80 Miles of Smiles, No Tears Here

Thanks to all these amazing women for riding with me. We ride in honor of family & friends who have suffered through blood cancers.On Saturday we had an 80 mile buddy ride that retraced the map from Fall season that pushed me to tears. Re-read the tale here I think I was still in shock when I did the write up since it sounds pretty bland. I remember the ride kicking my a$$ and pushing me to tears. It was awful then. This time it was awesome. I'm stronger & faster than I thought. I've been training more than 1x a week and it has obvious benefits.

The ride was cold at the start but warmed up for the last 30miles. The people were fantastic (see pic above) and made the day in the saddle so fun. The hills were fun, the rollers were fast.

The one bummer of the day was passing an accident on the side of the road & recognizing a few teammates from the fast group. No major injuries so all is well. Apparently a water-bottle caused a wipe-out, a car got rear-ended after stopping to avoid our rider & a 2nd cyclist bailed to the side of the road ditch to avoid the stopped cars. Road rash & shaken spirits were all that was diagnosed after x-rays & examinations.

Be safe out there!

Annoying Yet Edible

Apparently I ride with my mouth open. I can only assume it's for easier deep breathing. However when on the fast descents my open pie-hole is like a bug vacuum. Last night as I got to the last 20 feet of the descent some huge bug flew right down my throat & landed on my gag-reflex. Not fun!

At least they are full of protein, right? I prefer steak.

This weekend we have our last long ride - another 80miles. The route we have planed took me to the brink of tears last season. I hope these past few months of continued training will make it easier this time. Bring it on, Stinson Beach!

Aint No Stopping Me Now!

I'm proud of myself today. Thanks to K. Sue (left) & Kieran (right) I accomplished my first non-stop climb to the Junction on Mt. Diablo!

Longtime readers might recall my first attemp. Following that ride we went back on a fairly regular basis - for a few months we went weekly. Each climb was different due to weather, health, day-light, riding companions. Never have I made it without at least one rest stop on the side of the road for air, food, water.

Yesterday something felt different and I knew from the first pedal stoke that I was going to make it all the way. Perhaps it was the semi-bike fit that adjusted my seat. Perhaps it was the perfect weather & excellent company. Perhaps it was just my time.

Confidence on the bike & experience on descents made the trip down the mountain fast & furious. My first ride down many months ago I hit top speeds of 12mph. Last night I cruised along in the 30s! I feel the need for speed.