Aug 29 MS 150 Training Update

What great cycling weather we finally have!! I stayed in Stillwater yesterday because the majority of my cycling group did the Hotter Than Hell ride, so I did an easy 30-mile ride. As you know, I've changed my route and no longer ride on our state highways. I rode from my house (5:30am on Sat), to Boomer Lake (in Stillwater), did several laps and then headed back home.

The scenery was beautiful...the morning was cool...in fact, it was so cool my feet were numb when I returned home! But, I think "everyone" decided to walk/run around Boomer Lake because of the weather. Just as I would get "up to speed" which is 15mph, I'd have to slow down to pass a walker/jogger, or take a curve...The ride was a lot different than my steep hills rides in OKC, or my long rides along the state highway. But, this was a lot safer so I'm going to stick it out!

The countdown is on...my ride is only a month away. Next Saturday I ride 50 miles of hills with my training group...yes, you read correctly!! Then, I head to my OSU tailgate....I'll be ready!!Click on the MS link to the right and check my progress...I'm halfway to my fundraising goal!! :) Thanks for reading...thanks for your support...

Aug 22, 2010 MS Training Update

Yesterday I rode with my MS training group in OKC...we rode the hills on the east side of I-35, east of OKC. Wow! Last year these hills kicked my you-know-what and I vowed it wouldn't happen again. The ride was 38 miles and I was so excited to be able to do 33! We had amazing SAG support which was great because the HEAT about did me in. Some of the hills were so hard I wanted to get off my bike and walk, but I didn't...On one of the rest stops I was so busy talking I forgot to clip out of my pedals...fell...and now my knee/elbow/hand look marvelous. But...gotta love the battle wounds. I know you're surprised I was talking! :)

I learned later that we climbed over 2000 feet!! It's a good thing I didn't know that during the ride! Even though my leg is sore, the rest of me feels great today, which means my training this summer is paying off. Every Saturday from now until the ride is a longer ride...of hills...so that we're ready for the MS 150. I'll be ready for my OSU football tailgating after my long bike rides those mornings!

And, I've changed my riding circuit in Stillwater again. I no longer ride the state highways by myself at 4am. Instead, I'm riding through town...up to the lake and doing laps around it...then head back home. That way I can avoid some of the crazy drivers...or those who just can't see me very well.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog...and for your support!

August 16, 2010 MS 150 Training Update

Hi, everyone,

I usually don't send my blog on Mondays but this weekend Tracy and I were out of town so I didn't ride until this morning. As I headed out at 4am this morning, on Hwy 51 which connects Stillwater to I-35, the stars were out and it was only 69 degrees...woo-hoo! I have learned so much about cycling this summer so instead of thinking about work I tried to focus on my breathing and pedaling, which is a real trick for me, but I was able to do it most of the time. As I got closer to I-35, averaging 15mph, lightning moved in so I turned around and headed back into Stillwater. Needless to say, the rain started before I got home, so I tried not to think about the drops hitting my face as I peddled!

Once I got home, I read my email as I cooled off. I didn't know that a woman close to my age had been killed while riding her bike Sunday afternoon...on the same highway I ride. So, I received emails from family/friends checking on me and reminding me to be careful. When a cyclist is killed, the cycling community places a white bike, called a "ghost bike", at the site of the crash, in honor of the victim.

I am sure the Stillwater cycling community will be doing this soon. We have had several cyclists killed this summer in Oklahoma which has made me more nervous to ride my bike. But, I'm going to keep doing it and hope that drivers stay alert. Not only am I riding for a cause near and dear to me, I really love riding my bike! I'm also going to go back to riding my other route (remember the one I've been doing all summer due to the repaving of Hwy 51??) because there are shoulders on both sides of the road (Hwy 51 only has shoulders on one side).

I'm telling you all of this so that you don't worry! Instead, please keep the family and friends of Debra Miller in your thoughts and prayers. And, remember to become a friend of my blog...stay tuned...my big ride is only six short weeks away!!

MS 150 Training Ride August 8, 2010

Hi, everyone,

Yes, I've been really slow in starting my blog for this year's MS 150 Bike Ride, which is Sept. 25-26. I don't know where the summer went! The good news is that in spite of lots of rain in June on the days I had planned to ride, my favorite highway (Hwy 51) getting repaved ALL summer, and now the triple-digit heat, I have been riding. My goal is to ride 120 miles each week and right now I'm at 80.

Remember last year when I did the MS 150 on my mountain bike? Well, Tracy was really sweet and bought a road bike for me for Christmas! It's a Specialized...and really lightweight. I can't believe how much easier it is to ride now. You'll also remember that I had trouble with my clipless pedals last year...I couldn't clip out fast enough so I'd fall. Well, I now have "Speed Play" pedals and I love them! I haven't fallen and I can clip out quickly at a stop light. Woo-hoo!!

I have been riding with my cycling club in Oklahoma City on Saturdays and yesterday our training goal was to ride 40 miles. I have been riding 23 miles at 4am (yep...4am due to the heat at night!) so that I can get my ride in before going to work, so I thought I'd be able to handle 40 miles. Wrong! I got overheated at 36 miles and had to hitch a ride back to my car. I was so mad!! But, I learned a lot about electrolytes...pacing...and I also learned a lot about how to shift on hills, which is something that I haven't mastered. So, the good thing is that I rode further than I had this season, and I learned a lot more about riding.

Stay tuned...bookmark this so you can follow my progress...and thanks for your support!