I did a 52 mile Sunday club ride, which I have never done before because of church. This time I made an exception because I needed to get in a long ride before Inland Express in Riverside next weekend, of which I'm doing 50 miles. I also wanted to do something "different" than my usual rides. My two close friends went with me. We all wore pink and many comments were made about that by the guys ... in fun. There were two other women, who are both new to riding, so they were much slower. (Feels kind of nice to be one of the one's waiting for the slower people instead of the other way around!)

Of me and my three friends, if one of us is the weakest, it's usually me, though I can usually hold my own fairly well with them. They usually beat me up hills, while I excel at downhill and flat. Yesterday, I was doing hills right with them and, as it turned out, I was having more energy and strength than both of them. When we headed up our last leg of 9 miles a 1 to 3% grade, they took it easy with the "slow pack" and I ended up with five other guys in the front pack and surprised myself that I was able to hang with them to the end. We did 1750 climbing and I ended up with a 16.4 time, which just thrills me to no end. (My friends were around 14.2).

At the end of the ride, the guys I were with commented on what a good rider I was. I said, "Thank you! I can use all the ego boost I can get!" And they said, "We should call you Super Girl .... or Super Pink!"