Moab Skinny Tire Festival

Chad and I participated in the Skinny Tire Festival in Moab yesterday. There were four different rides that you could register for. Chad and I both chose the "River Cruise". I went with the 42 mile, while Chad rode 72 miles. This is the group start that rode out at 7:00 AM. I don't know for sure, but I think that there were about 1000 participants.

Riding up the river corridor at Sunrise was absolutely amazing. The scenery was beautiful for the entire ride. We had a bit of a rough start. Almost three miles in, we had a flat. Two stem failures and one patch later, we were back on our way. The first aid station was at the 12 mile mark. I was happy to see it. I was ready for some blood sugar.

At the 21 mile mark, we hit our second aid station. This was the point at which Chad continued on and I turned around. The aid station volunteers were awesome. You could tell that they were having a lot of fun. They even spread PB on crackers and topped it with M&M's for anyone who wanted it. I was a little nervous to complete the second half on my own, but Chad was definitely ready to ride at a faster pace.

My ride back went amazingly well. I worked on my cadence and was able to keep my average speed higher than usual. Either that or the fancy power drink was aiding me on. I saw a lot of interesting sights. There were several Father/Daughter teams riding. I saw a couple participating in the ride on a tandem bike. I saw a Mom with an "add-a-bike" attached to her bicycle with her 8? year old daugher on the back. I think they completed the entire 42 miles together! The funniest sight was a guy riding his bike up the canyon with a trailor with his golf clubs on the back!

I didn't get really tired until about the last two miles. At that point, I knew that I was close to the end and that I would make it. To tell you the truth, I am totally thrilled that I completed the entire ride. My goal was to feel good. I was totally willing to turn around early at any point if necessary. I performed far better than I expected. Not bad for a pregnant woman!

Chad completed his ride about an hour and 40 minutes after I finished (including having to stop to change another flat). We enjoyed the post-ride lunch at the Archway Inn along with the live band. Then we hopped in the car and drove home. I am suprised at how well I feel. My saddle is sore and my shoulders are too. My legs are doing remarkably well.

Chad enjoyed riding with me (unfortunately a rarity). He felt like the riders in Moab were different than those who particpated in the Ulcer (111 mile ride around Utah Lake that he did this summer). They seemed more laid back, but that could be from the beer they served at the lunch. He loved the scenery, as well. Riding alone for a large portion of the ride was enjoyable until the last ten miles when some company would have been nice.

This was a great trip together. Definitely one of the coolest things that we have ever done. I love cycling with Chad. I think I love doing anything with him! I especially love trying new things with him. Cycling has been such a fun addition to our life this year.