XTrain: Southfork bike ride

After over three weeks off the bike due to my vacation to Italy and Greece, I got back into the saddle and rode with my favorite training buddy Darrell out to the Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas. 

Route

Darrell and me in front of the house

The ride was adapted from the RMB ~30 mile route, and it ended up being just over 32 miles.

32 Mile Results (5 mile splits)

Mile 5: 16.64 mph

Mile 10: 17.45 mph

Mile 15: 17.30 mph

Mile 20: 15.53 mph

Mile 25: 17.34 mph

Mile 30: 16.48 mph

The overall ride average was 16.60 mph with a total ride time of 1 hrs and 58 minutes.  It was really  neat to see Southfork Ranch, the home on the original Dallas TV show, and the remake.  I wasn't alive for the original, but I'm enjoying watching the new series. 

XTrain: Collin Classic 42 mile bike ride

It has been over a month since Darrell and I rode together- since we finished the MS 150 on May 6.  I couldn't wait to ride with him again!  The Collin Classic was one of our first bike rallies last year. The weather was wonderful. Of course it was hot, it is June in Texas and there was a light breeze. We had a wonderful ride! 

Darrell and I

2012 Collin Classic - 42 mile route

42 Mile Results (5 mile splits) 

Mile 5: 16.84 mph 

Mile 10: 17.54 mph

Mile 15: 17.96 mph

Mile 20: 17.10 mph

Mile 25: 16.84 mph 

Mile 30: 16.87 mph

Mile 35: 17.41 mph

Mile 40: 17.37 mph 

Overall ride average was 17.3 mph with a total ride time of 2 hours and 24 minutes. My bike speedometer said  17.1 mph. Darrell and I kicked butt on this ride- I'm very happy with the speed for the distance that we rode! 

XTrain- RBM 36 mile bike ride

Thankfully, my RunOn! Fit For Distance class has room in the schedule for cross training- like bike riding! On Saturday, I did a 36 mile ride with the Richardson Bike Mart (RBM) crew. The weather was beautiful, of course it was hot and slightly windy, but that is too be expected in Texas for May. 

36 Miler Results (5 Mile Splits) 

Mile 5: 15.81 mph

Mile 10: 17.16 mph

Mile 15: 19.80 mph

Mile 20: 16.95 mph

Mile 25: 15.02 mph

Mile 30: 13.68 mph

Mile 35: 14.61 mph

Overall ride average: 15.85 mph, with a total ride time of 2 hrs and 15 minutes. My bike speedometer said 16.3 mph, which reads straight from my bike, rather than from a GPS. I'm not sure which is more accurate. Either way, I'm pleased with my average speed! 

WildRide!

WildRide! 40 mile Bike Route

After a much deserved week off after the MS 150 on May 5-6, I rode in the WildRide! with some of my fellow Deloitte teammates! 

Team Deloitte

Since it was a 'short' ride (compared to the MS 150!), we decided to ride hard and fast!

WildRide 40 Mile Results (5 mile splits) 
Mile 5: 16.23 mph
Mile 10: 18.79 mph
Mile 15: 17.92 mph
Mile 20: 16.98 mph
Mile 25: 17.42 mph
Mile 30: 16.88 mph
Mile 35: 15.40 mph
Mile 40: 13.88 mph

Overall ride average: 16.57 mph, with a total ride time of 2 hrs 27 minutes. My bike speedometer read 16.7 mph. It was interesting how 'short' the ride felt, after riding 153 miles two weekends before. 40 miles seemed to fly by- literally too with my high average!

Bike MS: Frisco to Fort Worth Day 2

 2012 Bike MS Day 2 Route

After completing Day 1 and the Team Fiesta, Darrell and I slept like rocks and were ready to ride on Day 2!! The ride started with a lap round the Texas Motor Speedway. 

Team Deloitte @ Start Line Day 2

It was so much fun riding around the track! 

Darrell and I @ TMS

The wind was still strong out of the south, but the route was less into the wind than Day 1. 

Team Deloitte @ Lunch

Day 2 Ride Elevation

Day 2's elevation was slightly less than Day 1. I finished Day 2 with the same average as Day 1, 15.3 mph!

The group I rode with crossed the finish line together, as a team! It was so much fun riding and finishing together!

Team Deloitte Crossing the Finish Line

 Of course, Grandma and Mom were at the finish line again cheering us on, again. 

We did it!! 

I had a blast training for and riding the MS 150 with Darrell. I can't wait for our next MS 150, in Columbia, Missouri in September 2012. 

Bike MS: Frisco to Fort Worth Day 1

2012 Bike MS Day 1 Route

After months of training, the day was finally here for the 2012 Bike MS Ride!  I was so giddy and excited before the ride, I hardly slept the night before! I woke up at 3:30am on Saturday ready to ride!  Ha!

Team Deloitte met at the start line bright and early at 6am for a team picture!  Everyone was geared up (pun totally intended) for the first day of our two day journey.

Team Deloitte

I had the best training and ride buddy this season- Darrell!  

Darrell and me @ the Start Line

The wind was blowing strong out of the south around 15-20 mph the whole day.  The first half of the ride headed north (with a nice tail wind) and then headed west. We basically flew to lunch. My average speed was 18.9 mph at the lunch stop- mile 47.

Day 1- Lunch Stop (mile 47)

It went downhill from there. Except not literally. The remaining 37 miles from lunch to the Day 1 Finish at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) was uphill and into the wind.

Day 1 Ride Elevation

The hills were 'lite' compared to the hills we experienced at Germanfest and Aledo, but the wind made Day 1 a challenge.

At the last rest stop, mile 71, I was more than ready to get to the finish line and enjoy a fiesta with my teammates!

Darrell and me @ Mile 71

Darrell and I had the best cheerleaders waiting for us at the finish line- my Mom and Grandma!

Finish- Day 1

After 84 miles in the saddle (with an average of 15.3 mph!), Darrell and I traded our bike helmets for sombreros! It was FIESTA time!!

We couldn't party too hard... since we had 67 miles to go on Sunday (Day 2) before completing our 150+ mile journey!

Muenster Germanfest Metric Century Bike Ride

Muenster Germanfest Metric Century Bike Route

Team Deloitte met on Saturday, April 28th for the Muenster Germanfest Metric Century (60 miles) Bike ride! 

Team Deloitte

The ride started at 11am and it was already warm- gotta love Texas. The wind was blowing at a strong 20+ mph out of the south, which made the first and last 10 miles directly head on into the wind. Once we finally made the turn to head west at mile 11, riders cheered in glee! Forty miles later (at mile 50), we made the final turn to head back south to face the wind, yet again. We were just a stone's throw away from the Oklahoma/Texas boarder.

Ride Elevation

Once again, Darrell and I put our climbing legs in high gear! We climbed a total of 1430 ft, including one Category 5 hill! Darrell and I both hit our top speed ever on this ride, nearly 40 mph down a hill (around mile 40 on the above ride elevation chart).

Darrell and me @ start line

After the ride, we went to the Germanfest! After riding 60 miles, sausage, bratwurst and sauerkraut never tasted so good!

Team Deloitte/Professional Yodelers

April was full of bike rallies! I had a blast riding with my training buddy Darrell and my cycle friends. The MS 150 is right around the corner!

Aledo Ride for Heroes

Aledo Ride for Heroes

Team Deloitte met on Saturday, April 21st for the Aledo Ride for Heroes.  Darrell and I did the longest route, 73 miles- The Moritz Challenge!

Team Deloitte

The weather was perfect! The wind was less than 10 mph, as compared to the Lancaster ride last weekend. It was a bit chilly though. I warmed up after a few climbs.

Speaking of climbs, there was no shortage of hills for the ride!

Ride Elevation

Good thing Darrell and I brought our climbing legs!! We climbed a 1647 ft, which is over 2.25x ascent as Lancaster (722 ft)!

We didn't see any exotic animals on this ride. But we did see so many butterflies. They may look pretty...until one hits you on the face going 18 mph. I was dodging butterflies like they were bullets!

Darrell and me @ Start line

The ride was tough, but Darrell and I finished strong! Only one more long ride until the MS 150!!

Lancaster County Ride

Team Deloitte met on Saturday, April 14th for the Lancaster County Ride. Just a week and a half before, tornadoes blew through the city, but the ride was on! This was my fourth year to ride in the bike rally but this year was my favorite, mainly because I have the best riding buddy and the bluebonnets were breathtakingly beautiful!

Team Deloitte @ the Start Line

The ride started at 9am, and the wind was already blowing strong at 20-30miles per hour. It was a south, south east wind, which meant the first 30 miles were directly into the wind.

The Route

The Lancaster ride is also known for its hills!! Who said Texas was flat?!? I can attest that it is not.

The Climbs

Darrell and me @ mile 18

Another great thing about this ride is there are plenty of photo opportunities along the route! The scenery is beautiful. And you never know when you might climb a hill, turn a corner and ride right through a zoo!!

Team Deloitte + Camel @ mile 52

The climbs were tough, but we all finished strong!! I think we're ready for the MS 150!

Darrell and me @ the finish line (mile 63!!!)

Tour Dallas +

There are many things I love about April, it is my birthday month, wild flowers are in fresh bloom, the weather is perfect, and it's the month of bike rallies!

The first bike tour of the season is one of my favorites, Tour Dallas. Darrell and I did the 30 mile route, but we wanted to get extra mileage, so we rode to and from the ride from a teammates house and did an extra lap around the lake. We ended up with 52 miles for the day!

Tour Dallas Plus

Me with my favorite training buddy

Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride- 6/5/2010

Total Distance: 47.35 miles
Average Speed: 16.1 mph