In my mind I am Lance Armstrong

In my legs there's a totally different story.  I stood at the starting line with  my team from St, Timothy's Episcopal church scared to death.  I'm a lone rider,a triathelete, used to always staying 2 bike lengths behind other riders (or disqualification) so a mass start to this ride, with a sea of humanity waiting to start, I'm nervous about the new bike, the new clips, and simply keeping up!

My goal the first day is 50 and I'm amazed at how quickly things go by and great I feel all day!  The end of the Rock The Blue Ridge I simply fell over, but this was different, sure there was a fair share of hills but this was -----FUN!  5 broke away from our peleton in their breakaway group but we didn't care, we simply chugged along and enjoyed the ride.  We stopped and ate all the rest stops (was there food?  Man, there was food) we rode with others, then with each other.  It was nice having people to talk to during the ride.  We lined up together for the picture moment at the end, "so no one finishes last".

The second day, huge black clouds loomed and I promised my sweet husband I'd do 30 and get home early.  We rode as a group, pulling along, feeling like part of the Tour as we snaked along the side of the road.  My 30 mile turn came up and before I knew it I was talked into the 40 and just kept on going, I watched the clouds get darker and darker and bagged the 50 figuring that I wasn't going to tempt my luck and turn back!

I learned the lessons of riding in a pack, of keeping the line, how the front riders pulled everyone along (thanks Lori, Dwayne, Keith) yelling about cars, gravel, slowing down, holes, runners and all the things that keep the ride exciting.  I had a great teacher helping me figure out drafting, her waves telling me to get closer to her wheel-throw caution into the wind.  Being with such experienced cyclists was a little unnerving but they helped me ride along and at the end of the each ride when I still felt pretty good, I know it was their work.

We did our 90 miles for muscular dystrophy, we enjoyed each other's company making the rides go by quickly, we drank a few beers and talked a little smack about how much faster we'd be next year as we go for the century.  It's these things that make me sign up for things I really shouldn't sign up for, but putting my first 90 miles in two days (on a new bike) and still feeling alive-no crashes no LOVELY falling over in the clips incidents, I'm already looking at the race calendar.  When have you been pleasantly surprised?