June 10 Ride Reports

Yippee! Rode the first "longer" ride on my MS150 training schedule -- 20 miles -- which felt like a long way to someone who hasn't ridden regularly in a while. My pace is still somewhat turtlesque -- 14.11mph average pace -- but hey, I'll take it!

I rode at Kiawah Island and it's soooo beautiful! I saw everything naturewise -- alligators (not on the road -- LOL), spiders, a snake, herons, doggies, men, women and children -- oh, and the marsh and the ocean! :D

I have to figure out how to eat to fuel these rides -- I had 200 carbs yesterday and then this morning did carbs before and after the ride -- now, I'll taper them down as the day goes on. Anyway, feeling pretty good so far!

Happy Saturday! :cool:

I did my 22 miler today. That is a short ride for me, but considering that I haven't been riding much lately, I feel really good. I felt strong today. I was riding probably faster than I had been been my long break. I felt stronger on the hills. It is amazing how free I feel on my bike. What a great day. I think some "protein" flew in my mouth, but it was small and went right down. The nice thing is that I didn't gag like crazy. I just thought about the extra protein boost I got. The true test is how I do this week.

Hope you all had great rides and have even better Saturday's

So far today, I rode 11 miles with DH, because he wanted someone to ride with. I'm also planning on a 38 mile ride with a big hill climb later on today.
The weather is perfect for riding today. It's been raining like crazy the last day or so, so the weather is a bit cooler than usual, around mid 70s. It should only get up to about 80 today, but it's sunny and beautiful.:D

I just completed 102 km. Mostly flat. Tomorrow will involve some climbing again and perhaps watching the pros at the Tour de Suisse, it comes by where I live.....

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Originally Posted by AuntieK

So far today, I rode 11 miles with DH, because he wanted someone to ride with. I'm also planning on a 38 mile ride with a big hill climb later on today.

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Hey AK, where did you ride? Did it seem unusually humid for Utah to you? My buddy Death-Ride Martha and I rode from East Canyon resort out to Mountain Green and back (57 miles). Not a particularly difficult ride but we both struggled for the last 20 miles or so. The temps were perfect, so it certainly wasn't the heat. We were both a little puzzled about how awful we felt! Hopefully your ride was better!

Oh! I also wore a hole in my favorite shorts. First time that's happened. Perhaps I need to do some inner thigh reduction work!

My daughter (adult) and I did a supported ride put on by the local bike club. We did a 50k ride (36 miles). It is so much fun seeing so many people of different ages and abilities all out enjoying a beautiful day on their bikes. Plus the food stops and lunch are always great. Later this afternoon I rode another 9 miles with my hubby.

I took a 20 mile ride today in the rain. I'm doing the Tour de Cure 150 miler in 5 weeks, so figured I should get used to riding in the rain. The ride was fine, though I was a little nervous about stopping distance. We've had so much rain that the rivers are all in flood. I turned down one road that I ride often and saw a sign saying that the road was flooded. Since the sign was there 2 weeks ago because of the flooding 4 weeks ago, I wasn't sure if it was really flooded or not, so I rode on. It turned out that the pond had overflowed onto the road. One lane was really buried, the other had only 4-6 inches of water on it, so I rode across (kind of half rode-half scooted). Stopped and talked to an older woman in a car on the other side and told her the road conditions. Then I rode on, and encountered 3 cars traveling too fast towards a flooded road with one lane barely passable. I gave them a hand sign to slow down and they all ignored me - one even blew a horn at me. This is a road that floods frequently and everyone knows it. This part of town actually turns into an island once every 3 or 4 years.

It's supposed to stop raining tomorrow. But I'm going to be riding in wet shoes.

Rain, Rain, Rain, we were signed up for a 60 mile loop, but did 7. 3.5 to the donut shop and back. Too cold and too wet for June, but any ride is a good ride, and donuts make it even better...

Rode 12 miles then walked 4 miles with Team Survivor. One of those "brick" workouts. Got into a great conversation with another cancer survivor about our wives and how different one's sense of humor and proportion are after cancer. Sometimes the S.O. doesn't get it, but we tend to be more patient because of it. We were the last to return to the transition area even though we were walking briskly!

After the ride and walk I really felt like I could go another 12 miles. How funny to have 12 feel like "not enough"! I remember a couple months ago needing to take a nap after a 14 mile ride!

The weather was great; cloudy but not raining with a few sunbreaks. The light and the shades of gray over Lake Washington were utterly gorgeous. There were 50 or 60 people from different groups doing "bricks", lots of swimmers jumping onto bikes and bikers pulling on running shoes all over the park.

47.5 miles - longest since my neck surgery. Whoo - hoo!!!

Of course, It invlove did 9300 feet of climbing!
woke up bright and early at 3:30 in the morning . Got to Redlands, got my packet and got on the road at 5:30 the firts 15 miles were ok. The next 12 well, were a Bear (myabe this is why the call it ride around the bear?) you tsart at about 1500 feet, and wind up at about 6100. I had to stop and change my glasses to my sunglasses, since we had climbed above the fog.(atcually I tend to stop at least every hour and refuel, anyway) We had some climbing up to about 7100 feet before we finally had a descent to big bear lake and lunch. Some one was actully sailing a pirate ship on the lake! a Couple that are members of our club had agreed to drive thier minivan as a private SAG. Tom kept on yelling at me to drink more gatorade/ cytomax. After lunch , we went up to onyx Summit (8443 feet, 60 miles) From here , the ride organizers claim it's all down hill. What they forget to mention is that t mile 70, there is a 1.5 hille, followed about 5 miles of rollers. I had a good laugh her as I passed one of the "racer dude" types on a roller beacuse he had gotten his gearing wrong. At that last rest stop, I was asked where my team car was. Tom is a diabetic, and he need to go to Redlands to get something to eat. the final 20 miles were all downhill.
I left after the ride to a friend birthday party. Unfortunatley, I left my duffel, with my helmet and gloves there, So tommorw, i'm headed back to San Bernardino. Pictures my follow.

I haven't done much more than around the block with the new wheels so yesterday (I know this is a day late) I rode to work. Not far, maybe 3 miles tops each way but I was early enough to take an extra spin 'round the lake.

So I got the Mavic Cross Ride. My LBS says "they are the little sisters of Mavics..." oh I forget the name of the next one up but it's hundreds more and would be silly on my old GT.

These are SWEET! Thanks again Mom and Bikeless for the Gift Cert to my LBS, I would have never done this without it.

Mavic rims are so....so...round, it's a whole new ride. No computer on the bike so I don't know the difference in the speed but where I usually spin in the middle chainring I was spinning along in the big one so...much mo' bettah.

Idiot factor of 4.

Encounters with idiots included: 2 pedestrians stepping off the curb right towards me, one helmetless rider in the crosswalk against a red light, I'm climbing the slight incline of Lakeshore and in no mood to stop ~ that's no way to do a left buddy, the worst was there's a tricky left turn and I was in the front of the left turn lane but on the right hand side of the lane so not holding anyone up and this Blue Nissan Z car gets on my butt and HOOOONK.

Well either I'm gonna be a hood ornament...or not. As you can see...not.

On the way back I had fun chasing down casual bike commuters but also was reminded that as the days get longer the route home, due West and straight into the sun so I have to be extreemely careful that I'm seen at this season.

Still no capris.

Dogmama, I am so happy to hear that. Sounds like you are recovering well!

No ride today, or yesterday. Nor did I go to spin class yesterday. :( Tummy acting up again. Today it was better, though I was feeling a bit weak and dehydrated. Walked to town for the Farm Market, which is 6 miles of rolling hills. That's usually a pretty easy walk for me, but today I felt done in. Met a friend for lunch, tho, and felt better after. Hopefully I'll feel better still tomorrow and can bike over to the botanical gardens to see the roses.

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Originally Posted by Fredwina

a Couple that are members of our club had agreed to drive thier minivan as a private SAG.

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Fredwina, I'm not trying to be confrontational. I'm really curious. Why did you feel the need for a private SAG? I really want to know. I'm seeing an increase in these on organized rides and it really add to the traffic issues. Why not just volunteer to be a SAG for everyone? Educate me so I know. Thanks.

It was a gorgeous ride -- the weather was perfect, the wind wasn't too bad, all car drivers were courteous. The funny part is that it almost didn't happen, as I was coming up with every excuse in the book not to ride. Finally I went for the ride, and even then I was making excuses to cut it short. I really would have missed out.

Mantra: No matter what, just keep on pedaling!

It's amazing how well this works, even as your laboring uphill with a headwind comin' at ya!

Riding Philosophy 1: It doesn't matter if you're not fast -- if you don't keep riding, how the heck are you ever going to get faster?!

Riding Philosophy 2: Yes I have a nice bike, but I'm still slow. But just imagine how much slower I'd be if I didn't have such a nice bike! ;)

Riding Philosophy 3: The nice bike doesn't care if you're slow -- it's just glad to be out in the fresh air and not gathering dust in the garage!

I did my longest ride ever, and was I tired at the end!
125km with 1500m ascent over the route (80miles and 5000 feet.) Ouch. My husband had planned a longer route, but took pity on me - wasn´t that nice:) ? The scenery was beautiful, so it was definately worth getting out of the city full of football fans.
Now I need to stucture training a bit better and go for a century.

It's something (to my knowledge Tom and Mary Lou have always done. and yes, they helped out non Club members as well, so in fact, I guess I should have said a "non offical" sag. I agree that given the road wew were on yesterday, Less cars would have been better.
Jana

I rode a 200k Brevet Saturday, which ended up being 130 miles. It was really hot- 101F at 2:30 PM- and endlessly sunny. The route was beautiful- rural, not much traffic. I rode most of it with two really great guys. Two really cool girls met up with us for the last 30 or so miles. My riding time was 8:50, and total time about 11.5. We stopped to cool off a lot. One of my guys dropped with 15 miles to go. His mom picked him up, and drove to meet us 9 miles later at the end of the paved trail, with ice and water. I put ice chunks in y sandals and gloated!! I also put a lot of ice in my bra, in my groin, down my shorts in the back, and in my helmet. Used Neutrogena spary on 45 sunscreen, and didn't get burned. I think the spray is great because I tend to reapply it often, because it feels cold, and isn't messy. I took Suceed Electrolyte caps on the half hour all day, and drank water, and ate a few Sport Beans, but didn't have much of an appetite. Ate a small bag of chips and a hot dog. My usual standbys- flavored milk, and even Gatorade, just wouldn't go down.

Five miles from the end we found a guy walking down the middle of the road, cleats worn down to bare metal, covered with leaves and dirt. Very close to heat stroke. Finally convinced him to sit in the shade and wait for a ride. He thought he could still make it in. He'd been vomiting. He was afraid if he stopped walking, he'd cramp up. When he stopped and sat down, you could see his leg muscles jumping all over. We stayed with him till the RBA came to pick him up. At an MTB race, one time, I saw a guy go from about the state this guy was in, to delerious, to unconscious and air-lifted out, in about 30 minutes, so I was afraid to just leave the guy alone in the shade. I took the time to lie down with my Camelback for a pillow. Luckily, there weren't too many fire ants in the area. Some curious goats came to observe.

Then, five more miles, and it was finally over!! I rode 20 miles the next day with my slow club group, and wasn't sore at all, just tired.

This was my official 200k, since I wasn't a member of RUSA when I did the one in January, and it completes my Super Randonneur Award.

Nanci

Congrats Nanci!! I am so glad to hear that someone stopped for him. I was puking on the side of the road and NO ONE stopped to see if I was ok. This was suppose to be a freindly ride too, not a race. I was appalled when I started walking and some guy rode by and told me it was a really long walk!!!


Anyway. Yesterday my ride partner bailed on me so my planned 30 mile Killer hill ride was out. We haven't done that route and I don't know about traffic there, so I didn't want to venture out alone. I did 16 miles with some good hills for me. I am still having trouble timing when to change rings up front. I do pretty well in back, but I always seem to be spinning WAY too much when I have to go to the granny. There must be some happy medium, I just haven't found it.

I thought about it! It rained all day Saturday and Sunday was not any better. But today.......................;)

Barb, how awful for you and that guy! Hope all is well today.........gee...........