ULCER Ride

The first weekend in August, Troy and I did a 33 mile bike ride called The Ulcer. There were several distances to choose from, 33 being the shortest, and we chose that one for Troy's first ride. It was completely flat and started early enough in the morning that it didn't get too hot.

There was a lot of fanfare and music, sending everyone off. The riders going for the 111 mile distance would be circling Utah Lake, so the theme song was Ring of Fire. Ring for the route and fire for the temperature which would end up over 100 degrees. I think we were smart to stick with the 33 miles, don't you?

The Smart Ones

It was a great ride, made extra fun because I was doing it with Troy. He had a great time and even got a little competitive at the end. Not with me -- with (surely) the oldest person on the ride.

We had about 3 miles left and had been riding right alongside each other the entire time. I pointed ahead to this little old man (white hair, skinny, scrawny legs, seriously old) and joked that we should "try to take him".

Troy took me seriously and shot ahead and caught up to the old guy and passed him. The second Troy got ahead, the man perked up and started pedaling like mad to regain his lead. And that's how the last three miles went - these two unlikely athletes, vying for position. They went back and forth a few times, and in the end, Troy crossed the finish line first. Victory for my man!

The old guy was a good sport and congratulated Troy with a "Good ride."

It was a good ride, Troy. Way to go, I'm proud of you, and I love that you are riding with me!

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar...Or At Least Breathe Really Really Hard

So yeah...I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! 80 miles.

It was the Little Red Riding Hood - an all women's cycling event. There were over 2000 participants and that was quite a sight to see. The Big Bad Wolf joined Kyla, Me, and Raimee for a picture right before we started.

It was a chilly morning, with clouds and a little bit of rain. I was glad I had gotten some tights and a jacket to wear. I was nervous and excited to get going.

To help things move along, the race-pace cyclists (20+ mph) left first, followed by the fast (15-20 mph), then the medium (10-15 mph), and finally, the slow (5-10 mph). We went with the medium pace. It was kind of scary to be all grouped together and trying to get out on the road. It was several miles before we were out of the pack. But it was spectacular to see - you could look ahead and just see miles and miles of brightly colored women, picking up speed, starting their rides.

To pass someone, you yell "ON YOUR LEFT!" as you come up behind them, and then hopefully they can scooch over a tiny bit and you can get by. We were told not to "ride wide" so we couldn't be any more than two abreast. And if you heard a car coming up from behind, you were supposed to yell "CAR BACK!" and the warning would travel up the line.

There were lots and lots of rest stops, and I think we used every single one. We could use the porta-potties, refuel on granola bars, cookies or fruit, mix up some Gatorade and top off our water bottles. At about the halfway point, we had a lunch of Subway sandwiches, chips, Gatorade and cookies. Back on the bikes...

The ride was advertised as "mostly flat with a few rolling hills". It felt more like mostly rolling hills with a few flat areas. Okay, maybe not mostly, but there were some big hills that I wasn't expecting. I was breathing so hard, and there was one time that I considered getting off and walking...but I didn't. I just kept telling myself, "You can do hard things, you can do hard things..." And I made it to the top. I think we guesstimated that hill to be around 2 miles long. It was a doozy.

Then there was one big downhill slope. I pretty much prayed and rode my brakes that whole way down. Even with the brakes, I reached over 30 mph. There were non-brakers whizzing by me and I bet they were going 40.

That. Was. Scary.

We also battled the wind. It was a freakish weather anomaly - at the rest stops, there was hardly a noticeable breeze, but out on the roads it was blowing like crazy. And every way we turned, it felt like we were riding into the wind. Never, not once, did we have the wind behind us. We had a little bit of rain, but it could have been so much worse. I never got uncomfortably cold - really, if it hadn't been for the wind, this would have been perfect riding conditions. I'm a little like Goldilocks...I have about a three degree temperature range before I start complaining about it being too hot or too cold.

A bug flew in my mouth.

The landscape was beautiful. Everything was green and fresh and I loved riding through all the small towns, looking at the big ranch houses, the massive lawns, and imagining the quiet, unhurried lives of the people who lived there. They waved to us and cheered us on. Occasionally I rode through a "country smell" and thought, "oh, that's just not right." I saw too many dead animals to count. But mostly, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

Wait, scratch that. The hills were breath-taking. The scenery was beautiful.

The last rest stop was just about 7 miles from the end. I couldn't wait to get back. My legs felt a little jello-y, but all I wanted to do was get back on and finish this ride. Half of a Clif bar and couple swallows of Gatorade to go with my adrenaline - I was good to go.

We rode back to the starting point. Troy and the boys were waiting for me. Aaron saw me and started running toward me. I got off my bike and he gave me kiss and a hug. Troy yelled that we had to turn the corner and go past a table. When we did that, a bell was rung and we were handed a plastic cup with some sparkling apple juice.

It was the BEST BEST BEST tasting drink I'd ever had. I went back for seconds.

Then I got all cocky, struttin' around, and posing for the camera. Yeah, that's right...I rode 80 miles.

And then I realized that most everyone else who was getting back then...had just finished riding 100 miles.

Ah, who cares, now where's the food table?

Troy and the boys were my pit crew. They carried everything for me, tended to my every need, and told me they were proud of me. I was so glad they came along. I love you guys!

Cam said, "You are one tough Mama."

At the risk of being prideful and going down in some horrible fall...I would have to agree. Just this once.

I am one tough Mama.

When the Pavement Strikes Back

So yeah, the whole family has new bikes. It's our "thing". Troy and I may have paid for it with our hard-earned money, but Aaron has paid for it, literally, with his flesh.

The past two times that we've gone out on bikes, Aaron has ended up lying on the pavement, wounded and crying.

He has a helmet, so his head's been safe, but he really really really needs gloves, elbow pads, a chest guard, and some heavy duty knee pads. The kid's going to look like Iron Man every time he gets on his bike.

I don't know what the problem is - it's not like he's going too fast or over a bumpy road. I guess he's still kind of new to the "no training wheels!" thing, but still. Poor, poor, bloody kid.

This is the latest:

He also has scuffed up hands, an elbow scrape, an arm abrasion, and a belly bruise. Life is tough. But his spirit is tougher - he wants to ride some more.

Long pants, sweetie. At least until I can get you the knee pads.

Oh, and pass the Neosporin.

Passion

I think you can gauge your feelings towards something by the amount of money that you put into it.

An interest or a whim, say, a cooking class, might cost $20 - $40. You're testing the waters, seeing if you really like it, before you spend all sorts of moola on updating your kitchen stuff. It might be a one time thing.

Now a hobby is a little more serious. It's an on-going activity that you will continue to put money into, like scrapbooking, gardening, or sewing. You might spend $50+ every month.


Beyond interest and hobby though, after you have thrown so much money towards one thing (and you're starting to hide it from your husband), you had darn well better call it a passion.

That said, I...uh...have a new...uh...passion. It is the bike.

It began simply enough - with starting some spinning classes at the gym. Then my friend suggested that I join her and another group of teachers on a bike ride - the Little Red Riding Hood, an all women's century (with shorter options). This wasn't just riding around with Cameron at Bear Lake for 20 minutes in the morning; it was an honest to goodness cycling event. They were planning on riding 68 miles - and that has since been changed to 80. Lycra shorts with a gel pad are not optional.

I was intrigued. Could I do it? Was I strong enough? Would I need a new bike?

Yes. Yes. Oh, yes.

A month or two later I had skipped right over the hobby level of money, and went straight to passionate spending. I mean, spending money for my new passion.

Breaking it down, I have bought:


New bike. It's a beauty and I love her. She's so lightweight, a road bike, 28" tires, 21 gears, and a dark red.


Helmet. Shades of turquoise. To protect my head.


Gloves. Gel filled to help prevent nerve damage. Will also help protect the hands from road rash.


Hydration backpack. Actually, I got this for free - I won it in a drawing at the gym. I took that as a sign that I should definitely do the bike ride. If I hadn't won it though, I would have bought one.


Bike computer. Because I really really really want to know how far I've gone, how long it took me, my speed, and the calories that I've burned.


Lycra bike shorts with a gel pad. These will save your butt. Literally.


2nd pair of Lycra bike shorts with a better gel pad. Also, a smaller size. They need to be tight to prevent chafing.


Cycling jersey. Not that I'm going so darn fast that I'm looking to cut down on wind resistance...this is a strictly "looking the part" kind of thing. Apparently there is also moisture-wicking that will take place if it ever gets really hot.



Cycling socks. People swear by them. The moisture-wicking will prevent blisters.


Cycling shoes. The most expensive pair of shoes I have ever owned, and the only time I wear them is when the rest of me is looking like a sausage, stuffed into Lycra. The shoes clip to the pedals and give you a more efficient ride. Also a little more dangerous ride.


Cycling pedals. What the shoes clip on to.


Registering for the Salt Lake City Century. A perfect first-time ride - money well spent.


Registering for the Little Red. It's this Saturday and I Can. Not. Wait!!!! We are now planning on riding 80 miles.

Little Red Cycling Jersey. Because this is a very big deal and it will match my socks.

Hotel for Little Red. We wanted to go up the night before so we wouldn't have to leave at 4am to get there.


I think that's about it. See what I mean about passion? I'd better stay passionate about this for a looooooong time.


But now, all the stuff is (hopefully!) bought. Now I can just ride, and occasionally register for an event here and there. Maybe buy another pair of socks. Not much. No sirree, the spending is over. Thank you, Troy, for being so supportive and letting me get all this stuff. It's my, uh, passion, after all.


But then I've just had way too much fun. I've gone on and on and bubbled about it so much, that Troy's decided to join in.


Troy has a new passion...

The Bike Ride

Okay, so this happened over two weeks ago, but it's still pretty relevant (in my mind at least) and I'm still pretty proud that I did it.

I went on an organized cycling event - the Salt Lake City Century. Never in my wildest dreams or imaginings would I have thought I would have/could have done something like this. But I did, and it was so dang cool.

I didn't do the whole century (100 miles) - I wanted to start off in this world of cycling with baby steps - so I rode the 36 mile option.

Everything about this ride was perfect - it was a beautiful, sunny day, mostly flat roads, and I only almost got killed once. Dang people in cars thinking it would be hilarious to scare little girls on bikes.

The ride was easy-breezy and I could have gone farther (I so wanted to!), but it was Aaron's birthday and I couldn't spend all day on it. Seriously, spinning classes at the gym are harder - the only thing giving me the slightest discomfort was the seat. Overall, I had a blast.

Troy, of course, drove me to the starting point and was taking pictures. Don't I look like a real cyclist?

Troy wanted to know why I wasn't buckling up my helmet for pictures.

I showed him.

A buckled strap + smiling = double chin issues.

Getting ready to start. Actually, I'm saying a quick prayer that I won't fall, have a flat tire, or get lost.

And we are off! That's my friend, Tamra, riding behind me. Her jersey is so much cuter than mine - plus it matched my socks. She wouldn't trade.

We rode and rode and rode, 17+ miles, and came to the first rest station. To my complete surprise, Troy had driven there and was waiting to cheer me on, pack me up if I needed it (he's secretly surprised that I can do this), and take pictures.

Mmmmm....Gatorade.

I found a couple of the teachers from the school. That's Mrs. J. in the middle - she's the one who got me started in all of this. They rode the 76 mile option!

Back on the road. Troy kept driving ahead and taking pictures. Tamra's laughing at me 'cause she knows that taking my hand off the handlebar scares the living daylights outta me. But I just had to pose, ya know?

And let's be honest...could there be a less flattering angle? Bent over and riding, I look like the Michelin Tire Man.

Crap.

We rode and rode and rode some more and then it was over. Final stats from my computer thingamajig: 37.7 miles in 2 hours and 50 minutes, max speed 23 mph, average speed 13.5 mph, and a whopping 1260 calories burned!!! Take that, Michelin Man!

We were smiling and I felt energized and just plain thrilled that I had done this. And then I was HUNGRY! Troy took me to Subway and I ate a foot long in less than a minute.

All in all, it was the perfect first riding event. I'd do it again in a heartbeat...and Troy even wants to do it with me next year.

In comparison...this is me after a 37+ mile bike ride:

And this is me last summer after my first tennis match:

Biking is easier. At least on flat roads, in sunny, springtime temperatures.

Coming up this Saturday: The Little Red Riding Hood Bike Ride. I'm planning on doing 80 miles. Woohoo!!

Fallen Woman

Don't you think that 39 years old is just too old to be falling off your bike and getting all scraped and scabby?

Yeah, me too.

For Mother's Day, I got my bike shoes and clips that allow me to fasten my feet right on to the pedals. I click them into place and it gives me a more powerful and efficient push/pull action. It makes for a fabulous ride. However, if I don't get them clicked out of the pedals before I come to a stop...I will fall. Hard.

It hurts.

On the bright side, I imagine that it looks hilarious.

It also got me tons of sympathy from the little kids I read with at the school. They felt so bad for me and in a show of empathy, pushed up their pant legs and sleeves to reveal their own scabby scrapes. They wondered why an adult would fall off her bike.

I tried to explain about the shoes and the clips and how I was stuck to my bike and couldn't put my feet down (!), but they didn't get it. They just think I'm a klutz.

I'm trying not to pick at it.

Good grief...this happened clear last week. I'm much better at unclicking my feet now. I even went on a big ol' 36 mile bike ride last weekend! More on that (and with pictures!) later.