May 17 rides

[hipmama]

Hard ride here today. Fundraiser for brain tumor research/care programs. Stormed all night last night and we set off at 40 degrees and 25 mph winds. The first 12.5 miles were shared with the folks riding a 25 mile route and when we split I hesitated for a minute but stuck on the 50 mile route, figuring if I had no way out, I'd do it. At that point it much more hilly. I'm super chicken on descents so between the headwinds on uphills and head/cross winds on downhills I was pretty anxious. My two riding partners were sick so I was alone. At some point I saw a marker for the 25 mile route where we had crossed paths again. After some contemplation, I took it. Rounded off at about 35 miles when I finished. Just thinking about the miles I'm kicking myself, but there were some hard climbs I hadn't really expected and I really felt the loss of going at it alone- I made some friends here and there along the way with smalltalk, but it's not the same as pacing with someone or knowing someone will wait if you take a while on a hill... However, I am HURTING right now, so I know I gave it my all and was probably smart to listen to my mind/body.

[woohoo]

Cycled 25miles to the south side of Glasgow, on busy road all the way to test possible commuting times (cycle path is longer). Think it'll be some time before commuting all the way is really practical, but I had a decent ride out today anyway!

[spindizzy]

Hipmama - you did well! Those winds were nasty today - here in Toronto it was 42kph with gusts up to 58. I kept delaying ride - thought it might settle later in the day. Only did a light ride in preparation for a du tomorrow - aluminum bike and bladed spokes - I thought every gust I might end up in the path of a car or the ditch...

[kfergos]

Rode 53 miles from church through "big thigh country" around Harvard and then down south to home. Back roads out there are nice, but all the tree cover seems to have confuzzled my GPS at one point. It actually told me to take a wrong turn, and then waited 0.2 miles before telling me I was astray!

Question: Why did the 1800 feet of climbing (I know, I know some of you girls in Colorado and California do that every morning before breakfast) today feel way harder than the 1800 feet of climbing I did on my 52-mile ride yesterday?! True, I hit a 14% grade today and I think the worst yesterday was 10%, but could that really be all it is? I twice saw a speedy racing team training and riding up those hills I slaved over like they were flat.

I'm all tuckered out despite having a net loss of 450 feet. Tomorrow my commute to work is definitely not going to be the speediest ever.

[Zen]

Question: Why did the 1800 feet of climbing today feel way harder than the 1800 feet of climbing I did on my 52-mile ride yesterday?!

Ummmm....you need a rest day?

[Jiffer]

Did the second of two back to back 75 milers in the Fiesta 150. The first time I've done two long back to back rides. Did surprisingly well. Always fun to push yourself and find out what you're made of. I think I'll try Heartbreak Hundred next weekend with around 8,000 feet of climbing and see if I'm made of even more of the stuff that helped me this weekend!!!

[Crankin]

Kfergos, you feel that way because the hills in Harvard are steep. I used to live in the town next to Harvard, so doing those hills in the beginning of my riding "career" sort of made me think they are normal. But, they are not.
And as far as the racer boys; well my son used to ride up and down, and around Oak Hill/Pinnacle Hill/Woodchuck Hill. He would do the loop 7 times and my husband would do it twice in the same time!
Let me know next time you are out that way. I will take you up Vaughn Hill Rd. and Old Bay Rd. in Bolton .