Not DFL Anymore!

At least that is what you can say about me in last Saturday’s ride. Yep, and I even did this on a 52 mile route that was hillier than the famous “Is This The Last Hill?” ride. I could hardly believe it myself. The fact that I did not come in last was such an incredible feeling! Especially, when you are used to showing up at the end of a ride and seeing only one car left in the parking lot….YOURS.

I can’t say that I knew this ride was going to be tough going in the onset. Quite the opposite, I thought this ride would have a few hills and would give my legs a break. It wasn’t until I was actually there at the starting point that I heard this ride was going to be tougher than last weekend’s 52 mile route.

When I heard this route was tougher, I cringed inside. A part of me wanted to pack my bike up and go home. I just did not know if I had it in me to do another tough ride in 95 degree heat.

I was once told by a professional cyclist…”most riders are screwed up, how else can you explain why someone would push themselves so hard? It’s like they are trying to prove something” (this person competed in the Tour De France and road against Lance). He went on to say, “…you can see it on his face. It’s like he’s battling something inside”

Well, you guessed it. This crazy cancer surviving girl hopped on her saddle and began peddling down the road.

It was a tough ride and once again, I amazed myself. Bicycling with the wind in my face just sends my senses into hyper-drive. It's is truly life at its best. There’s no other way I can explain how it makes me feel.

And yes, you have to be a little driven by something different inside to even do such an endurance sport (with me, it was facing my mortality).

I just do it. Ultimately, there will come a time when I won't be able to and I don’t plan on leaving this world with many regrets!

I Survived the Big Ride

As I have written about previously, the "Is This The Last Hill?" ride is one of the toughest rides I have ridden thus far. It has routes that vary from 25-70 miles and goes through Boerne, Comfort, Sisterdale, and Waring-Welfare and is a ride for the really stout-of-heart. Although it is truly one of the hardest rides in the area, this route is also one of the most beautiful ones around.

My previous attempt at this ride a few weeks back was to do 45 miles. I ended up only managing to accomplish 35 miles (for which I was VERY grateful to do so). Yes, you can say it kicked my a--! At a time where I thought I was making such great progress in my bike training, this ride brought me to my humble knees and taught me that I wasn't even close to where I needed to be in order to handle the upcoming Lance Armstrong Challenge.

So, I was filled with great fervor when I saw this ride on last weekend's schedule...NOT! Instead, it was more like a love/hate/love kind of thing. You know when something is good for you, but you hate it when you are doing it and then love it when you are finished because you know it was good for you? Yep, its kind of like eating Brussel Sprouts.

As always, I got up early and I made sure that I ate a good breakfast, drank plenty of fluids and paced myself as well as possible. I have to admit, at 35 miles into the ride I was beginning to feel kind of like "This is not such a tough ride". I mean, yes the heat was rising but I still felt like I had more than enough left in my tank to finish 50 miles. At one point, the person I was riding with even stopped to take some photos of one of the river crossings we passed this day.

Yes, my confidence was high. That is... until the heat began to start taking its toll on me. With only about 10 miles to go, I began to feel like I was riding in a convection oven. Hill after Hill, I began to think to myself...not another freakin' hill! And just when I thought I was almost finished, there it was before me...a 600 ft. climb.

I made it about a forth of the way up and I felt my legs give out. I stopped to take a breath and tried to start again. Nope, I couldn't do it...I had just run out of gas. So, humbled again, I began to start walking up the last hill. I felt so humiliated. I was so disappointed in myself. How could I not have just one more hill in me? All the training, all the miles, and this is how it was going to end?

Then it happened. About 2/3's of the way up I stopped and got back in the saddle. I began to chant my mantra...LiveSTRONG, LiveSTRONG, LiveSTRONG. Before I knew it, I was climbing the hill and had made it to the top -YES! The last 6 miles into town were a piece of cake after this climb. :)

Anyhow, I am thrilled to say that I completed 51.7 miles of torturous hills this day (over 6,000 ft. of climbing) in 92 degree heat and wind. Next time? Maybe, I'll go for 70 miles!

Getting Ready for the BIG Ride!

Yep, it's that time again. Time for the "Is This The Last Hill" route and I am trying to get ready for this hellaciously hilly ride by eating right and sleeping lots. No staying up late or enjoying too much red wine tonight for me.

Nope. It's a good dinner, good movie and hitting the bed.

It's going to be a hot ride too! Today's high is currently 102 degrees.

I will post more tomorrow. My goal is 50 miles. Wish me luck!!!