Every once in a while I question Big Mac, newly renamed Coach McTorture since it seems so much more appropriate as we get into our longer bike rides. Yesterday we had our 60 mile ride. I will say, it was nothing to snicker at. Even seasoned Century Riders would have had a hard time with yesterday's mere 60 mile ride...
Where to start... How about Friday night when I picked up my bike with my new gears? I was all ready and psyched to go for training in the morning. Since I could not wait to try the new gears out, I jumped on the bike as soon as I got home. Just a quick 10 miles to change through the new cassette and see if I liked it. We were scheduled for 20 bridge repeats at Lake Worth Bridge to begin our ride the next morning. I did not want to get out there and not know my new gears personally yet. Although somewhat disappointed with the price tag, I am happy with the gears.
I have heard great stories about Racer's Edge (Boca Raton), but I am wishing I took the drive to J-Town (Jupiter, FL) and let them work on my bike... Probably would have been a few hundred cheaper. Rather than just replacing a ring or two in the cassette, they replaced the entire cassette. Not only that, but I could have gotten the cassette online cheaper myself and just had someone do the work to install it. (The least McTorture could do for me since he insists on the Torture Method for Training.) Did I mention I did not even get a discount for TNT?? Not going back to Racer's Edge, Sorry Coach Rob.
Back to the training... Up early on Saturday morning and out the door to Lake Worth. I was actually very early, and that was good since the run they had that morning, Women for Women in Lake Worth, shut all the roads down, including the bridge. So much for our scheduled bridge repeats. After rerouting myself to get to Bryant Park (talking with 3 different officers and skating through the safety cones) I get the call that we were to reroute to Boynton Beach... At least the bike was still in the car. Off to Boynton I go...
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| Jacey, Me, Leanne, Coach McTorture, and Nikki McNugget |
Before I start with the ride, let me explain the weather yesterday morning: Windy would be an understatement: 14-16 mph winds out of the ESE (crosswinds suck by the way). I had to look at every flag we passed just to be sure I was really seeing the wind as bad as it felt on the bike. It is one thing to have that wind battering you head on at that speed while riding. It is another thing entirely when you are on A1A, among all the tall condos, on both sides of the road. It is like riding in a wind tunnel. Oh, let us not forget to mention when you have a clearing on the beach side you get that gust of 20-25 that likes to shift your front tire to feel like it is coming out from underneath you. Not fun!!!
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| Our Ride on Saturday, 4/23/11 - From Boynton Beach Inlet to Las Olas( Ft Laud.) and back. |
After a quick Sag stop with our SAG MAN Mr. Bob, we were off to Las Olas. Another 10 miles of battling the wind, and introducing cars and walkers and beach-goers OH MY! Not a fun ride when attempting to keep pace with 18+. Well we started off saying 20+ but the wind put that goal to rest really quickly. We managed to stay well over 17 mph which was great with that wind. We thought (or shall I rephrase that to we HOPED) the wind would be at our backs on the way home. Not so much the deal! As it often happens in Florida, and something my dad would always say: The wind was a shiftin'. We were in for another 30 miles to home base with the wind against us again! Joy!
I managed to somewhat keep up with, or at least keep in my sights, the faster crew of Kris and Jon. But the rest of us were more lolli-gagging around at 17-18 back to Hillsboro Inlet Park. Still good speed for the wind, but man, it was not an easy day.
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| SAG Stop with our Awesome Sag Guy, Mr Bob |
At Palmetto Park Road I seriously considered riding to my house and calling someone to come take me to my car... Like my bread that morning with my breakfast, I was TOAST! My lower back was aching from being in the saddle for almost 3 hours at that point. My neck was killing me from gripping the bars so hard having to fight the wind to keep control of my bike. I was not in my happy place at all. But, I pushed through and finished the ride with the team.
Oh, but before I finish this segment... Remember how I said we have newly renamed our coach McTorture, let me explain... We were just about a mile from the finish. I had already started to sprint up to 19-20 mph. Coach rides up to me and says, "You see that next yellow sign, that is one mile to the finish. Full out sprint to the end." NO! No! I am not gonna!!! I just shook my head because I could barely breathe let alone talk. I hear him yell at me, "Don't shake your head at me! And DON'T let me catch you!" Crap! What part of I just rode 59 miles against the wind both way makes you think I have ANYTHING left to sprint??
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| Jon found time to play even... |
I am really trying to stay positive. In my mind (as crazy as it sounds), 60 miles in Florida for us Flat-Landers is actually worth 100 miles in the mountains. How so? Well, not even taking into account the wind yesterday, we still peddled for 60 miles, and hard too. Now, yes we have some nasty steep climbs in Tahoe, BUT, the upside is the 'downside'... we can coast down the mountains. I can't wait for that. So 103 miles, up and down hills (well, really mountains) we will be coasting for about a third of that, if not more. I got this!!
Oh, and before you think this was the end of my day yesterday... let me tell you what the rest of my day was like. So, you already know I don't just do this stuff for fun. I mean, yeah, we have fun, but we are out here for a reason. A great cause. And part of our commitment is to raise money and awareness. A while back, one of the teammates had a great idea to walk around with the tailgaters at the Jimmy Buffett concert and raise money. Yes, i am sure this was well before she knew we would be hitting 60 miles that morning in training. A few of us met up just outside of the concert and rode in together. We were stocked with Jello Shots, Rum Punch, Leis, grass skirts, and all kinds of Buffett-ish stylings. Did I mention the one whose idea it was to do this did not come out??? (But we cut her a break since she did buy all the supplies!! and Yes, We still love her too!!! We completely understand her commitment to her family.... but STILL!!! =))
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| Ready to Raise Money |
But that was not the end of the day. Jacey and I needed food, and a recovery beer or two... So we went over to Bru's Room in Wellington/Royal Palm for dinner before heading home. So glad we did. Not only were the fried pickles, boneless wings, and spinach dip fantastic, the Sam Adams was good too! As we were finishing up our dinner, two men sitting at the bar came over and introduced themselves, they had overheard us talking about the ride and the fundraising. Turns out, one of these two very nice men was all too willing to help out if he could. A very nice man who lost his wife to cancer. He is very successful in life and loves to give back where he can. When he sees a great cause he is all for it. He was inspired by what Jacey and I were telling him about our day and wants to help. He gave me his email address and I will be sending him our corporate sponsorship paperwork later today. I love when you have an opportunity to see the goodness in people!
“Love life, engage in it, give it all you've got.
Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it”
~ Maya Angelou
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