cool breeze - august 19th

[Brandy]

So Pam, when I see you on the 10th, can we check calendars to see when I can ride that hilly loop w/you??? Brandy, you in???

Trac'

What's the plan for July 1st? Could we do it then?

[tprevost]

that'd be fine w/me but we may lose others who are not into hills!

T~

[Brandy]

that'd be fine w/me but we may lose others who are not into hills!

T~

Good point.

[Brandy]

Looks like the earliest that we can roll that day is 6:30 a.m.

[bcipam]

Uh 6:30???? Well I may not be able to start with you guys but hopefully I'll catch you on the flats. Probably the earliest I can start is 7:30, 7 if I really try hard to get out of bed and there is no traffic up to Ventura. But as time draws near we can talk about it.

I realize I may be scaring everyone off with all the hill talk. Brandy I would bet you won't notice the hills so don't fret or worry. If I can recall there are only two fairly significant hills and again for Brandy she will fly right up and hardly notice then (Brandy your issue is going to be downhills so practice those). With my size (yes I admit I'm too "fluffy" and need to lose alot of weight) hills are a struggle although I don't hate them, physics just says I will be slow going up and fast going down.

I do want to keep things in perspective however. As a veteran I consider this ride to have some hills. But the ride also has alot of flats. It's pretty 50/50 hills vs. flats which for most centuries is pretty good. For a newbie, and I think I did way back when, this ride may be hilly and tough in spots. There are 3 maybe 4 long hills (the one into Summerland I recall seems to be the worse) but they are all doable. Just get out there and ride (and I need to take this advice as well) and you'll be fine. All you guys are in great shape. I'm the one that needs to worry!

[tprevost]

Pam,

What are you talking about???? Worry Schmurry, you are in great shape! You didn't even blink at the 42 miler last week and there's 11 weeks between now and then..... just do what you're doing and add a few hills and you'll be just fine.... (see, now the tables are turned!)

Plus there is something to be said for all that experience ya know.... since it's all mental!!! (ducking)

Tracy

ps. It sounds like you need us to give you a wake up call huh? Or, maybe we need to give you a reminder call the night before to go to sleep!!!

[bcipam]

OK so let me tell you about today and you'll see why I am already whinny...

I rode over to the BCI Club ride start. I had planned on helping out with the Newbie ride. Well not really that many newbies and lots of other helpers so I got talked into doing the "blue" - long ride. It was 43 miles and flat. No problem like you said, I did 43 last week without a problem and felt good after.

Well here's the problem - a Club Ride is another animal. Since the ride was flat, it started out fast. The slow folks were averaging 18 - 20 mpg. I burnt out in less than 10 miles and had another 33 to go! I finally fell back into a slower group and another woman and I pretty much did the ride together. She was much slower than I but probably a good thing, it kept me from burning out even farther.

We made it to the coffee stop OK but I had a bad "stand in line" experience (remind me to tell you someday about the guy in line with the cell phone.... grrrr I wanted to kill him!). Most everyone left by the time I got and gulped my ice tea. So back to riding with the slow lady. Since we were on our own we modified the route a bit. Parts of this ride was gorgeous (alot of running along the cliffs above Newport Beach) other parts just miserable. We joked about the fact this was the "anti-newbie" ride. Lots of heavy, scary traffic. We finally made it into Back Bay and stayed on the San Diego Creek trail but the woman wanted to show me another trail and I took it but realize, oh wait... I'm riding away from the staging area not towards. "Oh" she said, "Yeah I rode from home and this path takes me close to my house..." Getting hungry, bonking and cranky, I took my leave of her nice little trail and started back in the direction I needed to go. Around 12:45 I finished my ride (but still had another 6 miles home) . Ended up doing just under 62. I finished absolutely wiped out and done. I'm thinking it was the heat more than anything. I just don't like hot weather. I rather have it in the 40's than the 80's.

Anyway- have a way too go to be ready for Cool Breeze but I have time. I just need to get out and ride. And thankfully Cool Breeze is always, well, cool. Temperates usually no higher than 70.

Right now I'm trying to get all my housework done cause once I sit down... I ain't getting up!!!! Wayne is suppose to call me about doing a MTB ride rtonight and as much as I enjoy his company and like to ride with him, I will have to beg off. My legs are finite for the night!

BTW tomorrow I'm kayaking int he morning and then leading a cub scout troup on a hike int he afternoon. Doesn't that sound like fun????