In my defense though, I had to go get the cables re-stretched on my bike this week before today's ride. I didn't know this - but on a new bike, the cables stretch after so many rides or miles and sometimes need to be adjusted. So, Friday night, I took my bike to Elite Cycling in Mission Hills (the BEST bike store in the city) and Ted, my favorite bike mechanic, fixed me up real good. I'm thankful to know of great resources that can keep my bike in perfect riding condition. And, sometimes you should take a bit of a rest before a big ride so that your body is really prime to ride.
SO - you're in for a treat today. Okay, maybe not a treat - but this was a BIG day for this CrazeeCyclist!
RIDE THE FOUNTAINS 2013!!!!!
I signed up for this ride about three weeks ago. (Right after I finished the Tour de Cure in North Carolina). This was to be my first organized ride in Kansas City (besides the very laid back SPIN! Pizza ride that I did last Monday night).
I mean, what better way to see KC in all of its glory than to ride the infamous fountains?! (Outside of Rome, Kansas City has the most fountains contained in one city…there's your trivia for the day. You're welcome).
The 24 mile route today started at the fountain above - at Union Station. (I see this fountain daily because I work right downtown and pass it on my way to and from work each morning.). The picture doesn't really do it justice because it was overcast this morning - but it's a beautiful fountain. I knew I wouldn't get many pictures of fountains today because we weren't going to stop at each fountain to take a pic - so I had to capture this regardless of the clouds.
8 a.m. - my coach and I arrived at the registration. Little early - but no biggie! Time for coffee - AND to make sure I lubed up and went to the bathroom before taking off. We ran into a former co-worker of ours that was doing the 46 mile when we arrived and they were taking off. We decided to do the 24 mile route today due to other time constraints we both had. Coach Harper ran into Stacie - another woman cyclist friend of his - and a board member (like him) for the KC Century (which is taking place in August this year - for the very first time!). He introduced me to her and I liked her immediately. Such an upbeat, spunky woman - very similar to myself. Another woman came up to us and asked if she could join in our ride for the day - and we were very happy to oblige.
Coach Harper and I pre-ride today:
Geez - who is the cheeser?! I can't help it. I'm a morning person. And, I was a little bit excited to try to complete a race with my coach WITHOUT crashing.
9 a.m. - HERE WE GO! We set off from Union Station. I must say before I get too far into this post, I was disappointed in the 24 mile route today. I thought we were going south - through the Plaza, where some of the most beautiful fountains are located. I was wrong. Here's the route we had today:
But, how can I complain too much? I was on a BIKE! In downtown Kansas City. With hundreds of other people. And the clouds were gone and the sun was OUT! No biggie - let's do this route anyways! One of my favorite parts of this route? I got to ride Cliff Drive today. Cliff Drive is a great uphill ride. It's never dry on Cliff Drive - but was very pretty. And, I had NO IDEA that this beautiful waterfall/fountain was on the way up. (I didn't take this picture because I was riding - but I have to share it anyways).
This little gem - right here IN MY CITY! Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Lovely.
Our ride took us up north - over the Heart of America bride and to our first (and only) rest stop at the 12 mile mark. I re-filled my water bottle and grabbed some grapes for nourishment. And, we captured these pictures for the few moments that we were stopped.
That's Coach Harper, myself and my new friend, Stacie. We look awesome.
And - THIS. You guys, this is MY CITY. This is where I call home. And it's absolutely beautiful. I love Kansas City.
Alright, enough standing around. It's time to go. We were only stopped for about 5 minutes before we took off again. Up north through North Kansas City and then back down through the River Market area (one of my favorite areas in all of Kansas City) and then right through the heart of downtown. Seeing the City Market and downtown KC area on a bike is the BEST way to experience the heart of the city. The scenery is just eclectic and awesome.
The hilly streets however? Those are boogers. We had a few tough climbs today. As I gain more time and experience on my bike though, these hills aren't the monsters that I believed them to once be. Don't get me wrong, they're still tough and challenging. But, it's all about anticipating your shift in gears and mentally preparing your mind to just get your ass in that saddle and prep your legs to do some pedaling. I smile now when I see the hills. Why? Because I know that I CAN and WILL overcome them and come out the other side for a pretty decent downward descent. I love those. The wind blowing through your helmet and jersey? One of the best feelings. The other love about the descent is how fast you can fly. Crouch your body down for aerodynamics and you feel like you can overtake anyone.
Know what else it means? Yep. I EARNED ANOTHER QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN (QoM) TODAY!
That giddy feeling that comes when my Strava app tells me that I'm Queen? That will NEVER get old. SUCK IT CYCLISTS! I'm a badass sometimes!
The last segment of our ride took us down Southwest Boulevard (home to some of the greatest places in the city to find TACOS!!!!) and Boulevard Brewery (one of my most favorite breweries ever). We went back up Pershing and finished back at the fountain at Union Station where we had started.
When we finished, we grabbed our swag bags for completion. (Stickers, pins, lube samples, lunch coupons, drink coupons, etc. ).
And these (for being a finisher):
My first pair of cycling socks - with the event on them. Love 'em!
And - DRINK COUPONS?!? Um - YES PLEASE! I earned this beer today (Boulevard Wheat - one of my favorites), for sure.
All in all - such a great ride today for so many reasons:
1 - I rode my Ridley around Kansas City - one of the best places to live and ride.
2 - The scenery was pretty and the weather was PERFECT!
3 - Coach Harper and I COMPLETED the race WITHOUT crashing! SQUEE!!! Success!!!
4 - I earned another QoM. BIG, huge excitement for me.
5 - I gained more experience on bike handling and riding within a group (or a peloton).
I also made a couple of new friends today. We met a couple who were riding in the ride today. The wife, Karrin, is my FIRST recruit for my women's cycling team.
Oh yeah - you read that right. This CrazeeCyclist is joining up on a team full of men - and we're going to have our first women's team!!! Working on sponsorship and details now - so hopefully, very soon, I will have some information on this! There aren't a lot of women riders - and even fewer who want to compete. But - I found one today! Oh so very excited about this!!!
A little bit more on the KC Century ride I discussed briefly earlier. My coach and my new friend, Stacie, are both on the board for this new ride. I'm not going to ride this ride - but volunteer my time to help ensure that it is a success in its first year. I very firmly believe in also giving of your time to those things that matter. And, being a new cyclist, I want to help make sure that this event gets off the ground and is a success so that it sticks around for many years to come. If you're a cyclist - you should consider signing up for this race. (Check out KC Century on Facebook - or @KCCentury on twitter for more information).
They have a new video they put out which is awesome. There are pictures of cyclists who display, on their bodies, why they ride. I got in on the pictures today. It means something different to each person. I love that part. The fact is - we all ride for some reason or another. Here are my pictures that Stacie took:
Selfishly, I like this picture because I'm starting to see the payoff of my cycling. My calves are finally starting to get some definition to them. Remember? My goal is to get sexy legs, among other goals of basic fitness, lifestyle change, etc.
And not to forget, but here is the Strava link to my ride today and pics of the elevation levels and speed of my ride today:
https://www.strava.com/activities/59257246
I'm a happy girl, y'all. There's a bit of insanity to this whole thing and I absolutely love, love, LOVE the madness.
I'm not taking a rest tomorrow either. It's Monday night - and that means the 12 mile SPIN! Pizza group ride. It's gonna be great!
HAPPY CYCLING!
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