"what? you quit spin class? did you break your leg?" those words spoken to me by my former roommate i caught up with a few days ago who watched my entire spinning addiction begin last year. that's right friends, i quit the gym. it's been an idea for a while for several reasons; mostly because i live out in the country now and packing to leave the house at 5:15am and take everything for the day with me had finally kicked my butt. that, and my membership was up and i was broke from vegas...which turns out was a f.a.n.tastic trip. i know they say what happens in vegas stays in vegas, but i happened to bring back a groomsman i'm pretty crazy about :)
school, work, internship and new manfriend have kinda taken up my time lately so i haven't gotten out to ride much...or even work out :( i did, however, get out at 5:30 the other morning to ride a bit in the freezing weather and promptly decided that was the worst idea i'd ever had! not only was it cold and windy, but my headband was pressing on my eyebrows and making my sleepy eyes close. not good at that hour. needless to say, i've put my bike on the trainer and have been working on trying to get myself motivated to workout alone.
well hopefully i'll get back into a good workout regimine soon and will have more exciting stories to write about. you all get out there and ride, since i don't have time to!
11.05.2010
10.12.2010
i'm winning i'm winning!
sunday was the riverfront mountain bike race in melvern put on by my roommate lelan. i planned on racing and going out to be supportive but and i started out the day not feeling too whippy. i hadn't slept well so i thought about calling in sick, but figured i could sleep later, riding my bike might help me out a bit.
i got there early to pre ride a lap. i'd ridden it this summer when the idea of the race was just being thrown out there, but it was literally 100 degrees...aaaaand i had bronchitis, so my memory of the trail was a little skewed. the pre ride was great and it felt good to get moving. the trail was f.a.n.tastic! pretty technical, but SO exciting! i did endo, however, over a pesky rock. wasn't moving quickly so it wasn't too bad, but i have some nasty bruises on my legs and i've been picking thistles out of my skin for the past few days. you may feel sorry for me, but there's something satisfying about being the only girl out there getting right back up to kick some butt after a wreck.
a few friends had come out to cheer me on. i was really excited to see norma jean out there! she came to ride a lap, clear the cobwebs, visit some old buddies from melver, and be my cheerleader!
race started, and i really was the only girl in my class. me and a bunch of boys. that's how it usually is lol. i let most of them go ahead of me at the beginning, but was wishing i hadn't when they were walking parts of the course i wanted to ride...and then i stopped feeling good again. let's just say i was the only one in my class doing that kind of cramping. another sense of satisfaction in feeling tougher than some of the boys!
as i passed the cheering section, i yelled, "i'm winning!" and kept giggling at myself for being clever. i felt better after my first lap and knew since i was the only girl, i'd be winning the camelback i wanted.
now, i know alot of people say talking to yourself makes you sound crazy, but i'd have to disagree. i think it's one of the most intelligent things you can do for yourself. you're objectively taking a situation into your logical mind and coaching yourself to do something better. so i do it alot on the trail. at one point i said to myself, "anne marie, just because you're not racing against any other girls does not mean you're not racing against yourself. now get in the game!" i should really be a motivational speaker :)
the last lap was a little sloppy since and was playing a little human pinball with the trees, so i slowed down a bit. i finished up and people clapped for me, which i thought was sweet. i got to hang out and watch all the sport and experts do their race, ending up for an awesome day of bikes.
thursday is fall break and i'm going to las vegas for a friend's wedding, so i won't be racing this weekend, but i think i'll be enjoying myself :)
later taters!
i got there early to pre ride a lap. i'd ridden it this summer when the idea of the race was just being thrown out there, but it was literally 100 degrees...aaaaand i had bronchitis, so my memory of the trail was a little skewed. the pre ride was great and it felt good to get moving. the trail was f.a.n.tastic! pretty technical, but SO exciting! i did endo, however, over a pesky rock. wasn't moving quickly so it wasn't too bad, but i have some nasty bruises on my legs and i've been picking thistles out of my skin for the past few days. you may feel sorry for me, but there's something satisfying about being the only girl out there getting right back up to kick some butt after a wreck.
a few friends had come out to cheer me on. i was really excited to see norma jean out there! she came to ride a lap, clear the cobwebs, visit some old buddies from melver, and be my cheerleader!
race started, and i really was the only girl in my class. me and a bunch of boys. that's how it usually is lol. i let most of them go ahead of me at the beginning, but was wishing i hadn't when they were walking parts of the course i wanted to ride...and then i stopped feeling good again. let's just say i was the only one in my class doing that kind of cramping. another sense of satisfaction in feeling tougher than some of the boys!
as i passed the cheering section, i yelled, "i'm winning!" and kept giggling at myself for being clever. i felt better after my first lap and knew since i was the only girl, i'd be winning the camelback i wanted.
now, i know alot of people say talking to yourself makes you sound crazy, but i'd have to disagree. i think it's one of the most intelligent things you can do for yourself. you're objectively taking a situation into your logical mind and coaching yourself to do something better. so i do it alot on the trail. at one point i said to myself, "anne marie, just because you're not racing against any other girls does not mean you're not racing against yourself. now get in the game!" i should really be a motivational speaker :)
the last lap was a little sloppy since and was playing a little human pinball with the trees, so i slowed down a bit. i finished up and people clapped for me, which i thought was sweet. i got to hang out and watch all the sport and experts do their race, ending up for an awesome day of bikes.
thursday is fall break and i'm going to las vegas for a friend's wedding, so i won't be racing this weekend, but i think i'll be enjoying myself :)
later taters!
10.01.2010
there aren't alot of things that make me mad...
but the combination of bikes and rain will do it every time.
a few weekends ago tim, scott, tom, randy, garret and i headed up to swope park for the kc cup. it had been raining the previous day, but at 5 that morning, we still had the green light to race, so off we went. the air was misty but i was optimistic that this would just lead to the wimps bailing on the race.
since beginners race earlier than everyone else, randy and i got there so i could pre-ride before my race. 5 minutes into the lap i was made very aware of how much rain they'd gotten the day before. and about 15 minutes in, i'd wrecked and slopped around enough to be covered from head to toe in mud...which is an awesome time to get a flat. attempting to keep from getting mud all over my ipod i worked on trying to fix it...and failed. apparently my spare had a hole in it. not cool. like i said, there aren't alot of things that make me mad, and we won't go into great detail about the things that were said to my bike, but let's just say i wasn't a happy camper.
come to find out, boys who pass you don't always think you're cute enough to help you with your flat...even on a pre-ride...maybe it was the mud covering my entire self. i knew i had about 15 minutes before the race started and had no idea how long i was gonna have to walk my bike. and then randy came to the rescue. he switched me wheels so i could hurry to the start line...which i was not looking forward to at that point.
at the start line the 110 lb girl who smoked me at bone bender greeted me with a "wow, i guess we know it's muddy". not the best way to get me started for a race. but as i started to get used to riding in the mud and still falling over, i started to enjoy it. i had to save my opponent from falling off a drop off and was laughing at how ridiculous the whole experience was.
i ended up placing 3rd that day and 1st in my division for the series, so i was pretty pleased. muddy and all.
last weekend was the ms150. this was my 3rd year to do this ride and i figure i ride 60 miles on gravel no big deal, so i should be fine. except that i didn't do any training on my road bike. 50 miles in i was screaming "anne marie, you dummy! you should know better!" and other things at my bike, but still in good spirits and team "that's what she said" forged ahead.
and then we saw storm clouds. now, this was to be the century loop, so there was no way i was gonna stop for some silly lightning. i think sometimes my experience as a lifeguard spotting lightning gives me a false sense of safetey in meteorology...eh well. we were urged to "make it as quickly as possible to the next stop" so we could find shelter at about mile 65, and a few miles later it started sprinkling...and then raining...harder...and harder...to which point we would be on a downhill going about 25 and not be able to see. all i could think about was my ipod which i've only had a few months, and our tent and how drenched they were getting. priorities, i know.
riding into the stop i really couldn't see anymore, nor did i care, all i wanted was a warm building to be in and a towel. but first i had to stop. which i didn't do well since i couln't see the curb in front of me or realize my breaks wouldn't work so hot when wet. needless to say i took a spil and was a cranky cranker-pants after that. some nice men tried to tell me how to take care of it. i politely made them aware that i was a pro at crashing my mountain bike and would be fine, but that i was just mad. my ipod however, was totally fine! thank goodness for those cover things.
they'd cut our route short, which was a good idea, but heck, if i'm gonna be that miserable, i might as well do the dang 100 miles. but the wind happened to be really cold so we got finished i didn't care about being short 9 miles, i just wanted a hot shower.
our tents were drenched, so we got to purchace new sleeping bags and sleep in the gym, but we also got to meet up with the wintles, and i got to hold baby emory...the entire ride with rain and all was worth getting to hold that sweet baby girl :)
the next day was awesome. plus, before i'd left i'd had the feeling it'd be cold, so i'd packed my head warmer thingie, so i was golden in the chilly air.
overall, it was a very meorable experience and we got to raise money for a great cause. hopefully next year it won't rain...but i'll be prepared, with waterproof sweat suit stuff from head to toe!
a few weekends ago tim, scott, tom, randy, garret and i headed up to swope park for the kc cup. it had been raining the previous day, but at 5 that morning, we still had the green light to race, so off we went. the air was misty but i was optimistic that this would just lead to the wimps bailing on the race.
since beginners race earlier than everyone else, randy and i got there so i could pre-ride before my race. 5 minutes into the lap i was made very aware of how much rain they'd gotten the day before. and about 15 minutes in, i'd wrecked and slopped around enough to be covered from head to toe in mud...which is an awesome time to get a flat. attempting to keep from getting mud all over my ipod i worked on trying to fix it...and failed. apparently my spare had a hole in it. not cool. like i said, there aren't alot of things that make me mad, and we won't go into great detail about the things that were said to my bike, but let's just say i wasn't a happy camper.
come to find out, boys who pass you don't always think you're cute enough to help you with your flat...even on a pre-ride...maybe it was the mud covering my entire self. i knew i had about 15 minutes before the race started and had no idea how long i was gonna have to walk my bike. and then randy came to the rescue. he switched me wheels so i could hurry to the start line...which i was not looking forward to at that point.
at the start line the 110 lb girl who smoked me at bone bender greeted me with a "wow, i guess we know it's muddy". not the best way to get me started for a race. but as i started to get used to riding in the mud and still falling over, i started to enjoy it. i had to save my opponent from falling off a drop off and was laughing at how ridiculous the whole experience was.
i ended up placing 3rd that day and 1st in my division for the series, so i was pretty pleased. muddy and all.
last weekend was the ms150. this was my 3rd year to do this ride and i figure i ride 60 miles on gravel no big deal, so i should be fine. except that i didn't do any training on my road bike. 50 miles in i was screaming "anne marie, you dummy! you should know better!" and other things at my bike, but still in good spirits and team "that's what she said" forged ahead.
and then we saw storm clouds. now, this was to be the century loop, so there was no way i was gonna stop for some silly lightning. i think sometimes my experience as a lifeguard spotting lightning gives me a false sense of safetey in meteorology...eh well. we were urged to "make it as quickly as possible to the next stop" so we could find shelter at about mile 65, and a few miles later it started sprinkling...and then raining...harder...and harder...to which point we would be on a downhill going about 25 and not be able to see. all i could think about was my ipod which i've only had a few months, and our tent and how drenched they were getting. priorities, i know.
riding into the stop i really couldn't see anymore, nor did i care, all i wanted was a warm building to be in and a towel. but first i had to stop. which i didn't do well since i couln't see the curb in front of me or realize my breaks wouldn't work so hot when wet. needless to say i took a spil and was a cranky cranker-pants after that. some nice men tried to tell me how to take care of it. i politely made them aware that i was a pro at crashing my mountain bike and would be fine, but that i was just mad. my ipod however, was totally fine! thank goodness for those cover things.
they'd cut our route short, which was a good idea, but heck, if i'm gonna be that miserable, i might as well do the dang 100 miles. but the wind happened to be really cold so we got finished i didn't care about being short 9 miles, i just wanted a hot shower.
our tents were drenched, so we got to purchace new sleeping bags and sleep in the gym, but we also got to meet up with the wintles, and i got to hold baby emory...the entire ride with rain and all was worth getting to hold that sweet baby girl :)
the next day was awesome. plus, before i'd left i'd had the feeling it'd be cold, so i'd packed my head warmer thingie, so i was golden in the chilly air.
overall, it was a very meorable experience and we got to raise money for a great cause. hopefully next year it won't rain...but i'll be prepared, with waterproof sweat suit stuff from head to toe!
9.05.2010
fall? could it be???
school and work have started back up. i really love my job. i coordinate a program to get students into community service. i think i mostly love it because of the people i work with. the other day i asked my boss if she'd hire me after i graduate to do this stuff full time if i don't get a therapy job...ya i've been questioning sitting at a desk for endless hours a week and having to do loads of stupid paperwork for insurance companies. ideally, i'd like to work for a college doing student development part-time and therapy part-time. we'll see what shakes out.
my schedule is pretty insane-o during the week i.e. on wednesdays i leave the house at 5am and get back at 9pm. but even still i've been really enjoying this beautiful weather...minus the ragweed induced allergies. seriously, this has got to be the worst year for alleriges ever!
due to being broke this semester, i didn't get to head out to colorado to see my friend wiggins like i'd planned, so yesterday i doped up on a little more allergy medicine and hit the gravel road. i'd really been needing the me-time lately and decided i'd go visit my good friend mindy in neosho rapids. but to start out i wanted to make sure i was gonna get alot of miles, so i headed to olpe first and then headed north.
on my way past hartford i saw two roadies in the distance. i figured i'd have to know them and if i didn't i'd want to at least wave. come to find out it was bobby wintle and his father-in-law! i love that in our small biking community we pretty much know who's out there. kinda makes you feel more safe ya know?
got to neosho rapids, spent some time with my friend and her new baby and then headed back home. we'd just been talking about all the weirdos in neosho rapids, so as i was on a deserted gravel road with a white van whose passengers were male and waving, my imagination got the best of me. that was the time i stopped feeling so safe. i pedaled hard and took a road i thought would be helpful in getting me out of the way and home fater; only to find it was a dead-end...and that the "scary van" was long gone and clearly not coming back to throw me in the back, leaving my bike as the only evidence of my kidnap. yeah, i'm not dramatic at all.
after finding a more direct route; that wasn't a dead-end; i passed two trucks on the side of the road that i assumed were owned by hunters. my mind again got the best of me. i know the laws about not shooting across a road but remembered the story of the teenager a few years back who was shot by a hunter from across the road. i'm not niieve enough to think everyone follows laws all the time. shoot, i don't. duh, i break speeding laws on my bike all the time ;)
as i heard gun shots, i imagined what it would be like to be hit by a bullet while on my bike: which part of my body, how i would react, whether the hunters would get me to a hospital in time, how that would effect school and work, how long i'd have to be off the bike...ok, so i'm a little dramatic :) but i blame it on being hungry.
about 15 miles out my stomach started growling. i tried to count how many miles i'd have left according to the alphabet letter road i was on as plus 3 to go south to the 120 block. but every time i counted it ended up the same number: 14...no matter how many miles i had just gone. i figured i should just focus on getting home. mostly because i had homework due at midnight and plans later that evening...it was almost 6pm.
i rolled in at 55 miles on the computer, gathered some food and hit the books so i could get cleaned up and get to the adventure monkey's first birthday party. i was 45 minutes late, but i got it all done. nothin like making the bike your priority!
my schedule is pretty insane-o during the week i.e. on wednesdays i leave the house at 5am and get back at 9pm. but even still i've been really enjoying this beautiful weather...minus the ragweed induced allergies. seriously, this has got to be the worst year for alleriges ever!
due to being broke this semester, i didn't get to head out to colorado to see my friend wiggins like i'd planned, so yesterday i doped up on a little more allergy medicine and hit the gravel road. i'd really been needing the me-time lately and decided i'd go visit my good friend mindy in neosho rapids. but to start out i wanted to make sure i was gonna get alot of miles, so i headed to olpe first and then headed north.
on my way past hartford i saw two roadies in the distance. i figured i'd have to know them and if i didn't i'd want to at least wave. come to find out it was bobby wintle and his father-in-law! i love that in our small biking community we pretty much know who's out there. kinda makes you feel more safe ya know?
got to neosho rapids, spent some time with my friend and her new baby and then headed back home. we'd just been talking about all the weirdos in neosho rapids, so as i was on a deserted gravel road with a white van whose passengers were male and waving, my imagination got the best of me. that was the time i stopped feeling so safe. i pedaled hard and took a road i thought would be helpful in getting me out of the way and home fater; only to find it was a dead-end...and that the "scary van" was long gone and clearly not coming back to throw me in the back, leaving my bike as the only evidence of my kidnap. yeah, i'm not dramatic at all.
after finding a more direct route; that wasn't a dead-end; i passed two trucks on the side of the road that i assumed were owned by hunters. my mind again got the best of me. i know the laws about not shooting across a road but remembered the story of the teenager a few years back who was shot by a hunter from across the road. i'm not niieve enough to think everyone follows laws all the time. shoot, i don't. duh, i break speeding laws on my bike all the time ;)
as i heard gun shots, i imagined what it would be like to be hit by a bullet while on my bike: which part of my body, how i would react, whether the hunters would get me to a hospital in time, how that would effect school and work, how long i'd have to be off the bike...ok, so i'm a little dramatic :) but i blame it on being hungry.
about 15 miles out my stomach started growling. i tried to count how many miles i'd have left according to the alphabet letter road i was on as plus 3 to go south to the 120 block. but every time i counted it ended up the same number: 14...no matter how many miles i had just gone. i figured i should just focus on getting home. mostly because i had homework due at midnight and plans later that evening...it was almost 6pm.
i rolled in at 55 miles on the computer, gathered some food and hit the books so i could get cleaned up and get to the adventure monkey's first birthday party. i was 45 minutes late, but i got it all done. nothin like making the bike your priority!
8.05.2010
Trains, planes, automobiles and bicycles
trip to new jersey was really informative but holy cow it was alot of traveling! I'm really thankful there was some fun had along with all the learning and by the end of the conference I was wishing I could stay there...I mean I is pretty great to have someone elso make your bed and meals every day!
landed in kc and wanted to kiss the ground. Flying and public transportation are wonderful but there's something about being in control of your own person by driving a car or pedaling a bike. Independence. That's what it is. And I'm a very independent girl.
i stayed that night in lawrence @ my friends Amy and joeys house, which was a good thing because I don't think I woulda made it home safely! then woke up sunday to find my way to Perry lake to race my bike!
I was a little nervous about racing since I'd been traveling so much but I'd worked pretty hard to stay hydrated so I was also just really excited to pedal again. uncle randy and the boys met
me there and brought my bike....and yes I hugged her before anyone else :)
I was able to warm up more than I have before a race and felt really good about it. Lelan was gonna be my water boy and the rest of the guys didn't race till after me so they got to be my cheerleaders! poor Tom had some uh technical difficulties so he needed to borrow my bile for his race; which meant I had a really good reason to hurry up and get finished!
the course was kinda rocky but really awesome. It was just me and another girl pretty much neck and neck but I had to walk up a hill that set me back about a minute, so I came in second out of two again lol all in all it was really fun to have such a close race :)
I made it back with pleantly of time for Tom to get my bike set up and take off. I got my instructions to be water girl and started cheering on the boys. they all did really great and I loved helping them out. I missed poor mike on his last lap though...sorry again mike!!! he didn't die but I still felt bad... Next race I'll be 100%! :)
I left the race coughing a bit and assumed I'd inhaled alot of dust, but as I've been laying on the couch most of the day hacking from the deep parts of my lungs I'm thinking it's a little more than allergies haha but I'll be back to the bike soon, don't you worry!
landed in kc and wanted to kiss the ground. Flying and public transportation are wonderful but there's something about being in control of your own person by driving a car or pedaling a bike. Independence. That's what it is. And I'm a very independent girl.
i stayed that night in lawrence @ my friends Amy and joeys house, which was a good thing because I don't think I woulda made it home safely! then woke up sunday to find my way to Perry lake to race my bike!
I was a little nervous about racing since I'd been traveling so much but I'd worked pretty hard to stay hydrated so I was also just really excited to pedal again. uncle randy and the boys met
me there and brought my bike....and yes I hugged her before anyone else :)
I was able to warm up more than I have before a race and felt really good about it. Lelan was gonna be my water boy and the rest of the guys didn't race till after me so they got to be my cheerleaders! poor Tom had some uh technical difficulties so he needed to borrow my bile for his race; which meant I had a really good reason to hurry up and get finished!
the course was kinda rocky but really awesome. It was just me and another girl pretty much neck and neck but I had to walk up a hill that set me back about a minute, so I came in second out of two again lol all in all it was really fun to have such a close race :)
I made it back with pleantly of time for Tom to get my bike set up and take off. I got my instructions to be water girl and started cheering on the boys. they all did really great and I loved helping them out. I missed poor mike on his last lap though...sorry again mike!!! he didn't die but I still felt bad... Next race I'll be 100%! :)
I left the race coughing a bit and assumed I'd inhaled alot of dust, but as I've been laying on the couch most of the day hacking from the deep parts of my lungs I'm thinking it's a little more than allergies haha but I'll be back to the bike soon, don't you worry!
7.25.2010
sunflower state games and life events
well the death ride came and went, and i went to the sunflower state games in topeka instead :)
the day started out really well. i woke up feeling refreshed at 5:30am...and i have no idea how that happened! didn't need to drink any coffee, which was good because i know that's a major reason i cramp. and got to the race to find it hadn't rained there like we were worried about. problem is, we didn't quite get there early enough to do a full lap to warm up, and then i found my front break was rubbing pretty badly...not good. so, 10 minutes before race time, we had to do some maintenance...which was a great effort, but i ended up not having much of a front break at all...not good on those down hills i love :(
i was kinda frustrated about it at first, but decided just to enjoy the trail and go with it. my lap times were pretty long since i had to be so careful, but i still had fun, and, guess what??? i didn't crash or cramp! and hey, i got 2nd place!...out of 2! lol it was an awesome trail and an awesome day to ride! come to find out, jed had much worse problems than i did and actually broke his break about 20 minutes in during a crash, so i had to stop feeling sorry for myself for sure.
randy got 3rd, garret got 3rd, and my new bike buddy derek got 1st! aside from jed's unfortunate event, i think it was a prety productive day!
in news not related to bikes: i recently accepted a graduate assistantship position working on campus within bonner student leadership and i'm really excited about it! i leave wednesday for an all expenses paid trip to a conference in princeton, new jersey! if any of you remember, i used to do student council stuff in college and loved it, so this is right up my alley. and to top it off, this job pays for my tuition as well as a stipened each month. i'm pretty blessed, to say the least.
the day started out really well. i woke up feeling refreshed at 5:30am...and i have no idea how that happened! didn't need to drink any coffee, which was good because i know that's a major reason i cramp. and got to the race to find it hadn't rained there like we were worried about. problem is, we didn't quite get there early enough to do a full lap to warm up, and then i found my front break was rubbing pretty badly...not good. so, 10 minutes before race time, we had to do some maintenance...which was a great effort, but i ended up not having much of a front break at all...not good on those down hills i love :(
i was kinda frustrated about it at first, but decided just to enjoy the trail and go with it. my lap times were pretty long since i had to be so careful, but i still had fun, and, guess what??? i didn't crash or cramp! and hey, i got 2nd place!...out of 2! lol it was an awesome trail and an awesome day to ride! come to find out, jed had much worse problems than i did and actually broke his break about 20 minutes in during a crash, so i had to stop feeling sorry for myself for sure.
randy got 3rd, garret got 3rd, and my new bike buddy derek got 1st! aside from jed's unfortunate event, i think it was a prety productive day!
in news not related to bikes: i recently accepted a graduate assistantship position working on campus within bonner student leadership and i'm really excited about it! i leave wednesday for an all expenses paid trip to a conference in princeton, new jersey! if any of you remember, i used to do student council stuff in college and loved it, so this is right up my alley. and to top it off, this job pays for my tuition as well as a stipened each month. i'm pretty blessed, to say the least.
7.09.2010
let's protest leg cramps shall we?
i believe i've finally recovered from the ride with the adventure monkey by now ;) the morning began a little later than expected, but that meant we got to bring a few others with us. randy and jed came along as we headed out into the flint hills. the night before i couldn't sleep, so starting out, i was pretty sleepy. i guess my legs felt the same way because about 10 miles into the hills the started to cramp. not good. i fell back and told the guys they could stop waiting for me at the top of every hill...this was getting embarrassing lol jed and eric took off and randy stuck with me while i began to endure the worst leg cramps i have ever experienced in my life. i think it's important to be humbled once in a while, and i usually need it.
it was father's day, and we figured it was a good team since i'm the closest thing he has to his kids (since they're my first cousins and live in washington), and he's the closest thing i have to my dad (since he's my uncle and my dad's in california. about 30 miles in we realized my seat had been falling for i don't know how long and raised it. also realized my back tire was realllllly low. neat. no wonder i was averaging like 10 mph...mind you, i was still being paralized by leg cramps about every mile.
we rolled into olpe at a little over 40 miles and i was so thankful to see that lovely little gas station. on long rides, i LIVE for gas stations. when you're in a car, gas stations are nice because you can stop and get coffee to keep you awake and go pee, but on a bike, it means fuel! and not the gasoline kind. the kind with gatoraide and cookies!
i felt a little better on our way out, but not for long. i clocked 56 miles that day, had a terrible headache, and ridiculously sore legs for days afterword. but even though my pride was a little hurt because i couldn't ride like i wanted, i was pretty dang proud of myself for suffering through. there's something about being stubborn that can kill you, but also make you feel pretty good about yourself.
i haven't done a long ride since then. sunday's have seemed to become my nap days. working about 25 hours and interning 20 makes for a pretty long and exhausting week, and i'm finally learning that rest is just as important as a good workout, especially when i work sitting in the direct sun all day long. i have been riding the trails as much as i can when it's dry, going to spin class but not killing myself, and got to go up to council grove a few days ago for a nice recovery road ride. i've decided not to do the death ride, mostly because it's pretty expensive, but might go to the sunflower state games that day instead. hopefully that day will be less leg cramp filled :)
it was father's day, and we figured it was a good team since i'm the closest thing he has to his kids (since they're my first cousins and live in washington), and he's the closest thing i have to my dad (since he's my uncle and my dad's in california. about 30 miles in we realized my seat had been falling for i don't know how long and raised it. also realized my back tire was realllllly low. neat. no wonder i was averaging like 10 mph...mind you, i was still being paralized by leg cramps about every mile.
we rolled into olpe at a little over 40 miles and i was so thankful to see that lovely little gas station. on long rides, i LIVE for gas stations. when you're in a car, gas stations are nice because you can stop and get coffee to keep you awake and go pee, but on a bike, it means fuel! and not the gasoline kind. the kind with gatoraide and cookies!
i felt a little better on our way out, but not for long. i clocked 56 miles that day, had a terrible headache, and ridiculously sore legs for days afterword. but even though my pride was a little hurt because i couldn't ride like i wanted, i was pretty dang proud of myself for suffering through. there's something about being stubborn that can kill you, but also make you feel pretty good about yourself.
i haven't done a long ride since then. sunday's have seemed to become my nap days. working about 25 hours and interning 20 makes for a pretty long and exhausting week, and i'm finally learning that rest is just as important as a good workout, especially when i work sitting in the direct sun all day long. i have been riding the trails as much as i can when it's dry, going to spin class but not killing myself, and got to go up to council grove a few days ago for a nice recovery road ride. i've decided not to do the death ride, mostly because it's pretty expensive, but might go to the sunflower state games that day instead. hopefully that day will be less leg cramp filled :)
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