Now my boyfriend is trying to convince me that I should do the 55 instead of the 35. Yeah right! I'm not that crazy...yet. I'd much rather be successful at the shorter ride, and encouraged to try longer ones later, than miserable because I pushed myself too far, too fast.
Sounds like a good plan! Stick to the 35 and be happy at the end of it all!


I've also realized that I have a frustrated racing instinct. I keep wanting to be able to pass people, to be really speedy, and am a little bummed, because I've read that you are at a big disadvantage when you're really small...and there are fewer who are smaller than me...Oh well. I am still pretty slow up hills, more because of my asthma than anything else...it's just a little distracting to feel your throat close up...I'm going to try to start taking my preventative asthma medicine to see if it can improve things for the "big ride". And maybe when I'm in better shape, that'll let up because it'll take more to make me exert myself.
Now, I am not sure about the asthma... and I am sure that will always be a road block for you... but your size... it NOT against you!

There is this lady who rides on some of the group rides I go on.... and I know she is under 5 feet tall. I think she rides a kids sized bike. But she is as FAST as the men... and she races as well. So... "it's not the size of the dog... but the size of the fight in the dog"! Not to mention, you have less to carry up those hills!