i went, i conquered

well folks, i did it, yup 62 miles :D i really have never been so proud of myself! yes, we rode gilbert, our tandem and yes, there was help from the mister obviously but i did it! the mister calls me the coal shoveler, as in i am the engine that keeps the train moving! he is so cute!!! being in the back of the tandem you get a LOT of shit for "not pedaling". yes, there are some tandems that are set up so that each rider is pedaling at different speeds but this one if the mister pedals, i pedal and there is no way i would EVER let him carry my weight without pulling my own. i am a big girl with some powerful legs...plus the mister can tell when i am not doing my share so there is no way i can cheat! sorry to go off there...but since we have had the tandem i get heckled ALOT for "looking" like i am not doing anything and it gets a bit annoying. with that said......

we got up super early on sunday...earlier then i would have ever wanted to get up on a sunday but it was something that we were all looking forward to so it wasn't entirely hard to get up! we spent the night at my cousins house, made some yummy coffee and oatmeal, packed up the bikes and headed off to lodi, where the race was being held.

we all put loads of sunblock on and made any adjustments to our bikes before we headed out. the race started and ended at a winery so we did a nice big loop of the local little towns in the area. we met family there and we all rolled out around a little bit before 8. the route was all pretty flat except for some little bunny hills now and then but what we didn't expect was head winds, which is no bueno when riding!



there were 3 legs of the ride. the first leg was 25 miles...we all got split up so the mister and i were alone for the first leg ride for a few riders that passed us. the harsh head wind seemed to never go away no matter what direction we went. so it was extra nice that it was flat because if it was hilly too, it would have been quite the battle.

it was hard to take pictures of the ride as i really needed to concentrate on pedaling but this is the view i had most of the ride ;) we did see a coyote & a barn owl (yayayayya)! and a lady bug hitched a ride on our bike at some point which really made me smile!

when we got to the first stop and refreshed ourselves with food and drink. the sun was out but it wasn't hot yet which it was suppose to reach 82 degrees...eeek! so we headed out on the 2nd leg of the ride which was 20 miles to the next stop!

this was my favorite part of the ride. we rode with a group of guys and it was the closest feeling i have ever been to being in a race without having the pressure to win. in a bike race most of the time you ride in a pack, with a leader and everyone else drafting that person. drafting really helps save a rider energy because the person you are drafting is getting all the head winds leaving the drafter to rider with great ease and little resistance. this pack happened to be fast which was really fun so at times the mister and i were going around 17-20 miles per hour and were leading the pack! it was sooooo awesome! i can't even describe it, to be flying that fast on a bike and knowing that we were just busting our butts and doing a fantastic job...sooo awesome!

when we finally reached the 2nd stop the riders we were rode with came up and complimented on us and that just made me stand up so tall with pride! i had a huge smile on my face the rest of the ride!

resting in the shade taking in all the glory!

the third and final leg of the ride was the worst...we were tired, it finally got HOT out and our bums ached like nothing i had ever felt before...ever time we coasted we would adjust our bums and each time we both cried out in pain! we both had padded shorts on which IS A MUST for long bike rides but since we were both riding on new brook saddles it was like sitting on a rock for 7 hours! thank god, that leg of the ride was 18 miles and boy did we give it our all so that we could get to the finish and get off gilbert!

it was so sweet to ride down the gravel road back to the winery and have a little crowd of people congratulate us and then walking into the field where all the other riders were enjoying their hard earned lunch....it was spectacular. yes my knees & bum were sore but it was truly one of the greatest feelings i have ever felt! i felt so incredible and i for sure can not wait to do it again!!!

after a nice long shower and off to get some yummy much needed food!

i went, i conquered...take that 62 mile bike ride!!!!!!!

xo,
cb