Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Sacramento, CA: Day Four/Foxy's Ride

OK...here's my take on Foxy's ride....I'll have to edit/add more (later tonight) because I posted this in the NorCal subforum of BF..........

I really had plans to do the full ride, but even though I brought my saddle & pedals and Chris & I set his bike up to the measurements from my Ruby and Fuji (he rides a 54 and i ride a 52), I had some very serious butt pain.  OMG.  Even during and after my 200k in April and after AoMM, my butt never hurt as bad as it did during the ride up to the lunch rest stop.  I felt great, my legs felt great, but my butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMFG.  Hurt like a mo'fo and the thoughts of riding 45-50 more miles was just too painful to endure.  I'm sorry, but I just couldn't do it....Lesson learned from this - either ship your own bike or borrow teh correct size bike. 

That being said....the ride was great!!  The company was great!! It was so very nice to finally meet everyone. dauphin (John) - baybuh!!  You are pretty quiet!  Everyone was very strong and I was totally comfortable riding behind/with anyone in our group.   The route was fairly flat with a few rollers (similar to riding in the Wendell/Zebulon area here).  After the first water stop, we're going along and all of a sudden, I hear Chris coming up and saying that the next section of rollers was their favorite to ride...and, he started to blow by me!! Curtis jumped on and I was a tad slow to catch the Tandem Train.  But, I didn't let that deter me.  Down in the drops and I put out a really good sprint to catch up with them.  It was an awesome ride up & down those rollers.  Butt be damned!!  I'm riding this train while I can!

But, unfortunately, my butt just continued to hurt more and at one point I asked Chris & Deb if we had already passed the point where we could decide on the metric or the century.  Yes, we had.  Damn.  OK, well, I'll try to go on, but I'm not sure I can.  Oh yea...the Flat Fairy only visited us once on the ride too.  So, we finally reach the lunch stop and I have decided to SAG in.  Very disappointed because I wanted to do the climbs.  Oh well, maybe next year.

I bid farewell to my group, got the car keys from Chris and tried to find someone to tell me where to find SAG.  I was initially told that it would be 3pm before anyone would be able to take me back to the start.  Finally, a SAG wagon arrives, but the guy is unsure of whether he just takes our bikes back to the start/finish or does he take bikes and riders???  Yes, you take me and my bike!!!  There is another guy wanting a ride back due to bad cramps, then one more with some serious back problems from a previous injury last week (plus his friend).  We eventually get it all worked out, but we have to take the route back to the start/finish.  OK, whatever, just take me back.  Actually, that worked out pretty well because I was able to take a few pictures along the route and wouldn't have to come back for pictures.

We drove up Cardiac and I don't think I would have had any problems climbing it, would have been slow, but I could've done it had I not had the butt issues.  Finally arrived back at the S/F, went and found some food (2 kinds of pasta, salad, bread, soda, and an ice cream sandwich) and sat outside waiting on Chris & Deb to arrive.  They were about 30min behind me.

We sit outside, finish eating and lo 'n behold if bigbossman=bbm=John and bs=bikingshearer=Rich didn't show up.  bbm is better looking in person than his posted pictures.  I was sorta hoping to see that pretty red bike that he always takes pictures with - maybe another time.  And, bs is such the BS'r.  Had a great time sitting around listening to everyone tell their stories.  All great guys!

In the end....I had a great ride at Foxy's, albeit shortened, and I've had a wonderful time out here in NorCal.  I would really love to come back next year, bring my own bike and do the full ride.  We'll see....you never know what ole wolfpack will be up to next year this time.....
  
Slideshow of the ride

2 comments:

Red Rider said...

Nice write up! I always like to read others' take on rides we do together; perceptions are so different.

We felt really bad that you were in such pain & wish there was something we could've done.

Next year...plan it now...(c;

wolfpack said...

yea, i would definitely like to come back out and do this ride again. i will ship my bike out a week ahead so that have what i'm used to riding.

i think i could've done pretty well on the ride had it not been for such pain. i've never hurt that bad.