Blue Ridge Parkway 50-Miler

Wow!
This was the first time I ever rode farther than about forty miles.
Wow!
This was the hilliest course I have ever ridden.
Wow!
This was the first time I'd gotten up at 5 am on a Saturday all year...

The best part of a hard workout is that I can bitch about it during and exaggerate about it afterwards. No matter how hard it seems at the time, when it is over, I will drink the tastiest water of my life, eat the most flavorful food, and sit on the most comfortable... pavement. And a little while after it's all over, I'll be able to imagine working out again some time in the future.

I got up at five, packed half the workout clothes and gear I own, and met the TRIgirls and Maramarc crew at the Gaskins commuter lot. Much to everyone's surprise, I arrived a few minutes BEFORE the slated time of 6 am. I had even stopped at the Sev to pick up one more Gatorade and a ginormous cup of coffee.

Cyndi drove me, Kate O, and our bikes in the midst of the caravan. Most of our conversation heading west is unprintable here, but we sure had a good time. I realized how smart I was to ride with two moms, since they had brought the best snacks! A cyclist cannot live by bars and shot blocks alone, but really enjoys a croissant with Nutella and some honey wheat pretzels.

When we arrived at the parking lot around Mile 14 of the Parkway, several of us discussed how we might pass the time waiting in the cars while everyone else rode...
Coaches Ed and Blake shared a few words of wisdom and some sunscreen, and we were off. As we headed down the mountain, I was surprised at how much of the descent was uphill! When we got to the bottom, I commented that our coaches had lied to us and that this ride was not, in fact, fun at all. Several of the girls disagreed.

As we made our way back up from Mile 0 to Mile 14, the ascent was even steeper than the descent... I've never hung out in the granny gear like that before. I was secretly thankful that I have NOT upgraded to a bike with only two chain rings in the front. When we finally arrived back up to the cars for a rehydration/refueling break, I was pleasantly surprised that we had actually completed over half of our ride. Several of us spread out a serious picnic on Cyndi's tailgate and wondered where the kegs were. I dipped pieces of my energy bar directly into Cyndi's economy size vat of peanut butter, ate half Kate's bag of pretzels, and who knows what else. At this point, it was all better than four-star dining. I commented that our coaches had lied to us and that this ride was not, in fact, fun at all. Several of the girls agreed.

Back up the mountain, heading for the 25 mile marker. I noted, with dismay, that there were only two downhills during this eleven mile portion of the ride. I then noted, with pleasure, that meant the last eleven miles of the whole ride weren't going to be so painful. This section of the ride was by far the hardest for me. My lower back was hurting so badly about halfway through this leg that I actually cried. Mostly just because I could. When I saw Kate T and Anna stopped just ahead of the 25-mile marker, I couldn't get off my bike fast enough. It felt so good just to lie down in the grass on the shoulder for just a minute, and I guess the shot blocks even still tasted okay.

Had the last eleven miles been the entire workout, it would have been one of my favorites ever. Picked up some good speed on the downhills, and felt pretty darn proud of myself for finishing the ride at all. We resumed our tailgate back at the parking lot--about fifteen of us sitting in the middle of the road breaking bread together. I knew I'd picked the best training boyfriend when Bob sat down next to me and offered me half of his Italian sub. That beats trail mix any day!

I think this was the hardest workout I've ever done in my life, and I include my four marathons when I say that.

Actually, that's what I was thinking on Saturday.

Today, I'm remembering what a great ride I had, what a beautiful day it was, and how much fun I had with Cyndi, Kate, Bob, and everyone else. Thank God for my health, my training team, and a sunny April day in the Blue Ridge Mountains.