Chilly Hilly

What I started out was going to be a 10k, turned into the Hilly Chilly.
and I say today A+! Minus 10 points because I was late meeting D causing us literally to pedal, my fastest in my life, to an almost pulled away ferry but they let us on. Plus 10 points (Bringing us back to A+) –because of my lateness D assisted in a medical 911 when a man walking right by him went into a seizer. I said, “You saved his life.” He said “Assisted someone in need.” People thought the man was drunk so he was being ignored but D helped him, got him to the ground, and had 911 to the scene. So with all the frenzy, He said, “Jill never again.” I shed a tear. I hate it when I let people down but truthfully it was the man lying on the ground with all that vulnerability just made me sad. BUT only one tear. So before anyone could say stop crying I was done. Glad that guy was ok.

I nailed and I mean NAILED my attire, what I packed, water, my nuun, protein and my food intake. I was never too warm, too cold.. I was just right. I wouldn’t let D stop for any picnicking. Only bathroom stops. I did see him wash his Rudy’s, but I realized he wears contacts so it was forgiven and he waited for me at the tops of many hills when he could have looped me, so I am far from saying no washing the glasses.

3 miles in I was just enjoying this little old ride when D came back from the top of hill to me and said, “Can we get a little more power out of those legs, put it in middle middle stand up if you have to but if you need to double your speed, grandma just passed you. Or we are going to short course it” That was not tough love, that’s just tough. BUT I did once say I want to be faster and I am biking with a guy that loves pure anaerobic hell in the quads. I was up for the challenge and usually I don’t respond well to that kind of feedback, but the word short course FRIGHTENS me. It worked; I gave it all I got.

It lit me up and I did pedal strong and rode ten times faster then I was riding previously. But one hill, I was in granny granny and I couldn’t do a thing about it. I saw a lot people getting off their bikes and I decided my goal for this hill would not be speed (thank goodness I was going two miles an hour) but this time but to stay on my bike –which I accomplished.

Mind you, everyone was on road bikes and D and I were on Mountain Bikes. We got a lot more feedback from people then expected. It was a conversation starter, like “awesome job being on Mt. bikes. Etc. was it longer? I would never have done that without a road bike... Etc...”

It was such an incredible ride. I had an incredible high from it. I could have definitely kept going. The ride was 33 miles and truly was hilly!

I love the buzz of the energy of people heading back on the ferry. I loved it all. It was fun to hear people cutting out, doing the short course – I would not revel in ones failure, but I was surprised we didn’t have any of the complaints, or do the shorter course. We heard complaints about temperature, food, hills, and the course, etc.

However we were the majority – most everyone else had an incredible ride.

And I also got the, “your riding, preparedness, awesome attitude made up for any lateness, this day rocked.” Then I got knuckles.

Riding home from the ferry was the only moment I was not as excited about - chilled down, but it went so fast, and those hills seemed so easy peasy after that ride!