The whole week since the LiveStrong Challenge I was looking forward to the sunday ride. I really wanted to know how fast I could go now that I had completed the challenge with the hills. I wanted to take everything I had learned from the 45 mile ride and see what I could do. I was so excited about it I refused to miss it even when I got a last minute invitation to a brunch.
The brunch started at 11:00 and the ride usually ended at 11:00. I knew I needed to be back by 10:45 so I talked to some of the slower girls and the agreed that depending on how slow we were going we would turn around early if we needed too so I wouldn't be riding alone. The wind picked up early in the ride and was head on the whole way. We were averaging about 13.5mph and were last in the pack. Evelyn showed us how to draft which picked up our speed to closer to 15mph. We decided to go the full distance rather than turn around early. We got to the HEB last and quickly the group turned around. I went slower on the way down because I didn't know if I would need to turn around early. When we left the HEB I kicked it up. I took off at the tail end of the first half of the group and rode as fast as I could. I kept passing people and was averaging ~18mph. I got up to the front of the group with one of the other regular riders. We kicked it up even more and formed a significant lead on the rest of the group. For some reason we thought there were still a couple of people ahead of us so we kept going. The further ahead we got the more we realized that there was nobody else. We took the ride in and at the end, when the group met back up with us, one of the guys joked that next time I would have to lead the ride. My final stat was 15.7 miles, which is not a fast average but I did spend the first half of the ride in a 15mph head wind averaging 13.3mph.
So I guess I wont be selling my bike anytime soon. One of my friends is pretty close to convincing me to do a triathlon... even though I hate water.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
I finished!!
The weekend started out with the 5K on the steps of the capitol yesterday. I arrived around 7:00 with Bennett, who was more than ready to go. We walked around looking for Ryan and Tom who were supposed to meet us. The race didn't start until 8:00 so we were standing around for a while waiting for the start. Bennett could not sit still, and everybody thinking he was the most adorable dog ever didn't help convince him to calm down. He wandered around from person to person waiting for somebody new to notice how cute he was and bathe him with attention. He rolled over on his back, he sat on peoples feet, and he nosed people's hands all in hopes of getting a little attention. Many of the photographers stopped to get his photo.
My plan was to take the Saturday run easy but Bennett had other ideas; and my friends were also running faster than I had planned. I started out really fast because of Bennett. I took off ahead of my friends and knew I would pay for it later. There were no mile markers but around mile 2 I started to feel pretty fatigued. My HR monitor registers 100% of my max HR (which I think is off). I slowed considerably and tried to recuperate. Ryan and Tom were ahead of me at this point and I knew I would likely injure myself if I tried to catch them so Bennett and I just kept plodding along. By this time Bennett had figured out my rhythm and although he pulled a couple times just to see if he could convince me, for the most part he stayed just in front of me. I finished in 28.03 min with a pace of 9.25 min/mile; certainly better than expected.
Then today was the big ride; 40 miles for me. I was nervous and didn't sleep well due to all those dreams like "ohh my God I forgot my bike!". I awoke finally at 5:30 and readied myself for the day. After convincing the dogs it was not time to get up yet I fixed a small bowl of cereal, got everything packed into the car and headed out. I finally parked at 6:15, unloaded my gear, and headed out to find "Team AMD"; who I had joined a week earlier. I found them a little after 7:00 and, after posing for a picture or two, found the other people doing the 45 mile ride.
We finally got the go ahead to start our race at about 8:30. Right as they were counting down the take off for the 45 mile group a woman runs her bike right into me and literately falls right on me. The last thing I remember as they count down to 1 is my hand trying to break the fall and sound of somebody yelling "I'm so sorry". I took off as soon as I was up and sure that the bike was alright. I rapidly determined that I was faster than the two girls on Team AMD I had picked out to ride with. About 5 miles in though I found myself next to another Team AMD member who seemed about my skill level. I did a little better than him on the hills because he lost his chain twice but he did much better than I did on the straighter portions. Either way we managed to stay near each other the entire race. This was awesome because I do best when I have somebody to push me.
At about the 25 mile point we stopped for the big break point. They had PB&J sandwiches, M&M and peanut trail mix, and sugar cookies. I didn't time how much time we spent at the stop but it was a long one and it felt great. Coming in to the stop I started to clip out and for some reason my bike dropped to the wrong side causing a pretty brutal looking fall. I was fine and, after inspection, the bike was deemed fine as well. I knew that nutrition and hydration were very important so I took the time to make sure I did both properly. I called Brian to let him know that we were at the half way point but he had already parked and was on his way to the finish line. Marc and I headed out again feeling rejuvenated. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last long. The PB&J sandwiches caused my stomach to cramp and my muscles were still feeling pretty worn down. Marc kept me going even though it was tough. The TX roads are so rough and cause so much friction; it was all I could do to stay above 12MPH at times.
The ride was absolutely gorgeous and made me so proud to live in the Texas hill Country. The locals were also so courteous and welcoming of the riders. As difficult as the ride was it was always nice to look out on either side and see beautiful country side. One of the best moments was towards the end of the ride when I looked to my left and saw a bunch of goats laying down with two great Pyrenees dogs guarding them. The sight looked so familiar, it took me only a moment to realize that it was Megan and Jeremy's house. I waved knowing that nobody was home to recognize it.
As I approached the finish I knew Brian would be waiting for me so I slowed around the final corner so he could get some good pictures. I had nothing left in my legs so I was happy when I knew we only had about 2 miles left and was also happy to slow down. Turns out that it was a good thing that Brian showed up an hour before I finished because he got there about 10 minutes before Lance Armstrong finished his 90 mile ride. Just so this is perfectly clear, Lance finished his 90 mile ride 1 hour before I finished my 40 mile ride. Brian was able to get some great pictures of Lance finishing.
Final Stats: 5K Run
Distance 3.1 miles
Time: 28:03 minutes
Pace: 9.04 min/mile
Final Stats: 45 mile Ride
Distance 45.14 miles
Time: 3:39:23
Actual Ride Time: ~3:09 (not including stops)
Average Pace: 12.37 MPH
Actual Pace: ~ 14.3 (not including stops)
Since I only got my cycling computer four days ago I didn't realize that if it is not on auto mode it will include stopped time in all of the stats. Next time I will turn on Auto mode and have some real stats.
Thanks again to everybody who supported me on this ride. As much as I enjoyed this one I think it will be a while before I do another one. My legs are sore and I know that it takes too much time and dedication for me to commit to any better than I gave today. Today I gave my all and I was so proud.
My plan was to take the Saturday run easy but Bennett had other ideas; and my friends were also running faster than I had planned. I started out really fast because of Bennett. I took off ahead of my friends and knew I would pay for it later. There were no mile markers but around mile 2 I started to feel pretty fatigued. My HR monitor registers 100% of my max HR (which I think is off). I slowed considerably and tried to recuperate. Ryan and Tom were ahead of me at this point and I knew I would likely injure myself if I tried to catch them so Bennett and I just kept plodding along. By this time Bennett had figured out my rhythm and although he pulled a couple times just to see if he could convince me, for the most part he stayed just in front of me. I finished in 28.03 min with a pace of 9.25 min/mile; certainly better than expected.
Then today was the big ride; 40 miles for me. I was nervous and didn't sleep well due to all those dreams like "ohh my God I forgot my bike!". I awoke finally at 5:30 and readied myself for the day. After convincing the dogs it was not time to get up yet I fixed a small bowl of cereal, got everything packed into the car and headed out. I finally parked at 6:15, unloaded my gear, and headed out to find "Team AMD"; who I had joined a week earlier. I found them a little after 7:00 and, after posing for a picture or two, found the other people doing the 45 mile ride.
We finally got the go ahead to start our race at about 8:30. Right as they were counting down the take off for the 45 mile group a woman runs her bike right into me and literately falls right on me. The last thing I remember as they count down to 1 is my hand trying to break the fall and sound of somebody yelling "I'm so sorry". I took off as soon as I was up and sure that the bike was alright. I rapidly determined that I was faster than the two girls on Team AMD I had picked out to ride with. About 5 miles in though I found myself next to another Team AMD member who seemed about my skill level. I did a little better than him on the hills because he lost his chain twice but he did much better than I did on the straighter portions. Either way we managed to stay near each other the entire race. This was awesome because I do best when I have somebody to push me.
At about the 25 mile point we stopped for the big break point. They had PB&J sandwiches, M&M and peanut trail mix, and sugar cookies. I didn't time how much time we spent at the stop but it was a long one and it felt great. Coming in to the stop I started to clip out and for some reason my bike dropped to the wrong side causing a pretty brutal looking fall. I was fine and, after inspection, the bike was deemed fine as well. I knew that nutrition and hydration were very important so I took the time to make sure I did both properly. I called Brian to let him know that we were at the half way point but he had already parked and was on his way to the finish line. Marc and I headed out again feeling rejuvenated. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last long. The PB&J sandwiches caused my stomach to cramp and my muscles were still feeling pretty worn down. Marc kept me going even though it was tough. The TX roads are so rough and cause so much friction; it was all I could do to stay above 12MPH at times.
The ride was absolutely gorgeous and made me so proud to live in the Texas hill Country. The locals were also so courteous and welcoming of the riders. As difficult as the ride was it was always nice to look out on either side and see beautiful country side. One of the best moments was towards the end of the ride when I looked to my left and saw a bunch of goats laying down with two great Pyrenees dogs guarding them. The sight looked so familiar, it took me only a moment to realize that it was Megan and Jeremy's house. I waved knowing that nobody was home to recognize it.
As I approached the finish I knew Brian would be waiting for me so I slowed around the final corner so he could get some good pictures. I had nothing left in my legs so I was happy when I knew we only had about 2 miles left and was also happy to slow down. Turns out that it was a good thing that Brian showed up an hour before I finished because he got there about 10 minutes before Lance Armstrong finished his 90 mile ride. Just so this is perfectly clear, Lance finished his 90 mile ride 1 hour before I finished my 40 mile ride. Brian was able to get some great pictures of Lance finishing.
Final Stats: 5K Run
Distance 3.1 miles
Time: 28:03 minutes
Pace: 9.04 min/mile
Final Stats: 45 mile Ride
Distance 45.14 miles
Time: 3:39:23
Actual Ride Time: ~3:09 (not including stops)
Average Pace: 12.37 MPH
Actual Pace: ~ 14.3 (not including stops)
Since I only got my cycling computer four days ago I didn't realize that if it is not on auto mode it will include stopped time in all of the stats. Next time I will turn on Auto mode and have some real stats.
Thanks again to everybody who supported me on this ride. As much as I enjoyed this one I think it will be a while before I do another one. My legs are sore and I know that it takes too much time and dedication for me to commit to any better than I gave today. Today I gave my all and I was so proud.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Intermediate ride #2
I was very nervous about todays ride. I didn't do squats and I didn't stay out drinking on Saturday which meant I would have to perform better this time. I hadn't done as well as I'd hoped in either of the spin classes I did this week and overall I just felt sluggish. I didn't sleep well Saturday night either which only made me more nervous.
I got there early and started setting up waiting for more people to arrive. My plan was to warm up around the parking lot. Instead I noticed the seam on my brand new cycling shirt was coming undone so I ended up fixing it while I should have been warming up. Many of the beginners wanted to do the intermediate ride and there were more ride leaders than before so all of the beginners did the longer distance.
This time I kept up with the pack pretty well. I still fell behind towards the turn around point but not as much as last time. I certainly wasn't nearly as tired. We also stopped more than we did the first time and I'm pretty sure we went slower too. I can't tell because I don't have a cycling computer yet.
So in 6 days I will ride in the livestrong challenge. It definitely feels like it will be a challenge too.
I got there early and started setting up waiting for more people to arrive. My plan was to warm up around the parking lot. Instead I noticed the seam on my brand new cycling shirt was coming undone so I ended up fixing it while I should have been warming up. Many of the beginners wanted to do the intermediate ride and there were more ride leaders than before so all of the beginners did the longer distance.
This time I kept up with the pack pretty well. I still fell behind towards the turn around point but not as much as last time. I certainly wasn't nearly as tired. We also stopped more than we did the first time and I'm pretty sure we went slower too. I can't tell because I don't have a cycling computer yet.
So in 6 days I will ride in the livestrong challenge. It definitely feels like it will be a challenge too.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
LiveStrong Run
I guess that sign-ups for the 5K on Saturday must have been low because they sent an email out to all of the registered cyclists that they could run the 5K the day before for free. I'm actually really excited about this. I haven't been running much and a 5K is a good easy distance. I just need to not push myself to hard. It should be really good for my legs the day before the ride. I'm hoping I can bring Bennett too but we'll see. Another group ride tomorrow and then the LiveStrong challenge next week!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Intermediate Ride
So after the beginner ride last week I felt pretty confidant about doing the intermediate ride this week. The intermediate ride is ~35 miles and is for riders who average < 18 mph. I don't actually know how fast I ride but I was sure I could stick it out... I did take a map just in case though.
I felt very sluggish starting out and it was obvious that the group rode much faster than I was used to. After my legs warmed up I was not having trouble keeping up. It was faster than I would have pushed myself to go but I could. The last 5 miles before the turn around were down a country road with no lights so it was 5 miles continuous with many gradual hills followed by rolling hills with no lights to stop and recoup at. I fell behind on this stretch. I wasn't by myself but I couldn't tell if that was because there were other people who were having trouble as well or because they were sticking around for me. I caught up at the HEB and had a good break before starting back.
On the ride back I realized something key, I cannot do heavy squats the night before a hard ride. Because the group ride is only on Sunday I had to move my schedule around to make up for the fact that I used to do weights on Sunday. This week, having not planned very well, I did weights on Saturday. I think this will continue to be my plan... minus the squats and lunges. My legs were killing me by the end of the ride. I wasn't quite to rubber legs but I was pretty close. The worst part was that for the last ~7 miles both of my calves were on the verge of charley horsing.
One of the really cool things was that one girl in the beginner group, who has been riding for a while, finally got the clipless peddles. I thought she was a pretty strong rider even without them and she rode so well with them. We caught up with the beginner group with about 5 min left and she was able to keep up with the intermediate group for the last 5 miles and was having a great time. It was awesome watching somebody really find their potential. I hope to see here in the intermediate ride soon.
On a non-cycling but still athletic note, after the ride I rode two blocks over to where my friend was running with Team Pink in a relay marathon. My friend had already finished so I locked my bike up and came over to hang out with her team waiting for the other members to finish. While we were standing there some sweaty guy came up and said "good job! High five" and gave her a high five, they chatted for a couple seconds and then he walked off. After he left she looked at me and said "You don't know who that was do you?" I shook my head. It was Gov. Rick Perry. After I realized, we called him over and I took a picture of my friend standing next to him. Rick Perry says "Vote Team Pink"
I felt very sluggish starting out and it was obvious that the group rode much faster than I was used to. After my legs warmed up I was not having trouble keeping up. It was faster than I would have pushed myself to go but I could. The last 5 miles before the turn around were down a country road with no lights so it was 5 miles continuous with many gradual hills followed by rolling hills with no lights to stop and recoup at. I fell behind on this stretch. I wasn't by myself but I couldn't tell if that was because there were other people who were having trouble as well or because they were sticking around for me. I caught up at the HEB and had a good break before starting back.
On the ride back I realized something key, I cannot do heavy squats the night before a hard ride. Because the group ride is only on Sunday I had to move my schedule around to make up for the fact that I used to do weights on Sunday. This week, having not planned very well, I did weights on Saturday. I think this will continue to be my plan... minus the squats and lunges. My legs were killing me by the end of the ride. I wasn't quite to rubber legs but I was pretty close. The worst part was that for the last ~7 miles both of my calves were on the verge of charley horsing.
One of the really cool things was that one girl in the beginner group, who has been riding for a while, finally got the clipless peddles. I thought she was a pretty strong rider even without them and she rode so well with them. We caught up with the beginner group with about 5 min left and she was able to keep up with the intermediate group for the last 5 miles and was having a great time. It was awesome watching somebody really find their potential. I hope to see here in the intermediate ride soon.
On a non-cycling but still athletic note, after the ride I rode two blocks over to where my friend was running with Team Pink in a relay marathon. My friend had already finished so I locked my bike up and came over to hang out with her team waiting for the other members to finish. While we were standing there some sweaty guy came up and said "good job! High five" and gave her a high five, they chatted for a couple seconds and then he walked off. After he left she looked at me and said "You don't know who that was do you?" I shook my head. It was Gov. Rick Perry. After I realized, we called him over and I took a picture of my friend standing next to him. Rick Perry says "Vote Team Pink"
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