As I’m riding along, a bug hits my sunglasses. Wow! Sure glad I wear these sunglasses when I ride, that would have hurt! As I attack and keep powering my way up the first hill, I accidentally shift two gears at once. Oops! That’ll sure ruin your cadence. I make it up the hill, although Dad passed me on the hill, and we keep on moving.
Then, we hit a road construction sign and fresh gravel. Ick! I have wide mountain bike tires and they just grab the gravel. The bikes are squirrely in this stuff and we each find our own pace and just keep moving. It is hard going. I’m exhausted and call break time. I decide to have some Gu in hopes that it’ll kick some energy into me. Dad decides to try to make friends with one of the horses watching us, but the horse seems interested in the people, but scared of the bike. We keep on trudging through the gravel and finally get through.
I’m starting to think about asking where the point is that I can turn and make this a shorter ride, while at the same time avoiding the killer hills at the end of the route. I manage to think about it long enough, that I know I’m now past the point and I might as well buck-up and finish the whole route we set out to do!
After a big hill and a good section of the “false flat” (which by the way, I’m not sure how I thought it was flat last time we were out here, it’s clearly inclines) I declare another break time. Dad is up ahead, but he doubles back and finds a post in the shade to lean against as he sits in the grass. He’s decided he has a ten mile butt and twenty mile knees. Neither is good for a 27 mile route. More Gu and Gatorade, and a good hanky break and I’m ready to go again.
We roll right past the 20 mile shade where Dad quit last time. I’m matching Pete’s pace and we’re moving right along. I really like it when I’m able to pace him. I call it “keeping up with him”, but he says he’s “able to keep me in a pace line”. As I’m enjoy this trucking along section, I know the hills loom ahead. I wonder where I’m going to find the energy to get up those hills, but I know if I can, the downhill at then end is worth it.
Pete pulls into the Shell station again for another shade break. We get to this section of the route late enough in the morning that the black top and lack of trees sure makes this last road a brutally hot one. I know I couldn’t make it up the hills if I didn’t first cool off in the shade. Cooled off and ready for the air conditioning of the truck, we head out. I take the lead with Pete protecting my rear from the traffic. I call out the obstacles and the cars approaching from side roads and Pete takes care of the rest. Slow and steady, I make it up. I even pass Dad as he jumps off and starts walking up one of the hills.
We get to the top and I say “where’s the stupid stadium?” Seeing the stadium is the sign that you’ve crested the last hill and you’re almost back to the car. Pete waits a beat as the road bends in front of us and the stadium comes into view from behind a tree branch. It was a moment out of a movie. I cheer and send Pete, the speed demon, ahead for the downhill. I let gravity work and enjoy the downhill seeing 35.4 mph on my bike computer. I pedal the last distance into the parking lot and get off the bike thrilled, but exhausted. Somehow I made it. I think I’ll say this ride is thanks to the powers of Gu.
Goals
Today's Miles: 27
Total Miles Achieved: 277.1
Financial Investment: $863.55
Total Weight Loss: -0.2
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