SPRING!!!!

Spring is finally here! The weather is getting warmer, rides are becoming more pleasant, and the sun is staying out longer! The weather in MD is still cooler than average, but I can't complain too much as my friends in Minnesota are still posting pictures of snow ;) I have to say that a ride in 60 F is a LOT better than a ride in 30 F temperatures! Since the sun is rising earlier, I am now able to ride my bike into work daily! I just started this week and plan to keep it up (as long as rain isn't in the forecast) for the whole summer. Yay for exercise and saving on gas!



As for training, hills are still tough, but I'm definitely getting better at them. This weekend I hope to break the 1000 ft ascent mark. Hopefully it won't be too bad as I'll likely be doing that number several times a day during my ride :) I went on a 45 mile ride a couple weekends ago with some fellow B&Ber's and we had a lot of fun. A 65-70 mile ride is in the works for mid-May. I can't wait!!

Fundraising is still moving slowly... but that is my fault. I plan on going out around Frederick on Friday and asking companies for both supply and monetary donations. Hopefully I'll get a few now that the busy season should be picking up. If you haven't donated and want to, please visit http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/6747 and click "Donate". Remember, every donation helps!! Thank you for your help!!

Current Stats:

Amount raised: $1745

Longest ride: 45 miles

Most climbing: ~900 ft

Max speed: 39.1 mph

Current training mileage: 345

Sweat Equity: 9 hours

Riding, Yoga, and Core

I told my mom the other day that my middle name was "Slacker" as I have been slacking on everything lately.. I'm going through an "all I want to do is read" phase. I finally sent out some emails to friends/family (which I've been meaning to do for a couple months), and thank you's for last month's donations are in progress. I've also been slacking on here, so here's an update.

I injured my knee running about a month and a half ago and I'm still waiting for it to heal. I can't seem to conquer the whole concept of "rest." Since I can't really run currently (with a month to go before my next half marathon...), I've been riding quite a bit, doing some yoga, and working on my core. I am slowly ramping up my mileage and elevation. Coordination of a 50-mile ride for new and old B&B'ers in the DC/Baltimore area is under way for April 14, and I couldn't be more excited!

Although I'm still not a fan of going up hills, I'm slowly getting better at them. I love going down though! The rush of adrenaline during the descent is amazing! Sadly, it seems most of the hills I can really get moving on have a stop sign halfway down or right at the bottom. Maybe I'll find a good one soon! Headwinds are also a struggle for me. Yesterday on my ride, I was cruising for the first half! I think I got up to 28 on flat road... and then I realized that I was riding with the wind. Which meant the rest of the ride was going to be into the wind. I survived though and I will continue to get stronger and more comfortable on my bike as I continue training. I also rode my bike to work today! This will be a regular occurrence as the sunrise get earlier. 

Oh yeah! I went hands free for about 5 seconds - don't laugh, it was an accomplishment for me. Don't worry, Mom and Grandma, I'm being careful :)

Current stats to date:

Amount raised: $1695

Longest ride: 32 miles

Most climbing: ~800 ft

Max speed: 39.1 mph

Current training mileage: 180

Sweat Equity: 9 hours