A great day for a ride

Last weekend was the Hoof it to Health 5k/10k event that is held each year during the Garden City Beef Empire Days.  I shared with Patty Knoll, a fellow runner and avid cyclist, that I would be on my own for a week and perhaps we could get together one morning and go for a ride.  She's been doing brick workouts the last couple of weeks as she is training for a couple of local mini triathlons and participating in a portion of the Bike Across Kansas.  BAK begins today at the Colorado/Kansas state line just 30 miles from where I live but both of us are running 10k's at the Longhorn Stampede in Holcomb so she is cycling day #3. 

Early in the week we discussed what mornings we had available and Patty suggested to meet up on Thursday to go for a ride.  The weather has been super crazy all week:  Monday evening a storm came through where Patty and her husband farm destroying one of their irrigation sprinklers, Tuesday was windy and then we had a thunderstorm that dumped almost 3/4" of rain where I live, Wednesday was so darn cold and dreary the high for the day was 56 degrees and then Thursday was absolutely picture perfect.  We truly could not have planned a better morning to meet up and go for that ride!!  I set my alarm for 5:40 a.m. and awoke to 4 mph winds and 50 degrees.  The sun was just peeking out over the horizon from my kitchen window and it was glorious. 

We met up in Holcomb at the Wellness Center and headed 15 miles north towards Scott City.  It was very cool but a lovely ride.  I wasn't sure what to actually wear nor how to fuel as the farthest I had ever ridden was 25 miles with the Mister, and we had stopped for a big breakfast at 12.5 miles.  I had no reason to worry about how to refuel on my previous ride.  This was going to be a great experience for me.  It was nice to ride these kinds of miles also with an experienced rider!  Patty suggested stopping at 10 miles to just rest a few moments and then journey on another 5 before we refueled.  The scenery was just breathtaking as the wheat is all headed out and just barely starting to turn.  We had a few gentle rolling hills the first 5 miles and of course our last 5.  We also saw an area of oil wells that were all lined up, I don't know if I've ever seen that many in one small area all in a row.  There were several oil and gas pumpers checking wells as we rode and the Holcomb Driver's Ed was busy as well. 

I had brought along a Pure bar, Hammer Gel and Cliff Shot Blocks as I wasn't sure what I would need for this ride and I also had no idea how many miles we were in for but I knew that I was in good hands.  At mile 15 I snarfed down my Pure bar and thought to myself, I think I could easily do another couple of miles before we turned around but I didn't share that at all with Patty because I trusted her.  Guess what, it was a good thing I kept that to myself because about 5 miles later on our way back towards Holcomb I thought to myself, I am running out of gas and it started to become a little bit of a mental game for me.  It was an easier ride heading back and our speed had increased a couple of miles per hour but I was starting to get tired and my saddle was talking to me.  She suggested that we continue on and stop in about 3 miles not knowing anything of how I was feeling.  Those 3 miles seemed like 6!  We both shed clothing as we had another 5 miles to ride and it was starting to get warm, the sun was shining and the wind was still honestly at about 4 mph.  PERFECT!  I used a few shot blocks and off we went.  Those last 5 miles felt awesome and so I just needed a little more umph to get me over that hump.  Biking is truly one of my weaker links but I so enjoy it!  Patty stayed strong the entire ride and was so gracious at riding a speed that was comfortable to me.  To read about her endeavors, click here.

I was so pumped over the 30.27 miles I had on my bike computer and my Garmin, by far the farthest I've ever ridden and to think that we only stopped for about 15 minutes total for all those miles....what a great day of cross training!  I have wanted to ride this kind of miles since last summer, and now I know that I want to do it again and even farther!!!  Patty, thank you so much for helping me realize a dream/goal!!