I’m putting this in “Adventure Stories” since I think all double centuries are adventures. Some of you knew that I spent most of late spring and all summer obsessively training for my first double, the Desperado Dual in Panguitch, Utah, which was yesterday. Yes, I finished! 202 miles, ride time of 11:37 (actually, one of the other members of Team Short Girls has a different time, but I'm sticking with mine ), total time of 12:25.

I did the ride with my friends Martha and Rod aka HotRod (Rod came to do the ride with me all the way from Kalifornia!). We had wonderful temperatures and no afternoon thunderstorms, which we were happy about. We did get some clouds in the afternoon, which was also very nice. But...

THE FREAKIN' WIND!!!! ACK!!!!!

We figured that we had about 120 miles of riding into a headwind or head-crosswind. Rod ended up pulling most of that time, but I still had no fewer than 10 mental meltdowns and a couple of "public" ones as well. The meltdowns were also due to us going out waaaaaaay too fast (our average for the first 100 miles was 19.5 mph), which fried my legs; nausea, which I think was from taking in too many calories (more than my body could process…and I know better!); and some intense back pain (which went away—mostly—once my back went numb ). Fortunately my legs recovered once we started climbing and I could start eating again (I was too nauseous to eat for a while) but my back never did. I realized it was numb when I reached back to get something out of a pocket and couldn't feel my hand rubbing against my back. And cruelties of cruelties, a different part of my back cramped up badly at about mile 180, so I spent the last 20 miles intensely concentrating on Rod's wheel in front of me. My back is still numb today.

I also learned that I can’t wear contacts for a ride like that. At the last rest stop, which was at mile 165, I couldn’t see that well and thought my sunglasses had goo or something on them. I took them off to clean them and…I couldn’t see very well without them either. I thought it was my contacts but later that evening when I took them out I still couldn’t see. It seriously messed up my eyes. They are better today but still not 100%.

And other weirdnesses: today the pinky and side of my left hand are numb, and my right knee is super tender and feels like there is sandpaper under the outside edge of the kneecap. Neither one of those areas bothered me on the ride. So both will be monitored, but I’m hopeful that everything will return to normal more or less over the next week.

Martha’s hubby, Directeur Sportif of Team Short Girls, took a bunch of photos. I’ll post some once I get a CD from him. He and my hubby provided great moral support for the ride. They were able to go to the rest stops on the second hundred and hang out with the wonderful volunteers (there were very few double riders, probably only about 50). It was so nice to roll into stops 4 and 5 and see them and be greeted by the team puppy dog, my beautiful girl Pika. Apparently all the volunteers loved her as well!

Since I finished the ride, I got the jersey!




They also gave all of the 200 finishers a neato hat.

We had a great time visiting with Rod. We went to Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase-Escalante Friday and saw the sights and hiked a little bit. I wish he could’ve stayed longer and ridden with me a little bit here in SLC, but alas! He had to go back to work. Here are a couple of pictures from our pre-ride adventures.

At Bryce, l to right, Rod, me, my hubby




Isn't Bryce pretty?




Doesn't this look like a gnome?




I'm kind of thinking I might try running again...no more marathons...just running...maybe.