Thursday, February 2, 2012

I want to ride my bicycle

I took yesterday off, much to my disappointment. I had a 5 mile run and spin class planned out but I have a cold or flu or something and it was recommended to me that I take it easy. New thing I learned about strenuous training- it takes a toll on your immune system. Dislike! If I'm going to attempt 20 miles this weekend, I need to be feeling better than I do right now...

I did do something productive and exciting though, beyond finishing off the tub of thin mint ice cream in my freezer (what is wrong with me!!)- I signed up for both of my bike rides for the summer!

July 14-15, 2012

This summer will be my first time riding the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic! I'm super excited because it's one of the biggest cycling events in the country (~10,000 riders) and I've heard that it's a lot flatter than the RSVP... 204 miles with an elevation gain of around 5,000'

August 17-18, 2012

Yes I am doing the 188 miles AGAIN... It was a tough bugger last summer, but I think I'm in better overall shape this year so I should be able to fare the ride a bit more comfortably! Even though it is a f-ing beast... I think the elevation gain was 7 or 8,000'. The steepest thing I saw was this spot of road in Vancouver, BC called "The Wall". A lot of folks were walking their bikes up... meanwhile, I was climbing soooo slowly, I could barely stay balanced on my bike. According to my bike computer, I was riding at 4mph. I am very excited about the RSVP this summer though because one of my best girlfriends will be joining the team! She's coming to Mobile this weekend to catch the Super Bowl Sunday sale at my bike shop, Cadence 120. Hopefully we'll be able to find her a road bike that she likes and is a better price than I paid for mine ;)

RSVP 2011- We have reached America's hat!


7 comments:

  1. Those are 2 pretty long rides...at least you've got a month or so in between to recover/train though. I take it that second ride is all the way to Vancouver? Do you need to carry your passport with you? I did some touring with my folding bike last summer, and I wanted to go into Canada, but I hadn't thought ahead and so I didn't have the proper documentation.

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  2. Wow, those are two big rides! Great challenges M!

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  3. Alex, thanks for reading! The last 60 or so miles of the RSVP were in Canada. You had to have a passport or some other special documentation to even register for the ride. Coming in to Vancouver was absolutely beautiful, you should try for it next time!

    John, dude, I know. The worst part is that there are no hills (much less mountains!!) to train on in the Gulf. It will be a good time though! Thanks, as always, for the encouragement :)

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  4. yay how fun!! it will certainly be something to look forward to this summer! =-)

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    1. Yes! I am really excited to switch up my workout routine and give my joints a bit of a rest :) I just changed my front tire and put my pedals on yesterday... once this marathon is over with, it's biking time!

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  5. whooooa, both of these rides sound INCREDIBLY fun! I wish the east coast had more stuff like this!

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    1. Hi, Katie! Thanks for reading :) The PAC NW has a some awesome tours but if you look up Bike MS, you may be able to find something similar in your neck of the woods. The Bike MS rides are typically 150 miles long and benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Check it out!

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