Participated in the Lance Armstrong Foundation LiveStrong Challenge in Philly this past weekend. I really wanted to do the full century, but just couldn't make it - I had to give in after the metric century. The route took us through some really rough road construction - and it just triggered a full blown migraine I had been fighting all week. I made it 20 miles after that but that was it. DH did 70. I was pretty disappointed with myself - but it gives me a goal for next year's event. Plus I figure it was better than sitting on my couch watching football......and the important thing is all the money we helped raise - $2.6 million in Philly alone! Plus considering this time last year I was terrified I wouldn't complete a 25 mile ride - 60ish is pretty good.

By the way for the self named "big girls" on the list - there was a woman that probably had about 100 lbs on me - and she kicked my *** all over the place! She certainly wasn't speeding up the hills - but she was doing them! I had to stop and walk for several of them. She really was amazing!

My question is this. Hills continue to kick my a&%. I am riding a Trek WSD 1500. My DH cut hills out of our training ride the last month because he said the route was going to be pretty flat and it was important to get used to that and to work on our speed. The ride was ~not~ flat! On the way home I said about how cutting the hills out probably wasn't a good idea. He said that he disagreed that the problem is that I have no power in my legs (that is true) and that the best way to improve that is to continue to ride flats, but to really push myself to improve my speed which will then help me on the hills. Doesn't make sense to me. Wouldn't the best way to improve on the hills and increase the stength in my legs be to ride more hills?

He also has me confused about shifting on the hills. He originally told me that I should start shifting down when it started getting hard to pedal because you shouldn't shift on the hill because you can damage your bike. After this ride he told me that I'm killing myself because I slow down to shift and I lose my momentum going up the hill - and I can shift going up the hill I just have to back off the pressure when I pedal.

I wish I could get a trainer! Taking direction from your DH isn't the easiest thing in the world!