I got up at 5:30 this morning, drank a protein shake, headed over to Hannah's house, and we left on our 60 mile bike ride just after 6:00 am. We rode up the Bosque, then took NM-313 up past Bernalillo and Algodones until we hit 30 miles, then we turned around and came back. I averaged a solid 14.5 mph the entire way out, and only slowed down a bit from the time we turned around until we hit the South end of Bernalillo where we stopped to use the bathroom and refill water bottles. I'd had a lot of water, but only 190 calories worth of granola bar and knew I needed to eat some more. I tried, but felt nauseous with the first couple bites, so I gave up. In retrospect, waiting that long to refuel was a poor choice, and then choosing not to force the issue was plain irresponsible. I felt pretty tired as we rode from Bernalillo back to the Bosque, and then with just 8 miles to go I hit the proverbial brick wall that cyclists call bonking. My knees and quads and back and arms stung with pain and the trail in front of me was for the most part an endless blur of utter torment. I made it to the bottom of the bridge, remarkably still keeping an 11 mph pace, and knew there was no way I would make the climb out of the Bosque without resting a while and forcing some food into my system. Ten minutes and two granola bars later, I felt like a new woman and was able to make it back to Hannah's house.
During those last grueling miles I thought there is no possible way I can ride a century in only five weeks from now, but after reading up on cycling nutrition and recognizing where I went wrong, I think maybe I can still conquer this feat. Next time I will fill my water bottle with an electrolyte drink and be sure to eat a piece of candy every 15 minutes to keep my blood sugar levels nice and stable. Then, regardless of how hungry I may or may not feel, I will eat some slower burning carbs every two hours to make sure I have enough energy to make it to the bitter end. We're planning on an 80 miler over Labor Day weekend, so I'll have one more opportunity to practice on a proper long distance ride before the big race. There's a part of me that wonders why in the world I've signed up for this, but then there's another (hopefully stronger willed) part of me that really really wants to prove I can do hard things.
While I was riding, Matthew fulfilled our family's obligation to help clean the church, then dropped the boys off at Harry's birthday party. He and Mercy went on a little date to get doughnuts and arrived home as I was finishing up my shower. He was good enough to retrieve the boys and let me take a nap. I was too sore to really fall asleep, but the rest still did me good. I then got up and finished preparations for a farewell get together in honor of the Buras family, who is moving in a couple weeks. I advertised it as a pot luck open house and honestly wasn't sure if we'd get half the ward or no one at all. In the end, six families came, including us and the guests of honor. It was a smaller turnout than I was hoping for, as Lyssa and Dane have done some phenomenal service in the nursery and cub scouts, but they aren't boastful people and I don't think many know how much they've done or how good they are. I do, though, and will ever be grateful for the brief season of their lives that they shared with me.
Hannah, Mindy, me, Lyssa, Diane, Trisha
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