Wintery weekend

SATURDAY ~

It didn’t take much coaxing to get Jessi and Matt out of bed and on the roads by 9:30 Saturday morning. It was partly sunny, about 36ish degrees and a bit of wind out of the southwest. And I couldn’t have had better company out there.
We started out at Starbucks at Wandermere, cut across to Hwy 2 via Hastings and north to Riverside we rode! It was approximately 35 miles according to Jessi’s computer.
It is my opinion that the ride there was relatively uneventful. Though, I was a bit self-conscious about my outfit. Jessi was kind enough to let me borrow a pair of her purple leggings. Purple isn’t terrible…unless it’s paired with a bright red windbreaker. I told Jessi I’d ride on the outside since I’d be easier to spot… “If they hit me, they’d be dumb.” I said.

The Red Hat ladies would have been proud!

The best part about a satisfying ride, I think, is the after-workout cup of coffee and chit-chat. We were even able to catch Emma Thompson’s soccer game!

A FIRST: Experiencing rumble strips...I thought my bike was going to fall to pieces.

SUNDAY~

It started pleasantly with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I won’t lie though. It was cold.
I was excited to find that one of the speakers, and the one in charge of officially starting the race, was my old supervisor Diane Martin. Diane is a three-time breast cancer survivor. 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" (Jeremiah 29:11) This verse was one that she quoted many times while she was facing hard times. And it was a quote she often used to comfort me when I needed it. So when she included it in her speech, I just about bawled! She somehow found me in the sea of pink and my cup overflowed when her eyes became wide with surprise and a smile to match! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find her after the race but I hope to someday let her know that I run for her.

After the race, I was able to relax at home before our scheduled 50 mile ride to Newport and back. We (the STP clan plus Kevin Best), met at 2pm during a pleasantly partly sunny afternoon. I remember Kathi saying “We deserve this weather!” and at another point she stated, “This is a treat for me!” Little did we know that by 4:30ish, the weather would take a turn for the worse! On the way back from Newport (ok, I won’t lie, we didn’t make it all the way to Newport!) it started to snow. I’m not talking about the hit-and-miss flurries we’ve been having. It SNOWED! It was building up on my arms and feet and I just felt like cussing. Lucky for us, Ali came to our rescue. Due to a cramp in her calf, she had to turn back early. Once the weather turned, she came looking for us. At first we signaled that we were o.k. and we were going to tough it out but the second time she came around there was no hesitation WE WERE GETTING IN!

Frozen solid, we made a beeline for Applebee’s for some warmth, food and good chats.

A FIRST: Being so tired I could not sleep.