Ride, Boldly Ride!

Yesterday was a perfect bike riding day! After a day of cold and clouds, and another of strong Kansas wind, we were blessed with a calm day with mild temperatures. And it just so happened that Yolanda R. and I had picked this day for a ride. How great is that!

Last Saturday at the Hoof it to Health race Yolanda mentioned that she was on her own this week and would love to come and ride with me. I'm always looking for riding partners so we made a date. The long range weather forecasts are not always correct so when planning that far in advance it's risky. I kept watching the weather sites and I thought we might be OK. It turned out fantastic!

Yolanda has a heavy hybrid cross trainer and that works for her. She has some dirt roads to ride just to get to the pavement so that bike makes sense. Yolanda is a very good runner with many 1/2 marathons under her belt and I knew her endurance would be fine.

Where to ride, hmmmmm. The forecast was for a north wind so I wanted to head north first and get the hard part out of the way and a tailwind on the way home. But there really was NO WIND! My Garmin said 5 mph, which is nothing in our part of the world. We started out in the cool morning air and just marveled at the wonderful day we had been gifted.

Yolanda R. and I still looking good after 30.25 miles!

We stopped a few times for water and snacks and to strip off clothes when it got warm but we kept a nice pace and before you know it we were back at the start with smiles on our faces and a record 30.25 mile ride for Yolanda! I haven't ridden that far in a long time either so I was pretty pleased with our day. After we ate a light lunch at Subway we parted company. I just couldn't believe how beautiful the day was after the really crumby weather we have had. Maybe someone upstairs wanted us to have a great ride!

I did discover a few things on this ride. I really love being part of the running/riding community in this area. I have met so many wonderful people and found so much support. The positive vibes at the races and rides is like an adrenaline rush. I've found that I really like vanilla energy gels. I have never tried them before and bought some on a whim. Needless to say, I stopped in at the bike store on the way home and bought a bunch more!

Finally, I learned that I enjoy seeing the pride others feel in reaching new milestones and reaching goals that they once thought unattainable. I'm so happy for Yolanda in her new record distance and new confidence that she can ride, boldly ride, anywhere she wants to go. I love seeing first time runners finish with a fist pump and a smile splitting their tired faces. I enjoy hearing all the details and stories about races and rides that have pushed even the toughest athletes to their limits. Sharing their journeys makes my own seem more worthwhile.

Today is a rest day with a big weekend ahead; a 10K at the Holcomb Stampede and then one day of the Bike Across Kansas. The weather may not be as nice for that ride as it was yesterday, but the company should make the miles fly by as we ride, boldly ride.