70-mile ride and parades!

First off, thank you all so much for your comments on my 100-pound anniversary.  Nothing like tooting your own horn, right? 😀  Guess that is what a blog is all about.

So, yesterday was a really long bike ride and I needed to decompress last night, so I saved the recap until today.

We wanted a somewhat early start.  I fueled up with some custard steel cut oats cooked with a banana and topped with PB and J.

Plus half of a granola bar.  We filled up the bags with water, snacks, and sunscreen.  I got all decked out.  John said I looked like I was ready to ‘kick his pants.”  So, here is me trying to look all tough.

These are the sunglasses that I won over at Ginesa’s blog.  They are pretty nifty, I have to say.

We had a 70-mile route planned out.  It was bright and sunny.  I applied sunscreen 3 times during the ride today.  There was a headwind going south for about 12 miles or so, but we made good time.  Long empty road for a while:

Nice size bike lane, though.  Then we hit the first hill.  My goal today was really not to walk up any hills.  I could stop and rest, but no walking.  We crested the first big hill and saw an apple orchard:

They are open all year and serve cider donuts and coffee.  Must come back here for that!  This was around mile 14? Had a date to get a bit of sugar in the blood stream.  Love the dates.  We climbed some more hills, and then I needed a little more energy:

Have I mentioned how much I adore coconut water?

We got to Saratoga after 24 miles.  It was lunch time!  We tried a new place called Cupcake Lab.   They serve breakfast all day – you know I was all over that!  I had a breakfast burrito grilled on the press:

After we finished the entree, you know a cupcake was going to be had!

Springtime strawberry.  Strawberry cupcake with strawberry icing.  It was good and the perfect size, too.   As we left, there was a parade going on.  Not quite sure what it was for, but it was a big one.  Here are some bagpipers that went by in front of us:

We watched about 5 minutes of the parade and crossed the street when we could.  With tummies full, we continued on.

After we hit mile 45 and just getting into the hilly part of the Lake George section of the ride, I started to get some self doubt.  I had gone 60 miles before, but not with hills at the end.  I was totally dreading the hill we affectionately named “the b*itch” because it is a long slow climb and then a steep ending.  We stayed at the bottom of that section while I was feeling a little overwhelmed and scared about making it, sort of feeling a little tearful.  Silly, I know, but endurance events really bring out some strange emotional responses – who knew?  I knew that climb wouldn’t be fun at all, but I decided to give it a shot after waiting a bit.  Finally made it to Lake George at mile 55:

This is always such a pretty shot.  You come through the path and the trees to this.  There was also another parade going on here!  It was a firefighters parade and it was almost 4 hours long.  Can you believe that?  We came near the end.  We sat and had snacks in a flower garden:

I think John was choking on his coconut water here?  I had a pear.  I got my second wind at this point.  I seem to have some sort of sticking point around mile 40-45 in our rides, then I am okay.  I also knew there was a big ice cream filled carrot waiting for me in another 9 miles!  :mrgreen:

We knew there was only 15 miles to go at this point, so we pressed on.  I actually was feeling much better and climbed the 2-mile hill back the other way pretty steady.  That second wind is really an amazing thing when it happens.  We stopped at Cooper’s Cave at mile 64 for some ice cream.  The real deal.  I had to choose carefully, because we only get the real stuff infrequently.  I had some pumpkin pie ice cream topped with wet walnuts:

Dear lordy that was so good.  I think I reached nirvana when I took a bite.  After 64 sweaty, hot miles of biking, it was sublime.  Look at this face!

After that bit of blissdom, we pushed it out home.

Ride stats:

Mileage:  70 miles

Average speed:  12.7 mph

Top speed: 29.0  mph

Time: 5 hours 32 minutes (not including stops)

Calories burned: 2160 (even knocking of 10% for slowed metabolism, that is still 1800).

Assessment:  This was a tough ride.  It really makes me understand the enormity of 100 miles.  We need to tack on another 30 miles onto this ride.  It really is a test of endurance, both physically and mentally.  I’m still not sure exactly *why* I want to do 100 miles, I just do.

I really heart my biking buddy, too:

I don’t know if I could do it without him!

38 thoughts on “70-mile ride and parades!”

  4. Shelley B

    Nice ride, Lori (and John)!!!

    Speaking as one who gets tearful half the time when I face box jumps, I understand you steep hill issue. But once again you faced your fears and conquered it – good going!

    I love the coconut water – that’s the brand that I drink as well. And to ride hard enough to get a cupcake and ice cream is awesome – you worked hard for those treats!
    .-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Friday Mishmash – Picture Edition! =-.

  10. Tish

    Awesome! I love reading your ride re-caps. And taking breaks for parades, lunch, cupcakes & ice cream makes it totally believable. I’m proud of you!

    1. Lori Post author

      There is not always a bike lane. Sometimes it is just a shoulder, and a narrow one at that. It all depends on where we go.

  14. Sarah

    OMG OMG OMG I love your jersey. I have lusted over that jersey before, but am quite a ways to fitting into the “XL” (what is that — like a medium in real life?)
    .-= Sarah´s last blog ..Bored bored bored =-.

  17. Fitcetera

    Totally awesome! One day I’ll do a long ride like that, too!
    I love the outfit so much!
    lol @ kissing the coconut water. 😀

    Is that a wireless odometer on your bike? I would like to get one but don’t know what to pick. It’s bugging me that I don’t know how far and fast I’m riding.
    Help?
    .-= Fitcetera´s last blog .. =-.

  18. debby

    Total inspiration, Lori A cupcake and ice cream in one day! Oh, and the bike ride was pretty good too.

    Haha–just joshing with you. I’m thinking about how far that would be to ride, like what town would I have to go to. Just amazing to think about. It sounds like you did a round trip, not just an out and back ride. Am I right?
    .-= debby´s last blog ..A Long Ramble =-.

    1. Lori Post author

      This ride was kind of a big circle. It is hard to map out longer rides and stay on rideable roads.

      Back in the old days, I would have had a cupcake and ice cream, but without the bike ride! LOL

  20. Miz

    three cheers for the bikingbuddy AND for tooting your own horn, Lori.

    If we dont, well, NO ONE WILL.

    BeepBeep!

    Miz.

  21. Jody - Fit at 52

    I don’t know what to say but that you are an ANIMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One amazing lady with her hubby too!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, that food along the way looked great. Congrats for such an accomplishment & yahoo for the injury no longer stopping you!
    .-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Who Is Stopping You? =-.

  23. Amy

    Awesome ride! Loved reading your report. I can really “taste” how good that ice cream must have been after all those miles. It got me thinking – that is one of the great advantages of doing endurance exercise: when you can look forward to a special treat at the end and then it tastes SO GOOD after all the effort. Those are the moments when you can really, truly, deeply ENJOY something. And it doesn’t even have to be a big serving!
    .-= Amy´s last blog ..Phase 1 Halfway Done! =-.

  25. Dawn

    Wow Lori, great job to you and John for such a long bike ride. I think you are amazing and I know you can do that 100 miles if that’s what you want to do. That was some yummy looking ice cream. I’ve never heard of coconut water with flavors like that will have to look for it sometime. Love your kitty mug too I have one with a cat on that I drink out of all the time, it’s my favorite *smile*. Loved your tough look it made me smile lol.
    .-= Dawn´s last blog ..Heading to the mountains =-.

  29. paula

    Lori, you are awesome and amazing. I don’t knwo what to say… my husband accompanied me on a 2.5 our bike ride last week. Don’t know if he’d ever be like John. Congratulations on hitting 70 miles. I have no doubt you’ll make the 100.

  30. Susan

    Oooohhh… soooo close to your goal of 100!! I can’t even wrap my head around 100 miles – 70 still seems like such a huge accomplishment to me!! Congrats on getting through it, hopefully the amazing looking eats along the way helped 😉 Oh, and that awesome husband of yours. I can only hope to someday find a boy I can tolerate for 70 miles too 😉
    .-= Susan´s last blog ..Tourist For A Day =-.

  31. Sandi

    You are such a motivator Lori! I’ve got to get my bike tires fixed so I can hit the road.
    .-= Sandi´s last blog .. =-.

  32. John

    I’ve been reading your posts I’m behind backwards. Wow 70 miles that’s awesome! I’ve only managed 25 twice….I need to get my butt in gear 🙂

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