35 Miles & A AWESOME CLIMB.

 What a prefect day and awesome up hill ride.  This really made up for yesterday.  My legs really needed this.  I feel so much better.   Everyone on the ride was great and the communication was there.   And this guy in a Yellow shirt kept on gabbing.  :)   No not really, but he was very help full and was keeping a eye on everyone.  

Yes it was a very hard ride to the top.  This was my first long up hill climb.  I was slow, but I was steady.  My speed going up hill was 5 miles an hour.  I had to do two rest stop's to catch my breath and drink some water, then I was off again.  Got to a spot called the narrows and that is were I turn around with the group. To go down hill super fast.  34.3 was my top speed.  Yikes.  I could have gone faster, but I was not familiar with the road.   My hands were hurting when I got to the bottom from holding the breaks.   

And I am entering the next stage of my cycling adventure.  I met a French lady who is going to start helping me do interval train, to get faster.    I am really excited to do this with her.  

I felt like I kept wanting to go go go after the ride and stop my self.  It's time to rest.   Beside I don't want to burn out.   Burning out is not good.   

25.6 Miles PEDDLE PISS & PEOPLE NOT LISTENING TO THE RULES

Uhhhhh I feel really annoyed and mad.  I really was looking forward to doing the Fun 50 and was ready to hit the road.   At the beginning of the ride a guy clearly states all the rules.  This is the first time I hear the actually speed for the Fun 50 which is 19 miles an hour.  Ok fine.   Next he ask how many people are doing the FUN.  Four people raise their hands.  That's fine too.   But here is were I got kind of really pissed.  As were taking off a women in a white jersey changes her mind with out telling the whole group.  She starts to sprints to catch up with the Fast 50.   Their is no pace line, no 19 miles an hour and no regard for the people behind her.  She crosses the street with out calling out nothing if it's clear.    If you don't want to do the FUN 50 don't raise your hand, how hard is it.  Or say to the small group so (Everyone) know your intention.    We left the parking lot going at 24.3 miles an fricken hour!    I do not want to do the Fast 50!   So yeah I got dropped like a hot rock.  And I had no desire to get lost or have a flat out there, so I turned around and went home.   And so much  for no rider left behind.   I have stayed back with two riders, to help them out.  So much for integrity when it come to other riders.      

So if your going to do the FAST 50 please don't raise your hand for the FUN!!!!!!!   Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.    

SO I LIED. 8.1 MILES

 I swear as soon as I got home my two toddlers, cry baby right leg and cry baby left leg started to whining like crazy, so much so I was like got to shut them up.   So instead of doing a longer ride I opted for a shorter and faster ride.   And cool beans the park was mostly clear of people so I could let loose and go faster.  

My knee feel so much better know and it does not hurt at all.  Too bad I was not thinking on my first ride up to Centerville.  Oh well.  

 This is what I have waiting for me after each ride.  These are my kitties Fiona up top and Kahlua down below.  Their like two little dogs who wait by the window waiting for my return.  

22.2 miles 6/26/2017

Very pleasant ride yesterday.  Kind of weird saying in the 90's is cool.  Lot's of people taking advantage of the cool weather at 1 miles. 
22.2 miles
1:33 time
14.5 average speed.
26.6 max speed.
1280 calories.
4.4 Co2

And yet again.  Ughhh in the park on the bike path a car stared driving in the bike path straight toward me, but at least this time the guy seemed surprised and veered off back onto the road. 

WOW!  In about one year I have gone 281 times back and forth from 1 mile to Horse shoe lake.   281 x 10 = 2,810 miles.  I guess you could say I've been going in circles.

I raised my bike seat and ahhhh that fixed the knee pain.    Taking a break today and saving my energy for the Fun 50.    

THE PURE JOY OF THE RIDING & WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER IT.

When  is the last time you felt your heart sore? When is the last time you felt at utter peace from with in your self?  When is the last time you felt that for some one who had no connection to, but you felt it anyway because you felt their joy? Get on a bike and experience the feeling..............Susen Hille

The pure joy of riding a bike is for everyone.  To the hard core serious cyclist who sweats bullets over long or short races to the disable child learning for the first time that they too can ride a bike, to the leisure rider who meanders here and there.  A bike has no limits to who can ride it.   Heck dog's can ride bikes, check out Norman below and YouTube him.  However I don't think he does it professionally.  

                                                                                SO WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER RIDING A BIKE?                                            There is a million reasons why you should, but I'm going to list a few.                                           1. SUN LIGHT.  It helps your body make Vitamin D. And what does Vitamin D do?  It helps with depression and works 100% better than pills. It fight off certain types of cancers, this is a fact. And it help you to have stronger bones.                

2. IT BOOSTS BRAIN POWER!  This is a fact!  And it helps to stave off Alzheimer’s.  It can also help people control with ADHD.                                                                                      3. YOU RECOVER FASTER.  If your sick or hurt your body is able to heal faster because you metabolism is running faster.                                                                                        4. LIVE LONGER.  How cool is that.                                                                                             5. YOUR FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOUR SELF!  

TROUBLE SHOOTING!                                                Q: I just feel so intimidated when I see a group of riders go buy, I can't do that.                                         A: Don't let other people on bikes intimidate you.  Riding a bike is your own personal experience, it does not mean you have to go out their and dress to impress, be a speed demon or have the most expensive bike.  This is me below in my riding cloth.  Snazzy right.   I didn't care about what we looked like, I cared about the ride.  Take notice my hubbies huge seat.  Turns out in the long run that was a horrible idea, stick to the smaller seats,  The larger seat made him have back problems. 

  Q: But I can't afford to get the right bike, their all too expensive.  
  A:  Well if you have a eye on a $3,500.00 bike yes it will be.  Our first bikes were $499.99 each.  But here is something to consider their is always sales.  My hubbies bike is a DiamondBack Hybrid Edgewood and at Dicks right now they are having a special for $299.98.  That's a steal.  So look around up and down and prices do come down.  Or get a used bike.  Either way their is a bike priced right just for you.  

 Q: I don't want to ride because then I'll have to ride really far, because everyone else can ride further. 
 A:  Again don't worry about what other people can do. Worry about what you want to do.  If you go 1/2 miles great.  If you go 1 mile great.  If you can go 4 miles good.  Do what you want can and don't feel bad about it.  Feel amazing that you riding and making a effort.

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN BUYING A BIKE
1. The bike has to match your height. If it does not, you knees and back with hurt.
2. Do not impulse buy a bike.  Look around, price check and do your research.
3. Make sure your dealership is knowledgeable and knows what they are talking about.  This means check out facts about the bike you want and if the person helping you has not a clue what your talking about move on.   Why?  Because you will need help and you want someone who going to know what their really doing and not just guessing at it.

Here is how we started our journey.

1. Walking around one block every day.
2.  Riding our bikes 1 1/2 miles. At the time that was all we could manage, getting their and back was so tiring.  Heaving and Panting.  But we kept doing it.
3.  I'm not going to say eating healthier, because we already were. But I will say cutting back and cutting out.  Just remodifying what we were eating.
4. When we got to were doing 1 1/2 miles weren't killing us, we went further, then further.
5. Not riding easy, but doing a hard ride and getting the heart pumping. 
6. Pushing our selves to do better.
7. And making Goals for our selves and sticking to it.

Our goal is to do 100 miles.    This is going to very difficult and challenging.   60 miles is know as the drop point.  People get to 60 miles and they fall like flies.  But if you can get past that magic number of 60 your good to go and that's our goal. 

Well I can successfully say I have now done 100 miles twice.  :)    Hubby has done 50 miles and that's good enough for him.   

1. Make a list of goals you want to get to, no matter how simple.
2. Stick to those goals.
3. Keep track of your achievements and write them down so you can track your progress.  I use a speedometer to track my progress. 
4. Keep your chin up and get your determination on, because YOU and YOU alone are going to be your best trainer. 
5. And know when to take a break, listen to your body it's will tell you when you need to rest. However your brain will tell you, you need to rest 24/7.  Learn how to listen to your body with out letting your brain dictate when your tried.  There is a difference. 

And let's not forget have a blast as you explore new areas on your bike. 

12.9 EASY RIDE

 It's getting cooler finally.   It was only 97 degrees on this ride and there was a cool breeze.  Whew.   Did a lazy day ride today, no going as fast as I can.  And I'm babying my right knee, it's been hurting, so I've got to either adjust the seat high or move the seat back.  

 Well this was bound to happen.  My wrap is starting to come off. 

 Smoking.

20.8 Miles & DROPPED

 Yeah I got dropped, but that's totally ok.  And no I didn't make it to Centerville like I wanted to, but guess what that's ok to, I did my best.  
I usually determine my ride by the first 6 to 10 miles and then I let my body tell me whats going on.  If I feel pumped and crazed, hell yeah I keep going.  Today I was not feeling the love, even after I took a break, my body was not in the mood, so headed back home from the covered bridge.   
But considering is was still a great ride, everyone was really nice and all 7 of us.  Not a huge group, tiny.  And what was even nicer at the end they waited for me, so I could tell them what was going to do.  They are probably not to stopping to the fact that they made the effort was highly appreciated.    I can't wait to try it again.  Just because I had a bad run, won't mean the next try will be the same and if it is, try again.   Practice makes perfect.  

Oh just to let you know Costco is having a sale on Mini 24 Hamster packs with wheel's.  Install them in your bike and your speed will increase by 34%.   They sell out really fast.  

112 DEGREES AND SIZZLING.

Skipped the Fun 50, like I said before I chose life.   Even after 6:00 in the evening it was still 104 to 106ish.   I can push my self, the when it's this hot.  Hell no.    
Decided to another day off to at least let my knee recover from the last ride.   The pain is all up front and it starting to feel a lot better.   Like I said probably a sprain.

Saw two cyclist out in the heat today and the temperature gauge was reading 111.
Fuck putting on sun lotion, try barbecue sauce.  Because their basically slow roasting them selves.   Seriously.  

If I do any riding it will be early in the morning or late in the evening.  So no long rides.   My healthy is way more important that racking up the miles.

27.4 Miles TOUR DE CENTERVILLE

Met up with Mike Wood this morning to beat the heat and ride up to the Centerville, said hi to all the dead people at the cemetery as we past.  ;)
 It's been over a year sense I've been up past the Honey Run Covered Bridge.  I forgot how beautiful of a ride it was.  Lot's of flowers and lot's of Fig trees, wow.  But none of them were producing.  They need a lot of water and the right soil to produce. Luckily I know were a huge tree is.

Well I can now say my butt got kicked.  I have never climbed so many hills in one day.   Maybe not a tough ride for some, but it was a very hard and good ride.  Mike can do it in 1 hour, it took me 2:02 minutes and I thank him for his patience.  Slupping along with me.   
So I was thinking maybe it was a good thing my spoke broke that one day. I probably would have gotten dropped, but I now know that I would have completed it, even if I was by my self. 
 
Riding thought Bidwell Park all the time I am in my comfort zone and I know what to expect around each corner and find my self complacent  with the challenges at had.    Going to Centerville for me was going out side of my comfort zone and was a challenge.  My Tour De I can do this and I did.  

This weird guy on a bike followed me all the way and back, I just could not drop him.  :)
What he's really thinking. "I could be home by know."    LOL      


Proof that I made it their.  
A couple of cyclist past up with a Whooooosh.   Yeah they were going hellishly fast.   I broke my speed record going down hill 34.1 mph.   eeeeeeeee  
The usual suspects.  Well at least they were friendly.   And the one on the right was stalking the trail of 1/2 of a cliff bar I dropped

Cliff Bar 0  
Dog Score 1.

I'm happy with this.  Considering all the hills. 

 Caught in the act of smelling a fallen cliff bar.

Cliff bar were the cliff bar .......