The Climate Ride Chronicles: Soaking it all in

Hello Everyone!

I have returned from the epic bike adventure and am still soaking it all in. This trip was honestly one of the coolest trips I have ever done and I have returned from the voyage refreshed, recharged and rejuvenated...pretty good for biking 300 miles!

Nearly 200 riders took this journey together, and despite the large crowd, things felt well organized and supported. The luggage was organized by last name, our bikes were tagged with our names and stored safely each night, we had loads of food and water throughout the day, bike mechanics were available all day long and the support crews were along the route encouraging us with good tunes, cheers and cow bells. We were entertained and educated each evening by various speakers who were also riding on the ride, so once we knew who each person was, we got to chat with them during the day too. Ben Sollee, an excellent cellist was also along for the trip and graced us with his lovely music!

We cruised along diverse terrain ranging from not-so-pretty highways, to Amish country in Pennsylvania, wound along creeks and forests and had plenty of stops at bakeries and ice-cream shops. We also found a few hills, of course, particularly on day four. The photographer had a pesky habit of parking at the top of hills and capturing our sweaty selves puffing up the hills. Stay tuned for these sweaty delights and others! I'll be able to purchase a DVD of the whole trip, including our charge on the capital, and will post them as soon as I can.

I met people who were passionate about having healthy communities and felt like I found "my people". Instead of feeling like the black sheep when I talk about compost, recycling or some other "crazy hippy" idea, folks are simply nodding in agreement. Awesome.

The days were challenging but doable! I felt well trained and able to complete the miles each day. I needed a few days off to let my legs (and tush) recover, but I'm ready to get back on the road again. And after an epic amount of laundry, my spandex collection is ready too!

The final day was nearly all downhill; we were all so excited for the trip, that it was nearly over and that we were so close to out goal! We flew in a huge pack to the national mall. Energy was high and we peddled hard. At one point near the end, I was on a quiet stretch of the bike trail and it hit me that this was almost over and I choked up. This has been so magical and I was just filled to the brim with gratitude.

When I came back, I was told that I look happier than I have in a long time. That is how I feel, so it must be seeping out my pores! I am happy and hopeful for this summer. Time (mostly) off is going to be good for my spirit.

Thank you so much for all of your support that allowed me to embark on, and complete, this incredible journey. Your generosity helped me reach my fundraising goal, and your love, hugs, texts, messages and temporary tattoos helps me peddle all the way home!

Humbly yours,

Holly

The Climate Ride Chronicles: Greetings from the big apple!

Hello! I am so excited that I am here in New York and that my trip is
about to begin! I was bouncing around the house this morning as my
dear roomies were getting ready for work...I had enough energy for
everyone! Even two mild ear infections can't keep me down (I know,
crappy timing, right?). I am on strong decongestants to help my ears
drain, and I started antibiotics. I think I'll be just fine. And per
Corey's recs, I have cotton balls to put in my ears to keep the wind
off them.

I had an easy bus ride up mid-day with barely any traffic. The weather
here is beautiful and I have been catching up with my friend James
this afternoon.

The adventure begins Saturday morning and I am buzzing with
excitement! I did my last training ride on Saturday and did nearly 70
miles. The best part? It felt easy! What an ego boost. I feel really
ready to go kick this ride's butt! This week I have stopped biking to
let my body rest and recover in prep for Saturday morning. I have not
stopped eating cookies :) I had a burrito dinner in DC last night and
finished packing last night and this morning. I haven't thought of
anything that I have forgotten yet and I hope it stays that way.
Gloria, Miss Independent, is coming to NY tomorrow with a great guy
who rented a moving truck and is taking several bikes up. It was so
much easier to get here without having to worry about the bike too!

Tomorrow night we have a meet and greet at the fire house that is our
home base in NY; the bikes are dropped off, we meet the press and the
other riders and we pick up our info packets and jerseys. On the first
and last days of the trip, we all wear matching jerseys so we look
like quite the impressive mob. On Saturday morning, we meet back at
the same place between 8 and 9 in the morning, hear a safety talk and
then start peddling at 9:30. Saturday is the shortest day; 45 miles.
The remaining four days are between 60 and 70 miles each. We will be
well fed and watered!

I didn't bring a laptop, so I am not sure yet how often I'll be able
to email from the road, but I do intend to do regular updates and
pictures on facebook because I can do that easily from my phone. If I
make friends with someone with a laptop, I'll try to send email
updates too.

Thank you very much for all of the support and well wishes, and thank
you so much for all of the donations that have allowed me to join in
on this epic trip!

I am looking forward to a safe and wonderful ride,

Holly (and Gloria!)

The Climate Ride Chronicles: Funny noises, forts and french toast!

Wow has it been a crazy two weeks! I have had some incredible training rides, some really dreary ones in the rain and I've been collecting gear. I've also made huge progress with the fundraising; I'm almost there! I am so honored to have the network of friends and family that I do. I am able to do this adventure because of YOU. Thank you!

The weather has been all over the place and so I've prioritized biking whenever I can to try to catch any good weather. I've also ridden in the crappy weather. A few weeks ago was the first time I had gone 50 miles. The next week I had Thursday off from work and I went on the W&OD trail and did 46.5 miles. (By the way, this is one Rails to Trails trail, built by one of the Climate Ride beneficiaries). The day was beautiful, my body was feeling good, and you know what? It wasn't actually that difficult! I am no speed demon, but I could have ridden for a lot more miles. The only reason I turned around was because I had to be home for the dryer repair guy to come to the house. Having a trip of nearly 50 miles be easy? What an esteem boost!

Just a quick Thursday jaunt :)

The following weekend brought rain. Lots of rain. On Saturday it was mostly just gray and gloomy. It matched my mood. I kicked off towards Georgetown and intended to go towards the Capital Crescent trail...but Gloria has other things on her mind. Mostly she insisted on making a funny noise after a stop when I peddled the first peddle stroke. What are you saying?? I don't understand what you want!! The noise didn't let up. I had considered calling Corey to be rescued or to ask for his advice, but I figured I should save that phone call for when it involved blood.  And so, I stopped at a bike shop in Georgetown. There was a guy in the store, but he said that the mechanic wouldn't be there for another 45 minutes. Apparently bike mechanics aren't morning people. I knew of two other shops near by and asked the guy if he knew when they opened and he made some smart-mouth comment about it not being their store. Duh. Apparently the guy who opens the shop isn't a morning person either. I walked Gloria to the other shop and sure enough, the mechanic didn't arrive until 10 either. Luckily this opening person was very nice and was happy to hold onto my bike until the mechanic arrived. I walked down the street, feeling like an idiot in my bike gear and went to the bakery and entertained myself with a chocolate croissant. Silver lining? Yes please!

When the mechanic arrived, he thought it might be my breaks rubbing the tires, but fiddling with those didn't have the noise let up. He suggested checking the bike in. "What does that mean", I asked. "We take a closer look at it and try to figure out what is making the noise...you'll probably get it back Monday". MONDAY!?!? I have training! I tried not to panic...the training schedule said that I was supposed to have completed a 60 mile ride two weeks ago and I hadn't yet done it once...and to not be able to train this weekend?? Eek! I said it wasn't really possible to leave my bike, could they check that my bike was safe to ride? He gave the bike a once over, and as an after thought, sprayed some lube on a rubber gasket where my peddle attached to the bike frame. Et voila! Noise was gone! Lucky that was a simple thing :)

I peddled on the capital crescent trail and then hopped on MacArthur Boulevard for a long while and got a kick out of how many cyclists were out. When the big groups of cyclists whiz by, I can only assume that my face is that of a jealous seven year old wishing she were cool like the "big kids". They go so fast!  Total for the day? 41 miles...not bad for a late start.

Sunday it rained. Corey was supposed to ride with me but SOMEBODY wasn't excited about riding in the rain. Who can blame 'em? I gave myself a pep talk, something about kicking butt and taking names and kicked off. I wore these yellow wood-shop glasses to keep the rain out of my eyes and was glad to have them. At first it just drizzled, but as the miles wore on the rain came down much harder. What started out as busy streets with lots of brave cyclists quickly thinned out. Quickly, one became the loneliest number. At about mile 18 I remembered that I had found some shoe covers on sale at a sport store...they were supposed to keep your feet warm and dry. They were currently keeping my bedroom floor warm. Damn. I had really wanted to go 60 miles, but I just didn't have it in me to keep peddling in that misery. When I got back, I got in the tub, but even that was kind of painful as my limbs got the blood flowing again. When I was officially non-hypothermic, I layered on the sweats, puffy vest and wool socks and put on the kettle for tea. I sent Corey text to tell him how much it had sucked. He replied "Rain and being soaked is just something you have to experience. Remember cycling + suffering = building character! You are progressing well. Warm up for tomorrow night". Aww coach! I replied with a picture of my feet in wool socks.

Thank you Sarah for this super Christmas present :)

During the week, I rode when I can, but my heart wasn't in it so much. I had found out on Friday that I was laid off from my job. A big surprise, but as my friend Roger would say; "it is what it is". This situation has opened up a Pandora's box of questions...what do I want to do next? Do I want to stay in DC? Where do I think I would be happiest? All of this thinking and uncertainty has had my emotions on a huge roller coaster. Feeling my feelings has left me with whiplash. It has also left me with a sub-zero level of patience. Unless I'm hungry, I am usually able to put up with an above average level of crazy, but lately the slightest thing has me over the edge.

This past weekend I did a whole lot better on my training. On Saturday, I rode south through the city towards the greenbelt metro station and found two forts. I am no history buff so I don't actually know what their historical significance is, but it was fun to visit. Some of the trails were under construction in parts, so Gloria got to pretend she was a mountain bike for a bit. On the way back, somewhere around mile 50, I came across a Dunkin Doughnut. Like a moth to the flame, I rode ride over and got one. It was a much happier last few miles :)  I was determined to crack 60 miles, but by the time I got near my house I was at 57 or so...and so I circled my neighborhood several times until I did it. 60 miles!!!!

Looking good, Gloria!

I think this is Fort Washington

I got cleaned up. By now, I practically have my bike shorts trained to walk themselves to the washer. They jump in, I add the soap and they're clean for the next day. I had a roomie date with my roommate Mike; he made some delicious tacos and then we attached my computer to the TV to watch a movie. I asked for a comedy, and we picked out Everything Must Go because it starred Will Ferrell. Cripes; it wasn't a comedy at all! It perhaps would have hit too close to home, as it is about a guy who's life is falling apart, but luckily I was out cold on the couch within the first 37 seconds of the movie. I hope I didn't drool on the couch. Sorry Mike!

Sunday Corey and I struck out for Poolesville. It was a gorgeous day and I had obviously gotten a good nights sleep, so I was feeling good! The first 20 or so miles breezed by but I was starting to get a bit tuckered as we got near mile 25. The plan was to stop for lunch in Poolesville. Since that is how the actual trip is going to go, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't puke if I had a proper meal and then rode for another chunk of miles. I had the route on paper but one of the directions weren't really clear. We pulled over and to consults with our fancy phones and meanwhile a biker lady rolled up to the stop sign too. We made chit chat and she asked where we were headed. We explained we were nearly to Poolesville and then were going to head back to DC. She asked how long it would take us to go back to DC. "About an hour? An hour and a half?" I tried to not have my eyeballs fall out of their sockets while Corey carefully explained that we weren't trucking along "quite that fast". Like about half that fast. After we parted ways, I asked if it was even possible for a human being to go that fast. "Can Lance friggin-Armstrong go 30 miles an hour?!?!" Apparently he can. I thanked Corey for not spilling the beans that I'm apparently a turtle biker. Cripes.

We stopped for lunch in Poolesville and I was thrilled to find a place that was still serving brunch. French toast with syrup!! I hoovered up the simple carbs and then we were on the road again! Somehow it was much easier to peddle back with the power of syrup. I was keeping an eye on my bike computer and noticed that the average MPH was slowly climbing up. It turns out that nearly the entire way to Poolesville was uphill. No wonder I was getting tired towards the half-way point! Total miles for the day? 69.3! What a great training weekend!

I am so excited that the trip is just about two weeks away! I think that I'm ready :) I have a few more things here and there to buy, and I'll cover a bunch of miles this weekend, but overall? I'm excited!

Stay tuned!


-Holly






        __o
       _ `\ <, _

...... ( • ) /  ( • )

My Climate Ride: http://tiny.cc/obbjn

The route, day by day

Good morning! It's Monday :)

A few folks have asked about the route and where I'll be sleeping when
I go on my adventure (T-minus 19 days!!!!!) and so I've copied the
itinerary from the website below and included the map. It is going to
be a long and beautiful trip!

I am working on my next training update, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading!


Day 1
45 Miles

Climate Riders will depart from Manhattan’s spectacular urban
landscape, riding en masse through New York City.

A ferry awaits to transport our group across New York Harbor to
Atlantic Highlands, NJ. After disembarking, we'll enjoy a tasty
picnic, before hopping on our bikes and pedaling into rural
countryside of the Garden State. Quiet roads weave past small farms on
the way to tonight’s destination, Princeton, NJ, home to Princeton
University. In the evening, we'll gather in a ivy-covered McCosh hall
on the Princeton campus to hear from some of our expert speakers.

Day 2
68 Miles

Today brings more rural farming country, small towns, and historic
landmarks. We depart from Princeton and continue along quiet, winding
roads until we reach the Delaware River, the boundary between New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. Our last stop before crossing the river is
the charming town of Lambertville. Antique shops, restaurants, and art
galleries line the avenues, and riverside cafes dot the river's edge.
After crossing the river, we enter Lambertville’s sister city on the
Pennsylvania side, New Hope. Soon we are pedaling along Pennsylvania’s
quiet roads to Doylestown, where we will have a chance to try one of
the local restaurants. We'll join the Schuylkill River bike path and
pedal near Valley Forge, then on through Phoenixville, to our
overnight stop at a local summer camp.

Day 3
69 miles

Today we’ll wind our way through Pennsylvania hill country into
Lancaster County, famed for its quiet roads and epic cycling. Our day
begins with rolling hills through French Creek State Park and a visit
to St. Peters, a riverside hamlet composed of quaint homes and
imposing granite boulders. After passing through a few more small
towns, we turn to the south and enter quintessential Amish country.
Here we'll share the road with horses and buggies. Silos and small
farms dot the hillsides and valleys, and small Amish towns serve up
ice cream and plenty of charm to visitors. Soon our route enters the
rolling hills that flank the mighty Susquehanna River. Tonight we camp
at a traditional Mennonite summer camp tucked in the trees.

Day 4
62 miles

We begin the day by pedaling across a long bridge crossing the
Susquehanna River. The Susquehanna flows furiously in the springtime
and is a mere trickle by mid-summer. After a few miles we enter
Maryland and ride past beautifully manicured farms and stunning
country estates. It’s hard to imagine that Washington DC is so close.
This is the area that DC cyclists prize—the roads are quiet and curvy
and the green countryside reflects the long history of the
Mid-Atlantic region. Soon we enter the small towns that surround DC.
Leave those tents packed, because tonight we have hotel rooms and
cabins at a comfortable eco-retreat.  We'll enjoy a delicious meal on
our final night before pedaling into the nation's capital.

Day 5
60 miles

This morning we’ll rise early and head straight for the heart of
Washington DC. After several miles winding through Maryland, we will
stop for lunch in Silver Spring, MD before hopping on the Capital
Crescent Trail, a popular rail-trail, created by the Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy. We gather at the tail end of Constitution Avenue, and
then begin our final leg to the Capitol, passing the Washington
Monument and rows of museums. We will congregate on the Upper Senate
Lawn, with the Capitol in the background, where we will make a
statement about the need to move the nation toward sustainability and
on a path to a renewable energy future.  Our ride concludes near the
U.S. Capitol and we all say goodbye until the next Climate Ride!


-Holly

        __o
       _ `\ <, _

...... ( • ) /  ( • )

My Climate Ride: http://tiny.cc/obbjn

The Climate Ride Chronicles​: Cadence, Chestertow​n and more character!

Hello and Happy Wednesday:

I've been so busy biking that I have some stories to share with you.
I've covered a lot of miles!

Last Monday I did my first sprint training around Haines Point.
Luckily, there weren't incidents like last time; no bloody knees, flat
tires or needing rescue. There was some character building as it was
really windy! When I dabbled in running, I did sprint training a bit
too; the idea is that challenging your heart with these sprints helps
you to better tolerate the longer distance trainings. It is also a
much faster way to cram in miles since I do actually have to be at my
jobs during the day. The lesson of the evening was cadence; how fast
you're turning the peddles. With practice and time, the goal is to be
turning the peddles at a faster rate but perhaps an easier gear and
somehow that is more efficient. I trust Corey knows what he's talking
about, since he consistently kicks my butt on the road, but I don't
actually get it quite yet. We did a few laps around Haines point,
alternating between as-fast-as-you-can and not-quite-as-fast (but
still huffing in the wind). When we got to the far side of the loop
each time, the wind was REALLY strong in our faces and it was tough. I
felt like a bird hovering in the air more than a biker who is actually
moving forward. At one point I'm peddling as hard as I can, watching
Corey get further ahead, when another biker comes up behind me with
encouragement! "Peddle, peddle, you can do it!" How sweet! Bikers are
good folks :)

Wednesday I hung out with my buddy Tovah. She and I headed to VA for a
bike maintenance class at REI. In theory, I now know how to change a
flat tire. It wasn't a "hands on" class, but I suppose if push comes
to shove and a flat tire is the thing preventing me from coming home,
I'll figure it out. Being stubborn has its shining moments. I spent a
fortune on a pair of bike gloves that are padded to make things nicer
on your joints but are also really warm. Fancy! They better last for a
decade.

Thursday was a special day because it was the first time I had ridden
50 miles! I got to spend a beautiful morning with my friend Beto. He
too is an experiences cyclist and when I met him over a year ago, I
was quite impressed with him riding 150 miles most weeks. Now that I'm
hitting those numbers myself, I am even more stoked. Originally we
were going to meet at the metro station at 7AM but we reconsidered and
pushed back the time to 8...since the station was an hour from my
house, I didn't mind. Technically I'm not supposed to have my bike on
the metro after 7AM for rush hour, but I was willing to risk it and
play dumb for an extra hour of sleep.

It was quite chilly that morning, and Beto is particularly adverse to being cold, so his
bundled up self made him look like he belonged on America's Most
Wanted list; the ski-like mask is what really pushed the ensemble over
the top. At least his chin was warm. I was really happy to have my new
gloves. When Beto asked how warm they were, I answered, completely
seriously, "three flames". He immediately burst into laughter and
says, "what do you mean, three flames?". And I reply that the glove
packaging had a warm scale of 1-4 flames, and these gloves were three.
Seemed warm to me :)

After a quick meet-and-great with his adorable puppy, we hit the road!
Quickly leaving the neighborhood and subdivision land we embarked on
quite a trek along back roads in Howard county (and one more, but I
forget. Was is Frederick county, Beto?). We passed woods, fields of
grass that looked like water with the wind, and some beautiful farm
houses. There was a bit of McMansion invasion, but not nearly as much
as when I was in Falls Church. Beto said that every once in a while
when he rides past the horses, they'll run along side the fence with
him. How cool is that? We talked about why we love biking so much and
covered things like these adventures, trips out of the city and
getting to explore. Another highlight? Getting to eat way more! When
you're biking for hours each week, you gotta keep the gas tank full!
At least that's what I tell myself as I hit bottom on another jar of
nutella.

The route Beto planned was full of hills. And more hills. There was
also wind, of course. This became less of a "fun challenge" as the
miles wore on. At one point I was thinking to myself; "I am sure there
is some character at the top of this hill...and I want to PUNCH it in
the FACE!". Towards the very end of our route, Beto was trying to
coach me a bit about an especially steep hill that was coming up.
"Peddle into the hill as hard as you can so that your momentum from
the down hill carries you up further. It is very steep, so if you need
to walk up, make sure there aren't cars behind you." As soon as he
said that I felt my engine rev. So help me God, if it was the last
thing I did, I would peddle up the hill! Lance Armstrong wouldn't walk
his bike, I'm not either. I made it to the top :)

I am experimenting with different bars, gels and snacks. I had bought
a variety of things on my lunch break the day before. One of them was
a honey based supplement that I was hoping would taste better than the

Quick carbs for the road!

terrible gels I had tried before. It also had Lance Armstrong's
picture on it. It did the trick and helped me have the energy to get
home. My favorite so far is a gummy block that has a good dose of
glucose, electrolytes and also a touch of caffeine. It also doesn't
taste like cough syrup.

I had hoped to go 60 miles, but I need to balance training goals with
a bit of reality. 30 miles was my furthest distance a mere two weeks
prior. When we first got back, he said we had gone just shy of 50
miles. I was a little crushed to have been so close to 50 miles and to
have missed the mark. Beto later said that he read the wrong number on
his bike computer and that we had gone 50.2. I didn't actually believe
him, but because he swore on his puppy, I am going to hope he was
telling the truth. My calendar says 50! When I got back to my house, I
rejoined Those Who Wash Their Hair and Shave Their Legs...it had been
a while! My single bike outfit went straight into the wash. There is
something remarkably satisfying about working that hard and getting
that gross and then taking a really really hot shower. I slept like a
champ that night but stairs were pretty tough the next day.

My total miles for last week was about 140; less than then week before
but I didn't get to ride on Saturday. I spend a lovely time in
Chestertown visiting with my good friend Nick and Alyssa. Alyssa, my
former roommate, was the star of a play and it was so cool to see her
on stage.

This week the goal is to hit (or pass!) 200 miles...so far I've hit
106, so I think I'll make it!

Thank you for reading and thank you for your support.


Holly

        __o
       _ `\ <, _
...... ( • ) /  ( • )
My Climate Ride: http://tiny.cc/obbjn

The Climate Ride Chronicles: Fundraising!

Hello Everyone and TGIF!

I am a short five weeks away from my big bike adventure and am getting
more and more excited as I feel more ready; I'll give an update on
training soon (50 miles yesterday with my friend Beto, wind and hills
to boot!), but first I'd like to give you an update on the fundraising
piece.

My goal for fundraising is $2400. This money is going to fund some
really cool bike advocacy non-profits as well as non-profits dedicated
to raising awareness about and helping to mend our climate. One of my
favorite non-profits that this ride is supporting is Rails to Trails.
This DC based organization's mission is to create a nationwide network
of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build
healthier places for healthier people. For my local DC folks, the W&OD
is one fine example of their work, but there are many many more rails
to trails projects around the country.

Because of your generosity to date, we have raised $1,390, which is
58% of the goal. I just got a phone call that Founding Farmers, my
FAVORITE restaurant in DC has agreed to pledge $50 and I am so
thrilled. Thank you to Founding Farmers!!

http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/

If you are interested in making a contribution to help reach my
fundraising goal, now is the time! The deadline for my fundraising is
May 9th, but I'll bet with you help we'll close the gap before the
then!

To make a pledge, please use the link under the bike at the end of the
email. All donations made to support my fundraising are fully
tax-deductible. All donors will receive an e-tax receipt via email as
record of their donation.

Thank you, thank you and thank you,

Holly

        __o
       _ `\ <, _

...... ( • ) /  ( • )

My Climate Ride: http://tiny.cc/obbjn

Training: knights, knees and building character

Clippy shoes: I hope you aren't the death of me!

This has been a great big week for training: 161  miles from Sunday last week to Yesterday. Wahoo!

In my group ride last weekend I found a gem; Corey! He is an experiences cyclist and is also new in town and needs a buddy...I need a coach. We both like to eat carbs. Sounds pretty good to me!

We met up on Monday evening after work to ride around Haines point. Haines point is that little finger of land that jets out into the Potomac and has a 3.1 mile "loop" that makes for a good bike track. Corey lives near Glover Park, my old stomping grounds, so I rode over there to pick him up and we headed town towards the national mall. Not five minutes into the ride Corey misjudged a curb and bit it. Those clips are hard to get out of fast and his knee paid the lesson. I am
already nervous about my clips, having a new bike and being around cars more, so his knee bleeding into his sock didn't do too much to ease my nerves. He is fine; "no big deal, it will happen to you too". Goodness. We enjoyed going around Ohio drive a few laps and narrowly missed getting a ticket by cops penalizing bikers for running the stop sign. The only reason we didn't get cited is because they were busy giving another group a talking to.

Hains Point

The evening was beautiful, and I love being near the water. And
although the cherry trees are pretty much done blooming, the green and
blue are a great contrast to the concrete. Things were going well
until I notices Corey's back tire was getting flat (dun dun dun!).
Corey is prepared and had a CO2 cartridge and added some air and we
were back on our way to go one more loop. And then his tire went flat
again. He also had a spare tube, and so we pulled over and he changed
his tube. He was running low on CO2 and so a nice cyclist stopped and
lent him his pump. Corey was able to change his tube, but the pump was
actually a little weird so instead of inflating the tire, it broke the
nozzle. Uh oh. Did I mention it was getting dark? Corey asked me if I
had a spare kit, and I didn't. "What if you get a flat?" was his
reasonable question...doesn't do me much good to have a kit if I don't
know how to use it! I am signed up for a bike maintenance class next
week, but that doesn't do us much good right now. I called my roommate
Jesse and he squeezed being my knight in shining armor in between time
visiting with his mother and a date. Jesse drove home, got my bike
rack and picked up Corey and I from the side of the road. Bless you
Jesse! I came home and had carrot cake for dinner. And some cheese.

Dinner of champions...

For balance.

Tuesday I took it easy because that was after three days of 30 miles
each, and the first time I went 30 miles, that was the farthest I had
been. Repeat three times!

Wednesday I found a group called the Potomac Peddlers. It is a group
for bikers that has been around for a long time and has group rides
throughout the DC/VA/MD area all the time. They organize their rides
by how fast and how many miles and I picked a ride that was
intermediate in difficulty, thinking that would be fine. Wrong. While
waiting to kick off, Corey and I are checking out the group and he
says that they look like folks who know what they're doing. I wonder
out loud that they probably don't have their reflectors on their
wheels, since Corey has implied that I might as well have training
wheels on my bike with mine on, and sure enough, there is only one
other sucker with them on their wheels. I need to get mine off. We
started off by the observatory and headed Northwest. We were looking
for hills and boy did we find them! I thought my heart was going to
jump out of my chest. Most of the group was out of sight so fast I
couldn't believe it. I hung on with a few folks for a while, but even
those last two lost us after a while too. This may have been a bit of
a kick to my self esteem, but that builds character, right Mom and
Dad? Up one particularly brutal hill, Corey looks over at me and asks
"are you regretting signing up for this race?". "Eeek, Corey, where in
the heck is my pep talk?!? Coach!?"

We eventually gave up on finding the group again and made our way
home. Dang reflectors really were slowing me down. I was recanting the
tale of woe to my roommate Nick and he was asking about which hills we
were riding on. All of them! All. Of. Them. I think the entire ride
was uphill!

Thursday was a beautiful and I was joined in my training by Tovah!
After a few false starts involving more flat tires, I rode down to the

On the way back from Mount Vernon

Just monkeying around! Poor shoulders!

airport and met her there. From there we peddled off down the Mount
Vernon trail towards, you guessed it, Mount Vernon! I had tried to
bike there on my own a month or so ago before I had my road bike. The
day was really windy, my bike was too heavy and I realized part way
that I had bitten off more than I can chew. My ratio of hope:despair
was leaning heavily towards despair. I didn't make it. It didn't help
that at the time my roommate Jesse's training for his marathon was in
high gear and he was RUNNING as far as I could bike. Ugh. This time,
with better weather, a lighter bike (and mood) and the company of a
great friend, we made it! We stopped there for a quick look around,
met a Texan who thought 60 degrees was chilly and made our way back.
My shoulders were bothering me, so we hopped off our bikes near some
monkey bars to stretch them out. See pics!

Yesterday and today I am feeling like I am getting into a groove. I
rode 35 miles with a group through some very beautiful (and hilly!)
countryside in Great Falls Virginia. Apparently this is where the rich
folks hide their McMansions. Some houses were actually really pretty,
like something you'd see in Gone with the Wind, while others just
looked like someone said, "I've got a huge wad of cash, I want
everyone to know it, build it as big as you can!". Not too classy. Of
course I'm not the fastest of the pack, but I'm not the slowest
either. When we got to the parking lot at the beginning of the ride,
it was pretty chilly (only 43 degrees) so I was bundled up with lots
of layers over my riding gear. When Corey saw that I hadn't taken off
my fleece jacket, he had a look of horror on his face and asks if I am
actually going to ride with it. Yes, I'd rather look like a dork than
be a popsicle. If I keep buying stuff for biking my credit card is
going to burst into flames. While we were waiting to get organized and
leave, I tried to talk to the folks in the parking lot. I'm friendly,
right? Some of the guys were big grumps; they were in no mood to chat
when we got there and when I caught up with them later in the ride,
one guys looks me up and down and says "huh, there you are". Jerk.
Watch out for pot holes.

Today I met a few folks who are also doing the Climate Ride. It is
great to get to know some of the folks with whom I'll be spending my
five days with. We met at the National Arboretum (I can't believe I
haven't been there before, so beautiful!) and wandered around there
for a bit. When it began to get too crowded with Easter visitors, we
departed and did another 15 miles for a grand total of 40 miles!

The day wrapped up with yoga this afternoon. Last week after my first
long rides, my legs felt like jello and my poses were "wobbly warrior"
and "wobbly down dog". This week, I felt the fatigue, but not nearly
as much. And while I may have lost sleep last night wondering if I've
bitten off more than I can chew, I am going to keep peddling and hope
that I didn't!

To be continued!



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My Climate Ride: http://tiny.cc/obbjn