We met in the parking lot as the sun came up and realized that we were way under-dressed for this affair. Weather here has been crazy for the past couple of weeks. One day it is 80 degrees and the next it is 60. One thing that has not changed is the pollen, which I could shovel off my car right now.
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| One of the many things I love about Meredith is that she lets me steal her photos. |
At the 62 mile mark, I left Meredith to finish her prescribed 85 on her own. Seeing as I have not ridden more than 62 miles since last October this day was not the day to stretch the limits.
....because it turns out yesterday was that day. After our discussion of pedals last week and my knowledge that my ISM Adamo was unbearable and it did not *have* to be that way riding a bike. I mean, others must have somewhat comfortable seats or they wouldn't keep riding, right? They can't all create pain in the pit of your soul, RIGHT? Going off that theory, as I was investigating new "road" pedals, I perused some saddles on the internet and picked one to try out. I took all the parts to my local bike shop (who is conveniently located upstairs from our business) and asked them put it all on. "I am riding a century this weekend and I want to be comfortable", I said. To which the guy tried to convince me that changing out pedals and a seat before a big ride might be asking for trouble. I agree but figured the seat could not possibly be any worse. yes, I tortured myself with it through B2B but am no longer interested in torture. I want to be a lady of comfortable riding. They adjusted everything, pedals, seat and even put the new clips on my shoes - - all for $10! WOW. Love those guys.
So.... did I mention the furthest I had ridden since October was 62 miles? Yes, I think I did. Well, Meredith was riding her first 100 miler ever this weekend and wanted company so I decided I would jump from the metric ride to the full century with her. We did the Tony Serrano Ride which is by far the BEST century in the area. It is a beautiful route, well marked and great volunteers. The rest stops deserve a paragraph of their own because it is like nothing you have ever seen. In addition to the typical pre-packaged stuff you see elsewhere, there is a smorgasbord of homemade sweets and treats - cookies, cakes, brownies, chocolate dipped pretzels, granola balls, even homemade pickles (so good!). I heard more than one person say this was the only century that might cause you to gain weight. #truth. If you are in the area, you really need to put this one on your calendar for next year!
The ride was just awesome and Meredith and I had a great time counting down the miles (97 more to go!). As a large group of us rode through a small town in the beginning, we heard a bystander proclaim "spandex, all spandex!". LOL Why yes, we bikers love our spandex. :) I saw so many friends out there, we could have stayed at that first rest stop for an hour just chatting with everyone I bumped into at that point.
We stopped at every stop even if we didn't think we needed to just to stand up for a second, fill up our water bottles and of course check out the treats (they were different at every stop). Before we knew it we were leaving the last stop and only had 21 miles to go! We made the final turn into the parking lot, grabbed some lunch and packed it all up after 100 miles. What a beautiful day and a great ride - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
BTW, my saddle worked out great! I really didn't start feeling anything until maybe mile 90 and I think that might have just been the typical "I am ready to stop riding and want to get off this bike now" feeling.... The ISM Adamo has been kicked to the curb and replaced with a Terry Liberator X Gel. (I am not crazy about all the pink stitching on it as it clashes with Annie and her blue but I think if my booty is happy, I can get over the fashion faux pas that is my bike) ha ha. The pedals were good too - they are a little harder to get used to as they can only be clipped into from one side but no real issues. I can tell I get a little more power from them which is always a good thing.
Hope everyone has an awesome weekend - if you signed up for the Kona lottery, here's hoping you were selected ... :)
7 comments:
Okay I read Meredith's post and never connected that it was you. Are you who she calls Yoda? I am very impressed with the distance. I plan to do 100 miles this summer but I planned to do it last summer. As far as that goes I planned to ride both days this weekend and it is sleeting out. Yesterday was not the day either.
WOW what a huge jump and so awesome that you felt great! I think that's a sign of your total fitness
Look at you go - riding crazy miles! :) Meredith is lucky to get to ride with you though (and you are lucky to ride with her) I miss you girls and can't wait until I can get back out there. TS will be on my calendar next year - more for the food than anything!
And yay for getting a saddle that works. I love my ISM, but I know it's not for everyone! :)
So jealous you get to ride outdoors
Way to log the miles! You're killing it out there! I need to ride so much more than I do. :( So the Adamo got the boot, huh? I've been wanting to try it out. Colleen and Tom are always telling me how much they like theirs.
I know the bike shop that you're talking about that is right above your building. They sound like they're super good to you. It's nice to have friends, right? :)
See ya Saturday!
I am so glad you are blogging again... I missed you. Now I have to catch up on what I missed. Although I was present for some of this :) Good luck this weekend in Knoxville... and I am waiting for your blog about your BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!
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