Finally Broke 50 Miles

Today was an opportunity for a "redo" of the 55 mile new Cibolo route. With two weeks left until the big event, mentally, I needed to achieve 50 miles, or I would be unsure of my ability to pedal the entire event. Not that there isn't plenty of SAG support and I'm not too proud to use it, but I'd really like to go into the event with the plan of pedaling the whole thing. Afterall, that's what all of the hard training and sacrifices all summer have been aiming toward.

We have a larger group than usual, so Pete leads off with the hammerheads quickly falling in behind him. The group of guys, and Priscilla, pull ahead in no time. Michelle and Jasmine, who we refer to as "the Starbucks girls", hold a strong middle. Vicki and Christina stopped to fix Vicki's Camelbak and somehow I left Erica behind rather early on. Within a mile, I'm slowly pulling away from Laura as our conversation has migrated from performance on yesterday's ride to random breaks on rides, including one where Laura stopped to help a goat get unstuck from a fence.

At this point, I decide rather than ride alone, I'd like to catch the Starbucks girls. I manage to do so before we're three miles out. To keep up with them, I decide to sacrifice my cadence to maintain speed. I manage to keep up quite well with this strategy. I fall back a bit as we go over the I-10 overpass, but quickly catch them on the other side, there's a downhill afterall... With me riding with them, they don't have to stop and consult the map or the cue sheet. We manage to make it out to the pie shop in New Berlin without stopping, and that's 13 miles. Looking back at the numbers, my average cadence for this lap was 69 and my average speed was 14.7 mph. Wow! Of course, the elevation does show this is a bit of a downhill lap, but not significantly. I like those numbers.

We don't stay for long, but do make sure the entire group is together again and everyone has used the facilities. During the few minutes we're there, I look at my bike and realize my saddle is pointing nose down. How and when did that happen? I walk my bike over to Pete who pulls out his tool, levels the saddle, and tightens the bolt. I don't need more saddle problems on this ride!

The next lap is the section I only did half of last time. I fall to the back on the first road as it's a constant incline and into the wind. At the intersection where Erica and I turned back last time, Pete has done a quick regroup so we're all together for the next two turns. Of course, we immediately go up a hill and I fall back. As we continue down the next highway, I seem to fall further and further back until I can no longer see the group. Just then, I come upon a brush fire with at least six fire fighter vehicles there to put out the tiny brush fire. I examine the scene and select my path, planning the point at which I will hold my breath through the smoke. Thankfully, it was a small fire and the smoke trail was minimal by the time I arrived. I began reading my cue sheet and watching the street signs for the next turn. The mileage was dead on and I made the turn despite not seeing any of the group down the road.

A mile and a half before where the cue sheet said the next breakpoint was, I suddenly realized I was hungry. I checked the mileage and decided I could make it the next mile and half. I made the turn and arrived in La Vernia. Just as I hit "downtown" there was a sign that said Welcome Gorgeous! I had to smile and made my next turn. I'm now really hungry and watching for a sign that shows me where the store is for the next breakpoint. I don't see any signs, but when I hit the mileage number it appears I'll be out of town if I continue. I pause in a parking lot and call Pete. Come to find out, I'm directly behind the store, so I roll up the driveway before he can hang up the phone. At this point Pete tells me I'm doing really well and he's proud of me.

We grab some snacks, top off our water bottles and Camelbaks, stretch and gab a bit about the route. I look at my saddle and it seems to be sloping down a bit again. Strange! I decide the only way I'm noticing it is visually. Then I think back and realize my hands do seem to be getting more tired and numb than they have in a long time, so I must be holding myself up on the angle of the saddle.

We head out for the next breakpoint. This stretch is straight down one highway and the store is along the road, so I don't know exactly how far it is. Turns out is was another 10 miles down the road. I manage to make it to the third breakpoint and have only gotten off of my bike at each of the stops! That's quite the achievement for me. While we're stopped, I look at the mileage and realize in another half a mile, ever mile I pedal is now further than I've ever gone on a ride before. The group cheers, there's talk of celebration, and Christina announces, "three baskets of chips at lunch!"

This next stretch is the final stretch, but it's also the longest, the hilliest and the windiest. By the time we cross 1604 I've lost sight of the group again. I feel all alone as I safely cross the highway and think it would have been nice for a couple people to pause long enough to see that I got across okay. Not too much further, I catch Jasmine. She is getting tired and decided to ride at her own speed for the rest of the ride. We make the next turn where Pete is waiting to make sure everyone makes this turn. The road gets bumpy and there's suddenly a nice downhill. I take advantage of it and quickly lose Pete and Jasmine behind me. I hit 30mph on the downhill and dropped too far on the handlebars so that my boobs hit the lap button. Oh well!

I cross back over 1604 and pedal ever so slowly on the other side waiting until I see Pete and Jasmine have safely crossed the highway. I'm about ready for a break, but I decide I would like to get to 45 miles before I stop. That should be about halfway between the last store we stopped at and the truck. I begin counting down the miles and I look at my cue sheet to discover at mile 46 I go under I-10. I know that means shade, so I decide to keep pushing. It worked! I slowly made it 46 miles and stopped for a break. I took almost ten minutes having some Gu, stretching, tightening the thumb screw on my front wheel, eating some beans and finally I decide I've stopped long enough and figure Jasmine and Pete stopped sooner for a break.

I continue on and now I'm on familiar roads again, although I'm riding them backwards from what I've done in the past. The next few uphills are slow battles, but I continue on and don't walk a one of them! By now, I've learned that I can sit back in my saddle and it levels itself out. As I speed down a hill and make a turn, I think I see Pete cresting the hill behind me. I stop at the next intersection and wait. Sure enough, they catch me and I get Pete to tighten my saddle again. We talk for a few minutes and then continue on.

I know we're headed into the wind, but I'm beginning to get excited. We make the next turn and I've pulled ahead a bit, but I'm closely watching the numbers on my Garmin. As the numbers change to 50.00 I through a fist pump in the air and a big "whoop!" I decide I should do one more Gu, but this isn't a good place to stop. I continue on over the low water crossing where a minivan and I learn to co-exist quite well. He hung back and allowed me to have the narrow bridge. I attacked the hill so I wasn't too slow up the incline and as soon as I could see it was safe for him to pass, I waved him by and then gave a wave of thanks. He honked back and continued on his way.

I then found some shade and stopped for my 50 mile Gu! When Pete and Jasmine caught up with me, I did a little dance because I'd hit my 50 mile goal and I was still good to go. Come to find out, Jasmine has never done a training ride this long either, but she as done the Bike MS event before. The rest of the ride in is uneventful until I pull into the parking lot. Once again, I'm watching my numbers. Somehow it was perfectly timed and I was about two car lengths shy of the truck when my mileage turned to 55.00. I gave a double fist pump and a huge holler. It was amazing how everyone awoke from their naps in the cars, the shade of the building, and everywhere to come out and congratulate me. I was on cloud nine!

I'm proud of Erica today too for pushing herself and having a great ride. I'm proud of Jasmine for hanging in there and not giving up. I'm proud of my accomplishments for keeping my butt on the saddle from one breakpoint to the next. I'm proud of the 55 miles and I'm finally confident that I really can do this ride to Corpus Christi and not just trying to convince myself.

Tonight before we left for dinner Pete paused for a few minutes, took me in his arms and told me how proud of me he is. We talked through some of my accomplishments and my progress. I'm obviously still getting stronger and still improving. If I keep this up, I may be able to keep up with the group next spring. hmmm.... that would be just in time for the Houston to Austin Bike MS event.

Goals
Today's Miles: 55.07
Total Miles Achieved: 982.91
Financial Investment: $2216.13
Total Weight Loss: 0