Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Tour de Pink - Fun, Fun, Wet, Fun!


The Tour de Pink bike ride was a blast! It started at 7am with the longer distance riders heading out first. I was in the 23 mile group so we got rolling at about 7:30am. There were a lot of riders! Some were on road bikes, some had their kids with them, some on tandems, some on cruisers. A good mix of people out for some exercise and a good cause. I LOVED it, and can't wait to do it again next year. I plan to do the 63 mile route next year, Woo Hoo!

For most of the ride the clouds were all around us but it only sprinkled a little. Then after 15 miles, a wall of rain came over us. It was hard to see as I made it to a pit stop where we all jumped off our bikes, huddled under a canopy to eat oranges and bananas and cookies. Clearly, it wasn't going to stop raining right away, so out we went. What's a little rain, right? It was hard to see and there was a lot of water on the road. Not my idea of great riding conditions but I kept plugging on. After about 2 miles, the rain came to a drizzle then stopped. The good thing about getting drenched was that my wet clothes kept me nice and cool. It did remind me of a wet t-shirt contest from my (much) younger days, lol.

I finished the ride by 9:30am. There were some nice rolling hills and several that made me have to shift a few times, but I got up them! Slow, but at least I didn't have to get off the bike and walk! That is a first for me!

In other news, I'm happy to report that the seatbelt on the plane to Dallas last week, had room to spare. I actually was able to tighten it and my butt didn't spill over into the next seat. Getting around the airport was a breeze, too. My legs and back didn't even hurt. That alone, is a major NSV!

The business end of the trip to Dallas was just that, business. Boring, but I got some good info about our upcoming event in April. So I will be back in Dallas then (hint, hint). And, after chatting with one of the people attending the meeting about my bike riding (which I don't usually do, btw, don't want to bore people, ya know) and what kind of bike I ride, she went right out to REI and bought an Electra Townie like my Nellie! Well, I think she got a woman's bike, but anyhoo. It is the best bike, especially if you need stability. She emailed me to tell me she was so happy I told her about the Electra. Yay!

And in other news, my mom had a car accident Monday afternoon. A lady made a U-turn into her and her car is pretty smashed up. Thankfully, everyone was okay and now it's just up to the insurance company as to who is at fault (both parties have the same insurance company). The policeman said he would just let the insurance folks figure it out. Thanks, that just means I'm spending hours on end on the phone. It will all be fine, one way or the other and in the scheme of things, I'm not going to get worked up over this. I'm just glad she's okay.

Thanks again for the support and encouragement you guys gave me for riding in the Tour de Pink. It meant more than you can ever know. What a wonderful supportive bunch you are.

Hope this wasn't too long, that's what happens when I wait too long between posts, lol. Take care and don't forget to drink your water.

5 comments:

  1. Wow Tena,
    Awesome is all I can say!
    ...and Congrats too of course.
    I've been unusually lost for words as of late, but am thinking of you and wishing you the best.
    Andrea

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  2. Great job on the bike ride! Awesome. Glad your trip was good, too. Also glad your Mom wasn't hurt - as Bick says, it's only sheet metal.

    Woo and Hoo!

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  3. Good news on the ride and that your Mom is okay!

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  4. Congrats on your big bike ride!! 23 miles is pretty awesome!!!

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  5. congrats on your ride! I did one with another blogger friend last Saturday as well, but we just had cooler weather. It did rain like crazy on Friday, but it was cool and overcast for the ride. PERFECT for us! Keep up the good work. Any more planned? We did three this year and are hooked.

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