I had a lot of personal issues at home last night and didn't even think I was going to be able to make this ride today. Riding many miles with very little training and not a lot of sleep takes a lot out of you physically and emotionally. So this ride today was as much of a surprise to me as it was to everyone else.
My ride started at 11:57 a.m. I had my husband take me to the trail head today because I wasn't sure how far I was going to ride, ( if I did ride far I surely was not going to feel like driving home) I knew that I needed to really try and push my miles. I wanted to as well since all of last week I was stuck in doors on the stationary bike. Honestly who wants to do that all week staring at the same wall? Anyways, my ride today was very uneventful for the most part. There were alot of chipmunks that felt the need to dart out in front of me, but of course I slow down or stop and swerve so that I don't hit them. Unfortunately I seen two of them on the trail yesterday who weren't as fortunate with other bikers and lost there little lives. :(
My pace was beautiful starting out, I was averaging about 14.7 mph, everything just seemed to be going really well. It was hot, but there was a slight breeze that made the temperature just right for riding. Of course when I hit the observing deck there were geese waiting for me to hiss and do there little wing flapping dance at me. I don't know why but those things are vicious and scary to me. I had intentions of stopping in Orwell, at the gas station as I usually do, but there was another biker who came up and asked how far I was going today and where I had rode from. Then from then it was like this game on mode. Of course I told him I didn't know how far I was going because at that point I still hadn't decided. My legs were doing great and no pain. But anyways, I ride ahead of him for a bit then all of the sudden with his fancy bike and biker attire he takes off like the wind and is gone. I thought in the back of my head game on. Now it's not like I knew I could beat him, because his bike of course is 20 times lighter then mine with those super thin tires and of course he was obviously way more of a professional then I am, but I knew I could go as far as, if not farther then him and besides I already had 18 miles under my belt and he was just starting. So none the least I didn't stop and I kept going and going and going. As I was riding the trail I had a lot of memories of when Kaylee and I had taken this trail and went to Geneva a few years back. Good times, Good times. OF course back then we only did 5 mph.. lol but hey we made it. I enjoyed a lot of the beauty and the wind in my hair as I was riding, everything is so beautiful and it's just so refreshing to see the beauty God gave us. Once I got to Roaming shores I passed that professional biking guy and he waved and I chuckled and kept on chucking along then of course he passes me again. This game continued almost all the way to Austinburg. I had to stop when I hit roaming shores or maybe it was Rock Creek because I noticed my mileage speedometer tracker quit working, so I had to mess with that for 5 minutes or so to get it back on track. Then I jumped back on the trail and passed that guy a few more times taking a break and I just have to laugh because he exerts so much energy riding so fast only to stop and break where I am riding a decent pace, no breaks and just going. and I just found it hilarious.. and kept thinking to myself they always say the turtle wins the race. None the least I kept on after that and headed into Austinburg while he stopped at the rest stop and must of headed back to Orwell.
Once I got to Austinburg, I stopped at the store, i had been dying for something cold to drink and an ice cold Pepsi was calling my name. (mind you I don't drink pop) I grabbed a Gatorade as well and a popsicle and then headed outside on the bench to call my husband and let him know I was turning around. I was not going to be able to make it all the way to Ashtabula because was a sign on the trail saying the trail was closed in 1.9 miles for construction. So I sat on the bench for my very first break and enjoyed not peddling for a few minutes.
The ride back was rough, it seemed to be more of an incline on the way back and my speeds were much slower for a good while, the wind was going against me and I was starting to become pretty tired. When I got to mile 51 I had my first encounter with a bug flying in my mouth. Let me tell you that is the most disgusting thing to have a wad of bug in your mouth and then worse to adjust your mouth to spit it out. Then about two more miles in I got another bug in my mouth. YUCK! My ride seemed to drag on, I was getting more tired by the minute, my legs weren't to horribly bad, but something in both of my quads started hurting pretty bad. It felt as though it was bruising like someone had punched me in the legs a few days ago. I don't know why, or what it was.
When I got to Orwell I was so happy, I knew that it meant I only had about 18 miles left. So I stopped at the stop sign and called my husband it was about 4:15pm and I told him to meet me at the end of the trail at about 5:30pm. I knew it was asking myself a lot to ride 18 miles in an hour and 15 minutes with excruciating pain in my quads, but I also know my husband is a procrastinator and is never or time. so I figured that it was pretty safe for me to tell him to be there by then.
I really started putting my foot to the pedal after making it to Orwell, I knew I was in the home stretch and there was nothing I wanted more then to be done with this ride. Don't get me wrong, I was happy and I felt my time was pretty good, but when you ride for hours with bearly any break, you just want to get done and go home eat and relax. I just kept thinking how hard our ride was last year, and this year is going to be harder because we are doing a lot more miles per day then last year. Honestly if you haven't noticed, I am pretty nervous about that! anyways, those last 18 miles no matter how fast I peddled I just felt as though I was going no where, that the trail was never ending. When I had 8 miles left, I stopped for that good ol porta potty break and to dig in my bag and look for some GU because my body was running on fumes. I just had no energy left it had been hours since I ate and although I had a pop and a Popsicle in Austinburg, it just wasn't enough to carry me home. So down went the GU, washed it down with some water and then it was back on my bike. I was practically in tears the rest of my ride, the pain and bruising feeling in my quads was killing me, and I even called my husband at one point and told him I just didn't know if I could make it by 5:30, but I pushed and pushed. Low and behold I made it to the end of the trail by 5:31pm and my husband and Ray were just getting out of the car! I was so thankful, and blessed. When I got off my bike my whole body started shaking, guess from the lack of food and total exhaustion. But I made it and pretty good time to boot. Now home to rest and re coop for a day before my next ride.
My ride started at 11:57am and ended at 5:31pm
Saddle time 5 hours 11 minutes 8 sec
Total break time 23 minutes
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