Adventure!

Some of my college girlfriends and I have been trying to find a time to get together and catch up for awhile, and finally we settled on this morning at 10:00.  I wasn't thrilled about the time since I usually do my long rides on Saturday mornings, but I decided to make the best of it.  I searched on mapmyride.com and found a 36-mile route in the area where we were planning to meet.  With the 5.5 miles to and from my home, I figured 47 miles was good.  I planned to set out at 7:00 a.m. to have plenty of time to meet them at 10:00.  Of course...  I was tired and moving slowly, plus it was still a little dark out at 7:00.  I also had to stop at Kroger briefly to buy a couple Luna bars on my way out, so I ended up really starting my ride at about 8:00.

It started off well, though at one point I got a little lost because I didn't see a road sign on a subdivision I was supposed to ride through.  But I called home and the Hubs looked at a map online for me and got me back on track.  From Sharonville, I rode through West Chester, then to Fairfield.  I caught a cute little bike trail from there up to Hamilton, then looped my way back down to West Chester to meet my girls.  With getting turned around a couple times, having to look at my directions every few turns, more hills than I'd been expecting, and of course my late start, I didn't make it to the gathering by 10:00.  It was actually more like 11:00, and one of the girls had to leave soon after I arrived.  But at least I got to see her briefly and catch up with the other two for another hour or two after that.k

All in all, it was a fun little adventure!  I rode 47.2 miles in 3:12.  Not fast at all (I think I averaged 14.6 mph), but it was still a good workout.  I loved the freedom of just riding from my house rather than having to pack up my bike and drive somewhere, even if the roads near home aren't the greatest for cyclists.  I also loved riding in a new part of town, having a purpose in where I was eventually trying to end up, and having the accountability to get me out the door before it got too late and I got lazy.  The only bad thing about the day was the sunburn I got on my face and chest...  I'd put sunscreen on, but apparently not enough.  After all, I hadn't planned on sitting out in the sun for an extra two hours while we all chatted!  Oh, well, though.  No biggie. :-)  And I did NOT make it to the gym for a swim today, since it was already close to 2:00 when I got home.