Check out my sweet loaner. I love this bike! I'm often told I should ride a 56, but look at that seat post - at it's max. Apparently I have no torso. This bike belongs to Chris. He was kind enough to loan it to me for our ride yesterday. So that he and his wife could kick my ass in the corn fields.There was an organized century going on with an 85 mile option. Their warm-up pace was a little quick for me.. maybe my body was not fully recovered from the naked-people (and the run) last night. Then the real riding started. Here is my big excuse: I am fat and out of shape and Liz and Chris are stud cyclists. I held on to Chris' wheel for an hour or so, knowing all along that I've re-injured the IT band twice now by riding out of my league because I didn't want to get dropped. And I don't have time to keep taking a month off to recover. It was ego vs. health, and the wimpy conservative option won and I said goodbye.
The ride was gorgeous. Empty country roads, sunny weather, corn for miles, little rollers, and beautiful homes with big red barns. Cute little towns every 10 or 15 miles. The Illinoisans scoffed when I said it was so pretty, but it was a lovely change. It was also educational: I saw a vole (Liz ID'd it, I thought it was a mouse), a live caterpillar, a dead chipmunk, a dead possum and a dead skunk, so it was pretty much like a trip to the zoo in Hawaii. No fornicators, thankfully, I couldn't handle that two days in a row. Fortunately, I did not think of the Children of the Corn until hours after the ride was done.
It seems many turn signs had disappeared. I would be riding along and hear someone honking from behind me and pointing out a turn. Chris and Liz came up from behind at one point, when they should have been miles ahead of me. I jumped back on and we got lost together for a while. Intersections became a crapshoot. And then there it was: my parent's street. Probably 20 miles from the middle school we started riding at. Buh-bye, Team Waterstraat. I pulled into their driveway at 70 miles, just 2 minutes longer than my planned ride.
If Liz hadn't already blogged I would be worried that they were still out in the corn.
Today was a 90 minute base run at 6 am. We're still out in Yorkville. Ninety minutes in Yorkville makes for a lot of turns and loops. I kind of felt like Billy from the Family Circus.
Ha Ha...this sounds like my biking adventure with all the dead animals and corn fields.....BUT a lot much less miles:) Did you smell all the cow poo too:) Funny you thought of the movie "children of the corn" as that was what I wrote about in my last blog...sounds like you are getting some good/fun training in!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like some great training in the corn of the midwest!!! I have to admit though...I really wish I hadn't read the part about your real live porn siting. I know your scarring is FAR worse...but I feel a little scarred now too. :)
ReplyDeleteHope the rest of your visit is awesome!!
Riding behind you I was convinced that seat post would crack in half at any moment being that high. Glad you enjoyed the roadkill tour and I agree that Illinois in summer is beautiful. You forget to mention the woman that politely reminded us what a stop sign was when we crossed the road. She was so nice to do that, eh?
ReplyDeleteRach, sounds like you are having a blast out there!! Cool stuff, next trip back to your old stomping grounds, right here in the east bay!
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I have to say, this Chicago trip beats the cruise adventure in story telling hands down.
ReplyDeleteHow can you possibly *do it* on asphalt without getting road rash? Really now...... not even knee pads?
don't know if i commented yesterday, but 3 towns, 0 starbucks is a travesty. i mean COME ON!!!!
ReplyDeleteway to fight your ego!!!! and i'm sure you got some nice snacks at mom's house, so everyone's a winner!
wish i had been there, i am always peer pressuring others to drop off the back with me...telling them they look tired or should really back off today or anything to get a drop partner!
sugar update: still working on it. i stole 2 yogurt covered pretzels and a malt ball from the snack "bins" (you know, granola, nuts, candy) at a store today. so, if i didn't buy it or have a full serving, doesn't count right? oh, and the hershey's mini from someones desk...and its only 4:30...not looking good for me.
Well, I would much rather ID the roadkill rather than become the roadkill. No more Children of the Corn! Sheesh!! BTW - I hear you're quite the chatterbox. Glad to hear that I'm not the ONLY one who talks Liz's ear off. :) Be safe from those Corn bears!
ReplyDeleteSounds like fun times RR! Thanks for posting all the pics and taking us along for the ride!
ReplyDeleteRachel, see the MW ain't so bad after all....in fact, lots of cool places to train and apparently get your dirty park porn on too...hmm???? I heart Chi-town, in fact, I wish I were there and not here in the 108 degree desert! Happy Vacationing..and bonus, you sound ultra productive with all that ELF training going on..Peace sista
ReplyDeleteI am worried that you couln't find a STarbucks on your way to the swim. You found one right?
ReplyDeleteAsk Liz to show you to "The Wall" in Bull Valley.
ReplyDeleteSounds like our long bike rides out in the country with all the dead animals and farm land! That's awesome that you have the opportunity to train with such amazing people. Enjoy your family time!
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