I did my second group ride on Saturday with our local club. There were two routes offered--one a fifty-mile out and back and the other a 100-mile loop of the entire city. I opted for the 50 since I'm still working up to a century.

Getting up and out of the house by 7:00 a.m. was less than a challenge than I thought it was be. I made it to the ride well in time and got to see a beautiful sunrise en route. The weather forecast called for sunny and a high of 82. It looked to be (and was) a perfect day for a ride.

On a personal note: After I signed in, I saw my ex for the first time since we (amicably) broke up a month ago. Given that he's an avid cyclist, I knew it was just a matter of time before I saw him at a ride, but I was rather nervous about how it would go. Thankfully, we had a very pleasant exchange. When we first split, we talked about preserving a friendship--after allowing ourselves time to regroup. I don't normally go for that, but I truly value him as a person and really hope so. He's the one that inspired me to start cycling in the first place and, if nothing else, I miss sharing my cycling stories with him. Anyway, it was good (but a little sad) to see him.
Once the ride started, however, I thankfully had other things to think about!

I went to the ride by myself, but quickly found a group that didn't seem to mind having someone else tag along. I was glad to have the company. We were dealing with a fair amount of traffic, and there was definitely strength in numbers. Having ridden most of the last month or so exclusively in the country, I wasn't lovin' the traffic. The last five miles or so before the SAG, however, got better. Less traffic and prettier scenery.

I got a chance to introduce myself to the group at the SAG. Everyone was so friendly; I really appreciated their "open arms." Unfortunately, most of the them was doing the century and our routes diverged from there.

Thankfully, though, one of the guys in the group (Jeff) was doing the 50, too, We were soon joined at the SAG by his girlfriend Tracy (they'd accidentally gotten separated during the ride) and the three of us agreed ot ride the rest of the route together. After chatting for a bit and getting refueled, we started back.

The return route included a 7-mile loop along the perimeter of Eagle Creek Park. We encountered a few hills and then took a detour for more. All three of us are doing the Hilly Hundred in October and needed the practice--although the "hills" in Indy aren't exactly challenging. Nevertheless, I worked on my technique (most of which I "learned" by reading TE posts). I found that scooting my butt back in the saddle really helped. I was able to stay in the middle ring the whole time. Knowing that I still have my granny gears makes me feel a lot better about the Hilly.

The three of us stayed together the whole way back, chatting here and there. We weren't much of a paceline since Tracy and I are both nervous about "sucking" someone's wheel, but we each took turns pulling and Jeff coached us a bit on drafting. They were both impressed at how well I was doing, given how little time I've been riding. That made me feel really good!

By the time we finished, I'd done just about 55 miles. That's my longest ride to date. I was tired, but I still had some energy left. I think it's just a matter of time before I tackle my first century! I really appreciated Jeff and Tracy's kindness. They made the ride a lot more fun and since I'm sure to see them at other rides, it would appear that I've made some new friends.