Tuesday Night Ride

I was a little worried about riding home Tuesday after our big ride on Monday. Was I going to be too sore? Could I make it? The ride seemed doomed at the start when I realized I forgot my water bottle. Oh well, Josh was on standby. I'd probably be calling him before I got too thirsty.

When I hopped on my bike some "parts" were pretty sore, but pedaling seemed almost effortless! It was a crisp evening and the cool air seemed energizing. I zipped through the first part of my ride and I felt great. The hills seemed almost effortless. I finally warmed up and took my jacket off on Broadway (near Yogurt Mill for you locals...and I didn't even consider stopping!)

I rarely feel thirsty when I'm riding, mostly I drink because I'm supposed to. I learned the hard way that the way I feel "thirst" is in lack of energy. I'll be zipping along and then all of the sudden I feel like I'm pedaling through mud or I notice I'm shaking when I stop at a light. In order to be better about managing my energy, I build in little "rest stops" on my ride. I drink some water before I start, then I stop on Broadway (past 2nd street), just before I start the long slow climb home. Usually I'll eat a shot blok and take a few sips and it gives me the burst of energy I need to make it home.

Well, I got to my "rest stop" and kept on pedaling because I felt great and I had no water anyway. When I got to the gas stations on Greenfield, I knew I wanted to ride the rest of the way so I stopped and bought some water....

I got "Smart Water" in hopes that it would help me to remember my water bottle next time....


As I sipped my water and enjoyed a couple of orange candy slices... I flipped through the modes on my bike computer. Were my eyes playing tricks on me?

It said it was 7:22 pm (I never switched it after Daylight Savings Time - it was really 6:22)



But then...did I really see 7.22 miles?



The true miracle is that I flipped through it a couple of times just to make sure I wasn't dreaming it up, then I grabbed my phone and I was still able to take the picture before the time changed.... Too fun!

The rest of the ride home was absolutely wonderful!! One of my best yet.... made even sweeter in my mind, knowing that I had just ridden 40 miles the day before. Maybe one of those long bike adventures truly is in my future!