Saturday, July 19, 2014

Seattle to Portland - 204 Miles in 2 Days!

Last Saturday, Joel and I rode our bikes for 204 miles in two days. I still can't believe we paid for this thrill, but we did. We participated in our first Seattle to Portland ride, which is when over 10,000 biking fans get up really early in the morning and ride their bikes from the city of Seattle in Washington to the city of Portland in Oregon.

At the Starting line, ready to get going!

Some people are crazy enough to do the whole ride in one day, but Joel and I know better than that. We decided to ride 150 miles the first day and 54 miles the second day. With so many miles to go, we started at 5:15am.


We pretty much rode all day, stopping now and then at the various sponsored pit stops, which were just crawling with people in spandex and funny little velcro shoes. It was interesting to see what kind of equipment and clothing people decided to bring with them for the big ride. I mostly just stuffed my face and used the restrooms as these stops.



Jackie and Chris came along as our pit crew and they really helped us out! They got food for us, cheered us on, filled up our water bottles and kept us going strong. As the morning turned into the afternoon, the temperature grew. We spent most of the day riding through temperatures in the mid 90's, which is pretty darn hot when you have no shade to hide out in! We just kept peddling and counting down the miles.

How Joel managed to take a selfie while climbing the hill all the riders call "the hill from hell", I just don't know.
What a stud.


Honestly, I thought I would take more pictures along the ride, but it rarely crossed my mind. I was thinking more about shifting gears, drinking water, eating more food or energy blocks, and keeping my pace. By the late afternoon, Joel and I had slowed way down. I think the heat and the long day just got to us. We were tired and worn out, but still had another 50 miles to go before the end of the day. We could have just called it and had our pit crew drive us to our hotel. But we didn't. Because Jackie saved the day. She jumped on a third bike we had brought along and rode the last 50 miles with us. I don't know what it was about having her along, but we perked right up and clocked in speeds up to 25 miles an hour - which is pretty darn good for us. Chris drove the car and meet us every five miles to allow for water bottle refiles and quick bites to eat, keeping our energy and spirits high. With such amazing support, we rode the rest of our 150 mile goal and made it to our hotel in Longview. 16 hours after leaving the starting line, we called it a day.


We were back on the route the next morning by 9:00am and were really excited to finish this thing! We crossed into Oregon on the Lewis and Clark Bridge and started the last leg of the trip. I am not sure what was tougher, sitting on my bike seat with my sore buns or feeling that first drop of rain. That's right, day one was spent in hot, hot heat and day two was spent in rain. We took it five miles at a time and rested when we needed to. Before we knew it, we were just outside of Portland, about to cross the St. Johns Bridge.
 

Once we crossed over the bridge, we had just ten miles go to the finish line. I started to let myself feel the excitement of finishing. I was going to make it! I was going to finish! Riding through the middle of downtown Portland and watching for cars, traffic lights, turns and other bikers kept me distracted from all the pain my body was feeling. Before I knew it, there it was. The finish line!


We did it! It was over! I am a bit embarrassed to say it, but I just cried. I was proud of myself and my husband for accomplishing such a big goal. I was thrilled it was over. I was so happy to get off my bike. The emotions just kind of hit me and I cried. We were Finishers of the 35th Annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic.  



I know that I said it over and over on Facebook and Instagram, but seriously - THANK YOU to everyone who sent kind words of encouragement and support. A giant THANK YOU to Chris and Jackie for your unconditional and tireless support. Joel and I would have never finished without you!!

STP Conquered.

XOJO


Friday, July 18, 2014

The Blogmopolitan Quiz: Round 1

It is finally Friday friends!! I am exhausted and ready for the weekend! I shouldn't really be this tired, because I haven't done much this week. I've been taking things easy outside of the office, but that is because I rode my bike for 204 miles last weekend. Yep, Joel and I participated in our first Seattle to Portland ride. More on that later, but for now I am taking the easy way and linking up with Erin @ Two Thirds Hazel for the Blogmopolitan Quiz! So, do like me, and take it easy!


This weekend I will be floating down the river as I continue on my binge of relaxation and fun-in-the-sun!

Happy Friday! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

XOJO

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Humpday Confessions

I love, love, love four day work weeks. Today feels like Thursday, but that doesn't mean it isn't time for some Humpday confessions!

I confess...

...I apparently feel the need to grip the handlebars of my bike as though I am hanging on for dear life. After about 90 miles ridden over the weekend, my hands are useless. I can't grip anything, I can't hold anything, and if the fly is down on my pants, it's because I don't have the strength to zip it up. It's that bad!
yep, pretty much how I feel right now...

...biking has pretty much taken over my life. The laundry room is filled with biking clothes, delivery boxes are filled with biking gear to try out, and all our free time is spent peddling. Training for events is such a time-suck!

...I dress like a 90 year old woman. I looked around the bus the other day and it hit me, I look like I'm headed to bingo, not to work. I am working on changing this. Not cool.

...I really enjoy fireworks, but hate waiting for it to get dark. I also like duct taping a bunch of firecrackers to something and seeing if I can blow stuff up. Did you know that Barbie doesn't melt evenly?

...My yard was that house. You know, the one with weeds taller than your knees and grass that is starting to look like a hay field. At least, that was the case until last night, when Joel decided we should do something about that. Honestly, we just didn't want a rouge firecracker to land in our dried out, over-grown yard and burn down our house. We are no longer that house. You're welcome neighborhood.

Well, that is about all I have for today! We are offically more than halfway done with this week - bring on the holiday weekend!!

XOJO

Vodka and Soda