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.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Donate to a Great Cause
Leila"s Fundraising Thermometer
Leila"s Donation Roll Call
LiveStrong 2007
Early this year I committed to completing the 40 mile option of the Austin LiveStrong Challenge. At the time I did not even own a road bike and the only recent cycling I had done was the spin class at the gym. I did this partially as part of my plan to improve my fitness level, but also as a show of strength for those who are fighting cancer. I started this blog to update all of my friends and family on my progress and results. I think this will be a really great experience for me and I hope it inspires other.
2 comments:
Triathlon, triathlon!
Austin has some great ones, including the Danskin in June, which is all-women and very beginner-friendly. I've done the Danskin twice and could be convinced to do it again...
OK. So it looks like I totally am going to try the Danskin this year. I have a group of people who can't swim that I think I'll do it with. Our team name can be "The dog paddlers". You should do it too! Are you still in for the Cap 10,000?
Post a Comment