Mobile to Bay Minette, Alabama

After breakfast and the group photo this morning, I was just so ready to get the show on the road! We left Mobile under clear, sunny skies and got over that big bridge with no problem. I was in the front group but rode most of the way to Spanish Fort with Kathy, a firewoman from Dublin, California. We found the first Sag stop after about 18 miles of easy rolling hills at BuzBee's Fishing Camp. Mr. Buzbee came out to talk to us. He was a delightful old guy who wanted to know "Where ya'll goin'?", then didn't seem too surprised by our answer. I asked him what he caught in the river there and he answered "fish." After a few photos with him, we headed on down the road toward our first flat. Thank DB, it wasn't on my bike, but three of us stopped to help. I watched and was the official flat photographer. Kathy found the problem right away, and she and Anne fixed the flat like professionals and then pumped the tire up with a BIKE PUMP. I was VERY impressed. I don't think I could get 10 lbs of air in a tire with one of those little things. (I plan to use quick-fills if I ever have a flat.) WE got into Bay Minette around noon and were talking about finding a place for lunch when we saw a family selling Bar-B-Q from their front yard. You couldn't have passed that up either!! Ribs, Sausage, and Chicken with potato salad and baked beans. Yum! Our first day was fun, a little warm and humid, with very little wind, and just enough rolling hills to keep it interesting. Check out Mr BuzBee ---> 36 miles today.

MOBILE! Let the Games Begin!

Oh man, what WAS I thinking six months ago when I signed up with Woman Tours to ride my bike 2000 miles from Mobile to Canada!! I've got to admit that when I got here and met these women who will be riding with me, I felt a little intimidated. There are only about four of us who have not done multiple tours with this company, many of them riding across the country from California to Florida. They all can fix flats, and pump up their own tires, and think NOTHING of riding 60 miles a day, up hill, into the wind, AND in the rain!! Well, maybe that is a little bit of an exaggeration, but really, they are an amazing group of women. I have fixed ONE flat. And, I hate pumping up my tires!! I need MIKE HARTT!!! But, after meeting and talking to some of the women, I began to feel better again. Laurie, our tour guide, had a flat-fixing demo for some of us after orientation. I think she is going to be great. And, every woman I talked with said they won't pass me by if I have a flat. They are all willing to help me change a tire and get rolling again. So, I guess I'll take Mike out of my duffel bag. He was having a little trouble breathing in there anyway. I just hope those new tires that DB at The Bike Source in Monroe put on my bike will keep me from having a flat--then I won't have to worry about it. Tomorrow is our first day to ride. We have to go over a HUGE bridge on the way out of Mobile. We'll only ride 36 miles to Bay Minette, so if I make it over the bridge, I should be ok. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Hiking in Smoky Mountain National Park

Before going to Mobile to start my bicycle ride to Canada, Mike and I hiked in the Smokies with our hiking club for three days, and had a great time. There were not many wildflowers yet, but the mountain streams and waterfalls were spectacular. Mike is so crazy. He has been watching way too much "Man Verses Wild", and kept yelling "Yo Bear" as we hiked up to Mt Le Conte to make sure we didn't surprise a bear along the way. The lodge on Mt Le Conte was so much fun--log cabins with kerosene lanterns and no running water. It's the only place I've ever stayed that gives you a tin bucket at check-in. (Yeah, for WATER--I was thinking the same thing, too, since there were no bathrooms in the cabins.) The cabins were an experience, too. They had double bunk beds, so some of us slept with two people on the top bunk and two on the bottom bunk. Every cabin had a front porch with big rocking chairs. I just loved it! It was so good to park my bike and stop all the "training" I've been doing to get ready for this bike tour, and just spend some time looking at those beautiful smoky mountains.

Hills??? No, MOUNTAINS!!!!

On Sunday, Mike and I rode the Tour de France. We made it to the podium ---->
See, the pretty girls were there with the lion and flowers. Oh, wait! It wasn't the Tour de France. It was the Cheaha Challenge in Alabama, and it was the hardest ride I have ever done. We had planned to ride 88 miles, but I turned back after riding 35 miles over "beyond catagory" mountains. My legs were shot, and we had to ride 35 miles back to the start over those same mountains. We loved the ride. Their TDF rest stop was great, complete with the "devil". I wanted to do this ride as my last big training ride before we leave Mobile on Saturday. This time I really took a bigger bite than I could chew!! Mike even pushed me over some of the harder climbs on the way back. There won't be any mountains on my tour, and now I know I can handle the hills with my double chain ring, but all this training is KILLING me. I'm ready for the tour to start!

Belles on Bikes

I went to Natchez to ride their all women "Belles on Bikes" ride last Saturday. It was GREAT, so well supported, with a wonderful lunch afterwards, and bunches of door prizes. (I didn't win one.) I did the 62 mile route that took us out onto the Natchez Trace and through Natchez State Park. The Trace has long rolling hills, and the state park has one short steep hill after another. My friend, Zena, from Vicksburg met me there. She is a terrific hill climber and is planning to "Ride the Rockies" in Colorado in June. We teamed up with two delightful ladies from Lafayette, and one from Alexandria and had a great ride. They are all such strong riders. I just tried to hang onto their wheels! I am much more encouraged about my tour now. I CAN DO THIS!

Still getting ready.

Did I say LESS THAN THREE WEEKS? Surely not!! Today is April 22, and we leave Mobile on May 10. Oh My G . . . and, I've been signed up for this since November 1, 2007! I HAVE been riding my bike a lot, but most of my riding has been on FLAT land, and, well, I think I'm going to be in trouble on the hills!

Oh! I AM going to get to ride some hills before we leave! I am going to Mobile by way of the Smoky Mountain National Park. Remember, I LOVE to hike! My hiking club has planned a week-long trip to the Smokies the same week I go on my biking adventure. So, I'll get to hike three days, AND my sweet, understanding husband is going to ride one day with me on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now those are some hills! One day should do it!! (ha, ha)

I learned to change a flat this week. I didn't have fun!! And, I hate pumping up my tires. I wonder if there is any way I can smuggle my husband along on this all women trip??

Getting Ready

My tour is less than three weeks away. I need to ride some HILLS!!!!