Oh wow, this bike thing is snowballing fast and I think winter needs to come soon! This is a multi-faceted post, so pay close attention. :p
Part one: The Ride
Thursday I finally got to make my Lyons ride. I got out way too late because I was kind of up until 4AM the night before. Nonetheless I loaded up and headed off to work to trade out my new U-Lock as my permanent work lock for my cable lock as final destination use lock. I get crazy looks from them, so I can't use their judgment for how far a ride is.
I was feeling pretty good heading out Hwy 36, especially proud when I passed Jay Road and hardly felt like I went that far. I was bummed as I crested a small hill to see that Lyons was still 12 miles away. What! Only 6 miles under my belt? Noooo!
The heat was starting to get to me and I was draining water bottles fast. I kept over shifting into my big ring so I stopped and drank, downed a gel and kept motoring. I really wanted to call it a day at Nelson Road but "Neva Rd" which I thought was Nelson from a distance seemed like a "sign."
I did wuss out and walk part of a hill. That would be the point when totally hot boy passes and asks if I need anything. "More training," I replied, when really I wanted his number. I must say though it seemed every time I stopped, some cutie passed and offered assistance. So sweet, here I thought most roadie men were jerks.
Water bottles running on fumes, and chain off again I saw a truck pull into a driveway so I followed him and got water. We talked hay for a while, he asked about my bike, I washed sweat off my face. He said Lyons was only 3.5 miles, hurray!
Back on the road I met my reward, one sweet downhill. Shift, shift, shift and zooooom! I was a little scared in the drops, but I did it anyway. I figured I looked pretty cool to the passing cars, so that helped. Riding with an audience is weird after all the mountain biking in my past.
As I dropped into Lyons I let out a few victory cries. Silly, maybe, but I felt awesome! I made a quick photo stop, and dropped into a bike shop to borrow a wrench to move my saddle back. The owner and I BSed for a bit before I took off to Oskar Blues. A burger and a few beers as well as water bottle refills were just the ticket.
Unfortunately on the ride home I got the splitting head ache. I drank water like a fish, even at the bar. Must have been heat, or not enough food, or not enough salt. Either way it sucked. Insult to injury I decided to avoid that big hill on the way back, even though in retrospect the rest of the ride would have been mostly downhill. I took an alternate route that accidentally added 10 miles to my ride. Whoops! I went through Longmont and back down to south Boulder. When I got on 119 I wanted to cry when I saw "Boulder 10" knowing I was a few miles south. Every stupid bump hurt my head, steel frame and all, and I still can't figure out the bike route from 119 south so I had some back tracking to do.
I slept very well that night. Half expected headlines in the Daily Camera to read "Out of shape fat girl rides 45 miles, pees on side of road." I must say the random sunflowers I kept seeing on the roadside helped, my own little slow as can be TdF.
Part two: The Surprise
I came home from work last night and as I was wheeling my bike into the garage my roommate peeked out the window. I paused, a little confused. "Don't forget to thank the girls across the street for your new mountain bike in there," he called out.
WHAT!? Noo, nooo, nooo! Sure enough there's an old Gary Fisher Aquila in dark forest green awaiting me. They know my weaknesses. Unfortunately she needs tons of love. Missing a front tire, beat to death old Judy fork, grip shifters, mile long bar and stem, the list goes on. Of course the old lime green Rock Shox Sid would look hot on it.
I'm using the force right now because it looks too big for me, and the reviews I've seen say the geometry sucks. Seems to have come out right before the change to Genesis Geometry. Oh well, maybe this winter, but not now.
Part three: The Challenge
Last night I put my registration fee where my mouth is and registered for the Colorado Tour de Cure for diabetes. My grandma died of diabetes related complications so it means a lot to me. I signed up for the freegin metric century but they said I could wuss out and do the 50k. Might be a better place to start, but still a good goal to shoot for.
Anyway, you can read the whole story on my page:
http://main.diabetes.org/goto/hill
And on that note...
Part four: The sleeping
