Oh yeah, you were just getting used to a Little Black Dress - that all black Roubaix, but now with a splash of hot pink!

You sound very ready, based on your other thread, and I agree with the person who said you're ready to do a 100-miler.

Gosh Road Fan -- your memory is amazing! Yes, that is my Little Black Dress, and I have finally grown into it.

I probably could do a 100-miler... an easy one. Next year! :)

I hope you're doing some easy 1-2 hour rides or spinning today or Wednesday! Just a few more days!

Wow, that's an itty bitty seat, that would kill me!:D

Hi Joe -- I did a moderately hard spin on Monday (new bikes that make standing REALLY hard), rested last night, and I'm planning an easy spin tonight ---- then REST Thursday and Friday (day off Friday, good day to get my bike, clothes and fuel ready, stretch, relax, and eat a good dinner). I'll go to the early check-in on Friday night to get my goodie bag, map/route slip, etc. I'm excited and nervous!

Huh? :)

The saddle on your bike is thin. I ride a Terry with a little more padding and wider profile. Your saddle looks uncomfortable although it probably isn't.:D

Oh that! :) I swapped that saddle in the summer for a Terry Butterfly.:love: The original one was good for about 40 miles but was more comfortable than it looks.

So you are using a Terry? Welcome to the club!:thumb:...About a year ago, I saw a Terry Butterfly on clearance at SportChalet for $29. It was the pink cancer model that usually run for about $110 (?). I thought it was great deal but what do I want with a pink saddle? Later I realized I should have picked it up and sold it at cost to a local as I see lots of women looking for pink saddles.:mad:

Love the Terry saddle, and also my Terry shorts! I think the pink saddle would suit your personality just fine.:lol:

Hey, is it normal to be nervous/excited about my first organized metric event? Egads, I hope I settle down before Saturday!

It is perfectly acceptable to be nervous! That just means your taking it seriously and will do very well. You are right on track and where you need to be. I think you will surprise yourself Saturday. Go out there and give those hills heck!

Egads..... OMG, I have not seen that word or heard it in years. BTW, make sure you breathe. You cannot hold your breath for the entire metric.:D

:eek:......:D

Good practice is to sleep well the nights leading up to an event. The night before is always nerve wracking and tough to sleep. The night before the forum ride, I only slept 2 hours.:D

LOL -- I think I hear Hubby say 'Egads'. Oh, I have to breathe???

If I sleep only 2 hours I'll be a wreck. :eek:

I did an easy to moderate spin class tonight (75 minutes). Would it be wise to do an easy spin (HR in warm-up/recovery zone) tomorrow night, or just plain rest? I work on the 2nd floor in a building on a hill and always take the stairs, so although my job is sedentary I do take the stairs 4 or more times a day.

What I do is a very easy flower smelling, rose sniffing cruise through a park. Just enough to stretch and spin up the legs on Feiday, If not, Thursday. But no effort at all. At this point, you're either trained or you're not, so just relax and enjoy the cruise on Thrus or Fri..:D

One thing you don't want to do, and I saw it on the TDF a couple years back. EVERYBODY raced off the line like madmen!:eek:. Mainly because of the police escort. Too may people got excited and raced the first few miles across Foothill, and they shouldn't have. Many were already looking wasted by the time they reached Bonelli Park. If you try to match the group, it can cost you bigtime soon after the start. Don't get sucked into the game. Like any ride, do your pace, if you feel good midway, then maybe pick up the pace some but DON'T burn yourself out early. You've got a long way to go. Heck, don't feel bad if you find yourself at the tail end of the riders after the beginning. I do many times but pass several riders halfway through the ride just holding my pace. Be consistent throughout the ride, not a speed demon at the start.:thumb:

You've done all you need to do to this point. Just rest. Tonight is the night you want to sleep the best.

Beanz: thank you for this advice. I've read it before but it is worth reading again, and again. I like to go fast but my legs take about 30 minutes to fully warm up and feel good -- so, I plan to start in my warm-up zone and ride the first 20 there or in my recovery zone; in the next 20, I'll keep a comfortable cruising pace; then, in the last 20 (after Baldy), I'll use my reserves and crank it up and ride as fast as I can manage. My biggest challenge will be ignoring the voices in my head saying I'm too slow and need to pick up the pace. Easy does it... and I'll be passing the jackrabbits in the final 20!

Thanks Joe --- that's what I'm thinking. Going to the spin class doesn't mean just riding --- it also means having to get home early enough (through a thick, slow-as-molasses 26-mile commute), then changing into my clothes and getting to the class in time to get a bike, set it up, warm up, etc. etc. Then, get home and eat dinner early enough that it won't interfere with my sleep, and have just enough time to get ready for the next day. That's not a restful evening. :eek:

By all means, have a relaxing evening the night before the ride. Have a nice meal, either out or at home, and kick back. Watch a movie, read a book, whatever relaxes you most. Have a great ride. :)

Yen, you have absolutely nothing to worry about and I say that because you sound like a worrier. Do not have any negative thoughts only positive ones. You have done all the preparation necessary. The ride will be a time to have fun with friends and others.

With respect to the last couple of days, this is a very individualistic thing. I used to rest the day before and event or race or ride very easy. Today, I use a routine designed to "top up" performance which some people call a leg opener. What happens when you take a day off right before an event is the body starts to go into recovery which is not a bad thing per se. The theory is one does not want 48 hours to go by where the next hard effort you see is in the event e.g. a climb. So the day before the event, I warm up and do a couple of low cadence z3 efforts, a z5 effort and a couple of sprints. This will be much less than I normally do but just enough to signal my body not to go into total recovery. Now that last time your legs experienced a hard effort with be within 24 hours.

This is where one must know yourself. Rest or leg opener is determined by experimentation. However, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THIS!!!!! WHatever you do, it will be fine. This is an optimization not a necessity.

Now, in your ride on Saturday, you have plenty of time to take it easy, warm up and get ready for when you need more power. (I think this is the case with the course.) Give yourself at least 1/2 hour to warm up. Going out too hard is a rookie mistake and many will do this at the start. You will pass them all later. One always needs more power and endurance at the end of the ride.

One thing I would do is deep six the stair climbing before and event. It is fine for general cardio but will do nothing but make you tired with respect to cycling.

Hermes: What, me, worry?!? OK, a little... :o

It doesn't help that I am nursing some new knee pain today. :eek: I have an ice pack on it now. Looks like tomorrow will be a total rest day. :thumb:

Thanks BluesDawg.

Tomorrow night we'll go to early check-in to get my bib and goodie bag, eat some dinner, and relax at home. I'll get my bike and other stuff ready tomorrow morning.

Heading west on Baseline about 1/2-1 mile before Campus (I'm thinking that would be near the end of the ride, me no rt. slip.), huge trenches along the bikelane. There were several cement trucks pouring but one has to think that it may not be done or soft tomorrow. CAREFUL!.......and do not shoot out like a rocket on the ride!:D

ACK -- not good! Nor are the winds predicted on the other side of Baldy! Nope, I'm saving my energy for the last 20, on the other side of Baldy. I've been rehearsing this in my mind all week -- start slow, keep a warm-up pace, get the Baldy climb done, and then crank it up. One of our riders sent a heads-up message overnight warning about winds 15-25 mph on the other side of Baldy and encouraging us to conserve our energy for later.

Good luck Yen!

Thanks Joe! I had a great time and did very well on the climbs. I just sat down at home after getting cleaned up. I'll post a report as soon as I can. Might be tomorrow.... I didn't have any caffeine today (except in the Gu gels) so I'm a little fuzzy.:twitchy:

Terrific!!

Everyone knew you could do it.

Congratulations! I had no doubt you could do this:thumb:

Thanks Beverly. :) I knew I could do the miles... just not sure about all the climbing AND the mileage until last week. When I sailed up the mountain while talking, I knew I was ready!