Whew! What a weekend!
Thanks for hanging in there while I took a mini vacation and went off on my bike ride! We had gorgeous weather and it was an absolute fabulous experience! However, with anything new, comes a learning experience. Here are the top 5 things I know now:
1. How to train-
To be honest my training fell short 3 weeks before the ride. Had I prepared better, I still don't think I would have felt confident with the hills on the course. My tip: train for the worst. Get your body ready for 10 miles more than you have to, 5 times the amount of incline you'll think there will be.
2. Preparing for the outdoors-
Considering there were talks of mid-40 degree rainy weather, (and we rode in clear skies!) we lucked out with the weather. There was some rain at the end of the ride, which made me glad I had my rain coat just in case. You may feel stupid lugging around a big backpack, but I was glad I had the extra water bottles, rain coat, camera and everything else.
3. Go with a group-
Although I was in a group of 6, we estimated about 2,000 participants on the ride this year. The group dynamic was a big hit. I made flags, armbands and noisemakers for us to take along the ride to set our team apart from the masses. Not only did it make it much easier to find our bikes with the bright red flags during the lunch rush, but it brought a feeling of unity to our small group.
Hope everyone had a great and active weekend. Check back tomorrow for more information on the ride and possibly pictures!
