Cool! I just completed the Bike to the Beach this
weekend. I have done that ride (formerly called Ride
for the Roses) the past three years and yes the hills
are a challenge but at least you had nice weather for
it :-)

Leigh

--- Darby <collier.darby@...> wrote:

> Well after just under 6 hours ( alot quicker than I
> thought I would do
> it), I completed my first "century" (100 mile) bike
> ride today in the
> LiveSTRONG Challenge Austin. Actually it was my
> first organized ride
> of any kind. Wow did they have some monster hills
> or what!? Anyway,
> the Fuji Roubaix was fabulous. The only REAL
> challenges were the
> insanely huge hills that had a few of the others
> walking their bikes
> up. I just grunted through somehow and found a way
> to make it up them
> all, albeit many at a very slow pace with my pedals
> moving a gazillion
> rpm. I only had to shift to the third crank once
> all day though, so I
> think I hung in there okay considering all my
> training was here in
> Houston where it is ALL flats. I will start
> training for another
> century in the next couple of weeks, and I think in
> preparing for this
> one I am going to find a nice steep garage or
> something and do some
> hills and repeats. I definitely recommend that
> anyone doing one of
> these has a good training plan ahead of time. Now I
> am going to soak
> in the apartment complex hot tub for a bit.
>
> This was a great thing for me to do, having lost my
> stepfather and
> stepmother both to cancer, and watching my young
> neice get diagnosed
> at the age of 2 and have to go through treatments
> and lose all her
> beautiful hair for the next 2 years. She is a
> survivor and soon
> turning 8 years old. I am kind glad it was tough
> and kept with the
> name Livestrong CHALLENGE, because it made me
> appreciate it more.
>
> Let me give a special thanks to ALL those who
> donated time, money,
> prayers and encouragement, without whom I would have
> been sitting on
> my butt today. Special thanks to Jason M. for
> taking time to drive me
> to and from Austin, and wait for me as I rode and to
> his family for
> helping more than I could have ever imagined by
> helping me arrange a
> place to stay after my planned host backed out when
> their plans had to
> change. And Jen, thanks for offering to find a
> place for me with
> friends if I got in a crunch. God bless you all,
> and God bless Lance
> Armstrong!
>
>
>
>
>


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