"It's a ride, not a race"......pfffff!

To say that I am not competitive would be a complete lie.  I love being pushed by reading what others do.  I love being driven by my own crazy training sessions.  To be competitive keeps my inner light burning.  

Yesterday was a bike ride that supports the Cancer Care Center which both my parents received care through.  I've done it every year (that I'm not working) since I've been "competitive" living!  This was my 6th time registering for it.  One time it got rained out and I ended up coming home and biking the distance around my house.  It consists of 3 distances.  4 miles.  15 miles.  32 miles.  I've always done the 15 mile course.  It's a great course, super flat in the beginning then some good hills through sub divisions and the last part up to the hospital is a very nice uphill grade which usually brings some to walking their bikes up it.....because I am just that damn stubborn, vain, competitive or whatever you want to call it, I've never walked that hill. 

A few pics.......logo for the ride...

This pic is from the website of the ride and is from last year's ride.  No pics are up yet for this years event.  Jeff couldn't be there since he had some obligations to fulfill for his Mom.  I went without my "personal" photographer!

This is a pic of about half the 15 mile riders.  We go off in waves to help with congestion.  

The usual speech in the beginning is all about safety.  The roads are not closed for this, however, they always have great volunteers and police at the major intersections stopping traffic for us so we rarely have to stop.  Then the usual speech about how it's just a "ride" and not a "race".  They always say there's nothing for the first person to return.  HA!  Bullshit.....blow that horn and lets get this ride under way!  I always go up to the front and get out in the first wave.  Once out of the parking lot, it's a tight right handed turn to get going onto the road and it's always a little congested there.  Once I'm past that first right turn, it's all out......within seconds I'm usually up to the front first 10 or so riders.  Especially now that I have "Steve" to ride and not the heavy, slow "Fred" of days gone by, I easily had this ride done in under an hour!  The weather was picture perfect!  Temp was 62 degrees when I parked my car and pulled my bike out.  Most people had jackets, long sleeves, and pants.....whatever.  Diaper shorts and the event Tshirt was all I needed!  The cool temps and no humidity kept my mitral valve happy....it was a great ride.  Every year the event t-shirt is a different color and this year it was blaze orange!  My favorite color-matched my blaze orange tape on my handlebars and aerobars!  The ride was destined from the beginning to be great!  LOL....

After the ride I came home and cut most of the grass.  I didn't plan to since I had one hell of a killer week, but the nice weather was calling me.  So, for an hour and a half, it was back and forth, up and down and BAM....done!  Then after a quick shower, it was a quick snack and off to my friend's surprise 50th birthday party!  All us "girls" that have known each other for 40+ years are all turning 50 this year.  This was a great party and so fun.....who says getting old is bad?  OK, it does suck from time to time, but it's all attitude!  It's great to have so much "life" experience.....

Here's us girls at the very young age of 50.....

Birthday girl is in the front on the left chair and her younger sister is next to her on the right chair.  The girl in the back row, 2nd from the left was in the same grade as the younger sister, they are both "only" 48 years young!  We all hung together in school so it's hard to remember they're younger.  Birthday girl was also my Maid of Honor for my wedding!  Great friends, great times, great memories.  We've all been through deaths, weddings, births, good times, bad times, parties, concerts, kid stories, you name it-we went through it together!  Great memeories!

Today I gave it "some" thought to do a nice little run.....just 3 miles or so at the most.  But, it's been a rough week with all the pressure at work.  I never got to fully recover from the 18 miler done last Tuesday. Then I did my KB class Wednesday morning at 0530 followed up by having to go into work for a mandatory "extra" shift due to new computer system being shoved down our throats introduced, followed by my regular shifts on Thursday and Friday.  Saturday morning was up again early for the bike ride, grass cutting and party all afternoon.  I know, whine, whine, whine, blah, blah, blah.  I can't complain about my schedule....after-all, I made it!  I need to remember that I'm old now!  Haha....LOL!  
So today turns out to be a grocery shopping, doing dishes, laundry, getting caught up on DVR'd TV shows kind of day!  Works for me!  Back to work tomorrow......next long run this week I'm hoping for 20 miles!  I will admit that I would be happy with another 18, but I'd really like to get to the magical 20.....my "Rocky" way of living is going well....no distraction away from my training.  NO Facebook has been the best!