First 50+ mile ride and some singing and dancing

This weekend I set a milestone. I didn't even know ahead of time I would! I met the group I ride with on Saturdays at RBM South for my 'long ride' of the week. Our group included Coach Gayle, who is training for Redman and who is coaching Davis, Graham, and John for their coming Ironman races in 2010. Yeah, they start that training early when you need to 'race' for possibly 14-15 hours at once. So to say I'm the newbie on the ride is an understatement.

The guys had 55 miles on their schedule this week. They asked how far we were going and Gayle said around 30 miles (she always makes sure I get back ok and then finishes her remaining miles). So we started out and the guys start saying 'Come on, you can make 50 miles, you've been keeping up the last couple weeks. We'll go slow.' In my head I'm thinking no way. No way I add 20 miles and not blow up. But then I start to think, 'well, I can always call someone to come get me since we'll be out close to family...and sure, I'd like to try it - sounds exciting!'. So eventually I say 'sure, why not...I'm in.' Gayle told me not to look at the miles (which was great advice by the way, just keep eating every 45 minutes, stay hydrated and just keep pedaling.

The first 25 miles was a breeze, lots of good sections with not too much uphill or wind. Even with slowing for stop signs, railroad tracks, etc we were keeping a good average. We made a quick water stop at the gas station and I thought, man I look red! So I told everyone not to worry - that's my 'exercise face'. he he

What? You brought that camera again? ;)

Then we hit the hilly sections and I had to dig a little deeper. When I'm riding up a hill I think 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming, what do we do, we swim swim swim.' Funny but it works. Maybe I'm weird but I never use that mantra when swimming. Just biking. It was actually a ton of fun riding new places!!

Me with 'exercise face of eternal redness.' Yes I love that bike jersey and it's in many pics. Please buy me a new one so it doesn't look like I wear the same thing all the time. :)

The last rest stop is somewhere around 10 miles from the finish. And those last 10 miles are hard, windy, and lots of long gradual inclines so you always feel like you're going uphill. So I refilled and got my mental game ready and made the last push. It was a struggle but I wanted to be done and get off the bike because it was well over a hundred degrees by now! The guys all congratulated me as we rode over the 50 mile mark and declared me Queen of the 50. :) Seriously a big thanks to the group for getting me to try it and helping make sure I made it. The workout took just under 4 hours - 3:47:13. 4 hours. Of pedaling. Seriously what was I thinking. We left at 7:15am and with rest stops, made it back to the car around 11:40am.

The proof! 56.87 miles!

After the ride I rushed home to shower and change because my sis and I had tix to see A Chorus Line! I showered, with a loooootttt of soap (seriously I had super-stink and was covered in dirt!), barely dried my hair and we made the trip downtown just in time to watch some serious singing and dancing. Good stuff.

Laaammmeee picture.

Here is Liz thinking...um, how can you take such a lame picture?

Why am I not blessed with cooloer siblings?

After the show I was super hungry and cranky (I burned around 3k calories on that bike!) so we stopped for some Uncle Julio's before making the way back home. A successful day!