It's 28 degrees in Albuquerque. What does that Mean?

It means that Cece is riding indoors with her winter boyfriend Troy Jacobson!  Yes, she said it...winter boyfriend!  When you spend this much time with a man....he might as well be the boyfriend from afar!  For those of you that do not know Coach Troy, he is the one who told Cece that if she had to throw up, she should do it while she was soft pedaling.  He also told her that he "hopes that she  now has  a new appreciation of her ability to endure discomfort" She just has too many of this type of person in her life right now.  URGH! 

Here is Little Red all set to go on her trainer.

Now all Cece has to do is pick a Troy favorite like "Suffer O Rama, Mental Toughness, The Uphill Grind or Have Mercy the Sequel....

If you want to follow Coach Troy, who has been rehabbing a serious collar bone injury (at the Leadville 100)  and then had to have surgery.... in  his first post-accident Iron Man  race, you can go here to do so.
Cece told him to try to have fun, but that will not be easy...especially at Iron Man Distances....

PS.  Cece's friend Ellie the Shark is planning on riding the century (actually 109 miles)  in El Tour de Tucson on Nov. 20th. We are hoping that she will give us a ride report.  

PPS:  Ellie confirmed that she is already thinking about her blog post and  Cece did make it through a grueling 90 minute mental toughness DVD..she forgot about the squatting part off the bike... and all the high gearing and  dripping sweat!  She hopes that  Troy heard the curses from afar...

Yes, Ma'am -o-gram! One Last Reminder...from Philly Jen on the Fat Cyclist

This is a blogger friend who just discovered a lump as a result of her annual mammogram.  She writes about it at the link below.  Please go and read this!  Then if you have not done so already,  either get your mammo or prompt a loved one to do so.  She speaks about the mammo machine in a very funny yogic way...  Jenn is running her first marathon on 10/31, then will have her lumpectomy when she returns home and then she will have  some ice cream! 


Philly Jenn: Yes Ma'am-O Gram on the Fat Cyclist.com

104.2 miles...........WHAT? 100 was not enough?

This is Sue our fearless support vehicle driver and alumni from Team in Training for the Lake Tahoe season. Cece met Sue when Cece was support vehicle (SAG) this past spring for the Santa Fe Century.  Between them, they have many stories to tell!!!! Sue, as you can tell, has lots of energy and joy and she promised us that she would meet us on the dirt in Placitas with much fan fare and flourishe....as we make it up that hill! Cece would also like a mariachi band! Well, you never can tell......one might appear!

Anyway......after that, the climbing is over and it is either downhill or flat the rest of the way...with the exception of a few rollers out Algonones way on the frontage road.

As Cece was looking at the route map last night, she discovered that the 100 mile ride was really 104.2 miles. " What? 100 was not long enough?" she said in her strongest New York accent? Oh well. She has been in for the duration..It turns out that the actual route was 114.2 miles!  The organizers just cut the mileage back down ...so we will see what the actual mileage will end up being!)

But today, she had a choice.... and it was too cold...so she sat this one out. It was a taper ride of 25 miles. She will ride tomorrow in the middle of the day when it is nice and warm...vs the 42 degrees it was at 7am this morning....with a breeze! None the less, she met the team and all bundled up, she took pictures and then met them for breakfast afterwards. There are a few people missing from the photo including Cece and Ellie the Shark who were taking the team photos.

Pre-ride,Kelsey and her mom Cindy and Ed were foolin' around. After the ride, we all went to The Flying Star, Corrales for breakfast and they were kind enough to seat us all together under their patio outdoors without blinking and eye!

It was great to see Betty again! We had not seen her in a while and she is so fun to be with! AND it was Cylde's birthday today...and yes we did sing to him...even though there were 5 different keys! HEY! We can cycle...not sing! And that Keith....he dared not tell me any jokes for fear they would be copyrighted on the bog.... or so he said! .LOL!

Clark and "Queen Victoria" joined us and we warned Vickie that she best stop her queenly waving while she cycles... as that is how she had her terrible crash! Her eye has recovered and she did show us all her scars and bruises that are still very evident even after a full month! Two hands on the handle bars, Queenie!

 Cece had to really work to get Tabitha to smile today.  But when she asked why she was sad, she found out her mom had a cancerous tumor taken out of her leg.  They are waiting for results.  Cece remembers her mom so fondly...92 with a renegade swatch of purple dyed into her bangs!  They met in Lake Tahoe.  Tabitha, we will all keep your mom in our thoughts and  prayers...she is a part of our team too!

I Counted Five Fingers Today!

....even after I got my thumb caught in my floor pump lever! Snap!  OUCH!  Sting!  Shake it off.  I hoped that this was not a precursor to a BDOB!  Shortly thereafter, I saw a roadrunner and felt better accepting the blessing and moving forward! 

I got on the bike about 10:30 and it was still a bit cold and windy, but it warmed up by about mile 5 or so.  I rode out to the "bike magnet" on 528 and then back along Loma Largo to do "The Corrales Fingers!"  On my way back to the fingers, I greeted a woman and when she yelled back, I heard NY.    I asked ,over my shoulder,  "Are you from NY?"   She said yes, so I stopped and went back to meet Wendy and her little white Chihuahua "Romeo."  We had a grand talk about life and why we moved here and for how long we've been here etc....then Wendy told me she was out walking to lose weight and she showed me her fat suit.  She detailed how she sweated in the suit which she had under her sweat suit and showed  me the sweat rolling off her (TMI) and told me I could purchase in Walmart.  To me, Wendy did not look fat at all...but oh well....to each their own.  Turns out she is a "fragrance" distributor to all the large department stores. She asked me what I wore and when I told here Clinique she told me I should go down and buy some now because they were giving great gifts!  I was getting an education!  Off I went to begin the climbing...leaving the fat suit idea and perfume idea  behind with Wendy and Romeo.

On the way out, it is very flat, but on the way back, each road that goes off to the west goes uphill to Intel.

I told myself I would climb as many fingers as I could that were not dirt...and I  was able to count 5...and skipped a few...given what I am about to tell.

I found a new road called "Windsong!"  It goes up, up up and then up some more with several switchbacks and more ups.  Since now I compare everything painful to the "yoga foot" I determined that I could indeed keep cycling up becasue this was nothing in comparison to that foot!  So, up I went until I finally hit the top...which ended here.... and here.

 On my way down a man was sweeping his garage.  He told me, "I watched you cycle up this.  I do not even like to walk up this."  I told  him,  "It would be much better to ride up in a car."  We both laughed...and down I went.

I went up a few more fingers until I approached my last one called Cielo Vista.  I know this hill already and knew it would be ok.  Once at the top, I was surprised to see this horse and I petted his very soft nose.

I had never seen this horse before!  But as I dilly dallied with the horse, a cyclist passed me .  We were just about at the very top of the hill.  Then I watched him pull off and go through a gate and he stopped and took a breath.  It was at this point , that I abandoned the horse for the man.  I asked him...is that trail  for road or mountain?  What tires are you running?"  Once I got closer, I could see they were road.  Well it turns out that there is a virtual "secret" path at the top of this hill.  It is the Intel Sky line trail.  I asked the guy about it.  He invited me along and told me that it ended up on Meadowlark...that it was a hard grade initially and then it leveled out.  I looked up.  Hmmmm.....I don't think so.  It reminded me of the Cochiti dam road grade...not.... I told the guy I would watch him and see his line.  So what did he do?  He sprinted up all the severe inclines standing up!  He looked like he was doing a mountain stage in the Tour!  I determined at that moment, that I might try this another day...but not today!  Maybe Ellie the Shark or Randy would like to try this and give me a report? 

I will finish out my mileage this week with a climb to Placitas and then just some flat miles later in the week.  Not sure if we are on for the Range on Saturday or will do another ride.  Ellie thinks she is developing an unusual relationship with those cows on 313 who are making eyes at her after so many out and backs on her bike...  The powers that be are negotiating.  We will see who and what prevails.
Cece

Remembering Why I Love To Cycle!

It is getting toward the end of the season for me....and honestly I am getting a bit tired of all the regimes and
routines and  ultra early morning rising...driving 40 miles for a ride start... and sometimes with all the push, push push of riding with a team and completing certain goals and mileage, I forget why I love to cycle.

But today, as I cycled out to San Felipe, it all came back to me quite clearly!

I like to stop and talk to horses.  This horse was so striking in his pure blackness.I saw him  on the way out north... probably on the Santa Ana rez.

I like to adventure and discover new things.  I like to see all the little things that I miss when cycling in a large group or travelling by car...the little out of the way places..the little stores, the homes tucked away..the bull that is for sale...or the homemade beef jerkey that is the specialty of the owner of the only market in sight! 

I love to be outdoors with the wind in  my face smelling the clean fresh air..smelling the  fragrant undertones of green chile roasting.... going at a good speed, but never going so fast...that speed is my goal...I want to smell the roses and stop if I see a good photo op.  Sometimes I have to back up...or scurry forward straddled over my top tube,.,,,skittering along uphill in my cleats....for a moment,,,looking ,,,looking.... to get that perfect shot.

On the bike,once the body settles into its rhythms and is not doing its initial complaining, you can find the  contemplation and quiet in the movements.  The body remembers.  Then the mind chimes in... how it was that you rode this same road a while back...only you struggled up that hill with more trouble the last time!  It remembers the  rough pavement and how it decreased your speed....it remembers the weather, the wind, the heat or cold.....the senses do not forget.

Finally,when the mind quiets, the internal silences are cushioned by the hum of traffic far and near.... your tires and their friction on the  road, the swish of the leaves and branches, the wind  and the deep bases of low riders as they cruise by.  It almost feels like you are flying though space!

It is wonderful to make the time to cycle for fun...without a goal....just to  have fun and enjoy myself and reconnect with WHY I  started to cycle in the first place!
Cece

Where on this Earth is Willard?

We all thought he was a rat running around some where on the prairie...but it turns out that Willard is a VERY small town past Edgewood, through  Moriarty through Estancia...then you see the train tracks...and   there you are!


 Willard...2 miles! 

But Cece is getting way a head of herself.

When she got home from  her 80 mile ride today, she turned on her computer...and there was a message from Lance Armstrong!  AND it was a personal and formal  message that began, "Dear Cecile..."  He was thanking Cece for her work with the Fat Cyclist in their commitment for fight cancer.  Cece wishes that Lance would know that she just got off her bike and that while on her bike today, she was throwing up prayer into the Universe for her client who is in her dying process from leukemia.  She wishes he could have met the worker in the Giant gas station today in Estancia who got choked up telling Cece that his  father died last night from Leukemia (Robert Coburn)  and he told her the family was helped by the Leukemia Society and how grateful he was.  Cece is sure that Lance has heard the stories...and he himself has a story to tell...but when you are out there..people find you to talk to.

Lance's email went on to assert,"We won't quit and we won't retreat."

That is just how Cece's day on the bike went.  She would not quit and she would not retreat. When she can have supreme optimism like she did today,  all will be well.   80 miles is a long ride in the saddle though, and when Cece finally got off her bike, she was very happy! 

The day in Edgewood started out pretty brisk and chilly.  Head winds...of course, and moderate wind at about 15 mph at times....a very pleasant day!  Cece wore sleeves and then a long sleeve  jersey on top and was perfectly dressed for the initial 10 miles, then she started stripping.  She thinks she pretty much threw her jersey at Clyde when she stopped momentarily at the SAG to disrobe!    Soon the sleeves came off too and then the jersey unzipped and then her temp was perfect!

As they approached Estancia, Cece was riding with Keith.  He commented,"They have quite a night life here in Estancia.  Cece looked around at what she would term a one horse town,.  Cece said, "What?  A Strip club?"    Keith replied...no a bakery.  You can go in there and watch the buns rise."  Then Keith rode off because he gets nervous his comments will be repeated in the Blog!  LOL.

On and on they rode until finally, they saw that train a comin' and knew they were approaching Willard...the turn around point.  They kept looking and looking for the bar that they were told was the only landmark in Willard.  Finally, they spotted it.  They were so kind and gracious in t he cantina and let us all use the restrooms and all the workers were happy to be corralled by Cece for a picture.  The team did not have patience with her as she chatted and encouraged them to smile and pose.  She had to get then to come outside for the photo.  Cece felt that perhaps she might do better touring around...because she loves to stop and explore.  She was unable to stop at a farm stand that looked enticing.  Cece thought she could give her fresh veggies,  pumpkins and perhaps gourds to Clyde to  put them in the car...but as it was,,,the team rode off without her... she was still posing the Willard Cantina bartenders! 

It was a long day on the bike and the last  7-9 miles were all up hill in the heat of the day. Luckily they had plenty of water from 2 great support vehicles in Clyde and Shawn.  Thanks Guys!

So , next  week the team will ride another 75-80 miles probably with a lot more climbing .... and then the week after is a taper ride...riding out to the Range in Bernalillo for breakfast.  Then finally the Century is on October 24th!  

You may be interested to see the blog and pics from last year's ride of the Day of the Tread.

Part One of "Burnt Skin, Numb Crotch, Bugs in Teeth" The Perfect Ride!"

Stay tuned for Parts 2 (Arches National Park)  and 3 (Moab Century Ride Report)  on The Two Whos on  9/24 and 25.

When a satellite engineer (Val) , a project manager(Catherine)  and a program manager/artist (Cece)  go on vacation together to ride The Moab Century Tour, you know that there will be lots of negotiating along the way!  They are all used to being the boss!  And so it was.  The engineer was in charge of anything with moving parts or calculating gas consumption and  anything that needed to be packed or organized. The project manager, was the back up for the GPs and also kept them all organized and on time and going in the right direction.  And Cece?  She made friends out of strangers across the three states and took them all on unexpected adventures, interviewed and photographed people as if she were Charles Kuralt…all the while claiming she is an introvert. 

Their trip to Utah to  ride the Moab Century Tour was going well.  They had Karen, Cece’s GPS,  hooked up and all was well on that front. The weather was beautiful and their  bikes were securely on the bike rack.  But soon, the adventures began…  

It all started when Cece saw a cow.  She made the engineer stop the car and turn down a back alley  that had hay bales in either side of the path …so she could get a picture of it.  No one saw the cow except Cece, so they were a bit disgruntled.  Once they SAW the cow,they pulled right up alongside the cow…. Cece jumped out of the car, just about threw her camera at Catherine as the engineer watched from the driver’s seat…what the engineer saw was a bit scary.  By now, Cece was next to the cow patting it… as the owner of the house leashed her German shepherd and struggled to get her gun…Cece means her screen door open…with poisonous  eyes that reminded the engineer of Grannie Clampet getting her shot gun out.  The house owner ran across the lawn and met Cece who  threw up her hands in the air and asked , “ Can I take your picture with your cow?”  The woman’s answer?  “Heeellll no!”    Cece was taken a back.  “Well do you mind if I take a picture with your cow? “ Cece asked.  That part was ok.  And so they did.  

Well, come to find out that people drive right up, just as they did and try to steal this cow… all the time.  Her name is Bessie and her little one Daisy Mae is hidden in the garage.  The father cow was stolen.  The home owner designed them and her husband, who has since passed away...welded them and painted them.  It all ended well with everyone laughing and making jolly of the potential cow napping event! 
 

Once in Moab, Cece needed to sneak away and pick up cupcakes that she ordered for a surprise birthday party for Catherine.  But first , she needed to talk to the hotel people to enlist them into allowing her to put them in their refrigerator.  Yes, that was ok, but when they looked into the refrig, there was not much space at all.  Oh, she would make them fit…some how….oh Val!!!!!.  She enlisted her to keep Catherine busy as she snuck away.  Once at Crystals’s Cupcakes  Cece received the cupcakes she ordered.  It was about 95 degrees and Cece had to park pretty far away…and now…she was looking at 5 large boxes of cupcakes.  How could there be that many boxes?   She towered the boxes up and tucked them under her chin…as she walked to her car. Trying to peer around the boxes that were piled high under her chin.  Watch the curb!  Watch that car!    Balance…balance..  WHEW!  Must be all that yoga!  She got to her car and how was she going to use the key to get in?  Well somehow she managed it and used the seat belt to secure the boxes in the back seat. 

 Once back at the hotel, she phoned the engineer and she came down and rearranged the entire refrigerator and got all the boxes to fit…it was just like magic!  Unbelievable.

Well, then it was off to eat, early to bed and up early for the next day’s  69 mile bike ride of the  Rolling Classic of the Moab Century Tour!  Stay tuned! 

Despite meeting a Roadrunner and Two Prince Charmings, Cece still Has a Bad Day on The Bike.....but it could have been worse!

Cece had been off the bike for 8 full days...the last time she did that , she had shoulder surgery!  But she was trying to play it smart.  She was fighting off a sinus infection and it was winning and she had pulled a back muscle in yoga. Do not laugh.  You should COME  to my  yoga class!  She was making sure her health would be fine for the Moab Century Ride!    Anyway,. she digresses......

When she started off her legs were stiff and she wondered if she remembered how to pedal.....and about 6 miles down the road, she stopped as a roadrunner crossed her path.  Roadrunners are blessings.  So, she took a moment to accept it.  Later she wondered, after 2 rear flats and a rear blow out, how the upcoming events were blessings...but she remembered that it was at that moment, that she felt her rear tire....at the roadrunner crossing!  What she felt was not good.  Her tire was low...very low and 6 miles ago she had just put in 120 psi.  She was going to ride longer, but not now.  NOW she turned around to go home.

 Not 1/2 mile later....she  had a true flat tire.  She questioned every passing cyclist as to whether they had a CO2 cartridge or a pump .  Nope,nope nope.  Cece herself had CO2 cartridges, and a spare tire, but the cartridges did not match her adapter...she must have grabbed the wrong cartridges!

But never fail.  Prince Charming No 1 came to the rescue.   Cece regrets not taking his pic but she was worried about riding home.  .Check out the Lycra on him though! The prince  stopped to ask if Cece was OK.  She explained the situation.  Did he have CO2 or a pump?.  Nope, but he lives about a mile away and he could fix it there.  Cece looked at him.  OK  Good energy. Cece rode and chit chatted with Prince Charming whose name was Wyatt.  He works at Intel.  Once at his house in the North Valley in a gated community, she discovered he was married with kids and had  two dachshunds.    He pumped Cece up and off she went back the way she came. 

Once again in about a 1/2 mile Cece had another flat.  This time she knew she had to walk.  The tire was just not holding air.  She contemplated the 6 mile walk back....in cleats.... URGH.  She looked the opposite direction and realized she could call a  friend and she could pick her up easily.  But as she looked back, she saw prince Charming No 2! "Hey what's wrong Chica?"  AH the call of the prince!  It turns out this  prince's name was Limo and he rides on the High Desert racing team.  He just took charge and took the rear wheel off , put in a new tube and pumped it up  as fast as lightening.Cece has no idea how she shot video!  : ) 

Anyway. with Limo's help, she was able to get back to the open space where she had parked her car.  Just as she did, she had a full blow out.  Luckily she was just about off her bike when that happened!  Where did Limo go?  In a trail of dust he was off to ride Tram and then out and back to Algodones.  Have fun, Cece wished him a great climb up Tramway!  OH!  How Cece just love, love, loves that hill! 

So, it was a bad day on the bike, but Cece met many nice people and good things happened.

Guess where Cece will be going first thing in the morning?  To her bike shop....

An Unexpected Adventure to Santa Fe

 Cece found herself in Santa Fe this past Saturday for a great adventure...and she did not have her camera as she did not anticipate the adventure!  A new acquaintance sent her to the plaza and gave her directions as to how to get there and how to find West San Francisco Street and wished her good luck to find a parking space on the street.  Cece was able to find the street and once she turned onto it, she discovered a parking garage to her delight!  She pulled up and spoke to the woman in the booth.The woman told her how much to pay.  "The parking is how much?" Cece asked.  "Why is it so expensive?"  The woman replied "It is Fiesta! This is special event parking."    Cece asked her "What is Fiesta?"  and the woman looked at her like she had two heads.  The woman told Cece to go ahead and enjoy herself and then the parking fee would not bother her any more.  Cece did just that and the woman was correct.... several hours later, the parking fee did not bother her.

Cece was on an adventure!  She had to be back to ABQ for a party, but some how time orientated Cece did not care about the  time.  She was having such a good time gallivanting  around that she knew she would eventually make it back to the city.

She remembered that this past Thursday was the burning of Zozobra...Old Man gloom.  A large puppet is made to signify the trouble and problems of the past year and he is set ablaze to signify that the troubles of the past are burned away and forgotten. This is the beginning of Fiesta time in Santa Fe.

Cece learned that, "Fiesta has been celebrated in Santa Fe since 1712 by proclamation of the then-governor of the province Jose Chacon Medina Salazar y Villaseor, the marquis of Penuela. It is the oldest civic celebration of its kind in North America. ZOZOBRA, which has gone up in flames every year since Will Shuster created it in 1924, became one of the symbols of the city, a potent reminder of the madcap celebrations of those times and one artist's generous dedication to his adopted home."

In the plaza, there was a grand Fiesta going on with lots of live music and craft booths and food.  When Cece finally got her party hours later and had not eaten all day, a friend asked her , "Well there is so much food there, why didn't you eat?"  Cece said all she smelled was deep fried food."  Her friend said, "And that  is a problem WHY?"  Cece just laughed.  She  did see some delicious looking roasted corn, but at that moment she was lured by live music.

One of the best parts of her great adventure was gallery hopping. She discovered some pottery by her  Favorite Hopi Potter Al Qoyawayma.

"If I can see the beauty in my hand,

if it touches my inner heart,

and I can mold it into harmonious beauty,

then I have met the challenge"

Cece also saw pottery buy another of her favorite artists, Barbara Gonzales from San Ildefonso Pueblo.  Barbara is the oldest great granddaughter of Maria Martinez and was given the name Sunbeam by Maria.  Cece has been fortunate to have met Barbara and to watch her fire her pottery.

Cece Finally made it back to ABQ after finally leaving the fiesta and doing a few more errands around Santa Fe.  The party was in full swing and they were just beginning to eat when she arrived!  Perfect timing!  It was wonderful to see friends and spend time with them! 

Wind, Wind...and Yes....Even More Wind!

Women Riding Well went up to Santa Fe this morning to do part of the 50 mile leg of the SF century Tour ride.  We rode south on 14 and then took a left and ended up in Galisteo.  On the way up and back in the car there was much hearty laughter, but on the actual ride there was only heavy breathing and the occasional curse uttered from Cece's lips.    The wind was  ferocious!  We had a 20 mph headwind that practically stopped us dead in our tracks.  It was very difficult riding against this wind.  The wind was compounded by an extremely hilly course and there were  non ending climbs.  You would finally get to the top, only to find out it was not the top but the beginning of another climb.  Cece kept comparing her suffering to "the yoga leg". The 20 mile return trip was entirely uphill and really took its toll on us.  We were mostly going 6-7 mph into a head wind... and uphill... and on the rare occasion when we got to 10mph, Diane gave us a shout out in amazement! The picture below was taken at the turn around point.  We found a water pump and were able to get some fresh cold water....the only to be had for many miles.

Before we got to Galisteo, we got stopped at a train crossing.  the gate came down and the lights flashed....and flashed...and flashed.  A string of bicyclists were waiting and soon the cars started lining to wait for the train to pass.  We looked right and then left and still no train.  We waited and waited.  People got out of their cars.  There was a corner we could not see around....Cece almost started to sing Johnny Cash again.....but thought better of it...and finally a woman from a car walked and stood in the middle of the tracks and told us to just cross....there was only  a phantom train...meaning no train coming.  All the cars then went through the lowered train gate too.

There was lots of beauty to be seen on this ride and Cece felt she was in a small town in Europe when they cycled through the twists and turn into Galisteo.  There were fields of sunflowers lining the road and the smell of juniper wafted through the wind. 

We were all so exhausted from this ride, that we were counting down the miles to the end of the  ride.We were so happy to cycle in to the railrunner station where we had left our vehicles!  We had a wonderful day with lots of great companionship and fun.  We meet a new member..from New Jersey...and shared many good stories and laughs!

GQ at TNT or was it the Chippendales?

OH MY! When Cece arrived this am with camera in hand, the men were all ready for their photo shoot! Some had told their co-workers about it and the women in the office requested a butt shot. Others were planning on showing some flesh.Cece is sure,. this is why her eyes are closed in this pic...she is just imagining the Chippendales TNT calendar that she could create as a fundraiser for TNT...and then she thought Aisha would probably kill her...but if we raised a lot of money for cancer research....it might be worth it....hmmmmm she is still thinking about this since the men were so forthcoming. Someone told Cece she would also have to take pics of the men on the marathon and tri teams too! She can imagine the calendar now. Aisha! Have we ever considered this? The firemen do it!

They are all soooo shy! Can you tell? And now for the women in Damian's office.......

A woman who saw these told Cece, "They needed to turn a bit more" Oh Well, next time.

We all made it to the San Felipe Casino and back in one piece, riding 54 miles. We all had some fun in the process too! Susan was our SAG person (Support vehicle ) and she was fun and silly and Cece called her the Viking Princess because she kept blowing a long "viking" horn much like they used in the World Cup Soccer matches each time they arrived at a rest stop. Thanks Sue for rescuing Cece with cold water and ice on her way south on 313. That road was a hot wind tunnel and it was hard going on the way back. The fresh water surely helped our parched throats!

Speaking of Susan our Sag person....Cece is sure there will be a bootleg video on You Tube soon! Susan turned the music up and the dancing started! . She took video of Gina, Sue and Cece dancing at the Casino rest stop. What got into these wild women? No one will know. They learned that their cleats could really add rhythm to their dancing as they boogied on down....the men just looked on in wonderment...as they danced and ate their PBJ sandwiches at the same time!

After the ride, Yun and Cece settled in for a nice lunch of a cold lemony red lentil salad,and brown rice, shrimp, vegetables and Yun's spicy hot stuff. Of course, Yun asked her famous words, "Do you need help Chop Chop?" and Cece laughed. They talked about their upcoming blogs on hate that will be on the Whos ... they hope... next week... and set limits about the points they want to make and not make.

The Icicle Sisters

Burrrr! It was cold this morning,. Sue and Cece agreed that it took at a minimum of 9-10 miles before they even got warm . Neither of them had enough clothes on! Every body part they owned was freezing! Cece did amazing things with her headband...things she never imagined she could do. Use your imagination! LOL. They agreed that they were the icicle sisters as they made their way through Corrales cursing at the incorrect temperature readings on Weather Underground! They needed fingered gloves, long pants, toe warmers and under armour...at the minimum. They had none of it. As they tried to cycle faster to get warm, Cece learned that Sue lives almost in Bernalillo and they decided that their next hill day they would climb "The Damn Road." Cece calls it that for several reasons...the pavement is rough and the hills are tough. This is the road out to the Jemez Dam.

Finally after about 10 miles, the sun rose and that was just about when they started climbing. No coyotes this morning...they were probably warm in their dens...do coyotes have dens? They were smart to stay out of the cold. They did see some rabbits and some quail.There are lots of beautiful homes in Corrales and once the sun came up a bit, a picture had to be taken.

Here is Sue all happy to greet the day. This is not from this am, but from the other day. This morning's pic had ice on it and the camera froze that early. She had on shorts and her husband's over sized high Viz windbreaker which completely swallowed her up it was so big!

The team is riding out to San Felipe's Hollywood Casino on Saturday ...about 55 miles round trip. It should be a fun flat ride. Sunday , Sue was invited to join the WRW club for a ride in Santa Fe. We could potentially ride about 110 miles this weekend, although Cece does not want to ride that much...maybe about 90. We will see.

OH! And Cece promised the men on the team that she would focus on them in the blog so people know there are actually men on this team. Stay tuned...GQ on bikes. LOL.

Here is Cece this morning playing Rudolph with a red frozen nose.Well, we better get prepared for the cold....the warm summer mornings are gone. Cece prompted Sue to get some legs and a light...and told her we might have to start riding a bit later...AND check another weather service for more accurate reporting of early morning temps.

She Loves Hills, She Loves them Not!

It is getting darker in the mornings now...and colder. Wheels down at 6:30am is pressing our luck a bit...but we have our lights and it soon gets bright enough to put on our sun glasses...but Cece is getting ahead of herself.

Tuesday is hill climbing day. But, Cece had been off her bike for 6 days due to a sinus infection and fever. She behaved well and rested. Finally on Monday, she felt well enough to do some cardio and weights and take her yoga class. Tuesday approached and she wondered if she should ride. That would mean early in the East Foothills. Burr! She could feel the cold already,. She checked Weather Underground...59 degrees with 2mph winds. Not too bad at all. OK. It was a go.

She texted Barb...who she found out was the birthday girl and asked her to suggest a ride.Do you know what she said? She said, "How About the Good Morning Legs Ride?" I am up for that one again." Cece calls this ride "Hell in Disguise." Cece rolled her eyes through the texting..."Is she trying to kill me again?" Should she be doing this hard climb with her lungs? Well, she determined to give it a try ...and by the way... she told herself,,,she would wear her favorite anti-hill climbing jersey! "She loves hills, she loves them not."

Truth be told, Cece loves a challenge and now that she is fitter the hills are a lot more manageable! But it is still very hard. Well, today, Barb and Cece discovered that they had made a mistake on the route a few weeks ago and climbed more than what was on the route...so today they followed the actual route and it was shorter and they escaped one hill that they had climbed previously. But they did not escape the worst hill!

Once again , Cece made it up to the dreaded Piedra Lisa Trail Head and it only took 2 curses this time. She was worried she would wake the neighbors who were still probably asleep at this hour, but then figured that if they lived on this hill, they must hear a lot of cursing from most who climb up it!

Once again, Cece's quick release popped open. She vowed right then and there that this was the last time she would ride with this skewer. What goes up, must come down and she did not want to risk an accident on the downhill. After the ride, she went right to her bike shop and had them install a different make skewer with a different quick release. Hopefully, this will be more safe.

Cece invited Barb for a ride in Santa Fe on Monday. OH! BTW, they are friends again after Barb told her that she had her cell phone in the ready last week to dial 911 in case the coyote bit Cece's legs! LOL. We will go with a few friends and our cycling club Women Riding Well as we journey into Galisteo and then perhaps on to Madrid. The hills should be alive!

Happy Birthday! Barb!