May 13th ride MOTHER's DAY

[Crankin]

I finally did a longer ride with climbing. As Deb said, it was gorgeous here today, but one of those days when it's hard to tell what to wear. Set out with the cycling friends from their house in Acton and rode to Littleton, up Oak Hill (3 miles of climbing), into Harvard Center. Then we rode into Bolton and did the most difficult part of the ride (Vaughn Hill Rd. and Old Bay Rd.). We stopped for lunch at the top of the most difficult climb and ate our sandwiches sitting by an old barn. This road is so beautiful, you actually feel high up; there's only one or two houses and farms on it and you really feel like you are in Vermont. Then it's down and down for about 5-6 miles until we do another more minor climb. I started feeling a little toasted here. My left hamstring was aching at the start, but I kept it under control by really conserving my energy on the Oak Hill climb, not going more than 8-9 and really spinning easy. I felt good on the big climbs, but after 25 miles or so, the last one got me. Steve and I went ahead of our friends, back into Stow, Boxborough, and Acton. We cheated on the route a little to avoid one last small hill by going out on Rt. 111, which is flat.

38.7 miles, 3500 feet of climbing, a couple of spots at 15%
average 14.01. I was going to commute tomorrow, but it's supposed to be near freezing in the morning, so it will be a leisurely afternoon ride after work.

[Alex]

This morning, DH and one of my LRRH training partners and I rode 62 miles. There was a stiff, gusty breeze at various points during the ride. My friend turned this into quite the hammerfest. I just sat on her back wheel and flew! Here are some pics of the ride, which was along the Great Salt Lake.

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We're hoping that we'll be ready for the century in 3 weeks!

Alex

[Gidiup]

What a great Mother's Day ride today. 27 miles with my oldest son and his friend. It was warm, in the 60's, sunny but windy again. I washed the bikes after, cleaned and greased the chains. Looking forward to the next ride.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I too had a great biking Mother's Day. DH and I did our first all-day-interstate ride. The first time I've ever ridden from home in New York State into another state (Mass.) and back.
Lots of hills going into MA, and it was almost all highway riding. Some parts a bit hairy when the shoulders disappeared and semis blasted past us. But somehow I managed to stay unruffled during it all. I must have dodged about 40 million stones, glass shards, pieces of metal and wood, rusty nails, road kill, branches, you name it, on the shoulders. Really honed my dodging skills.
I also set a new distance record for myself. My most miles up til now was 42 miles in one ride. Today was 52 miles! Funny thing is, I felt better after today's ride than I have after several 40 milers in the past, and actually felt even better than after yesterday's 30 mile ride! Weird. It's pretty good proof to myself that I am getting stronger.
Today's ride was the first of this year's goals for me. I am so happy and tired (in a good way), and i look forward to a day off the bike and at my desk working tomorrow.
The weather was absolutely PERFECT. We stopped on the way home to rest for a minute outside a little country store, and some people walked out eating ice cream cones and said "Hey, if you are a mother you can get a free ice cream cone in there!".....so I DID!

[PinkBike]

DH got back on the bike after 55 days off due to rotator cuff surgery. yoohoo!!

we did the 35 mile church commute today in 103 degree heat with some winds.

yesterday i did the south mountain time time trial, 5.5 miles up the mountain to the towers. it was killer, i've only been up there once but not all the way. the last 1/2 K was steeeeeeeep. DH rode with me out there and did some warm up riding with me so he's jumping right back into it.

i've missed him riding, the ride today was one of those relaxed side-by-side-just-talking kinda rides, we rarely do that, seems like we're always pushing it. this was nice.

[ehirsch83]

I am so happy to be able to read everyone's posts about their rides!

We are getting all the smoke from north florida all the way down here in south florida, and I have asthma- so no cycling for me this week:-( So i then decided to ship my bike out to albuquerque(since I am moving tuesday) then instead of right before I leave on monday. So I haven't had access to my bike all week- keep posting girls! I like reading about your rides, helps me pretend I was out there.

[makbike]

I set out this afternoon to ride the route I plan to use for Friday's club ride. I also took the opportunity to stop and mark the various turns along the way. However, I found myself fighting a head wind and my legs started talking to me very early in the ride. I rode 243 miles this week and I guess they, my legs, were simply trying to tell me they need a break. At the 15 mile mark I decided to turn back for home with the hopes that I would get to enjoy a nice tail wind. I did get most of the route marked and will drive the unmarked portion tomorrow after school. I think I'll stay off the bike for the next couple of days so that my legs can recover for I hope to ride a century on Sunday. In the end today I managed to complete 31 miles.

[jobob]

Today Lee & I went from home across the Dumbarton bridge, through Menlo Park & Atherton up to Woodside. We then took Whiskey Hill to Sand Hill & Portola Rd., then I turned right and went up Alpine Road & headed back. Lee opted out of the climb & headed down Alpine directly.

We met up at the Chain Reaction on Foothill in Los Altos a bit after 1, just in time to see Tracy walking into the Carvell Ice Cream shop with her boys. Mmmm, soft serve. We chatted for a bit while enjoying our ice cream, and soon a friend from bikeforums showed up whom we had yet to meet in person, so that was fun to finally meet him. We chatted some more, during which time five-one, and PABadger and her roomate, all showed up. Tracy was going to see her sister, the others were going to head out on their rides, and Lee and I were going to head for home, so we bid our goodbyes to everyone and set out.

Lee and I headed for home along Casto St. in Mtn View and thru Shorline Park. By then the bay wind had really whipped up! I was still feeling really good, but Lee's allergies were starting to wear him down, so I was able to pull him most of the way home. Since he used to have to pull me all the time, I'm glad to be able to return the favor once in a while ! It was about 68 miles.

I'm really happy with how good I felt today, & how I had no problem attacking the hills - OK, they weren't that steep, but still or riding into the wind. This is the best I've felt since before the headcold from hell.

Kind of makes my crazy Solvang Autumn Double idea on the weekend of my, um, 38th birthday yeah that's it seem a leetle less crazy.

[Popoki_Nui]

I don't get it sometimes. I try to get my sleep and nutrition just right before each ride; sometimes the ride is great, others it's a fight all the way. Today and yesterday -for whatever reason- were absolutely wonderful. Rode from downtown Victoria up the Saanich Penninsula to the beautiful town of Sidney, around CYYJ (Victoria International), back down the Penninsula, along the Victoria waterfront, and back to the truck. It was quite windy, but strangely the wind didn't seem to be a factor. The bike was flawless all day. The weather was neither too warm nor too cool. Everyone was actually obeying trail rules. Vehicles on the highway kept a respectful distance (yet I could still catch a great draft).
Seventy-three enjoyable kilometers on "Geri".