September 16th rides

[GLC1968]

Thought I'd start this today while our ride is still fresh in my mind.

Today was day two of our MS150. We did 104 miles yesterday and 45 miles today (so it's an MS149...so shoot me ).

It dawned quite cold this morning. 51 degrees as we headed out! I was wondering what smart-alec replaced my normal saddle with a stone one, but luckily it 'softened' a bit as we rode. The best part about the ride? The cool temps and the awesome rest stop food...the worst part? Yesterday's wind had changed direction and we rode all 45 miles into it! Seriously, how's that for luck? Yesterday we rode predominantly in an east-west direction into a headwind almost all day. Today we do the return trip and the stupid wind shifted on us. So not fair!

Anyway, we really didn't take much time to enjoy this ride. It was just about getting the miles done and getting home. Head down, legs moving, and sucking up the pain.... Blech.

All in all - 45 miles, just under 16 mph (slower than the century? holy cow!) and 2000 ft of climbing.

Oh, and most importantly, our team has raised over 25K for the MS Society so far!

[Blueberry]

Very cool! (no pun intended)

We had fingers crossed for you with the rain - looks like it stopped just in time

Glad your ride was good - but sorry about the headwind - that sucks!

CA

[RoadRaven]

Just a little ride for me on Sunday (its Monday here ) to get rid of the lactate from yesterdays hills.

Just on 20km over false flats and rolling hillocks... nearly an hour to do as I was in active recovery mode.

My legs really needed to unwind.

Impressive ride GLC, spesh after reading about Saturdays one! And congrats on the impressive fund-raising!

[PinkBike]

good job, GLC! feels good knowing you've done it, doesn't it?!

today was the weekly church commute, 34 miles, you knowwhat they say about riding in the back - the view never changes. in this case i dont mind one bit! (it's DH)

[short cut sally]

today's ride was our post-century ride so what was going to be around 20 turned into 40. The plan all along was that our DH's were going to go, we've never rode as a couples before. We met at 9am, 45degrees, sunny. I planned the ride, thinking it was fairly flat with rolling hills and about 20 miles..okay, i am not a topographic expert (even though I stop and ask directions). I had enough of the hills at mile 20, then they eased up. We had a blast despite the fact that the guys thought we were trying to kill them.

[Fredwina]

I did about 30 miles.
what's worse than hills, or wind? how about both combined! Still, a great day to be out and about.

[Starfish]

what's worse than hills, or wind? how about both combined!

LOL, hills, wind AND pouring rain here today. No ride for me today.

[CindyVA]

I did a short ride today but it was a "victory" because I was tired, TOM and cranky. The hardest part was getting ON the bike! LOL.

I went 7.3 miles but I averaged 13.3 mph.

I feel much better.

You know what they say "Hills make you tired, headwinds make you mean!!!"

Cindy

[mudmucker]

I was gonna do Wachusett Mt., (highest peak in MA east of the Connecticut River (all of 2006' MSL) - park off somewhere in Princeton/Westminster to have a few miles warmup, elevations around 600', and then go take the access roads up to the top. It's hawk migration right now and I was going to bring my binoculars and join the birders that I know would be at the top. Ten minutes before leaving I got a phone call from friends saying they were passing through in two hours and how about a visit. So I said ok. So I stayed around my area and climbed some hills near me, about 2400' in 17 miles. It was a beautiful day without any wind and the sun was very warm. I'll table Wachusett for now, and maybe save it for when the autumn colors start in and still be able to catch a kettle of hawks.

[michelem]

About 55 miles with about 4500 feet of climbing. It started out foggy and chilly, but the fog quickly burned off and it was very pleasant weather-wise. Yay for fall approaching! It was a fun ride with great scenery - for those that know the area - home (Folsom) to E. Natoma to Green Valley to Salmon Falls to Highway 49 to Lotus Road to Green Valley to Ponderosa to Meder to Cameron Park Road to Green Valley and back home. Whew!

[emily_in_nc]

No riding today (rode yesterday) but a lovely 7-mile hike at a state park on this gorgeous day in central NC. It was coolish, breezy, and felt like fall!

Emily

[maryellen]

75 mile organized ride (Golden Apple in Westchester County). Great ride but I really wasn't up to the "rolling" hills. Used the granny gear on my hybrid more on one day than I ever have before.

This is also the longest I've riden since the accident in August 06. So feeling happy but also wiped out!

[7rider]

Today was my favorite kind of day....a multi sport day.
DH and I started out the day doing the LBS sunday shop ride...I rode with the B-group, DH road with the A-group. I did 30 miles at 17.1 mph...a bit slower that the recent past, but when DH and I got up this a.m. at 7, it was 43 out! Time to pull out the knickers and arm warmers!
But, the day warmed up to a pleasant 70-something. Beautiful blue skies and plentiful sunshine.
DH and I then met up a little later in the afternoon with KaliDurga and DivingBiker of the DC/TE team and did a little bit of kayaking at Black Hills Regional Park in the Gaithersburg area of MD. DB had just bought a new kayak, so this was it's maiden voyage. By all accounts, it did very well (as did DB! ). It was a great paddle.
Then...to top it all off in fantabulous fashion, DB and KD put on a wonderful picnic spread to celebrate a certain someone's 40th b'day <<cough, cough>>. Wow. It was great, and I just can't get over the wonderful folks I have met here on TE forums. Thanks, you guys. You rock.

[crazycanuck]

I keep forgetting you guys drive/bike on the other side of the road, going the opposite direction.

Gee i'm going to have fun the next time i have to drive in Canada.. I'll let Ian drive & i can navigate ...

C

[indigoiis]

Howdy,

Yesterday was the last long training ride I did before My First Century (doesn't that sound like something you get from Toyz-R-Us?) next weekend. I mapped it out beforehand to include as many hills as I could, as My First Century will be a flat one.

We started out at 7:30 and got out of the neighborhood and headed North for fifteen miles, over two long-grade hills. I kept the pace as slow as I could, considering it was 44 degrees out and I was wearing shorts, and desperate to get warm. My hands and feet and neck and legs were chilly on the downhills, to say the least. I had worn an underlayer under my jersey and I am glad I did. Mister Indy wore legwarmers and I am getting me a pair.

Then we headed West into the hills of NW RI and crossed the border. This road was full of some nice little sharp rolling hills, so I got lotsa practice in a gear shifting issue I was having. The problem I was having involved going down a long hill, then immediately hitting a new hill. I wasn't shifting efficiently to deal with that. So I worked out a solution that I am sort of happy with and have those little hills to thank.

We stopped at a scenic graveyard in Killingly, CT at mile 25 or so and had a banana. It was warmer at that point. Then we came down into Oneco and pulled off at a general store to check the maps. While we were doing that, a woman on a bike came up and started talking to us and asked us if we wanted to join their ride (going in the other direction.) We told her we'd join them some other time. She warned us of another hill coming up on our ride, "Oneco Hill." "Oh, you guys have to do Oneco Hill. Good luck." Heading off, I had a moment of dread thinking of this upcoming hill, and pressed on.

Well, I never saw this hill she was talking about. Sure, leaving Oneco, there was a hill, but if she wants hills, all she has to do is go to the bottom of my road.

We continued on down one of the prettiest highways in Eastern CT, past cornfields and cows and wood and dale, and on a downhill averaged 25-28 mph according to the computer, which I don't always trust. Lunch was at the state forest with these wicked cool new composting potties. I was quite impressed. It is a beautiful picnic area, very well kept. There's a water pump there where I filled up my bottles but the joke is, if you do drink the water there, you end up somehow pregnant with your cousin's child. So I was a little hesitant.

We continued on down and around back into Southern RI where hills 5-1 (in the top ten list) reside. I knew this because I planned the ride, and so I was ready for it. Having last week had so many issues at mile 52, I had swapped out my shorts for a thinner pair, prepared with plenty of good carbs in my system, and done neck and shoulder stretches all week in anticipation. I took it easy and up I went. Hill five. Done. Four. Now four is a hill with a hill within it. It goes up, levels out, goes up, and then comes down but then not ALL the way down - it goes up again and then down. In a car, this is where one can pick up 95 and so there are lots of exit and entrance areas and park and rides and the road is wide and busy. So you can't just putz along. That was a tough one but I did it. Hill 3 was nothing. Hill 2 lasted for ten minutes. It is a loooooong uphill leading out of Hopeless Valley. I also know this one as it is part of my shorter training route, but after 65 miles, it's a different story. I think it is three miles long or something. It's not that it is particularly steep, it just goes on and on. So I just went on and on. And the reward was a quick flight down into the hollow, and finally, up the last hill, the hill at my road, the F-U hill of all hills, with three switchbacks and a surprising last steep pitch that I usually think to myself, I'm gonna walk now. Well, I downshifted til there was nothing left, and I stood up. My legs felt like jelly, but I was determined to get up the hill. Finally, I was done with it, and got on the gravel road to home. Whoo hoooooo!!!!

5 hours not including lunch.
Av. speed 14-15. Av. speed on hills 8-10 mph according to Mister Indy. I didn't dare look.

Today I feel like not getting on the bike. I might later.

Indy