Fountain Hills...GOODBYE!

Saturday was our last ride in Fountain Hills.  A typical morning starts at 4 AM.  I eat, get ready, fill up my camel pack, and Gatorade bottle.  Pack all of my biking stuff and get it into my car.  I am out the door by 5 AM to make it by 5:30AM.  I am not going to LIE...I it was a TOUGH morning.  I was looking for any excuse to quit.  I had woken up GROUCHY and still tired.  I have been riding during the week at 5 AM instead of after work.  I am not a morning person and I think it had taken its toll. 

The beginning of my ride I was pretty winded. and slower than usual.  The 3 sisters were my first challenges.  Last week I had not conquered the last sister and almost fell off my bike.  This week Coach Wanda took an attempt at getting my up that hill.  I had conquered the first 2 sisters and before we hit the last one she said "OK Sylvia, you are doing this for my uncle and your DAD!"  She was yelling "DON'T STOP PEDALLING...YOU ARE DOING IT!"  Between my Coach's and MY yelling we probably looked CRAZY...BUT I MADE IT!  I had conquered the 3 sisters!

It took me an hour to really warm up and I finally got into the groove.  The weather was cooler and I was going a little faster...I decided to that I was going make it to 71 miles.  I added a loop that had a nice down hill but an uphill that really STUNK!  I was 100 yards from the gas station...then I heard some air popping out.  I HAD A FLAT TIRE!!  Are you KIDDING ME!  Well I got the tire changed...ate my power bar as quick as I could.  Everyone else had already left the  station and I was behind.  Luckily Maryann (another novice rider) waited for me so I did not have to go back by myself.  SHE WAS AWESOME!  The heat really was beating down  enough for us to be drinking like crazy so we had to stop a little more frequently for water.  In the end we MADE IT to cheers from the rest of the team.  LAST BUT NOT LEAST!

I learned that regardless of how I am feeling mentally or physically I am able to push through it and achieve a goal.  I AM RIDING 100 MILES on June 5th in honor of my dad and collecting donations for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society to help them continue finding treatments and a possible cure for these blood cancers.

Please donate to my ride...Every little bit helps : D


http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/ambbr11/sguzmannzd

Drama Free Fountain Hills!

Well my last 2 rides have been drama free and pretty darn good!  I am getting stronger every week and continue to out do myself each week.

This past Saturday we were introduced to the 3 sisters.  They are 3 large hills each one steeper than the next.  I am not going to lie...I was cussing  up a storm up the last sister!  My process up the hill I over heard another rider's chain lock up and down he went!  My coach was there to yell at me up the hill so the same thing would not happen to me...THANK GOODNESS!  Unfortunately she gave me a few pointers I tried that didn't work out so well with my coordination and I almost fell off my bike!  Thankfully I was able to unclip from my pedals and did not take that DIVE! 

My time up 9 mile has gotten faster...if you don't remember 9 mile is a steady incline for 9 miles.  Going down with the rest of the novice group I took the lead.  My descent was AWESOME!  I left them all in the dust and actually kept up with the advanced riders.  They must have been impressed because they actually talked to me.  Sometimes they are a little snobby!  Anyway...I thought for sure the novice group would catch up to me towards the end of the ride because I am SOOO SLOW up the hills.  THEY NEVER DID!  I was so proud of I HIGH FIVED myself when I got back!

Total miles for the day was 68...I didn't make it to 71.  My coach said "NOPE" because of the heat...kind of annoying but still a good ride.

I have been riding pretty much by myself but I am finding that I have time to reflect on life, family, and work...I wouldn't be me if I didn't think about work!  It has kind of been a nice break, especially surrounded by all the desert beauty.  Last week I actually saw 3 coyotes...gotta wonder what that means? 
I ride for my Dad, my Uncle Victor, my Aunt Carmela, and for my Cousin Rebecca (who is a survivor).  Each one had struggled with Cancer in its' different forms.  My thoughts of them get me through the hard parts of my ride and bring me peace.

Please join me in donating to the Luekemia Lymphoma Society...I will work hard for you donations!
Every little bit helps : D
http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/ambbr11/sguzmannzd

As a side note...May 16th (Today) would have been my Dad's 59th Bithday....Happy Birthday :)