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.