Saturday, August 26th Rides

[GLC1968]

We had an awesome ride today! My DH and I joined a large group training ride for our local MS bike tour (which is in 2 weeks) and it was well supported and fun. There were TONS of people, so we headed out with the A riders to avoid some of the crowds. It was a little annoying on the hills, as our strength is hills and that is most people's weakness. Every hill, we'd buzz on by, and then every downhill, they'd pass us. The frustrating part was when they'd pass us on the downhill approach to a hill...and then not move to the right when they started to slow. We had to cross the yellow line a few too many times for my liking.

All in all, it was a fun ride. We did 39 miles at a pace of 17.3 mph...not too shabby!! The weather was gorgeous and the route varied and fun.

Now the debate is whether or not to join a century ride next weekend. Can we do two centuries in two weeks?

How was everyone else's rides today??

[Crankin]

Today was one of my best rides in the last month. I figured out yesterday that I was sick and probably had a sinus infection. So, after getting meds, I felt great. For about 2 weeks i thought I was just burned out on cycling and maybe having asthma issues.
Anyway, we tested out a ride we will be leading 9/17 (me, husband, and 2 other leaders). We rode to our friends' house (4.3 miles) to warm up and then started. This is a "hill climb" ride, through many familiar country roads where I used to ride more frequently. But, the biggest climb was a street that I have never been on; a 3 part hill with little rests in between each part with one stretch probably a good 13-15% grade. The entire climb was about a mile. We tweaked the cue sheet a little and I showed everyone a way to head back that keeps us off of a major road that will be full of "apple pickers" on the day of this ride (people from Boston head out to the "country" and tend to drive very strangely). We got lost a little, but the weather was so gorgeous that I didn't mind. The difference between riding in 80-95 degrees and riding in 68-70 is enormous. Today was like the perfect weather, no body parts hurt, and the scenery was beautiful. The ride was a total of 49.5 miles back to my house. I considered doing another loop around my hill, to get to 50,but, I decided no one cares...

[mimitabby]

back on the tandem for the first time since the RSVP (3 weeks) i'd forgotten how stressful it was.
Someone almost doored us but DH yelled and got out of the way okay.
We rode 25 miles from our home to my husband's office in Lynnwood.

It's not a bad commute for 25 miles, 10 of which are on the burke gilman trail.

[SouthernBelle]

This morning I rode Black Beauty to the LBS to get tweaked and to look at shoes. 25 miles one way. She got tweaked, I got some nice Pearl Izumi Juice shoes. I got a quick lesson on riding clipped and I was off. I think I fell over 4 times. Twice I unclipped on the wrong side. Once I couldn't get unclipped. Once because I was getting so good at it. Several bruises but no blood.

50 Miles.

[7rider]

DH and I did our 40-mile "triathalon loop" this morning. I'm not sure where the loop got that name - a local ride club, I think- but all of our rides have names, and so there it is.
It was hot and sticky, but fortunately the breeze was nice and it was mostly cloudy, so the sun wasn't too bad.
My legs had nothing in them today, perhaps because we did 20 pretty hard miles the evening before and by morning I didn't have much time to recover. I tried not to whine too much, but I was really glad when we climbed our last hill! According to the Garmin, it was over 2400 ft of climbing - a lot by Maryland standards...well, maybe by my standards!

[Kalidurga]

I was really glad when we climbed our last hill! According to the Garmin, it was over 2400 ft of climbing - a lot by Maryland standards...well, maybe by my standards!

Where in MD, Regina?

[7rider]

Where in MD, Regina?

Live in Montgomery County (Silver Spring)...loop was mostly out in Howard County.

[mary9761]

up at 4:30 am to head out the door by 5:30 am head to CIBA Carbos and Caffiene Breakfast Ride. My bike is fixed and I'm going to try for a century today. I hope the rain holds off...
Get to the ride, sign in and find out Marlin is going to be riding SLOW today he says. How slow is SLOW, I ask? 16-18mph. THAT'S SLOW??? I head out and I'm cranking for all I'm worth trying to keep up with the guys. Sheesh, my computer is saying more like 18-20!!!! I keep up with them for a while then I get separated at a turn and they pull away, well, there's no way I can catch them. I'm already pedalling as fast as I can, I've got 30+ miles on my legs already and I'm hauling a 50 pound bike. Get to breakfast and I'm already feeling it in the legs pushing towards a 13mph avg at 42 miles.
I don't have time to actually eat breakfast with everyone else when I get there so I have some ice water and head back out to my bike where I eat half of an egg sandwhich I'd brought from home. We're off again, and I'm pushing again trying to keep up. I get dropped again when I have to stop at a highway they had already gotten across and theres heavy fast traffic. By the time I get to Cicero, I see them heading over the rise into the housing edition. I'm on my own again. I have 52 miles and 13 mph avg finally. My legs are starting to scream so I have to bring down the pace. I've got more hills to climb before I can get back to the park and start point.
By the time I get to Noblesville and stop at the quicky mart all I can think of is getting a pickle for the juice. My legs are starting to really scream at me now and the quads are wanting to cramp. Of course this is the ONE TIME they DON'T have any of the pickles. So I get a tall drink and get back on the bike. It's really starting to look like I'm going to get caught in a rainstorm and I'm only at the 60 mile mark with 40 to get back home. YIKES! Head out to the road and YEP, the skies open. I'm flying down a hill on a busy street hanging on to my handlebars for dear life as it's pouring down rain. I make it to the next turn and at least get off that busy road with the rain.
I end up fighting bands of rain and a couple cloudbursts off and on the last 40 miles home. By the time I get downtown, my legs are ready to revolt, but I've got to get home. I end my day with 101 miles! At least it's not been ungodly hot today even as humid as it was since it was overcast most of the day.
Century #6 of 16 Metrics

[yellow]

Mary, you are so inspirational. I tell many people about you and all you've accomplished.

Is that 6 centuries and 16 metrics? Wowie!

[mary9761]

Mary, you are so inspirational. I tell many people about you and all you've accomplished.

Is that 6 centuries and 16 metrics? Wowie!

Thanks Yellow, actually it's 16 metrics and within those are the 6 centuries. A year ago I'd never dreamed I'd do an imperial century much less 6. I'm not doing as well as I'd like with my weight loss this year since I'm not getting the walking in as well as the riding like last year, but I'm stronger nearly each time I get on the bike. I have 2,379 outdoor miles on the Navigator this year. 4,453.4 on it since 27 July, 2005. I just went to look at my profile at bikejournal.com and realized as of yesterday's ride I now have a total of 6,006 lifetime miles since I started riding last year, that of course includes my indoor mileage. I'm kind of in shock myself