Red's First Loooong Ride

[Red Haired Girl]

Well, finally rode for more than 20 miles yesterday. The weather wasn't all that nice, but then it is October...cold temps in the low 50's (okay, I admit I'm a wimp), cloudy with a 30% chance of rain. After an initial trip to the Post Office to mail some bills (yucko! ) I ran by the house to put on a sweatshirt (Michigan State, Go Green!) and then I was off on the main portion of the ride.

My plan was to ride out for about an hour and then turn around and come home, a simple, easy two hour spinning ride. Just trying to put some miles under my legs and time in the saddle for my tuckus.

Well, I reached the far point of my route in just over an hour (hey, the one hour turn around wasn't carved in stone!). Unfortunately, that's also when it started to rain! A cold, nasty rain - thankfully it wasn't a driving, pouring rain, more a heavy drizzle. So my hopes of having my ride fit into the 70% of the day that didn't include rain was shot. And of course it happened at the far point of my ride!

Made the turn and started to press on home, and spent the next hour getting wet. Not at all pleasant, at least physically. Also discovered that after 20+ miles the saddle gets REALLY uncomfortable. Any suggests all y'all have to minimize that condition would be greatly appreciated! I also ran out of energy at about the same point - guess I should have packed some energy food, no? Again, any suggestions as to what makes a good energy food on a bike would be greatly appreciated (a friend suggests fig newtons).

Thirty-one miles after leaving the house I pulled into Flynne's Coffee Shop in downtown Southern Pines. Yep, I planned my route with a refueling stop! Spent a couple of hours there sipping espresso, talking to Flynne, and meeting new friends (well, I hope they'll become friends). Oh, also got recharged with carbohydrates (walnut biscotti and chocolate milk).

Seeing as it was still raining when I had to leave (yep, for some reason Flynne wanted to close shop and go home...), I called the son to get my car (the one with the bicycle rack) and come fetch me. Rotten child has a life of his own, and wasn't home. So, it was once more into the breech, er, rain, and off I went. For another five and a half miles. However, this part was much easier than the last five miles of the main portion of the ride.

So, yesterday's somewhat soggy total? A grand total of 36.63 miles! Oh, and I don't feel sore or stiff today (well, not much!).

Thought of this song while I was getting my cold, god-given shower...with apologies to the Beetles:

She's got a ticket to ride,
She's got a ticket to ri-ide...
She's got a ticket to ride,
And she don't care!
That baby don't care!

Later that night, after a shower and dinner...I realized I missed being on the bike, rain, burning thighs, and all. Coming down from a ride well and truly sucks, no?

Red Lara

[Bikingmomof3]

Congrats Red on your long, yet soggy ride.

[uforgot]

Later that night, after a shower and dinner...I realized I missed being on the bike, rain, burning thighs, and all. Coming down from a ride well and truly sucks, no?

Red Lara

I've noticed that too. After a long ride, I feel great and my mood is too. I feel like I can take on anything life dishes out. I don't get that same feeling after a long exercise session, just after riding. Wonder why?

[Aggie_Ama]

Congrats on the long ride!

For the saddle- it may be that you just need to adjust to riding more. You may need a new saddle. There are tons of threads about people's saddle woes. My personal experience is I just had to get my sit bones acclimated. I used to whine about my saddle all the time, then I started to complain less as the miles added up.

Fig newtons are a cheap way to get more energy. I like to carry Sport Beans and Luna bars on the longer rides. I usually have one 24 oz Polar bottle with water and one 20 oz Polar bottle with NUUN (sugar free electrolyte replacement). Sometimes on my weeknight rides I carry a few newtons in a baggy.

[Cassandra_Cain]

Ha - nicely done chica

I remember you telling me about doing little 7,8 mile rides and here you are going well past 30. Muy bien - well done!

Ironic isn't it? How riding in the rain (provided it isn't too heavy or cold) can be rather soothing.

Look forward to more rides!

[Red Haired Girl]

Bikingmom, thank you! Soggy it was, but fun none the less!

As for the come down, I'm guessing biking is stressful enough to produce the endomorphins we all crave, but not enough to wipe you out physically (or maybe it's just being out there with nothing else to worry about?).

Agreed probably the best medicine for the saddle will be more time on the thing! Sport Beans? What are those? But Luna Bars on my shopping list.

Thanks CC! Encouragement is always welcome!

Looks like today will be a repeat, weather-wise, of yesterday...not sure if I'll ride or not.

[Mimosa]

Well done!

And that high? Well that's one of the reasons I like cycling so much, at the end of the ride I feel like I have no more worries in the world and feel totally refreshed .... until you sit down with some sandwitches and a cuppa tea and your body switches of for the power nap

About the saddle, what some people suggest is looking into a short with thicker padding.

And that luna bar sounds like a good thing to carry with you. What I normally do before a 2hr ride is eat some extra food like a couple of sandwitches or bowl of cereal. But not everybodies stumach is able to keep food down close before an excersise. And if the ride is longer 3+ hrs I take along an energy bar to be eaten after 2hrs of riding.

[Aggie_Ama]

Agreed probably the best medicine for the saddle will be more time on the thing! Sport Beans? What are those? But Luna Bars on my shopping list.

Sport Beans are a little piece of heaven for those of us that like them! They are jelly beans that replenish electrolytes and provide a little kick. I pick them up at my local Walgreens. They are usually $1.00 a pack, so I watch for a sale.

The LemonZest Luna bars are great. The taste like a lemon sandwich cookies.

[BeeLady]

Congrats on your long ride. Haven't had to deal with rain yet and you'll be my inspiration during my first soaker. Cycling and overcoming challenges -- an awesome way to live!

I drink chocolate milk after my rides - the protien and carb mix is suppose to help recovery from the ride. During my only long ride I used the energy gel (Cliff shot) and I could tell a difference. Was a 36-mile ride and with the hills and horrible head wind (and my 35-lb bike!) it took me four hours. The gel (I had two over the course of the ride) really kept me going. SInce they're small and lite I carry one with me most of the time but haven't really needed one if my ride is only an hour or so. (Twenty miles with rain and cooler temps would definitly qualify as a ride deserving some carb input during the ride!)

Hope your next ride is a dry one!