100 Mile Ride CONQUERED!

Ali and our gourmet breakfast
Breakfast, courtesy of Wendy <3
All of these vehicles had bikes and were headed to Lewiston
We're here!!
A lot of riders, preparing
#207, 100 Mile, June 5, 2010
Ready to get started!!
Final distance: 101.9 miles
A bit of scenery on our ride home

On Friday, June 4th, at about 4 p.m., Ali and I began our journey.

We loaded her van with our bikes and everything we might need for the big bike ride on Saturday. Packed and ready to go, we were headed to Brigham City, which would be our night's destination. Ali's Aunt Wendy and Uncle Rick were gracious enough to let us catch some zzz's in their guest bedroom. Although, nerves prevented me from catching almost any zzz's at all that night because I was so excited for the next day's bike ride. It seemed that as soon as I finally dozed off, it was time to wake. It almost felt as if it were Christmas Morning, you know, when you're incredibly tired and really excited for what lay ahead? That's how I felt! As we entered the kitchen, we were greeted by Aunt Wendy (who I just adore!!!) and the most amazing Fruit Parfait I'd ever seen! It was such an awesome and sweet gesture which motivated me for the day. It felt great to be supported!

My excitement continued to grow as we noticed vehicles all around us with road bikes packed in them. We arrived in Lewiston, Utah, where the ride would begin. The route looped through Cache Valley and took us as far north as Dayton and Preston, Idaho. The scenery was beautiful with rural roads, country roads, and lots of greenery. :) There were a few hills to climb and one toward the end of the ride which a few of us named "The Beast"!!! That's exactly what it was, but despite that, I rode all the way to the top and never got off my bike. I'm really proud of myself for that one because during previous riding training, hills and I did NOT get along. It felt so immensely exhilarating to reach the top of "The Beast"!

So, here's the breakdown:

Bugs swallowed - 2

IbuProfin taken - 6

Falls - 1 (I was at a stand-still and fell as I was clipped into my pedal)

Bruises - 1

Wardrobe malfunctions - 1

Fastest speed - 33 M.P.H. (I'm a chicken going downhill and ride my brakes)

Slowest speed - 5 M.P.H. (Thanks to "The Beast")

Time completed - 7 hrs. 15 mins.

Let me explain the wardrobe malfunction. As we began our ride, we wore our riding jackets since it was a bit nippy out. During the first few miles, we became hot and were wanting to shed the extra jacket layer. Not wanting to stop yet, we decided to unzip them. I noticed that other riders had unzipped their jackets which caused them to whip, flip, and flop in the wind. Thinking how that might become annoying, I unzipped my jacket but left it connected at the bottom. A bit longer and we arrived at the first rest stop. After dismounting my bike, I headed to the restroom line. Not paying attention, I grabbed my zipper and unzipped. The first thing I thought was, "wow, that made a huge difference, it's SO cool now." Then I hear Ali's voice saying, "uh, wrong zipper". Apparently, I forgot I had already unzipped my jacket and ended up unzipping my jersey instead. A few of us laughed about it and one gal said, "well, you'll definitely win the contest that way". It was really funny (and only a smidge embarrassing).

After the ride was over, I felt like I'd never want to lay eyes on my bike again, despite my love and affection for it. I thought I would put it snug and safe in the garage and only use it for short rides with my boys. Well, today (being the day after the ride), I'm feeling like I actually want to be a part of the big ride again. I'm not sure that I'd do the 100 mile next year, but the 80 mile sounds about right. All I can say at this point is, we'll see. :)

Thanks for all the support, everyone!! I couldn't have done it without the love and motivation you each gave me.

Thank you to my sister-in-law, Ali, who made this entire journey possible and turned my dream into a reality. The training was sometimes long and hard, but we did it!!! We accomplished what we set out to do and I am beyond happy and confident in my ability to accomplish more dreams and goals!

**The Little Red Riding Hood is a women-only cycling group which supports women's cancer research. To find out more, visit their website http://www.active.com/cycling/lewiston-ut/little-red-riding-hood-2010**

~There are more pictures to be posted as soon as they are available to me. :)