4 weeks to go!

This last saturday may have been our last long bike ride before our bikes ship off to Hawaii, on March 13th. Eeek its coming up so fast!

We did a 18 or 26 mile bike ride, followed by a 4 mile run, and once again had great weather for it (though a little chilly to start with). I did the first 9 miles with my mom and Karen along the burke Gilman, then decided to continue on the 26 mile route while they turned back. I caught up with a group of 4 from our team, just in time for a humongous never ending hill. I'd see it flattening out and push myself to that bit, thinking it was over, only to turn a corner and see it go even higher... That was a long long hill...(thanks coach Cathy!). We stopped to take a few rests part way up, which helped, and then we were able to make it to the top. I did enjoy the long downhills we earned as a result of it though :).

After cutting through bothell (for that lovely hill), we hit the burke gilman again, for a 10 mile flat ride home.

With about 6 miles left, I came across Sarah changing a flat tire (with Capt'n Ande's help). I stopped and watched, and commented that I was lucky and had still never had a flat, and that I should really know how to do it... Then I hopped back on my bike, rode a mile or so, and got my first flat!! Poor Ande then had to come help me as well. We had one little scare where we thought the tube was part of the tire, cause apparently they make some fancy tires like that, but then found it was just well stuck. So I finally got it back on, and headed back to the car.

At this point it felt like I'd been out there for ever (like 3 hours) with all the stopping to figure out were we were going, and seeing two flat tires get changed, and it didn't help that I managed to forget all my liquids that day! (I left my Gatorade on the kitchen counter :( ).

I knew I needed to practice more bricks though (bike-run-ick), so I compromised and said I would do a 2 mile run. It just so happened it was a two mile loop. However, as I finished my first loop, I found cathy and 5 people cheering for me, and cheering me onto the 2nd loop! Peer pressure is totally unfair!! So I guiltily took off, and ended up doing the 4 mile run. And I ran the whole way, and didn't find it terrible! (Very exciting for me).

I'd just like to also point out that I have had two flat car tires in the last 3 months, so that is 3 flats in 3 months, and I think that is unfair!

After practice I drank lots of water, ate a lot, took a nap, and then dropped my bike off to get looking over, so it is fresh and ready for Hawaii.

Go team!