Katy Ram Challenge
It surprises me just how much of cycling is about mental endurance rather than anything else. Wayne and I rode 76.03 miles yesterday. To put things in perspective, that's pretty much from Katy to almost Hempstead and back. It's a long way. We noticed that at about the halfway point, we were physically fine (with the exception of my outdoor allergies) and our legs were strong. It was just really easy to get bored on the last stretches. We commented that keeping ourselves entertained and upbeat is probably a million times easier because we're training as a couple.
I know they say not to judge ourselves by anyone else's progress, and that as long as we gave our best we're doing fine, but I'm going to set aside that utopian idea that they tell the losers. We got a huge second wind at the end that was fueled even further by leaving some folks standing still (who, if they weren't cycling veterans, had plenty of expensive gear to look the part). It was a good feeling. I would venture to say that the way I feel mentally in the last ten miles of almost any ride will play a huge part in how I feel after we stop and the next day.
Wayne's heart rate monitor said we burned about 2700 calories. I'm sure we made up for that and more with our victory dinner at Macaroni Grill, complete with bread, an appetizer, meals, and dessert. We were in bed by 8:00.
The ride was a charity event for the Mayde Creek High School "Ram Band," and was one of the best supported rides that we've done. If I had to give them two constructive points of criticism, I would vote for more porta-cans (four porta-cans divided by a couple thousand riders equals a 30-minute long line at each rest stop), and less of the roughly paved roads on the long route. I do give them credit for finding as many smooth roads as they did out in the boonies, but as long as we're being picky... But that's it - the band kids and parents were very helpful, plenty of SAG wagons, and the rest stops were well supported - not like I'm surprised, as I was also a band nerd at LCHS in my high school years. We will do this ride again next year.
I know they say not to judge ourselves by anyone else's progress, and that as long as we gave our best we're doing fine, but I'm going to set aside that utopian idea that they tell the losers. We got a huge second wind at the end that was fueled even further by leaving some folks standing still (who, if they weren't cycling veterans, had plenty of expensive gear to look the part). It was a good feeling. I would venture to say that the way I feel mentally in the last ten miles of almost any ride will play a huge part in how I feel after we stop and the next day.
Wayne's heart rate monitor said we burned about 2700 calories. I'm sure we made up for that and more with our victory dinner at Macaroni Grill, complete with bread, an appetizer, meals, and dessert. We were in bed by 8:00.
The ride was a charity event for the Mayde Creek High School "Ram Band," and was one of the best supported rides that we've done. If I had to give them two constructive points of criticism, I would vote for more porta-cans (four porta-cans divided by a couple thousand riders equals a 30-minute long line at each rest stop), and less of the roughly paved roads on the long route. I do give them credit for finding as many smooth roads as they did out in the boonies, but as long as we're being picky... But that's it - the band kids and parents were very helpful, plenty of SAG wagons, and the rest stops were well supported - not like I'm surprised, as I was also a band nerd at LCHS in my high school years. We will do this ride again next year.
posted by CyndyMW at
4:56 AM
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