It Is Done

12/31/2011 - Day 9 - The Festive 500 - 54 miles

It is done. I have completed The Festive 500 with today's 54 mile ride. Two funny things happened on today's ride. One I got passed by a guy on a commuter bike while I was riding with a tailwind. Two I rode the last mile with my two daughters around the neighborhood right at dusk. I'm not sure but it seemed like that might have been the happiest moment ever in my little 5 year old daughter's life. I didn't realize how much noise training wheels make so even though it was getting dark you could not miss her there between me and curb.

That last mile was pretty much the only mile of today's ride that I really enjoyed. Today it was freezing again. Literally. The cold came back with the breeze from the north. I could not warm up. My hands were cold the whole ride. I felt sluggish like I needed a day off the bike. I guess yesterday really took a toll. My glutes hams and quads are all sore. My neck is stiff and my triceps are sore. I hate to admit it but The Festive 500 actually wore me out.

The hardest part of doing this was finding the time to ride. I have missed my family while riding and feel very lucky with how generous they have been with my family time right at Christmas. I am lucky to have a great wife who supports me no matter what. My kids are great too. I thought the hardest part would be the weather but the weather cooperated fully getting warmer each day until today when it was freezing again. It hasn't snowed the whole time and it's only been real windy on a couple of days.

The Festive 500 puts the lid on 2011. Tonight is New Years Eve. Tomorrow is 2012 - a new year filled with hope and promise. Looking back at 2011 from a cycling perspective has proven interesting. I logged 2859 miles on the old bike over 194 hours of riding. Old bike average speed: 14.7 mph. I logged 2570 miles on the new(er) bike over 173 hours of riding. New(er) bike average speed: 14.8 mph. That may sound pretty slow but there was a LOT of elevation gain in those miles.

This year I rode up to Brighton in Little Cottonwood Canyon for the first time. I competed in the Snowbird Hillclimb and did not come in last place. I competed in The City Creek Bike Sprint and actually passed a couple of guys. I rode up Butterfield Canyon a number of times but this was the first year I didn't have to stop and rest a moment on the way up. I can't even remember how many times I went up and down both side of Suncrest. I've had more flats per mile this year than I have ever had in the past and my old bike almost made it the whole year with the same handlebar tape. Almost.

It's been a good year on my bikes. I have had a lot of fun and gotten much stronger this year. I have calves for the first time in my life and I like that. I haven't been sick hardly at all and my blood glucose has been under good control. My A1C has been fine all year. I'm not going for a ride tomorrow on New Years Day. I'm going to rest and work and spend time with my wife and play with my kids. The old bike is hanging up on the ceiling and the new(er) bike is perched on it's stand. Their jobs are done for 2011. The year is ticking to a close. It's been a good year. It's been a good year and I'm glad it's done.