Madness I tell you!

[smurfalicious]

Oh wow, this bike thing is snowballing fast and I think winter needs to come soon! This is a multi-faceted post, so pay close attention.

Part one: The Ride
Thursday I finally got to make my Lyons ride. I got out way too late because I was kind of up until 4AM the night before. Nonetheless I loaded up and headed off to work to trade out my new U-Lock as my permanent work lock for my cable lock as final destination use lock. I get crazy looks from them, so I can't use their judgment for how far a ride is.

I was feeling pretty good heading out Hwy 36, especially proud when I passed Jay Road and hardly felt like I went that far. I was bummed as I crested a small hill to see that Lyons was still 12 miles away. What! Only 6 miles under my belt? Noooo!

The heat was starting to get to me and I was draining water bottles fast. I kept over shifting into my big ring so I stopped and drank, downed a gel and kept motoring. I really wanted to call it a day at Nelson Road but "Neva Rd" which I thought was Nelson from a distance seemed like a "sign."

I did wuss out and walk part of a hill. That would be the point when totally hot boy passes and asks if I need anything. "More training," I replied, when really I wanted his number. I must say though it seemed every time I stopped, some cutie passed and offered assistance. So sweet, here I thought most roadie men were jerks.

Water bottles running on fumes, and chain off again I saw a truck pull into a driveway so I followed him and got water. We talked hay for a while, he asked about my bike, I washed sweat off my face. He said Lyons was only 3.5 miles, hurray!

Back on the road I met my reward, one sweet downhill. Shift, shift, shift and zooooom! I was a little scared in the drops, but I did it anyway. I figured I looked pretty cool to the passing cars, so that helped. Riding with an audience is weird after all the mountain biking in my past.

As I dropped into Lyons I let out a few victory cries. Silly, maybe, but I felt awesome! I made a quick photo stop, and dropped into a bike shop to borrow a wrench to move my saddle back. The owner and I BSed for a bit before I took off to Oskar Blues. A burger and a few beers as well as water bottle refills were just the ticket.

Unfortunately on the ride home I got the splitting head ache. I drank water like a fish, even at the bar. Must have been heat, or not enough food, or not enough salt. Either way it sucked. Insult to injury I decided to avoid that big hill on the way back, even though in retrospect the rest of the ride would have been mostly downhill. I took an alternate route that accidentally added 10 miles to my ride. Whoops! I went through Longmont and back down to south Boulder. When I got on 119 I wanted to cry when I saw "Boulder 10" knowing I was a few miles south. Every stupid bump hurt my head, steel frame and all, and I still can't figure out the bike route from 119 south so I had some back tracking to do.

I slept very well that night. Half expected headlines in the Daily Camera to read "Out of shape fat girl rides 45 miles, pees on side of road." I must say the random sunflowers I kept seeing on the roadside helped, my own little slow as can be TdF.

Part two: The Surprise
I came home from work last night and as I was wheeling my bike into the garage my roommate peeked out the window. I paused, a little confused. "Don't forget to thank the girls across the street for your new mountain bike in there," he called out.

WHAT!? Noo, nooo, nooo! Sure enough there's an old Gary Fisher Aquila in dark forest green awaiting me. They know my weaknesses. Unfortunately she needs tons of love. Missing a front tire, beat to death old Judy fork, grip shifters, mile long bar and stem, the list goes on. Of course the old lime green Rock Shox Sid would look hot on it.

I'm using the force right now because it looks too big for me, and the reviews I've seen say the geometry sucks. Seems to have come out right before the change to Genesis Geometry. Oh well, maybe this winter, but not now.

Part three: The Challenge
Last night I put my registration fee where my mouth is and registered for the Colorado Tour de Cure for diabetes. My grandma died of diabetes related complications so it means a lot to me. I signed up for the freegin metric century but they said I could wuss out and do the 50k. Might be a better place to start, but still a good goal to shoot for.

Anyway, you can read the whole story on my page:

http://main.diabetes.org/goto/hill

And on that note...

Part four: The sleeping

[ClockworkOrange]

Oh wow, that was so exciting to read, thanks for sharing.

As I dropped into Lyons I let out a few victory cries. Silly, maybe, but I felt awesome!

Noooooo, definitely not silly, can so understand and they are the fantastic moments of being on a bike, regardless of how far or quickly you can ride.

Lovely to read.

Clock

[SouthernBelle]

Outstanding. Makes me want a burger and a beer. Check out mapmyride.com for future new routes. You can map, check out altitudes, etc.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

very nice...I am living vicariously through your story as I'm still too quesy to ride. Probably should put some electrolytes on that bike next time. And I could almost taste the frostiness of the beer...mmmm beeeerrrrrrr....

Now if they made a beer with electrolytes in it already..hmmmm...

[snapdragen]

Great write up smurf! I love reading your posts, please keep it up.

[Geonz]

Whew!!! Madness indeed

They look hotter when it's hot... they sitll might be jerks Hate the headaches!!!

[Blueberry]

Half expected headlines in the Daily Camera to read "Out of shape fat girl rides 45 miles, pees on side of road."

Smurf - Hate to tell you, but you don't seem to qualify as fat or out of shape Glad your trusty steed is now carrying you on long rides - maybe you can trade the new "project" at a coop or something for a bike that will work better for you?

CA

[beccaB]

Beer? Someone said Beer ! Where's the beer? I want Beer! I cut back 'cause it was making me fat.

[SouthernBelle]

Beer? Someone said Beer ! Where's the beer? I want Beer! I cut back 'cause it was making me fat.

That's what lite beer is for.

[BarbaraAlys]

SouthernBelle wrote: That's what lite beer is for.

EWWW! Lite Beer is not beer.

Barbara

[beccaB]

Beer should taste like something besides p*ss, which is why I like microbrew, the hoppy kind that makes your hair stand on end! Also, a nice wheat beer that you can't see through!

[Geonz]

And how do you know what piss tastes like?

(I also prefer beer I can taste )

[beccaB]

very funny

[ClockworkOrange]

And how do you know what piss tastes like?

Love it!

Clock

[SouthernBelle]

And how do you know what piss tastes like?

(I also prefer beer I can taste )

I, personally, have never tasted it. But I have heard stories about what is occasionally in the bottles that racers throw aside after they have taken a moving nature break.