bluebird's last ride + bella's maiden voyage

bluebird's last ride

BT's Maryland community is pretty sizeable, and last week several of us decided to meet up for an open water swim in the Bay + bike ride on the shore.

I got to Sandy Point Park ($5 entrance fee, thanks Maryland), asked a few groups of people with wetsuits "are you from BT?" ... and finally found my group. Ater introductions we made it down to the beach and put on our wetsuits.... and procrastined for another few minutes.

The swim was four (I think) out and backs from buoy to buoy, horizontal to the shore. It was awesome! I love OWS and it was nice to do it in a non-race setting. I felt really good in the water --- which was, by the way, a perfect temperature once I got moving. I did feel a little woozy from the up and down of the waves combined with the forward motion of the freestyle. We did a mile in a little over 30 minutes.

After the swim me, April, and James changed from our swimsuits and wetsuits to our bike shorts and jerseys and drove to Easton. We fit three bikes on April's car (hers in the back and me and James' on the bike rack.

Got to Easton, stopped at a gas station for a candy bar and got on the road.
The entire ride pretty much looks like this:


...totally and completely flat - a [wecome] change from the hills I'm used to riding! April and James were great company.

We had to stop at the drawbridge at the entrance to Tilghman Island, despite James' idea that we jump the bridge. He was kidding. I think.

here we are stopped at a restaurant to refuel:

the southern most tip of the Island: [pretty, no?]

map of the ride:

3:10:25
50.5 mi
15.91 mph avg.

the only thing that really sucked about the ride was that I could not get comfortable in aero. I would only be in that position for 45 sec before my shoulders starting aching... and thus the seed was planted: I NEED A TRI BIKE.

and that, my friends, was my last ride on bluebird.

bella's maiden voyage

I went to hagerstown yesterday to help my friend look at wedding dresses [btw, she bought one, and she looks absolutely freaking stunning in THE dress!]. AR friend lives in Frederick and after lunch with the girls I headed east on I-70 to meet him for a ride.

This ride was as hilly as last week's ride was flat... 40 miles through hills is a lot more taxing than 50 mi on the flat ES.

We first stopped to get some water and Sweedish fish [and seahorses! did you know they made Sweedish seahorses?] I was in charge of watching the bikes --- they are quite pretty:

and here is greg with the delicious fish/ seahorses:

the ride was hilly, yes, and tough, definitely, but it was also beautiful:


...and some action shots:

3h 16m 20s
41.40 miles
12.65 Mi/hr

total elevation: 14,546
elevation gain: 7,245
elevation loss: 7,301

we were both wiped after the ride, so we refueled with beer and pizza. mmmm.
and then we found that holding up cold glasses to our foreheads felt really good.

I think we terrified our waitress.

I leave you with this gem:

[sorry, Greg - I HAD to!]

ETA: lisa's comment reminded me:

I am LOVING riding my new bike. I am so much more comfortable and have no problem staying in aero for long periods of time. She's ligher and just fits me so much better.