July 12 rides

[HappyTexasMom]

Rode up to Tempe Town Lake and up part of the greenbelt in Tempe/Scottsdale. I went 21 miles, which is the farthest I've ridden since I was a teenager. It was over 90 when I left and around 100 when I returned. I stayed cool (enough) by drinking lots and stopping to wet down bandanas for my head and neck. It was a nice ride, but I look forward to doing it when it's cooler. I wanted to stop and sit for a while by the lake, but didn't feel like I could take the time with the temps rising. Once it hits 100 it's close to game over for me. Don't think I'll be increasing my mileage much until it cools off here (around October...boo).

This was my first ride out since I put road tires on my MTB. *Boy* did that make a difference!

[Skierchickie]

Had a great MTB ride with a friend, for about 9 miles. Then I sprained my ankle (feels really bad) flying over the handlebars. Still not sure what happened, but it involved an easy section of smooth singletrack, a tree, and possibly a branch I may have swerved to miss, and then overcorrected afterward? Anyway, this tree was only maybe 3-4" in diameter, but came up to maybe around handlebar height and bent back 90 degrees, parallel with the trail. All I can figure is that I swerved slightly, came back over too far, knocked my handlebars on the bent-back trunk, and hit the base of the tree with the side of the front wheel. All I know is I was airborn with both feet clipped in. My friend was the one who noticed the front wheel ended up on the wrong side of the tree. As it turns out, SPD pedals aren't really designed to release from that angle (straight forward / up) - it felt like I tried to rip my foot off. Fortunately, there was a way out to the road that was mostly downhill, since I could not pedal, and also my friend knows those trails really well. Glad I wasn't alone.

No biking for me for a while. Or running. Not sure about swimming. And my only tri of the summer is in 3 weeks. Waaaaa! I most upset about the great road biking season I'm having.

At least I didn't cry.

[JH-NV]

Just got back from MTB ride with hubby (my b-day ride) today. Just went along river path, entering on the path, we had to wait for a black and white snake to sliver by! It was pretty, like a train going by.

[TrekTheKaty]

Tri Girl: Waterfall. Good one

Skierchickie: So sorry about your ankle. I'll remember that--spd's don't unclip when wrapped around a tree

Today was a compromise ride. I wanted to go long, but was too lazy to get up and drive anywhere. DH wanted to ride from the house, ie. hilly. I wasn't in the mood for the gravelly Katy Trail, so we headed out on the road.

DH promised if I made it up my new nemesis hill, it got better on the other side (I interpreted this as "flatter"--apparently he meant "rolling"). He lied. Curse words flew. However, my only option was to turn around and head back--but I'd come up with a very short ride. So I switched to my granny gear, waved him by and dropped to a snail's pace. "You call it rolling--I call 'em HILLS!" At some point I dropped into the zone--wind in my hair, some pretty countryside and the downhills ARE fun The next thing I know, we crest the hill in St. Paul, MO--with a view of the big, old, beautiful church and DH just ahead of me. I was so happy, and wanted a pic--but in the end, no energy to reach for the camera

I wanted french fries, but it looked like town was still in church--so we split some jelly beans. On the way home, I made it up a hill that I had walked twice before. DH swung back and reported the girl on the tri bike that just passed me rocked the big hill in her big chainring while down in her aero bars--"Yes, she's a stud! And you're point?" And it was DH who swung into McDonald's with 8 to go to the house! Once home, I got a hug and "I'm proud of you!" Yeah, Ok--sorry I called you a d@#$ liar 3400 ft elevation gain over 30 miles--they do a century out there. Are they nuts?

[ridenread]

A beautiful New England day, it still doesn't feel like summer but it was perfect riding weather.

I did 50.15 miles, my furthest ride yet. Now I just need to be able to do it twice by mid September when I do my first century. I felt good , my left shoulder is now a bit sore though. I need to get some ice on it I think.

If it took me just under 3.5 hours to ride 50 can I expect to me able to do 100 in 7 hours?

[Fredwina]

Tri Girl:
I took detour from my usual route home from chruch to take some photos on rt 66:


the lamp lights up at night: see here
Then I roode across route 66:

I tried to take some photos of the plaque, but no luck(see here). I was going to take some photos of the inn, but my batteries ran out. There's always next week

[pfunk12]

This weekend was all about short, faster rides for me. I'm a single mom with 2 girls so when my girls are with me for the weekend, I don't spend much time on the bike. So I missed the long group rides with 7rider. When the girls are with their dad (every other weekend), I can stay on the bike as long as I like. To be honest, I don't think they even care if I go out for a really long ride but I always have mother's guilt. They always tell me to have a great ride and when I come home, they always ask me how my ride was. So although I didn't get do as much mileage as I would have liked, I spent more quality time with them. And I felt really, really strong on the bike. I felt like I was flying and it was easy.

[sundial]

I'm back in the saddle so to speak and did 18 miles. It was overcast so it was a nice early morning ride on a July morning.