It was an easy ride to our bike meeting point this morning, as I passed the Seminary last night on my way to WCPE.
THE TRAINING ROUTE
– Today’s ride was called, “The Bunn Run.” We met in the city of Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, and rode out to and back from Bunn, NC, a total of about 32 miles.
WHAT I LEARNED
– How beautiful a bright, sunny day can be after almost a solid week of rain and gloom.
– What it feels like to ride a very hilly 32 miles.
– What it feels like to ride the last mile of a 32-mile ride uphill, against the wind.
– Did I mention the hills?
WHAT HURT
– I was very tired today. I really felt on that last hill, “If this ride was one more mile today, I don’t think I could make it.” I felt the muscles in my thighs strengthening today.
HOW I FEEL
– Lousy about not staying with my friend Joe during the ride today. We started off together, but I passed someone early in the ride, and he didn’t or couldn’t. I kept going. At our pit stop (half way), I waited, and waited, and waited for him. Turns out he got a flat tire early in the ride! And he was so generous helping me with my flat last Saturday, and then staying with me all during Sunday’s ride in case my “repair job” wasn’t successful! And what do I do in return? Go leave him in the dust today. He fixed his flat, rode a little further, saw the tube bulging out in the area of the valve stem, stopped, deflated, re-inflated it, and then rode on successfully. After catching up at the break, we rode the last half together.
– Accomplished for making it through a very rough, hilly (I can’t let it go!) ride. A little apprehensive about how tiring a 7-8 hour day is going to be, three days in a row in June. At least the last day should only be 3 or 4 hours.
– Lazy about the rest of the day. I’m going home, fixing myself lunch, going out on my deck, soaking in the sun in my lounge chair, turning on some classical music, and reading my book.
I spent the afternoon relaxing on my deck. I read almost half of Martin & John, loving this book. Robert arrived later in the afternoon, and we ran out to the Harris Teeter to get another potato to bake, and a vegetable, to go with the Filets that we were going to cook on the grill.
On the way to HT, it occurred to me that Robert had probably never been to the Fresh Market, so we went there instead. I know how much he loves to try new places. In the Fresh Market, we ran into Will buying himself a steak to grill out! We invited him over to eat with us, picked up an extra, extra potato, and some asparagus.
Will came over, we marinated all the steaks, grilled them, and ate out on the deck. Just delicious. Everything was just delicious, and the weather was just phenomenal.
I gave Will about 10 of my old ties for his Aunt’s quilt-making project. He gave me his Tour de Friends donation.
Later in the evening, Robert and I did some crossword puzzles, and then MMMMMMMMMMMMMMed.