My First Metric Century Ride

I usually run in the morning or night when the kids are sleeping so that I don't take away from time with the family. But this week the kids were up in Salt Lake. So even though I was recovering from the marathon on Saturday, I took advantage of this kid-free week to run and bike myself silly.

Monday, June 13th 2011: My legs were insanely sore after the marathon on Saturday. The Monday after a marathon is always when I am most sore. Sweet mother of all things holy, my legs hurt so bad that it hurt to breathe.

Tuesday, June 14th 2011: I survived Misery Monday. By Tuesday, at least for me, the soreness and discomfort decrease significantly. Thank goodness. In fact I was feeling so good by Tuesday that I went on a 20.5 mile bike ride @ 15.9 mph.

I got chased by one dog and I had to channel my inner Lance Armstrong to go fast and leave him in the dust. I didn't really want to get Golden Retriever caught in my spokes.

Wednesday, June 15th 2011: I went on my farthest bike ride ever: 41 miles. I rode all over around Sand Hollow Reservoir and the Hurricane airport. Toward the end my legs were getting pretty floppy and it was like trying to pedal a bike with fettuccine alfredo. Going up hills, my legs became limp bizkits. But I made it.


Thursday, June 16th 2011: 6 mile run in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. I went to some trails I had never been on before. I wandered around the Pioneer Rim trail and the City Creek trail. It was 97 degrees outside and windy which I didn't mind except for all the wind that blew in my eyes.


Most sections of the trails are not fast because of lots of hills and rocks, but the scenery more than made up for it.


Friday, June 17th 2011: Carbo loading (you guessed it, Hostess).

Saturday, June 18th 2011: Hurricane Metric Century Ride!!! For real people like me who don't know the metric system, a metric century ride is 65 miles. (And when you follow two girls who make a wrong turn, it equals 68 miles.)

This was the first year of the ride and I couldn't pass up a $15 entry fee. The route went around the Sand Hollow Reservoir, then up to Springdale (near Zion National Park) and back. I didn't think that after doing a marathon a week ago I would be able to do the whole ride so I told them I was just doing the Sand Hollow loop (22 miles).

But after that loop there was a rest stop with drinks, fruit, and cookies. I ate a few handfuls of Fig Newtons and felt like a million bucks. So.....I decided to try for the full distance!


I rode with my friend Kyle almost the whole way and it was fun to have some company as we worked our way up some insane-in-the-membrane hills. In fact I climbed a total of 3,032 FEET during the ride. Positively nuts.


The thing I really liked was that this was an organized, supported bike RIDE, not a RACE. It had a completely different feel than a marathon. There wasn't a pressing sense of urgency and people were there just to have fun. Very cool. We finally reached Springdale and I ate my body weight in Fig Newtons. But I didn't feel like a million bucks. It was 93 degrees outside and I didn't do very good at hydrating.


I felt so happy as we rolled to the finish. I was proud of myself for riding up hills that I thought would be impossible to ride. I also liked having it be a new experience, unlike anything I had done before. At the end we had Creamies and great food from Durango's. My watch said I burned 3,267 calories, although I probably replaced most of those with cookies. Our souvenir was a bike bracelet which I think I'll add to my display of race medals.


But the grand prize for finishers was (regrettably not a lifetime supply of Fig Newtons)...a reflective vest!


I can't believe that I rode 68 miles. I am glad I decided to go all the way on the ride. I have really come to value that sense of accomplishment.

"The truth is that we can learn to condition our minds, bodies, and emotions to link pain or pleasure to whatever we choose. By changing what we link pain and pleasure to, we will instantly change our behavior. "
Tony Robbins, author and motivational speaker