Another goal attained

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote anything! Guess I've been lazy. Let's see, where to begin?

D and I rode most of the week following the races. I had some great club rides that week with some of the best times/avg MPH to date. The weather has been unbelievable. That week of the 21st was warm and sunny all week. The temps cooled down last week with lows in the 40s and highs 60s - 70s, but still sunny and beautiful days.

D's last club ride was Monday the 29th, our regular recovery ride. A group of us went to Bluegrass Brewing Company to eat and give D a nice send off. She was happy with the turn out. She drove back to Illinois on Tuesday. I miss her bunches! I rode the Tuesday night ride and had a great time. Was in a paceline on River Road and one guy asked me, didn't he hear me say I quit smoking? I said, yes last summer. He said I should be proud as I was doing so well. I thanked him for that.

I promised myself all summer that I would complete my first century (100 mile ride) before the season is over. There are a number of very tough ones on the schedule for October. Probably 2 of the best for a virgin century were held the weekend we were racing at the Senior Games. There was one on the schedule for yesterday, didn't have much information, just titled "Tour de Green". I decided to go ahead and attempt this one.

The temps were low 40s when I left the house and I just kept thinking I wasn't very well prepared for that low of a temperature. Once I arrived at the ride start and got all gear together and signed in the temps had reached about 54. Not bad standing still in the sunshine, a little chilly with the wind chill on the bike riding through the parks in the shade. My hands finally thawed once we got downtown, in the shade. I had never ridden across the 2nd Street bridge over the Ohio River on my bike before. Just a little nerve wracking - with traffic moving at a nice 60MPH clip. This ride was more like 2, the first half in Southern Indiana and the second half in mostly familiar routes in Louisville's River Road and St Matthews areas.

We rode from Clarksville to New Albany and into the knobs. There were 3 very tough hills. I tried to ride each, but wound up walking, pushing my bike. Needless to say, I was not with the rest of the riders once we climbed the first tough hill. They went ahead and the ride captain stayed with me. Once back to Clarksville, we met up with the rest at the lunch stop, but they wrapped up eating and took off before I could get my food. :-( Once we crossed the Ohio and were back in Louisville I told the Ride Captain to go on ahead. I was familiar with the rest of the ride and would be fine. I planned on finishing, but knew I would not be as fast as these more experienced riders. The Ohio River was the 50 mile mark. Once we go to River Road I tried to keep his rear wheel, but my gas was running a little low and my legs were getting heavy. Slowly he got further ahead of me until I finally lost sight of him. There were several loops between River Rd and Brownsboro Rd. Finally the last eastern trek down River Road took me to Prospect. The last store stop was at the Dairy Queen and everyone was just getting on their bikes and pulling out as I arrived. They clapped and congratulated me and left. The ride captain was wrapping up his snack, but waited for me. I told him to go ahead, but he pulled me back down River Road and hung with me the rest of the way. Once we arrived back at Seneca Park I told him I was going to loop the ball fields instead of following his cue sheet through the neighborhoods. I apologized for being such a whiny baby, but my shoulders were killing me and my hands were numb. I circled the ball fields 3 more times and then headed to the parking lot, circled the lot twice to watch my odometer click over that 100 mile mark and headed home. I was a little disappointed that no one was lingering in the lot, but realistically didn't expect there to be.

I took a nice long soak in the tub with the jets beating on my tired muscles. Dressed and went out to eat Mexican. Had a 27 oz margarita. Got home and had 2 beers. By this time I felt like I'd been hit by a Mac truck. I slept like a rock until the alarm went off at 6:30.

I've now got a century behind me! Another goal accomplished! Now what? ;-)