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| Ride for the Cure, Stan, Kyle, me, Jackie, Jimmy, Beth and Martin |
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| A ginormous thank you to Martin who changed my flat TWICE....it kinda reminded me of the Big Dam Bridge last September....hmm...... |
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| When we arrived home, the Gooch Man was jacking around and we found him in our garden hear the newly planted tomato plants and garlic (yes, that's garlic that I planted a month ago). |
I was so excited that Stan told us about this event! After trading Saturdays and just working four Saturdays in a row, we carbed up last night for the 50 miler. After a text from Jackie on Friday afternoon about the predicted 25 mph winds Saturday morning, I literally thought, so...."it'll be 66 degrees like predicted". So I packed 2 extra GU's and granola bars, had my camera charged and phone ready. Well, after Martin changed my flat tire in the backseat on the way to the event and it blew (it was the loudest blow sound ever, like a bomb going off in my car...we all jumped straight up in our seats, literally, and cracked up at the sound of the thing). When we got there my car temperature gauge said 40 degrees. My phone said 42 degrees with a west wind of 22 mph (and the word WINDY next to "feels like" 36 degrees), I knew I hadn't dressed warm enough. I did sport my smart wool long-sleeved undershirt and did wear socks, only for the second time in my whole biking career. I still longed for a headband or hat under that helmet and my smart wool leggings.
Needless to say, after 5 miles into the event, I told Jackie during that headwind that there was NO WAY we should make it to 50. My running nose went on and on and I spit more than ever! (gross, I realize) I do want to hear from Martino, Kyle and Stan who all did the 50 compared to our cowardly 20 miles and a trip to Godsey's Grill and Gearhead Outfitters after the event. If Jimmy and Beth hadn't decided to do the 20 that morning, Jackie and I would have been dead doing the 50. We loved meeting them for a great lunch at Godsey's and making jokes about the wind and 3 of our crew riding in it.
Overall, it was a good event. Once we made it out of town, the trek was fine. We did have to use the sidewalk to get around the slowing cars and have to pass the rear Jonesboro police car to get to the end of the pack (because of my equipment malfunction right out of the gate). The 10 mile aid station was great, they had cheerleaders holding bikes (road bikes don't have kick stands) and serving up bananas, cookies, Gatorade and the like. The event wasn't marked great heading out of town or on the ASU campus at the finish. Other than that, the stinking 23 mph wind and bad markings along the event, we enjoyed the day. It became sunny at 2 pm along the ride home and got up to 57. That was too late mother nature...just sayin....
Hope to hear from the 50 milers....let's hear it...
-Keeli
I have a name for the event "The Hell of the North" which is usually reserved for the Paris-Roubaix race but this ride was tuff ! And to make it even tougher on myself I had to ride the fixed gear which made the 50 feel like a 100 miler, it was even hard to go downhill, remember, no coasting on a fixie. Stan and Martin didn't seem to have any trouble except for the fact, IT WAS COLD !
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