Stayed up a little too late, got up a little too early. Long day of trying to get work done with server issues at the office. Riding the crimson wave (Clueless reference - just rewatched that the other day) doesn't help either. But with temps in the mid-80's (and dropping throughout the ride) and starting and ending on the gloriously flat greenway, I really didn't have much to bitch about. After all, I didn't have to meet up with two friends willing to go at my ridiculously slow pace. Thank God for Walter and Prenavi or I might be writing about my 5 mile ride.
I spent a good part of the first half of our 29 miles a bit whiney - wanting to turn back after the first hill. But I enjoyed the downhill that followed and some moderately flat stuff after before whining a bit again as the route to take was discussed at a quick stop. I knew I was in deep when they talked about the "Nine Hills" route. A road shouldn't be named after its hills. Prenavi promised gorgeous scenery and she was right (when I wasn't hunched over trying to get up the hills that we faced BEFORE we got to that road). And Walter opted to make me hate him less by turning before the big hills on the road. But on a tour of western Cole County - you are still going to face hills. He always says it "builds character".
We rode out to St. Martins, on to Elston before looping back to St. Martins and heading back into town. As we got closer to town, some of the terrain is flatter and I started to hammer it. I was about out of water and gatorade (since our slow pace, stoplights, etc had this take longer than 2 hours) and I just wanted to be done. I knew there was only one more ridiculous hill and then a bunch of fun downhill and flat terrain before a little heart rate bump back up into the parking lot. It is easier not to whine when you know the end is near (though I probably quit by the half way mark).
Max speed was over 38 mph. That is the "good" part of hills. The other day I mentioned breaking the speed limit. It was on Eastland Drive that I am pretty sure has a speed limit of 30 mph. Will definitely double check that. I'd be damn proud to be ticketed for breaking it on a bike though. It is a bit scary.
Total aside: MMNW was 162.4. Pretty freaking happy with that after all of the food indulgence on vacation. I should be able to shave a little off that if I don't go too crazy over the holiday weekend.
YTD:
Swimming = 14,970 yds = 8.5 mi
Biking = 915.0 miles
Running =
111.1 miles
A road called 9 hills, now nice. I am getting itchy to try Road to Nepal again, as the local bike community calls it. There is no flat at all. Sometimes you just have to get through a long ride. Then it's not so hard next time. Same with going faster, once you taste it you want more.
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