I had one of those moments a few weeks ago that falls into the "Well it seemed like a good idea at the time". I decided to join a few friends to do the Tour De Cure - a charity bike ride for the American Diabetes Association. While I still thought it is a great cause, it was rapidly approaching and I haven't touched my bike in at *least* 5 years.
"Better get back in shape by Sunday!"
I tried to ride it around the neighborhood last weekend. Let me try and excuse my poor performance by the fact that my neighborhood is pretty hilly. I was either rocketing down the hills without any pedaling or dying trying to crawl up them. I took the above photo and sent it to Sam & Eric with the caption: "There is a 99% chance I am going to die on Sunday."
Friday was my day off and Matt had to go to work, so I decided to load the bike into the car and try the Coastal Trail to see how badly I was going to die on the 25k course. I parked somewhere that looked reasonable on the map and headed out with low expectations. Even the signs were ominous!
Wait? Is that almost a smile? I hadn't gone all that far by this photo, but I wasn't dying... Maybe the hills in my neighborhood really are ferocious and I could handle the near downtown topography. Whew!
Also, I have lived here almost 3 years and this was the first time I had been on the coastal trail. I am the worst Alaskan!
I went up the trail, back the other way down the trail and then realized I needed to head back to my car to make my next engagement. (I was treating myself to a movie. Woo-woo!) The morning had ended up being a great one for getting some time outdoors. Just cloudy enough that it wasn't super hot while cycling, but overall gorgeous!
And I found a whole flock of ducks. Quack, quack! I actually took the photo to show the boys, but I have proof that I did actually enjoy this bike ride and was no longer convinced my odds of dying were 99%. Once I got home and could look up where I rode on a map, I figured I had ridden about 8 miles. If I could double that, then I was golden!
Also, this was right before I was putting my bike back in the car and realized I had never reconnected the front brake when I put the tire back on. Apparently I favor my back brake because I never noticed...
Race day! The best thing about riding the shortest possible route offered was that we started last. No early morning rush to get there in time. In fact, they had the time wrong, so we ended up starting late and I got to enjoy my free coffee. Woo!
Our team ready to go! I was the only one not properly representing team Bearded Monsters! Terry put me to shame with her awesome faux-beard and of course the guys were already covered. You might also be able to tell that the weather went completely south right when we were lining up. The rain started as soon as they started their safety spiel. Thankfully, they talked quickly so we weren't just standing in the rain. Also thankfully, the rain let up about 20 minutes later, so it was only miserable for a little while.
Me and my trusty Rockhopper made it! I didn't get any photos because we really only stopped once - we needed a granola bar break right before the biggest hill. Eric & Terry were super patient with Sam & I going slower than their usual pace, but we all made it with no problem. And the only wildlife we saw was a moose that wasn't at all interested in us.
The best part was getting to travel the wooded trails all through the city. You can feel amazingly in the middle of nowhere just a short way away from the main roads. It didn't hurt that everything is super green and lush right now. It was truly a breath of fresh air! :)
The girls seem much more excited about the team photo at the end than the guys! And they could not be goaded into wearing any of the cool props. You'll just have to trust me that they had a good time too! ;)
But my favorite part was when we got to the finish line and this little girl came up, thanked me and handed me this. I had no idea what was in the tiny bag she was giving me, but it seemed rude to not take it. Then I flipped it over and saw it was a medal.
I got my first medal you guys!!!
What an awesome day! And I'm going to try not to neglect my bike for the next 5 years. Now that I know I can make it up and down some of these trails, I really have no excuse! :)