6/23/2008

Well, the first Blue Ridge ride is completed, not without some drama! For my part, the ride was hard, but much better than last year. Maybe I am stronger and more comfortable on my bike, maybe it was just a good day, but the ride didn't seem as hard as last year. I rode 46 miles with several others, while some only had to ride 36, it depended on the race. We do 2 out and backs, the first is around 27 miles total with the second making up the difference. Those that did 36 got lucky, they missed the super yummmy 3-mile climb, I sadly, had to huff-n-puff up it. Bombing down was super fun though! The ride was HARD, but I didn't feel like I was going to fall over on any hill, nor was I gripping my handle bars and brakes with a death grip going downhill. Much better! I ran about 1/2 a mile after 46 yummy miles. Others actually ran a couple of miles, more power to them! Several of us ran 8-9 on the downtown trails on Sunday morning and I was surprised how good I felt!

Now for the drama....as some may know, and others will find out, BlakeE likes to serve up some extra sweet action for a select few. I have not made the list for "special treats" so I guess I'll have to work harder. BUT, back to the point. On Saturday, he targeted MyKaren, JeffW, Cyndi, Shelley, Charlton, RickS, and DerickB for some special treat, to occur at the start of our second out and back. Shelley, in her infinite wisdom or to her demise, decides she doesn't want the super special treat and starts riding down the parkway for the 2nd part of the ride. Then it happened...BlakeE began man-screeching for Shelley to come back..."Shelley, you come back right now...Shelley, Shelley, Shelley, come back!!!!!! and so on. I've never heard him sound like that and nearly wrecked trying to process the sounds coming from him. Shelley, just keeps peddling and kind of backward waves him off. We both thought he was going to jump on his bike and run her down. My guess is that BlakeE wasn't happy with Shelley, maybe I am wrong.

So Shelley and I do our out and back, we run into BlakeE on the way down the big hill, he is still shouting at her. She now realizes that she made a mistake, even though the extra yumminess was a 1-mile descent and then ascent to and from hell (as Cyndi described it), aka a climb of 15% grade. Shelley writes a note to put on BlakeE's car, addressing it to Coach Blake, the best coach of all time, etc....and apologizes for her lack of judgement. Not sure if it worked, but I have a feeling that much suffering will be coming our way (our in a collective sense, becuase the word I heard is that we are all going to suffer for this incident). I say BRING IT!!!!! If it doesn't kill me, maybe it will make me stronger.