Today's Ride Goes Into the Books As...

"Somehow I made it 5 hours."

That was probably the hardest local ride I have done to date. I'm not sure what happened, but it was not a good ride. I was rested, hydrated, and was decent on my nutrition. It was just a rough day.

I remember saying I wanted more hills, and more hills I did. About 1000 more feet of climbing than last weekend. My friend Becky gave me a cue sheet, but failed to mention it went past the base of Sugarloaf mountain. I wouldn't call it aggressive hills or steep climbs, but a lot of false flats and slow steady inclines. Without too much downhills for help. It got to the point where I would have paid a lot of money for someone to come pick me up. Not once in the 5 hours did I ever feel I was settled in, comfortable, or happy to be on Blain.

Then, I am on my second loop (yes, I went back to the car, filled up with water, and went back out for another 90 minuets) around mile 65, a pickup truck with 2 fat guys (smoking) pulled up next to me a said "Something, something, something, WIDE LOAD (they snickered) something something" and they drove off. I almost lost it and broke into tears. Crappy ride. Slow ride. Legs done. Not back to the car yet. AND to fat ass smokers just called ME a WIDE LOAD!?!?! SERIOUSLY!?!?! WTF!!! 60 seconds later, I hear a honk. WHAT IS GOING ON?!?! I turned around and saw a HUGE tow truck pulling 2 tractors, bails of hay, and other stuff - taking up both lanes of the road.
And then I realized those guys were warning me that there was a WIDE LOAD behind me, not that I am a wide load. I then realized I was becoming delusional and need to be done and get off the bike.

Of course, I got back to the car after being out for 4 hours 55 minutes, so I turned around and road 2 minutes and 30 seconds back down the road, turned around and finished with a total of 5 hours and 8 seconds. I didn't go nearly as far as I wanted to, which is disappointing. However, I don't know why, but I am very happy I got my self to go back out (twice) and do the entire 5 hours I had scheduled.

So today goes into the books as an ugly 5 hour ride that ended with a nap while watching the Tour and eating Chinese.