Metric.

After many hours of training and preparation, we have completed a metric century.  Or, at least what we registered for as a metric century.  According to my cyclo-computer, it was only 61.33 miles (or as I am now calling it, our metric 98.7), but we'll go with it.  

Friday night, we dropped the kiddos off with friends {Thanks again!} and then prepared dinner and spent time with the Guffey's who joined us for the race (thanks for coming up Jason and Shiloh, it was tons of fun!).  I mean ride, I was informed it was a ride, not a race . . . we registered for:

8th Annual Ride for Life

Metric Century

in Carthage, NC

The whole drive to the event, we were pummeled with rain.  Quite literally, LOTS and lots of it, but as we got closer to the destination, it let up.  We made sure bikes were all in order, tires pumped, wheels on the right direction {yeah, I tried to put my front wheel on backwards, whatever ;)} and made our way over to the very casual start of the race.  A prayer was given {cool} and we were off . . . 

I had to lock in my computer and make sure the info was clear {woops, should have done that earlier} so there were a few comments about not stopping in the road . . . then we were off and rolling.  I kept trying to figure out what all the signals and terminology meant, and really think I might have caught some of it:  car up = car is coming toward us, car back = car behind our group, bump = bump, fingers swished behind my right side = either move left, or I might be moving left?  fingers pointing to left = I'm moving left, so make space for me, hey = um, you just swerved and didn't let me know as I was coming up behind you and thus my handle bars tapped your hip, good thing we didn't both go down {yeah, I was the swerver, phew!}  fingers swishing back and forth behind your saddle = railroad tracks, clear = clear (I wasn't completely set on all the lingo and hand signals either. At one point I felt myself about to get boxed in, so I took off. I heard someone yell at me in a Southern drawl "Hold on there turbo, there isn't any where for you to go").  

Shilo and Jason came in right about the 4 hour mark, nicely done!

Okay, so some of them made sense, others I was trying to figure out.  We got separated from the Guffey's early on, but Jeff and I made it to the front pack, and managed to stay with them for the first hour.  This was our first experience with a group ride, and I don't think we really knew the etiquette all that well.  I didn't like getting caught in the middle of several cyclists, or on the inside and not being able to move (I told Kathleen afterwards that I didn't find near as relaxing as a marathon. I mean, runners don't use little hand signals or yell at you for getting out of the pack).  I did enjoy being pulled up the hills at warp speed {okay, probably not really, but comparatively speaking, TOTALLY!} The first hour, we averaged 21-22 mph. At one point, my computer logged 41.1 mph {pretty sure that was down-hill.} It was really fun to be going so fast. I could really feel a difference from the times that we have ridden by ourselves.

Then, there were a few spots where we had to slow for stop signs, and I think that's how they pulled away.  They were in sight for some of the second hour, but we never pulled back to join them. We did spend brief periods of time with smaller groups, and then became our normal group:  Jeff and I-I must say, this is by far the best group that I have ever been in, just the she and he. 

The clouds stayed out for the first couple hours, {lovely!} and we stopped at one of the SAG stops {Support And Gear, that's what that stands for in case you didn't know.  Just learned recently  myself.} This is also were I met the Norwegian rider. I asked him where his accent was from. He told me that I must not recognize the typical NC accent. I told him that he sounded like my Dad. Spot on! Rides in our town prepared us well for the rolling hills, and even the "cardiac hill" as the pavement was labeled wasn't that bad (I think the only way it was cardiac hill was if you had just eaten four or five brats before trying to take the hill. Just saying.  We made it in with total on-bike time of 3 hours 9 minutes 40 seconds or so.  That's 19.4 mph average.  

Fun ride.  We got lovely hot-pink matching shirts, and got to learn from more experienced riders.  I did find myself wanting some sort of fanfare at the end though.  Guess that's my inner runner wanting some sort of recognition at finishing?  We did find an excellent Mexican restaurant on the way home, that replenished our spent tummies.  Thanks for sticking with me Jeffery! And you too, sugar lips :)

Grace was very excited to have her picture with us in our Pink shirts.
Lil thought we looked like my parents, who just happen to have a few matching shirts.  :)
{photos of pinkness by Lily}

 Guess we'll have to find another one soon . . .