We Done Did the 'Dillo!

The Armadillo Hill Country Classic: our first organized ride since the LIVESTRONG Challenge waaay back in October!

To keep in mind:

Saturday mornings and any accompanying physical activity tend to be painful for us for several reasons:

1. Always fatigued after a full week of rolling out of bed at a far-too-inhumane hour...our bodies resist repeating this on the weekends!
2. Ricky typically has a gig on Friday night, so for him, a later-than-usual night combined with above reason #1 complicates what is always already a tricky affair
3. Being the morning exercise slackers we are, we rarely get our HR above resting level before 9am, tending to get our exercise in in the late afternoons/evenings (during the week) and the late mornings/afternoons on the weekend

HOWEVER, despite these seemingly insurmountable odds, we rose, didn't exactly shine, and made the drive to Liberty Hill with plenty of time to spare before the ride commenced. In our awful caffeine-deprived state, we began our pedal. Q-Tip and Ricky were aiming for the 14-mile ride, while I was pushing for the 28-mile ride. With all of us suffering some form of knee complaint, none of us were exactly certain what we would be capable of accomplishing!


After fueling up at Rest Stop #1 on peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter pretzels, Accelerade, orange wedges and banana slices, Ricky headed out, not back, an action which both puzzled and excited me (puzzled because this was the turnaround for the 14-mile option; excited because I thought he had truly decided to push on)...

With Ricky out ahead and Charlene behind, I happily pedaled along, enjoying the scenery. A mile or two later, Ricky passed me going the other direction -- he hadn't intended to push on, as it turns out; he had forgotten to turn around back at that first rest stop! I pedaled on, determined to do the 28-miler. I reached Rest Stop #2 and was helping a woman with her ride bib, when there appeared Ricky and Charlene! How 'bout that!?! We were all doing the 28 mile ride after all!


Back at the finish, I felt pretty good. Some tendon inflammation around my knee, but otherwise I believe would have been ok doing the 42 mile ride...next time! :)

Kudos to Q-Tip for completing the longest ride of her life! Kudos to Ricky for overcoming a difficult Friday evening and early Saturday morning! Kudos to the Austin Cycling Association for putting together such a nice event!

North Loop Bike Gang anxiously awaits more cycling fun!