Rides--getting longer and faster and harder!

This week was a great learning week for Katelyn.  We went out Friday late afternoon and did almost 22 miles but we averaged over 17mph for the ride.

Warm weather and nice riding.  If only all the days were like this one!

 That was more than we had done previously and she had solid legs for all of it.  No complaints of pain or fatigue.  What a trooper!  Saturday was going to be the first day of longer riding on heels of a previous one.  We invited a Dan Stock and Jeremy West to ride with us on a 40 mile ride.  The plan was to go 22 miles, stop for a break, ride 9 more, stop for breakfast, and then ride the last 9 miles home.  As we started out, we took off into the wind at a speed that was way too fast for Katelyn.  She sucked it up and kept up but at mile 12 she told me that she was spent and that her leg was hurting her from riding so hard.  We let the others ride ahead and took our speed down to 14 and had a really nice ride into the break.  I need to remember that when we go on our trip, we only need to be riding at 13-14 mph to get through out days.  Anyway, after our break, we started riding again and things were going well--until Katelyn flatted.  This one was on me.  I had older tires on the bike while she was spinning on the trainer at home and I hadn't changed them out for new tires for the road.

Jerad and Jeremy changing Katelyn's first flat.

 Anyway, we changed out her first flat tire and started up again.  Then, with only two miles to the restaurant, she flatted again.  Same tire.  It was literally 5 minutes from the time we had changed the first one.  Now, out of CO2 cartridges,  we called Dan's wife to come and pick us up.  The silver lining is that Katelyn rode 29 miles before we had to quit--and when you had that with the 22 miles that she rode the night before, that was 51 miles--good enough for a shorter leg of our trip!  Really proud of the progress so far.  In three months, she will be crushing long rides!

At least we broke flatted in a spot with a nice horse to pet!  Katelyn Cardoza putting on her warm weather gear for the first time.