Today was an amazing day, for a two reasons.
FIRST, it was supposed to rain but didn't. The weather was sunny and warm all day!
SECOND, I woke up thinking I was doing a 40 mile ride today, and ended up completing my 65 mile ride requirement for Bike & Build!
Here's how it all happened:
In order to get more miles in, I looked up the Delaware Valley Bike Club (DVBC), which runs group rides all during the week, and found a C+ pace 40 mile ride to join. This was ideal, since I'd been riding 30 miles multiple times a week, and had done a 40 mile ride in the past. I also wanted to make sure the C+ pace was okay for me (it said online 12-13 mph, but I didn't know how strictly they followed it).
I arrived to the meeting point a little before 10:00 am. It was me, the leader Woody, and another guy Dave. We left a little after 10, and sure enough, rode 12-13 mph the whole way! PHEW, nothing to worry about!
In the morning, I was still weary about the chance of rain, & all of us were wearing too many clothes. I had my rain jacket, which I eventually took off since the temperature really warmed up. We arrived at lunch around 12:30 and I looked at my Cateye to discover we hadn't ridden the 21 miles I expected, but in fact 28 miles! And I felt great, even before sitting down.
After lunch, I felt even better. The food was not only energizing, but it was very good. We ate at an Italian restaurant in West Chester called Limoncello, and it was $10 for an all-you-can-eat buffet (aka a cyclists dream lunch!)
Satisfied, we packed up our extra layers and began riding home in the much warmer weather. I don't know what happened to the thunderstorms that were supposed to be raining over us at that moment, but I really didn't care. I was happy and looking forward to more riding!
Dave wanted to get back by 3:00 pm, so Woody took us the shortest way possible back (he estimated 17 miles). Halfway there, we lost Dave! (Or rather, Dave went ahead, and lost himself, hah)
Hoping Dave knew the way back to the cars, Woody and I decided to take a longer route back that went through downtown Media. I enjoyed it very much, and the route home was 21 miles long. When we arrived at the cars, Dave was there, and we said quick goodbyes before going out separate ways.
Even before arriving home, I had made the decision that I would continue riding until I made it to 65 miles today. I felt so good after riding 49 miles that doing another 16 seemed like a piece of cake! I ate an energy bar in the car on the way home, refilled my water bottles when I arrived, took off even more layers (since it was now humid out in addition to the heat), and left my house around 4pm.
I rode a 13 mile route I've been training on for a few weeks now because it is VERY hilly. It's interesting to do the same route over and over, especially when you are at different stages during training or, today, levels of energy. Since I was already warmed up after biking all day, I rode the first 6 miles very fast and easily. This ride is nice also because there is a HUGE/exhilarating downhill to the river, where you then ride along River Rd. for a few miles, before slowly climbing back up out of the valley.
The climb out was definitely slow and hard, I felt my leg muscles complain with every hard push; I could tell I was running low on energy. Knowing I was so close to 65 kept me going. When I finally reached my house, I was 3 miles short of 65, so I continued down the main road for about 2 miles more (another downhill, which means, climbing back at the VERY END!)
At exactly 2 miles I finished climbing to the crest of a short & steep hill. I never realized how steep this hill really was until I made a u-turn and went down it immediately after. What a thrill! I had to squeeze my break levers pretty hard to make the right turn at bottom where the road dead ends!
Less than 2 miles later I triumphantly turned onto my driveway and dismounted with a big grin on my face. I stood there for a moment, partially in shock that I had just completed a 66 mile ride. Partially to assess exactly how my body felt. It felt tired, definitely.
I walked in the front door, pulled off my jersey, and laid down on the cool wood floor. Never has lying on the floor felt so amazing! I didn't care about anything at that moment. Over the next 10 minutes, I stretched my legs, finished the water in my bottles, and relished my accomplishment.
One thought that did occur to me is: "If I feel this wiped out after riding, one day for 65 miles, imagine what it's going to be like on Bike & Build. I don't think it'll be acceptable to arrive at a new host and just collapse on their floor!"
...but I guess I'll worry about that problem when the time arrives ;)
