Better late than never? I hope so. Posting today about Saturday’s ride is less than newsworthy…but I don’t want you all to think I quit!
Saturday we rode 65 miles from Sierra Madre to Claremont and back. We split in to two groups, as the fast group only had three people. It was a slow start. There were some mechanical issues and a lot of bathroom stops. After about 10 miles, four of us decided to split off into a fast group. I thought it would be a good chance for me to try the faster pace I was used to prior to my surgery.
It was NOT easy! I suppose it’s not meant to be easy, but it was a real challenge trying to keep up at that pace. We were averaging about 17-22 miles per hour with a lot of stop lights and stop signs. I kept telling the group I was having a hard time keeping up, but they just kept encouraging me…not letting me give up.
I did something this week that I hadn’t done before. I let my brain take over for about 10 miles and I convinced myself I could not keep up. This was a VERY BAD IDEA. At around mile 33, I gave up mentally. I told the group I would have to sag back to the middle pace group. Tim hung back with me while we waited for the middle group and I was not a happy camper (I don’t think he was real thrilled with me either). After about two minutes of waiting, we decided to go ahead and ride the next 9 miles together to the sag stop and then I could wait for the middle group there.
What’s interesting, (and what proved to me that it was all in my head), is that for those 9 miles, I kept the pace we were going initially without any problems. Of course, there were a lot of downhills, but we only arrived at the sag stop a few minutes behind the people we split off from 9 miles before. Still, I decided to wait for the middle group at the sag stop so I could finish the ride without holding the fast group up.
Once I joined the middle group, I had a blast! The pace was much more comfortable and I had a chance to look around every now and then and enjoy the scenery. I really like everyone on our team and I’ve gotten a chance to get to know them all a lot better as I’ve moved around the different pace groups since my surgery.
We finished 65 miles with no problems. 65 miles! Man…that’s a lot of miles. I was really pleased with myself once it was over, but was also a little disappointed about my behavior around mile 33. This coming Saturday I may try riding with the fast group again to see if I can do it for the entire distance. We’ll be riding 70 miles in Palos Verdes. Fun fun!
I didn’t take any pictures this week, but I posted two pictures that our sag person took from the Malibu ride. This was about a mile and a half up Encinal Canyon in Malibu. I was really hot and she caught me right as I was taking my jacket off 
Until next time…GO TEAM!
Oh and I’ve raised almost $5,000 to date! It’s not too late to donate either. Even if it’s only a few dollars. Every little bit counts. You can donate here via my fundraising page by clicking here. I’m only $25 away from $5,000. You could be the one who helps me reach the $5,000 milestone!
Way to go Lauren! Those moments of self discovery are what its all about. great job learning something about yourself and remembering to have fun along the way. I’m always so stoked to follow your adventure.