Arkansas Freedom Fund Challenge Ride

October 15 was the day for this ride and it started at the Clinton Library and went over the new Clinton Park Bridge. I had yet to use this new bridge over the Arkansas River, so I was pretty excited about it. 

The Arkansas Challenge is an opportunity to provide an adaptive cycling event designed to restore the mental and physical wellness of Arkansan Wounded Warriors. It is an experience that honors our warriors as they now battle their injuries of war on the civilian battlefield as they recover and reintegrate with the society they fought courageously for. The Arkansas Challenge has always allowed for riders to ride with the warriors to understand and talk with them as they support a positive message of encouragement and thanks.

This was a pretty leisure ride of 20 miles and took a total of about 3 hours to complete. We had many stops to wait for everyone so we could all ride together as a group. The ride took us through downtown, around by the capital, across the Big Dam Bridge, and on the River Trail north of the river. My friend Ruth came and we rode together and at one of the stops I came across several ABC riders. My cousin Ken with MEMS was there working the ride on his bike so I got the chance to visit with him several times.

The ride ended where it had started and Whole Hog Cafe provided delicious BBQ with all the trimmings. It was yummy! I had never had any of their BBQ before but I think I'll have to stop by sometime and have some more!

Ruth and me waiting to cross the BDB

ARKY 100

What a ride!!! This was going to be my 3rd century ride of the year. It started at 8:00 and I had heard it was hilly, and it was....the whole time!! I must say that this was one of the hardest and longest rides I've ever been on!

It wasn't just the hills...the wind was pretty brutal too! I ended up riding this alone...my only distraction was my trusty little Ipod. I really don't like listening to music on my bike, but I had a feeling that I might need it this day. I'm so glad I had it. Without having someone to ride with, it becomes not just a physical thing to overcome, but a mental one. There were long stretches of road that I never saw a car let alone another rider!

I stopped at all the rest stops except two. The first one and the last one are the two that I skipped. I kind of wished I had stopped at the last one though because I had several friends there and it would have helped me to talk to all of them, but at the point I was just ready to get DONE!

It took me nearly 7 hours to do, and when I got back to my car, my bike computer only showed 97.8 miles! WTHeck?? I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a full 100 miles, but everyone told me not to let that bother me - that it was the Arky 100 and I had done it. I could have rode around in the parking lot and got the rest of the miles in, but I just didn't have it in me! I was exhausted!!

With that being done, I still feel the need to get in that last, official "100" mile ride. I'll either do another organized ride or just do one on my own. If I take the route I use for work and coming home through Holly Grove, and do it twice...I can get it done. I'll just have to plan it out, and leave coolers along the route for fresh drink and food. It's just something I feel I need to prove to myself.

It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day all in all though. I had many people tell me that in years past it was always pretty chilly, and/or cloudy. I had a safe ride and never had any mechanical issues so I can say I was pretty fortunate. Next year when I do the Arky, I think I'll opt for the shorter ride and then enjoy a hamburger with my fellow riders at the end :)

The things I've done!

I haven't been so diligent about keeping up with my blog, but I'm going to work on that! I've done so many rides since the last time I posted! I've ridden with the ABC group many times, do a lot of riding on my own, and have done several organized rides.

One of my favorite rides this past summer was the Bikes Blues & Bayous in Greenwood, MS. I done the long ride which was only about 58 miles. I stayed all weekend and had dinner with some people from ABC both nights. It was a hot ride and we had beer and BBQ afterwards. I met an author, Scott B. Williams, and we did the ride together.

The new Two Rivers Bridge opened in August and I've had a great time riding across it. Drake and I even took a ride around so he could see it for the first time.

September brought the Conway Fall Classic. It was a good ride even if it was a bit cool. I rode 47 miles and had some fanatastic pizza afterwards.

September was also the month for the Big Dam Bridge 100. I rode 71 miles and it had some pretty good hills! I will say that while others got off and pushed their bikes up the hills - I never did! That was a BIG deal for me...the flat, delta land girl! I always meet great people and had a great time riding with new friends John and Chuck. After the ride, there was a big "block party" in the Argenta district for all the participants.  My goal for next year will be to actually ride the 100 mile distance.

October brought the ARKY 100. It was my goal to ride the longest distance. This was going to be my 3rd century. Turned out it was only 97.8 miles and I didn't have it in me to ride a bit more to get in the full 100. It was sunny, warm but VERY WINDY and HILLY! This was one of the most challenging rides for me both mentally and physically. I rode alone the whole time which was a first for me. I'm so glad I had my Ipod with me for a distraction!  So now, I'm going to have to find another ride to get in the last century for this year!

There aren't too many more rides left for this year. If I don't get another century at one of these, I'll just have to do my own! This Saturday I'll be doing the Arkansas Challenge bike ride with wounded warriors. Then I have to decide if I'm going to do Tour de Pumpkin or Tour da Delta....hmmm...decisions, decisions! Time to start thinking about new goals for next year :)

Lots and lots of riding...

I can definitely say I've been putting in some miles!  I recently joined ABC (Arkansas Bicycle Club) and have joined in on some truly fun rides!  I've met some really great people and I love having the option of group riding or doing my "own thing".

On July the 4th, we rode down to Riverfront Park and saw a truly spectacular fireworks show!  The weather was fantastic...it was mild, with a gentle breeze and the humidity was almost nonexistent.

On Monday, July 11, I met up with the group and we rode to the Argenta Market for a bite to eat and then to Dickey-Stephens ball park to watch the Travs play Frisco Tx. It ended up being only three of us, but we were joined by three other people later. I have never ridden my bike to a baseball game...what an experience.  This was only the second time I've ridden at night and had to use a headlight.  I'm loving it! It's exciting and a bit scary all at the same time! 

Saturday, July 16 was the YaYa's ride. We met at the Promenade for a ride to Paron and back.  The ride was a bit hilly but there was plenty of shade starting out. I met a cousin, that I had never met before, and we ended up riding together and talking. He is a fast, and very strong rider...I think if I rode more with him, I'd be better and faster :) It was a pretty hot day and I think a couple of the riders had problems with it.  When we returned, we had lunch at YaYa's and it was delicious!

The Wampoo Roadeo was held Saturday, July 23. I rode 63.6 miles and averaged about 18mph.  This ride is a fund raiser for the Marilyn Fulper Memorial Fund. She was killed last year when a motorist ran a red light at the intersection of Cantrell Road and River Mountain Road.  A sad reminder for me to get out there and enjoy life and live it to the fullest!

I've been doing a lot of riding on my own and I've also been going to Helena and riding hills with Hannah.  She is fantastic and so athletic!!! I'm totally in awe with her riding! It was really helped me to get in some hill training and I can already see the difference.  I still have a long way to go, but I'll eventually get there!

Next week I'll be traveling to Greenwood, MS for Bikes Blues and Bayous. This will be a relaxing ride - no 100 miler. There will be a few people from ABC going and I can't wait to meet up with some of the ladies for a good day of riding. I sure hope I can fit in some pool time ;-)



Tour de Corn

I did my second century ride in East Prairie, MO on Saturday, June 25, 2011. I woke up early that morning to the sound of thunder and pouring rain - not a good thing when you're riding a bike.  Lucky for me, the storm moved out and the sun was shinning by the time the ride started.  The streets and highways were still a little wet so I did manage to sling road grime all over my jersey.

The ride started off great! I met up with a guy, Barry from Cape Girardeau, that was attempting his first century.  We averaged almost 18mph during the first half of the ride, and then it came...the WIND! The wind was pretty fierce during the last half and we took a wrong turn which also slowed us down.  I remember him asking me what riding a century felt like and I responded..."The last 20 miles or so, you're going to feel like you're dying!"  And I think that's how we pretty much felt by the time we reached the finish line.  For me, this was harder than Tour de Rock...THANKS WIND :)

It took us 6 hours and 35 minutes to finish, which was faster than my time for my last century ride.  The rest stops were great, I didn't see any of the famous sweet corn on the cob that they had shown on the website, but I think that was because they had such a wet spring and they were late planting the crops.

 This was an enjoyable ride, and I can say that I will definitely be back next year!

Tour de Oink





Tour de Oink was held in Morrilton June 18, 2011. Jane and I met up there and rode together. There were two distance routes and we chose the long one which was 40 miles. The weather was pretty nice. It was sunny and kind of windy, but later it got a little cloudy and that helped to keep the temps down.

There were three rest stops, but we only stopped at one. The rest stop in Atkins had some delicious homemade cookies! It was right across from a church that had a huge, beautiful steeple.

We made decent time on this ride, even with the wind blowing.  It only took us 2 hours and 38 minutes. I must say this was one of the most enjoyable rides I've been on this year.  The scenery was really nice, the roads were pretty good and the watermelon at the end of the ride was perfect!  I wouldn't have known about this ride if Jane hadn't mentioned it and I found out more info on the ACF website.  I hope next year they'll advertise it more, because it was a really nice ride and and I think people would enjoy it.

Big, white country church in the middle of nowhere.

The steeple :)

Jane and me and the rest stop in Atkins. They even had Atkins pickles!

Tour de Rock



The Fab Five: Fred, me, Christy, Bob (the navigator) & Jane

Finally! The ride I've been waiting for....the ride that started my passion for cycling....the ride I knew I was going to reach my goal on! I did it!! I rode 100 miles (actually 104).

The Carti Tour de Rock was held June 11 and I rode with my training ride buddies: Christy, Bob, Jane and Fred. Jane and I finished after 7 hours and 9 minutes and Fred came in 45 minutes behind us. We were lucky in the fact that we didn't have any flats or mechanical issues. It was a pretty hot day and we had to deal with some strong winds.

I can honestly say that this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The last 15 miles were pretty tough, but I kept on going and did it! We stopped at every rest stop and I was so thankful every time I got my hands on ice and cool towels!

Since I've conquered this goal, my next goal will be to beat my time! I'm hoping that I get the opportunity to do just that on June 25 - Tour de Corn! This is going to be in East Prairie, MO.  I'm thinking about going and doing this, the only drawback - no riding buddy, so I'll be doing it alone. The good thing about doing this is that most of the time you meet new people and end up riding with others that are going the same pace as you. Hopefully, that will be case and I'll have a great ride and beat my time :)

Me and Jane right after we finished!

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The Ranch Ride

The Ranch Ride was held Saturday, June 4, 2011 in Conway.  It benefited Soaring Wings Ranch and began at Hendrix College. This was the very first Ranch Ride and was full of hills! (Some very BIG hills!)

I was very apprehensive about doing this at first, but I had a new bike buddy that said he would stay with me the whole time. His support really helped me make it through the day!

I rode the long portion - 56 miles and it took me four hours to do. My average speed was 14.08, which isn't that fast...but for all of those hills...I'll take it! That just gives me wiggle room to improve! I will also admit that I had to push my bike up a few of those hills. These legs of mine are use to the flat delta terrain.

There was a sad twist to the day. One lady did die during this ride when her brakes failed coming down a steep hill and she hit a parked car. I'm aware that riding can be dangerous either through my fault or the fault of someone else and I'm always so thankful when I finish a ride safely.

I would definitely like to improve my speed and my ability to climb hills better. There's always something to work on and get better at and I'm excited to see how much faster and easier I can do this ride next year!


Kenny before the ride. He's a strong rider!



The deadly, really steep hill!





More Training for Carti Tour de Rock

I'm still doing the training rides on Saturday whenever I can and whenever the weather isn't too bad. This past weekend I rode for 54 miles and it was a little windy, but I hung in there!

I met some new people that I ended up riding with.  A husband and wife that were very nice!  That's probably one of the best parts of cycling.  It can be such a social event!  I have yet to meet someone that I didn't like or that wasn't friendly and helpful!

This was a great riding day for me!  I had a very healthy breakfast that gave me the fuel I needed.  For a lot of the ride I was in front pulling the small group I rode with.  It was great riding with others because when I got a little tired, I could draft behind someone else. 

I took advantage of the energy gels which really helped me out alot!  Also, I've been using clipless pedals for about three weeks now and I have noticed a big improvement in power!  They have really made a big difference!

We rode on highways that I didn't know even existed! I've never seen these places!  The scenery was really nice.  We rode through old pecan groves and some of these trees had been knocked down by recent storms.

On the way back, we took a little break at the Plantation Agriculture Museum in Scott.  I have passed this place many, many times but have never stopped.  This is a little jewel and I'll have to take the time to come back and visit!  It took about 3 1/2 hours to finish our ride, which wasn't too bad considering the wind.  We averaged about 15.17 mph.  It started to rain on the last 5-10 minutes and I'm thankful we made it back without getting too wet! 

After riding I went to one of my favorite new lunch spots - Argenta Market and had a turkey flatbread sandwich which was just what I needed!  It was a very enjoyable riding day!  I couldn't ride the River Trail like I normally do because a lot of it is under water, so I went by ACF and then headed home later that day.  I hate to say it, but.....I'm ready for some hot weather and still conditions! 

Ride for the Cure

Finally! My first organized ride of 2011 that the weather allowed me to do! It was still very cold and very windy!!! I had planned on doing the 50 mile ride, but due to the weather and all the hills (which I'm not use to doing), I decided to just do the 20 mile ride. Before the actual start, they let all the young children ride around the parking lot on their decorated bikes.  We released pink balloons into the air and then it was off to line up on the street.

The hills were everything I had been dreading! I'm so accustomed to riding on the flat delta land around my house so this day was a definite workout! I will say that just seeing the landscape was worth the drive. 

This was the first time I had visited Jonesboro in a few years.  There was a health expo at the Convocation Center, and it was pretty neat to walk around and check everything out.  They served us HUGE burritos after the ride which were yummy...but it was just way to much food for me to eat!

Ride for the cure was for a great cause and I'll probably do it again next year. I just hope that the weather will be warmer!! (and I can really do without the wind next time)

Reducing my carbon footprint...

I rode my bike to work! I've ridden to Brinkley before and thought about how neat it would be to just ride to work. I left the house before 7:00 so I could be there by 8:00. I knew the wind was out of the south and that it would work in my favor. It was so nice to be out that early during that time of the day. I was on the road in time to see the sun rise - what a great feeling!

I had to carry a backpack with a change of clothes since I was going to be working. I think I'll get a bag together with some essentials to leave at work next time and then I'll only have to carry a work outfit.

The trip to work only took an hour and 10 minutes, but the ride home was another story! That wonderful wind that pushed me to work, was really working against me on the ride back! It took me an extra 25 minutes for the return trip!

I enjoyed doing this and will difinitely do it again! Two advantages to this...I reduced my carbon footprint on the earth this day, and I got my workout in before I got home!

More Training

I did another day of training for the Carti Tour de Rock on Saturday.  I rode 42 miles with a group of people that I thought was going to go about 13-16 mph.  I think I ended up in the wrong group because most of the first part of the ride we were doing about 18mph!

Toward the end of the first half I was beginning to get tired, but I pushed on!  I made it to the rest/turn around point.  I took a few minutes to eat some energy beans and hydrate myself.  I decided to head out, I was on my own and pretty much stayed that way the whole trip back.  I don't mind riding alone, in fact I prefer it, but I will say I was a little nervous about it when I reached Broadway.  Perhaps next time I'll wait for some other riders so I'll feel a little safer :)

Some of the high points about this day was that I met some more nice people and I learned that riding in a group pushes me to go faster! After talking to a lady during the ride, I'm considering getting clipped into my pedals, but that's another topic with more to come!

After the training ride I headed to my usually spot at Burns Park for some more riding.  I did the River Trail two times and my total miles for the day....are you ready??......72.6 miles!!! My new record! I know I'm going to hit my goal before the middle of summer!

I need to mention that I set up a new FB group - Pedal Chix!  I'm hoping to get more women involved with cycling, especially women in my area.  We'll see how it goes!  I'm having the first "group ride" this Wednesday in Brinkley at 5:00.  I'm going to keep it at about a 10 mile ride, I don't want to scare them away with long rides.  Right now I only have 2 ladies wanting to meet up.  Sounds like another blog topic!

Training Ride

Last Saturday I got up bright and early and met several other cyclists for the first training ride of the year for the Carti Tour de Rock.  I was a little intimidated when I arrived. It was mostly men and you could tell most of the people there had been doing this kind of thing for a while!

They divided us into groups - the fast group, the middle group and the slower group.  I of course made my way to the slow group where I met some great people!  Maybe this won't be so bad after all!

After a talk about safety, all of the groups slowly started making their way out.  We headed outside of NLR heading toward England.  It was windy, it was cold and the sun was no where in sight!  I can proudly say that I wasn't the slowest person there! Woo hoooooo!!  I even passed several bikers....guess I'm a little better at this than I thought!

After some great conversation along the way, I finished the 30 mile ride a little after 10:00.  I talked again with one of the ladies I met about some upcoming rides that we were planning on doing and then off to the bike store I went.  I'm working on finding the right kinds of "energy foods" to eat while biking, I purchased a few different things and I have found that I really love the Jelly Belly Sport Beans!!

I headed to Burns Park for some afternoon riding and managed to get in another 30 or so miles.  WOW....that's 60 miles in one day!! I felt so good!  The sun finally came out and it turned into a beautiful day, even if it was still windy!

This Saturday, I'm scheduled to ride in my first tour of this year - the 65 Roses in Searcy.  Last check of the weather shows we may be in for some rain/thundershowers.  If it's raining (lightly) in the morning, I will probably break out the MTB.  I won't be riding at all if it's raining hard!  I get cold too easy and I'm just not into a rainy ride!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will hold out - this is a great cause, and I'm looking forward to great ride!

50 Mile Club

I finally did it! I rode 50 miles in one day!!! I did the River Trail loop 3 times, then had to do some extra riding around Burns Park to get in the full fifty. My goal is to be able to ride 100 miles in a day by the end of this year, so I'm halfway there! 

So now you're probably asking...."How long did it that take you to do that?" Well that's the sad part. It took me 4 hours! The wind was not in my favor, and I was starting to get pretty tired by the end. I have got to learn how to increase my speed and maintain my fuel. I took a short break for a snack, but after eating and then getting back on the bike, I felt way too full....and I didn't even eat much!

More research and trail and error is needed on my part for sure! I'm working on dropping some more weight which should help a bit. I don't know if I can drop some of the items I carry with me on my bike because I feel safe knowing I have everything I could possibly need. I need to reevaluate some of my exercises that I do when I'm not riding...maybe work more on strength training and interval training. And of course asking experienced riders about some of these issues will help me tremendously!

So now that I've met another goal, it's on to the next one!! Two more weeks until the 65 Roses Tour in Searcy. I hope I can do it! And I hope I can do it without it killing me or taking all day! This ride is sure to be a challenge because there are a ton of hills! I guess we'll see...I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!!

Oh No!!...a flat!

One of my biggest fears and challenges has been a flat tire! I recently experienced this on a ride coming back from Brinkley. I was just out of town heading back when I heard air coming from my rear tire. I pulled into a drive way and did the only thing I could at the time - I called for a ride!

My son came and picked me up and on the way home I decided I'd watch videos online and try to learn how to change my own tire, afterall...I had everything to do it...I just needed the knowledge. After a couple of hours I finally got it done! My only problem now was getting the tire back on the bike, and lucky for me, someone came and showed me how.

I stopped by one of my favorite bike shops and let the guy there check it out. He said I did a great job except that the bike tire needed to be switched around so that the labels were on the same side of the bike with the gears. Oh great...more practice in tire changing since switching it would involve breaking it down.

While I was there I picked up some Co2 cartridges and extra tubes! The Co2 was a challenge in itself because somehow I managed to pick out one that was defective! Another trip to the bike shop confirmed this. I swapped it out with a new and different one and now I'm good to go!

I've accomplished something now that I've needed to learn for a long time!....changing my own flat!! I feel so much more independent now!! I can proudly say I've ridden a couple of times since I've changed my own flat and it has held up beautifully :)

There's so much to learn when it comes to riding! I'm excited about learning new things and I'm ready to meet all the challenges that come my way! I have a bike tour coming up in 3 weeks. I signed up for 65 miles...the longest one for me yet. My challenge is going to be finishing it....I don't know how long it will take me....but I'm going to do it!!!!

Happy riding :)