If at mile 10 you want to stop....keep going

So Saturday was a 7 hour ride. Let me preface this story with my mom randomly came to town on Wed night.

She's been retired for 2 weeks...she's already visiting. HELP.

Kidding...LOVE YOU MOMMY. She helped me get organized, do a billion loads of laundry, and we went to Target...twice. :)

So she was going to leave Sat morning once I got out on the road. I originally planned a 104 mile ride (see post below), but found out about a charity ride up near Bartlett. After hearing about a cyclist getting hit by a car the day before, my mother insisted I ride with the group. FINE.

I set out on my 20 min drive to Canada Rd. and was there standing in line to pay the charity at 7am. Finally, after getting out my 18 bottles of fluids and stuffing my back pockets full of gels, bars, Sharky's, and fig newtons minis.

I had to chuckle to myself when people were like "oh man I'm not looking forward to 62 miles, today". You see, there were 3 loops you could do: 20 miles, 40 miles, or 62 miles. Obviously I was doing 62. And then some.

We started off a few minutes late, about 7:45am. I had people whizzing by me, but I was able to hold myself back. I had 100 miles to do, I wasn't going to blow up in the first 10. Well, after those first 10 miles...I really really wanted to pull over and just sit on the side of the road. Maybe someone would come pick me up? There was NO way I was going to make the full 100 today. I pushed on, and soon I realized I was riding alone. What the heck?! I paid money (to a charity, of course) to ride with PEOPLE. Where are they all? I know the ride started out with 300+ riders!

Every so often, a rider would pass me. Again, I couldn't push it (though I was holding a decent pace, for a hilly course). I knew I couldn't go crazy. I've made that mistake before. Even though I told coach my nutrition wasn't great, thinking back on it, it wasn't terrible just not as good as it could have been. So, coach, please don't be that mad at me :)

After about 20 miles or so, I had been following this guy for a few miles. Well, that was a mistake. Apparently, he missed the turn. I take 25% of the blame for this, since I should have been paying attention too, but I blame him for 75% of it. The group of 3 behind me had been following me, apparently, because they missed it, too. We all ended up at a fork in the road and were all scratching our heads. We decided to go straight, maybe they just didn't put a marker here? Bad idea. Note to self: don't listen to others on a long ride.

After a few miles in the wrong direction, we decided to turn around. We back tracked and figured out where we went wrong. After a few more miles, we found a SAG and soon the split off for the 40 or 62 mile rides. Of course, the people I was with were doing 40. Once again...on my own.

I slowly but surely finished the ride, as the sun came out to fry me up. When I left it was overcast and didn't look like it would break at all. And unfortunately I forgot to apply the sunscreen. OOPS. I now have my amazing farmers tan, again.

Back to the ride. Once I made it back to my car, I realized my 62 mile ride turned into 71 miles, thanks to my directionally challenged friends. It's ok, though, because I still had 30 miles to go.

I decided since I didn't know my way around up north, and because I needed 30 miles (not 20 or 40), I would head home to my normal 28 mile route.

Well, sitting in the car was a mistake. But I didn't even go up to my apartment because I knew I wouldn't finish the ride. I hopped on my bike right away and peddled the most miserable 2 hours of my life. I did not want to be on that bike anymore.

After 98 miles, and 6:56...I...was....DONE. I was supposed to run for 15 min off the bike, but I couldn't even move. I know, I know. But you say "Robyn, you have to run a marathon after that in a few weeks". Yes...I realize this. Give me a freaking break!

All in all, it was successful, but not at the same time. I definitely know what to do differently for my next super-ridiculous-extremely long ride...coming up in two weeks! 8 hour ride scheduled, probably about 115 miles. Who's in???