My Birthday Ride

[channlluv]

As some of you know, I was planning on 45 miles for my 45th birthday. I've been prepping for a couple of days, getting the electrolyte powder ready, making sure the extra thick padding shorts are clean, that sort of thing.

D*H the manly-man cyclist's version of foreplay: he cleaned and lubed my chain, cleaned the wheels, installed new handlebar grips and new squishy gel tape on the extenders. Happy birthday to me!

So I get up at 6:30 and I'm at the lake at 7:30, half an hour earlier than I'd planned. It was cool and a little foggy, but surprisingly warm, so I left off my jacket and hit the road. Two laps zipped by and I was into my third when I realized I was already halfway through and making good time.

On the back-again side of lap four, a young woman running actually passed me on a hill. I cheered her all the way up. She was running 11mph up a hill. I told her she rocked and cheered for her at the top like she was crossing an Olympic finish line. She wished a good day and we saw each other a couple more times and smiled and waved as we passed each other. (Thankfully, it was always in opposite directions.)

I stopped after the third lap to refill my water bottle - the sun had come out by then - then did two more laps. Now, at that point, I was at 40 miles and feeling good. I texted D*H to let him know I was on my last lap, refilled my water bottle again, and headed back out for my five-mile loop to my final goal.

At Lake Miramar, it's a five-mile loop all the way around the lake, but just shy of mile 4, they've got a turn around, so I ride to the turnaround and back and that's my lap. Eight miles each.

I had planned to just keep going, but when I got there, I was feeling pretty good still, so I turned around and headed back again.

I was feeling all squishy and proud of myself, and I did my little happy dance as the odometer clicked over at 45 miles, and as I looked up - I kid you not - here comes Woman in Black. And this is the first time I've seen her from the front (last week she just blew past me like I was standing still several times), and she's pretty. Really pretty. It's like the Universe was just thwacking me in the ego.

I tried to remember what someone on the board last week said about her having her own problems, but man, she sure doesn't look like she's got a care in the world. She's probably got an MBA and I'm sure her uterus works just fine.

Okay, enough whining. I will not let this envy thing get me down today.

I was aiming for 45 miles and I did 48. I so totally rock.

I'm icing my knees as I write this, but I'm off to my writing group meeting, and then maybe to dinner tonight.

My new mantra: goroxygoroxygoroxygo!

Roxy

[Tri Girl]

WOO HOO!!!!
Congrats, Roxy!!! Sounds like it was a WONDERFUL day!!! Way to go!

[callmej]

what a great accomplishment for your 45th - you rock!

[Medianox]

Whew! Sounds like a great time...I'll have to keep that goal in mind (1 mile for every year) as I am homing in on 50 in a year or two and that would be fun. As it is, last month I rode 21 miles on the 21st for my birthday...
Wish we had a nice area or park to ride in here, we do have a MUP but it isnt very long and it gets a little boring doing short laps on it.
Best Birthday wishes for a happy riding year ahead!

[ridenread]

GoRoxyGoRoxyGoRoxyGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!Congratulations on accomplishing your goal and then some.

[redrhodie]

Happy Birthday! You did it! Go Roxy!

Now, about that lady...pretty is as pretty does. Remember that the next time you help someone in need.

[azfiddle]

Way to go!

[OakLeaf]

GoRoxyGoRoxyGoRoxyGo! Happy birthday.

[solobiker]

Way to go!! And Happy B-Day to you

[mtbdarby]

Atta Girl Roxy! What a fantastic acomplishement and birthday present rolled into one. Keep working on that voice in your head and reprogram her to only saying loving things.

Way to go!

[tjf9]

Great job!!!! and Happy Birthday!!!!

[sbctwin]

goroxygoroxygoroxygo!
YEA!!!
You rock!!!
What else can I say. You have done yourself good, and you have encourage all of us who are down in the dumps about our riding accomplishments this year...
goroxygoroxygoroxygo!

Oh, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[Chile Pepper]

Congratulations and happy birthday! Great story.

[Reesha]

Happy birthday! In your honor, here is a bicycle related dino comic:

[channlluv]

Reesha, you crack me up.

mtbdarby, I agree -- really need to work on my internal critic.

And thanks everyone else, for the good wishes. It really was a good day all around. We went out to my favorite restaurant for dinner - Chevy's, and they've got some new salads and I tried one, then we went out for frozen yogurt instead of birthday cake (we have one of those new serve-yourself places in the strip mall across the street - I had chocolate, vanilla, and Nilla Wafer flavor with M&Ms and Ghiradelli chocolate chips).

When I got home and looked at the mail on my desk, there was a package from a friend of my dad's with some pictures of him when he was a hot young musician in the 70s, and one of him and his favorite dog, Misty, who passed a few years ago (he's got terminal cancer and he's on the opposite side of the continent from me, so this was a great gift), and a birthday card from my mom with a great big ol' check in it. Thanks, Mom!

And not to get too personal, but let's just say D*H turned into DH. I hope this lasts a bit. I like having him around.

Today I'm going to work on a list of goals I want to accomplish this year. I keep putting it off, but it's time. I figure I'm halfway through my life. My grands and great-grands on my mom's side mostly lived into their late 80s and 90s. I've got a great grandfather - Elgin Ward - who lived to 104, when he was killed walking into town because he was hit by a car or a truck - I need to get the story again.

Anyway, thanks, everyone, for the good wishes and all the love and support that you share with everyone here. I really do love this community.

Roxy