Little Red Riding Hood

I did the Little Red Riding Hood up in Cache Valley yesterday. It's an organized, all women, bike ride. 2,600 women riding routes ranging from 15 miles up to 100. Seeing that up to this point my longest bike ride was 17 miles I signed up for the 37 mile route.... figuring that 37 was do-able but with a healthy dose of pushing it. And even though most of the others going up with me were going to try for 100, I thought I would be mighty proud of my 37...especially since it was only the 5th time on my bike. But my friend Brenda...sweet Brenda who I'm trying to decide if I want to hug or kick right now....talked me into doing more. And I now have bragging rights to 60 miles. 60 MILES!

(Brenda, Me, Ann, Melanie, Brooke, Emilie and Sarah getting ready for the big ride. Don't you love all of our funky clipless biking shoes?)

But can I just tell you how much I hurt? Honestly, I hurt and ache much more than I did with my triathlon. Maybe it's because the triathlon only took me 1 hour and 51 minutes to complete and this took me 5 and 1/2 hours? Maybe it's because I spent so much time training for the tri but didn't really take this ride as seriously? Maybe it's because a big bike ride like this is just plain harder than a tri? Well, whatever it was, it took me by surprise. I'm sitting VERY gingerly today. I would climb back onto my bike after a rest stop and chant "ouch, ouch, ouch..." to myself until my poor behind would go back into it's numb, but uncomfortable, state. It was better than the pain. After awhile my hands would start tingling and going numb from leaning so hard on the handlebars so I changed my hand position often. After about 50 miles my legs started cramping up. Why, oh why, did I do this to myself? But did I mention my bragging rights? I'm awfully proud of those 60 miles. Even if it means, along with the whole sitting gingerly thing, that my kness and legs ache like I can't remember them ever aching before. Sore shoulder and arm muscles. Sunburn. But it was a lovely ride. Cache Valley is beautiful. Mostly flat terrain. A few brutal uphills. Which eventually led to some exhilirating downhills.

(Me, Brenda, Sarah D. and Ann after it was all over.)

Some things I learned. Wind is NOT a bikers friend. Unless it happens to be a tailwind. But we never got that lucky. Crosswind for at least a good half of the ride.
Another thing. Time is measured differently on a bike. It's not minutes you're thinking about but miles. How many miles have I come? How many miles till the next rest stop? I was stunned when I realized how many hours I'd been out.
And one last thing. It probably really is worth it to invest in a nicer, padded bike seat.
So, will I do it again next year? Probably. Maybe I'll do the 48 mile route so I don't over-do it like I did this time. Or maybe I'll have ridden my bike so much by then that I'll shoot for the 100. Time will tell. All I can say right now is I don't even want to look at that bike for at least a good week or two!