What a ride by Brook

Well, while Rocker was having heart attacks about gear, and then riding like the wind, Marjie and Jen were volunteering and Barb, how'd your race go? - Kate and I set out to view the whole shooting match only we never made it.

The two of us met up at NOW Sports thinking there'd still maybe be a Saturday ride but alas, just the two of us. So we decided that we would ride a new route, maybe catch part of the time trial, and get back home in good time.

Well, with me "gosh I think I remember how to get there" in charge off we went. We thought it would be an easier, longer distance if we took the bike trail out there. Little did we know that the MS 30/60 would be using it, too. So on we rode with plenty of company until we hit Manning Avenue and then turned what I thought was the right way. Only when we got to 96 I thought "oh, oh," I missed a turn. So then we decided just to keep on going to see if we could still figure it out, or just start heading back in the right direction to home.

Of course, by then I was out of water and my cliff shot and Kate was running low too. But the wind was now kinda behind us and when we hit highway 36 it was totally behind us. The frontage road was nice and smooth and we both were zooming along quite nicely. We checked our speed going up one hill and decided it was the fastest we'd ever climbed. Now we know what some of you guys feel like when you go up hill, ZOOM ZOOM. As the frontage road ran out we saw the trail below us and crossed back down onto it.

By the time we got back to St. Paul, Kate was crashing from lack of food and I was too delirious to know that I already bonked. A quick needs break at Como Pavilion and then back on the road to complete our journey. Our round trip back to square one took us about 50 miles. I think we both felt like Gilligan and the crew with our 2 hour tour that turned into almost 4.

Kate went off to explain to her friend why a 2 hour ride took so long (I told her to blame me and my lack of direction) and I headed out to finish my errands. I was pretty worthless from lack of nutrition and when my husband came home that p.m. I still was unable to put two sentences together back to back. (Now now, those of you who think what else is new.) Anyway, so my advise to the much wiser is a) take a map, b) have a plan, and c) FOOD AND WATER.