Train-n-Tri: GMR for the Ladies

A group of us rode up GMR today.

Three of them first timers.

All three of them made it to Mt. Baldy Village.

Two made it back down.

There is more math.

Seven cyclists started at the bottom.

Five made it to the top.

Four rode their bikes down to the car.
Three went down in the car.

We should have taken a picture in the parking lot before we started because it was about the only time we were all together except when we ate lunch at the Mt. Baldy Lodge.

We started pretty early and we started by cruising it up to the shack. Four of us (yes, more math) have the Wildflower Triathlon (one mountain bike, two Olympic Distance and one Long Course) in two weeks, so we just wanted to do the miles and not blow ourselves up.

Our goal was to ride the hills and keep our heart rate as low as possible.

I think that is an oxymoron.

We started up and it wasn't too long before we were all spaced out along the road.

Orietta and Linda were in the front with Shirley and me next, Tom and Jeanne, then Barb, and Robert.

Barb and me (thanks to Linda for the pic)

Tom and Jeanne (thank you Linda for this pic) before Tom broke his chain.

My guy (love!!!!)....(and thank you Linda for this pic)

Shirley (thank you Linda for this pic)

Linda would turn around and ride down and check on everyone and I would stop and wait for Barb and Robert and then ride on.

I was near the front again riding with Shirley when a guy rode by and said, "Hey, you know that guy in the First American shorts?" I answer back, "Yeah...." and before I could even ask him anything he said..."Well, he broke his chain and he is going back, but the girl with him said she is riding on."

Jeanne riding with me after Tom broke his chain.

It turns out that as five sports cars went by them (I saw them a few minutes later and I counted them - you know, just doing the math - and the last one was a nice silver Porsche)) Tom stomped on the pedals to get over in front of Jeanne and to the side and while doing so his chain stuck, broke, and he fell over into a rock, crushing his derailer and making his bike unrideable.

I wasn't around but I can imagine the state Tom was in....

Jeanne was smart to ride on.

Glad you rode on with us, Jeanne!!!

Robert rode up to the scene and the MEN started to fix Tom's bike.

It was reported to me (by another cyclist) that the two of them were using a rock to hit the bike to try to break off the bent and broken pieces.

We are men and we use tools to fix things!!!

It was then that reality dawned on me.

I was riding up uP UP to the Village and I didn't have any money on me.

My money (my guy) was back down the mountain and he probably wasn't coming up. He would stay with Tom, which was the nice thing to do.

I rode on to the shack - about the half way point.

Barb riding to the shack!

Jeanne at the Shack

After 11 miles of climbing we are at the shack and we had a guy (not my guy, but a guy) take our picture and then after formalities were done I asked everyone how much money they had on them.

Yes, I had an agenda - I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to pay for my food at the Lodge.

I was hungry and I was going to be HUNGRIER in another 13 miles of climbing and my money guy was down the mountain with the broken chain guy.

Jeanne said she had $20 on her bike, because it was one of those things you are always suppose to have on your bike.

(Oh crap, I think I handed out that list one time).

Shirley left her purse at my house.

Barb had some money.

Linda had some money

Orietta had a credit card.

Thank God,

I could eat!!!

I text messaged my guy anyway....

"You want to drive up and buy me breakfast?"

Shorty after a little Lexus came up on us. We had just stopped because Jeanne was getting overheated and we were taking a little break on the side of the road. Orietta and Linda were up the road.

Tom does not look happy.

Robert does look happy!!!

We are happy and ready to keep riding...we have another 10 miles to the Mt. Baldy Village.

It was starting to get warm and every time I rode into the shade it gave me a small boost.

It really was a gorgeous day!

For some, it was a harder ride!

Barb has plopped down her money and is signed up for Silverman 70.3.

I think she will be riding GMR with more often with me.

I am having a great time and while it may look as if I am suffering, I am NOT...I just have not learned to take a picture of myself that truly represents my feelings.

This picture is another OXYMORON.

We got to the Mt. Baldy Lodge and my guy and Tom were already there and they had a nice table right next to the FIREPLACE!!!

Who needs a fireplace after a 23 mile uphill ride?

I was sweating and stinking and the last thing I wanted to sit next to was a fireplace.

I picked up every place setting and menu and moved it to another table.

UHMMMMM, that might have been a mistake because the waitress didn't realize we had moved and served other people before us....people who had sat at the FIREPLACE table.

We were hungry and we wanted FOOD!!!!

Eventually the food came and it was okay.

The service was not great, but the waitresses were swamped.

I got fed.

But I think I know what those crossed arms mean....

Poor Service

Food okay

Give me the check

Let's be on our way!

(Oh yeah, you get math and poetry in this blog)

And FITNESS!!!

The ladies made it to the top!!!!!

And after our breakfast we have the strength to lift our bikes over our heads...

Guess you can tell my weak side (the left - from the bent elbow....I have been working on that old injury).

Robert and Tom tucked Barb and her bike into the car and the rest of us rode uphill so we could ride downhill, with some uphill and then lots of downhill.

Jeanne riding downhill.

And more downhill.

I enjoyed all the wildflowers I rode by. I was going too fast for most of my pictures to look okay, but I rode by some Lupine, some monkey flower, lots of sages, mustard, and ceanothus. By now my biking buddies are use to me calling out the name of plants on our rides.