my first "event"

[sunrunner]

Oooh, good luck and have fun I'm looking to do my very first event as well in the next few weeks....i'm so nervous....but i'm just going to go and hope to have fun and enjoy the ride....HUGS

[Kano]

What fun!

Rode the Tour today, and it turned out to be any one of several lengths, depending on whose computer we looked at. My computer said it was 31.2 miles, and I rode it at an average of about 11.5mph. Sounds slow, but in spite of Tater's post describing the route as "flat" (and yes, people came out on all kinds of bikes -- one dog rode in a trailer, some kids rode in trailers, etc.) I found the hills. MUCH of the ride was more in the 14-18 mph range, but my speed dropped incredibly whenever I found an invisible hill. The visible ones were worse -- I felt good when I climbed them at 6mph! Earl grumbled a bit that I was slowing down, but I did NOT walk up any of them, and that was good enough for me! The last ten miles or so was a bit slower than the first twenty too -- nothing like getting tired to slow a girl down! It might also have been a little more up hill than on the way out --- we were on the same road for that stretch!

They had three groups -- fast, medium, and slow. We picked the slow group. I think we were pretty much in the middle of that "pack." Earl and I were VERY glad we had our own water when the water had run out before we got to the rest stop (which also had no bathrooms!) Water was hard to find at the post-ride party too -- must be those speedy folks get incredibly thirsty! Plenty of food though!

On the way back to the car -- which was about a half mile "ramble" -- we discovered that our next door neighbor was also on the ride!

EARL'S NAPPING ALREADY! And he thinks I got worn out! That's what he gets for riding on the big ring all the time!!!

Karen in Boise

[Tater]

Hills around Boise?? No way! Glad you had fun! I guess one gal's hill is another's speed bump!

[Kano]

Tater, they MUST have been hills -- people were walking their bikes up 'em! We did have one downhill that I was REALLY glad we weren't going to have to go up on the way back -- woulda killed me...

The invisible hills, though -- they sneak up on you. Those are the long, slow, gradual climbs...

I'll admit: I'm learning to do hills. We live at the top of one, and I can get from bottom to top -- in the granny gear, granted, but I get there!


This was a good ride for me, though -- I can move today! I think that's cuz sometimes, I get tempted, and succumb to the big ring, but I forced myself to stay in the middle range yesterday! I'm guessing that saved my bacon! (oh, wait, I'm riding to get rid of my bacon!)

(We're thinking about the 50 for the Blue Cruise)

Karen in Boise

[Tater]

Wow, they didn't send you guys up Bogus Basin road did they? I thought just rolling around Boise wouldn't be so bad, but it sounded like a bit more of a challenge. Yes, those long, slow gradual hills are such a leg burner!

Hey, cool! I may opt out of the century and do the fifty as well.

[Kano]

Wow, they didn't send you guys up Bogus Basin road did they? I thought just rolling around Boise wouldn't be so bad, but it sounded like a bit more of a challenge. Yes, those long, slow gradual hills are such a leg burner!

Hey, cool! I may opt out of the century and do the fifty as well.

The down hill part that was fun was on the Horseshoe Bend/Hwy 55 portion of the ride. Up hills that had people walking -- at least the folks I saw walking were along the last bit of the trip. Hill Road was on both ends of the trip, same stretch, and it was a LOT easier to ride going out, and I don't think it was just cuz we were fresh! I'm pretty sure Hill Road sneaks up on its way into downtown!

I don't know what ever happened to the pair on the ANCIENT single speed tandem with the noisy chain and flat tires!

You'll probably be in a speedier group than we will be -- we're just not that fast! (Earl keeps yammering at me to go faster, but then he wants me to be able to go farther too. He's got to make a choice. I can go far, or I can go fast. I can't do both and walk the next day!)

Time for a ride! I'll finish reading the forum for today when it's dark and quiet in the house!

Karen in Boise

[Tater]

You'll probably be in a speedier group than we will be -- we're just not that fast! (Earl keeps yammering at me to go faster, but then he wants me to be able to go farther too. He's got to make a choice. I can go far, or I can go fast. I can't do both and walk the next day!)

Yeah, but if you go too fast, you can't see the sights! I've been known to stop and take pics along the way!

Sounds like you are coming along just fine in your stamina!