautiful out. That sometimes worked... But the gorgeous setting of the climb definitely made it psychologically easier. Physically... Well, this was one of the few rides I actually had sore muscles from the next day. Fatigued muscles, sure--but bike rides hardly ever leave my muscles actually hurting. It was hard. The elevation--especially for someone living at sea level--is just overwhelming. You can't fight it, you just have to slow down and accept that you can't breathe, and can't put effort into the pedals. Getting back to sea level felt so good!

Yeah, it's the length of the ascent coupled with the altitude you reached that is amazing--really, a huge ride.

By the way, khg, I think we may have met! My husband read your blog report on this ride (I TOLD you it was really interesting!) and said, "Hey! That's Ian B.! Don't you remember--he sat next to us at the 2011 post-PBP dinner and was telling lots of funny stories!" And I did remember. Weren't you also there?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by salsabike

By the way, khg, I think we may have met! My husband read your blog report on this ride (I TOLD you it was really interesting!) and said, "Hey! That's Ian B.! Don't you remember--he sat next to us at the 2011 post-PBP dinner and was telling lots of funny stories!" And I did remember. Weren't you also there?

---

Ha! Small world! I was indeed there, so we've definitely met--though I'll admit my memory of that dinner is hazy (and I have a *horrible* memory for faces...) But I do remember having a good time, so I know it was lovely to meet you :) Will you guys be back? My husband's on the fence about it. He works long hours in a stressful job, so while he really enjoyed PBP, the training leading up to it burned him out--he did a lot of rides because he had to, not because he wanted to (and that was a cold and rainy spring/summer to be out on a bike when you didn't want to be...). Meanwhile, I work Saturdays, so I have a convenient excuse not to get too heavily in randonneuring :rolleyes:

Very tactfully and kindly said! :)

Ooh, I should make it perfectly clear that my husband Chris rode PBP, not me. I am the veriest weenie of randos. We've done one 200k tandem ride, and we're almost done with our third P-12. 100k rides are fine with me! I do not have the 1200k fire in my belly. Also, I like doing other stuff like swimming, too.

Yes, Chris will be doing PBP again and I will certainly go along for the Paris of it. :) He's done one or two 1200s each year since PBP, and likes them, and LOVED his first PBP.

Do I remember right that Ian is an attorney? Anyway, he did great in 2011, and not everyone wants to keep that stuff going. It does kind of eat up your training time. And it sounds like you guys are having a wonderful time with the riding you're doing.

That's great that you'll be back in Paris! I also did Paris while Ian did Paris-Brest-Paris :) Even if he returns for PBP, I don't think my work schedule is going to let me go this time, which I'm bummed about. You remember right that Ian is an attorney--just in case he decides to do PBP again, he went ahead and scheduled the potential trial date for one of his cases around the PBP schedule...

I'm with you on 1200k... I've done some brevets/permanents--up to 300K is great. But I also like sleeping--and sleeping in my own bed, not in a ditch!

I keep contemplating a tandem--I'd love to hear a bit about your experience getting and riding one. If you don't mind, could I maybe send you a PM later so that I don't do too much of a thread hijack?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by khg

That's great that you'll be back in Paris! I also did Paris while Ian did Paris-Brest-Paris :) Even if he returns for PBP, I don't think my work schedule is going to let me go this time, which I'm bummed about. You remember right that Ian is an attorney--just in case he decides to do PBP again, he went ahead and scheduled the potential trial date for one of his cases around the PBP schedule...

I'm with you on 1200k... I've done some brevets/permanents--up to 300K is great. But I also like sleeping--and sleeping in my own bed, not in a ditch!

I keep contemplating a tandem--I'd love to hear a bit about your experience getting and riding one. If you don't mind, could I maybe send you a PM later so that I don't do too much of a thread hijack?

---

Yes! Please do. We've put in almost 9,000 tandem miles in the last nine years, so obviously we really like it. :) Message away and I'll tell you the whole story about how we started and how it works.