The 50 miles fit right in with my overall training plan for my Little Red 100 mile event in June. I was really looking forward to having a riding partner since most of my long rides are solo.
We pre-registered and got our event bracelets, showing that we signed the liability waiver. No responsibility parties here, people.
Our start time was a totally reasonable 8 AM. We pedaled over from my house and found the starting line. At 7:50 it was apparent that there was little organization so we headed out, avoiding the crowd of departees. Crowds = wrecks.
The weather was perfect, the signs with arrows were plentiful and easy to follow. We tooled along at around 16 mph, getting passed by pelotons of riders, male and female. My competitive streak was taking a beating, but Brooke kept me at bay, thus allowing me to not burn myself out trying to jump on to a crazy train out of pride. See why having a riding partner is a wise idea? We soon found ourselves at the 25 mile rest stop.
There were porta-potties and scouts handing out homemade peanut butter and honey sandwiches. We skipped the sandwiches, stretched our legs, and got our feet wet in the swampy grass. I knew there was a reason none of the semi-pros bikes were in the grass...
As we left we made a joke about using the potty before we set off again, you know, the way you hound your kids to use the facilities before heading out on a car ride or other bathroom-less activity. Yeah, it was pretty funny.
This was us 7 miles later, frantically finding a city park with an open restroom. Thank you, City of Hooper. What? We thought we didn't have to go...
On the ride home we had a slight head-wind which is just plain demoralizing. I had discovered that instead of breaking in my new riding bibs, they were actually going to break ME in, and that just added insult to injury. Again, with the zooming pelotons, but with me really no longer caring.
Brooke's back was killing her, so we stopped at her MIL's house about 7 miles from home for a much needed stretching session and a good dose of "mom, can I have a drink of your water bottle" cheering and support from Brooke's family. Kids really do love watching and cheering their mom, and as a mom it really is nice to be cheered for once in a while!
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We limped home at 3 hours 43 minutes. It was no easy ride and really showed us how much work needs to be done to be prepared to enjoy 100 miles. It's easy to lose momentum when training starts to get long and hard, or rides/runs/workouts don't go like you wanted them to. Take a step back and decide what needs to be done. For me, things to do include:
- Bike tune ups: squeaky gears and dirty chains make really annoying background noise.
- Better shorts: break out the broken-in shorts, comfort trumps cute every time.
- Body work: a trip to the chiropractor (her) and way more stretching (me) will keep joints, backs, hips, and muscles happy and functioning at their best.
- More bike time: I've been doing a lot of cross-training and feel really strong, but only hours on the bike can prepare tush, lower back, and neck for hours on the bike. I'll be riding 4 times a week for the 5 weeks I have until Little Red.
Some positives were that I felt strong, I can still eat like a champ on the bike and stay fueled, water and Gatorade still work for me, I have the right layers to keep from getting chilled, my hands and toes didn't go numb from pressure on my hands or in my shoes, and I could walk after, lots after, and the next day. These are all good things.
The course was a tad frustrating. There were too many miles on super busy streets. I felt there could have been a few route changes that would have kept us out of the busy Saturday traffic. After the turn around the arrows went missing for a bit, and we ended up turning around and following the herd, back to retrace our route out.
Thanks to all the cars who didn't hit us, even though SOME people were riding 7 abreast. And sorry to the Saturday Warriors who got swallowed up and really annoyed at everyone riding side-by-side. There's nothing like getting yelled at by a fellow cyclist, who is probably just lonely.
I cannot overstate the importance of having a riding partner with whom to pass the miles. We laughed and chatted the whole way. Those pelotons really took things way too seriously. It wasn't a race, but a ride, and riding is supposed to be enjoyable. I'm so glad to have friends who share my love of cycling.
What do you love? Whatever it is, do it today!
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