Chubbette

MS Ride--another century!

The most amazing 100 miles ever! Hubby stayed by me the entire time and he pulled me along. During the hills I fell behind and he waited for me at the top and then we continued on together. The first 50 miles went by superfast, at mile 75, I thought to myself that if I had gone for the 75 mile route I would have been done right then and the ride would have been "easy" but going for the full 100 made it a challenge, a good type of challenge.

At mile 68 we had lunch and we met a few friends: Momber, Cannonball and his friend Mike. As we were eating we reflected on the fact that we only had 32 miles left--a piece of cake, we had biked 32 before and we knew we could do it. As we climbed on our bikes after lunch, the five of us took off and I lagged behind a bit and Mike made a comment on overcrowding me and I told him that it wasn't him, it was my shitty skills with the bike. As I explained to him how I just learned to ride a bike last year, he was impressed that I was already road biking. It hit me then that really, I was still like a 5 year old in my cycling skills and I was out there giving it all I had. It kind of made me smile and "dig in" for a little more.

As we approached mile 85, the heat was unbearable to me, due to my lack of skills on the bike, I cannot reach down and grab my water bottle so I had to make hubby stop for a quick drink every 5 miles after mile 85. The stopping not only help me hydrate but we realized that the little break gave me a burst of energy that made us go a little faster. From now on, whenever I do a century again, I am going to schedule stops after reaching mile 80 (every 5 miles or so).

The last ten miles were superb! We were already entering town and I knew we were close but what got me excited was that I looked at my average and I was at 16 mph!!!! I have been able to keep 16mph over short distances of 26 miles but not over a full 100!!! I was excited. I wanted to keep my average that high to the end. I pedaled for all I was worth, the last stretch I was cranking out 19-21mph...then the last train tracks came and with it fear struck me, fear got worse when I saw that there was already a fallen comrade on the side of the tracks surrounded by other cyclists and paramedics. I quickly glanced at the tracks and saw the extreme angle and froze for a millisecond, I glanced at my front tire and the train tracks, the word PERPENDICULAR came into my head and quickly shifted my front wheel. I held on as tight as I could to the handlebars and closed my eyes. I felt the rattle and I was over. I didn't fall. I felt terrible that it wasn't me on the side of the tracks but having been there a few weeks ago, the fear was still too fresh in my mind. After the tracks there was only a mile or two left, full of stop signs. Hubby had gone ahead of me by then, he knew I could do it from there by myself, but I wasn't alone, next to me was a couple wearing Fatty jerseys...I felt inspired being next to them and I felt in good company. I pedaled to the end and reaching the finish line had never felt so good. There were people cheering there for me, for everyone else coming through...people thanking us for riding for the cause.

100 miles. Sam and I together during the entire haul...him there to support me and to pull me along. My best time ever and my best mph ever. I cut about 1-1/2 from my previous Century, and I increased to 16mph.

This ride was the best event I have ever participated on. The support was fantastic. Some of the roads were closed completely to traffic and there were cops at major intersections to help us out. The volunteers at the rest stops were kind, corteous, and helpful---some of them even coming to the bikes to fill up your water bottles with ice and water! But that wasn't it--it was the fact that many of them stopped and said thank you to us for riding. I felt appreciation. At the last rest stop, I told them a huge thank you because without them there to help us out we wouldn't ride--it would be impossible to go 100 miles without some sort of support.

I can't wait for next year's ride!!!

Pictures: coming soon...zazoosh is still developing them. Thanks for sticking by to read the report. 

A Century Under my Belt

How does it feel to bike 100 miles! Awesome! Plain awesome!

I didn't think I was ready but I was...I went the 100 miles, slow and steady and I completed it. I told myself that I wanted to finish by 5pm and I came in at 4:15pm! The day was not really nice...not at all. We got rained on twice, the wind never stopped and it seemed that it was always against us and when it wasn't we were going up hill. We had one major hell hill but I didn't get off my bike, I conquered it to the top!

But what really made my day was three fans that kept following me around. Everytime I felt that I couldn't go anymore (after reaching mile 90, I thought I was going to stop) they were there to support me and to tell me..."Go Mom, Go Mom!"

A great day! Thanks to my family and friends for their support...for believing in me! I can't wait for next year to do it again!

Racing...mind and legs

A short ride on the bike usually allows one the time to reflect upon certain issues in one's life. I am grateful to say that right now I don't have anything big that I have to think, at least nothing that is life threatening. As I rode yesterday, the big question running through my head was: which ride am I going to do this Saturday. Options make my mind wonder and the more it wonders the more I doubt myself, I need only 1 choice and then go for it. But the ride this Saturday offers 4 options 36, 46, 80, and 10 4 miles. Which one should I choose?

As I talked with my friends they all had already chosen their ride, Lou is doing the 46, Laurie is going for the 80, Jo is doing the 45, Momber the 104 that leaves me in wonderland! Am I strong enough to do 104? Should I just do the 80, or should I just go with 64 and call it good and end up feeling good rather than exhausted with the 104 or 80? Can I muster enough energy for a 104? I have done a half marathon and that sure is thougher on the legs than cycling. Choices, options, what should I do?

One thing is for sure...I am excited! I should push myself to the limits and go for the 104...how else am I going to know if I am ready for a century other than going for it.

Ride stats:

Distance: shorty 15 miler

Pace: Slow enough to visit and chat about the upcoming ride: 12mph

Weekend Wrap Up

I can hardly believe that June is here! Time sure goes fast...but what makes it harder to believe is the type of weather we are having for June. We still have rain, rain, rain, and more rain which makes going out cycling difficult if not nearly impossible. Temperatures haven't gotten high at all, typically by this time we have 90s and above and we are barely scrapping high 70s--which makes it nice, if it wasn't for the constant rain.

Over the weekend, I was supposed to do the 60 mile ride but timewise I wasn't able to get it done. I had to get back home to go to a Bridal Shower (which I got to on time only to find out that everyone else invited got there an hour late! If I had known this, I could have gone on my 60 mile ride), anyways, instead of a 60 I went on a 30+ mile ride. It was sure fun. The weather was chilly when we started but then the day warmed up a bit and we had a blast!

During the ride, I took some GU as we left a little early and I didn't have time to get a real breakfast in. I seem to be acquiring a taste for the GU and disliking the Shots more and more, something to do with the stickiness of them.

In the evening, okay more like nighttime I went out for a short run. It was 8:30pm and I had not run since Tuesday so I had to get at least a little bit of running in. I went out and ran 3 miles. By the time, I came home I was barely warming up and I sure wanted to continue running but it was already dark out.

Beefed It!

Pedaling along about 18mph, a railroad crossing coming up ahead. Look both ways, nope, no train it is safe to cross. I have crossed plenty of railroad crossings before so this was no biggy. Sam had gone before me and he had done just fine, my front tire went over and then I saw it and I knew right away that I was in trouble. The tracks were deeper than I was used to and not only that, they were set at an extreme angle. Crap! I felt my entire body tensed up, microseconds passed, and I knew that I was going to beef it. My back tire passed over the track but I was already heading to the side of the road. I tried to stop so I put on the brakes which sent my front tire skidding on the bloody gravel! My front tire falling, I tried to unclip and I couldn't, I braced myself for the worst--ending up in the ravine! I felt the crunch of the gravel as I slid down on my side. Finally the bike stopped...and I stopped...and I was trapped under it. Good thing is an all carbon bike thus light as a feather. I tried to move and I couldn't, my right shoulder hurt like bloody hell. Sam by this time had turned around and was trying to assess the damage. Can you get up? Nope, I can't. Please help me up. He helped me and held me for a few seconds. I could feel the tears swelling and on the border of spilling down my cheeks. Then a car stopped to ask if I was okay, I swallowed my tears and said yep. I was okay, and I truly was. I was in one piece, a little bruised but in one piece. I looked down my leg and blood was dripping from a little spot. Darn it! Our friends that were riding with us had turned back by this time and had joined us to make sure that I was okay. A little shaken but okay. As any other cyclist, I picked my bike up and inspected it closely....my beauty had fallen. How stupid could I had been?!?

Adding salt to the wound, as we were ready to pick up and go I saw that my front tire was a little flat...I touched it and sure enough it felt quite flattened. So we turned it around and there it was: a stinking thorn--I took it out and air just popped out of my tire! Darn it!!! At this point, I was sure pissed at my stupidity. I was holding our ride...we had just barely gone 15 miles and we still had 25 miles to go! They all asked if I wanted to go home. Go home, I answered? Nope, no, definitely not! Let's keep going. We are just 15 miles into our ride...we must continue.

15 minutes later we were on our way...new tube in my tire a little bruised but both of us in one piece. As I shifted, my gears were not working. My triple comp had only two of the gears working, all I could think about is the major hill coming up and how I would have to ride without one of my gears. My bike and I were limping away (but I know she has a heart and like my heart we don't give up easily). We just had to work together and put our chins up.

43 miles from start to finish. 28 miles after the mistake. My right side full of bruises. My bike needs a major tune up (thankfully the frame is not scratched anywhere!).

I am grateful that I was kept safe and that my scratches will heal up. I am grateful that Sam was with me to take care of me and my bike. I am grateful that my bike is okay. But most of all, I am SO grateful that my scratches are superficial enough so that I can still run the half marathon next week, I would hate to have had all my training go to waste!.

Saturday Roadies

When the sun shines and the kids are out on a sleep-over, what do we do? We take out the bicycles! Saturday morning met us with a beautiful sunny day, a little chilly but not so chilly to deter us from climbing on our bikes and going out for a little ride. A group of eight roadies got together in our cul de sac ready for a morning of adventure. Checking tires, pumping some air into the tubes, checking shoes and filling up water bottles is part of the routine. It is a moment that I really enjoy as we are all together and the excitement of the upcoming ride just passes like electricity from one to another until it converges and it explodes as we roll out for the day's ride. 

25 miles out and about, despite the nice bright sun, the day was still a bit chilly, especially for our hands and ears. Hubby and I had our "winter" cycling gloves on but we were still freezing! At one point, it got so bad that Momber and I drafted off each other so that we could keep each other warm by finding the "sweet spot" which is usually a little warmer. It worked like a charm! A few minutes behind there drafting off and getting warmer was enough to keep us happy. Heck, we were on our bikes we were definitely happy. All eight of us were stoked just to be out there cycling away...even if we were little icicles!

Our little ride took us out on a route out to Mendon, which happens to be also the very first route that I went on last year on my very first ride ever. The specific route has a little hill entering the Mendon town and I remember last year I had such a hard time climbing it. I remember clearly, how Jo and Dom made it to the top with hardly any effort and I kept swerving from side to side trying to make it up...huffing and puffing, I finally made it up. However, this year it was a lot different, first of all, the hill is not really a hill, it is more like a little bump on the road, and if you just pedal and stop swerving from side to side it is actually pretty easy to go up it. A year sure makes a huge difference!  Also where before I was about 10-15 minutes behind everyone, this time, I was right behind...and by golly at times I wasn't the last one! I have improved...I am so happy!

Hubby pointed out that I actually keep a really good cadence, my problem stems from not knowing how to  shift and also the fact that my seat was too low, he raised it already and hopefully this will make a difference on the next ride. At times, we were right next to each other and I kept pedaling and pedaling but not moving while he only pedal a couple of times and moved quite farther than I did--not fair!! I must learn how to shift! It is a bit difficult for me due to the triple composition of my bike (Specialized Ruby Comp) and the fact that I have zero knowledge of how a bike works. But, I'll learn as I go on...so much too learn, so little time!

In the afternoon, when the kids came home from their sleep-over at uncles, we planted the garden and then I went out for a little 6 mile run and had yummy Chinese food for dinner..that's what I call a perfect Saturday at the Phelps' corner.

Stats:

Distance: 25 miles

Fluids: About 24oz

Average speed: 14