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Showing posts with the label gvl wbl

Paris Mountain Climb Junior Challenge

  Stats:  Route 72.6 miles 4:07 ride time 6234 feet elevation gain  17.6 miles average speed  Paris mountain climb: 13:15 (2.2 miles, 9.9mph,1580 elevation gain) Sunday was an exciting group ride. Not only was it the final ride of the 2-month Greenville Winter Bike League  but it was also the 2nd annual Junior Challenge. At the end of the 72 mile ride, junior riders (up to 18 years old) would battle it up the 2.2 mile Paris Mountain climb to win a prize. There was a payout of $1650, a Woodward GFB3 Single Speed bike (for the male and female junior winner) and a custom made trophy made from a piece of Paris Mountain (made by AJ). The ride was supposed to be on Saturday but it got rained out. Typically, Rocket Revolution have their group ride on Sunday but the GVL WBL ride was moved to Sunday. We have so many amazing cycling groups in our area. So many rides to choose from!  I started the morning with an easy 2 mile run. I timed it perfectly so that I would ...

Beat the winter blues with your tribe

 The winter can be a challenging time when it's cold and dreary but getting outside to exercise is an immediate mood booster. And as the saying goes, there's no bad weather, only bad clothing. On Saturday morning, Karel went gravel biking with our friend Alvi and I joined the GVL WBL  group ride. I've participated in this winter bike league for the past few years and it has significantly helped my mental health in the winter. Being inside or alone with my own thoughts is challenging for me and I find that I am the happiest when I am with people. I feel incredibly lucky that I have several swim partners and bike partners to help get me out the door when the weather is less than ideal.    I returned home from my ride shortly before Karel and for the next 20 minutes, I couldn't stop talking about the ride. I told him about the 60+ people that showed up, the horses that ran alongside us in a farm, the guy who didn't have the best bike handling skills and was making me ...

The grand finale - GVL WBL #8

  True to its name, the last GVL WBL was a cold one. Like really really cold. The location changed to Donaldson (~7-mile loop) due to possible ice/snow on the planned route. The start time was also moved back to 11am to give time for it to warm up. However, when we started the ride, it was ~32 degrees F and the wind chill was in the 20s (and the wind was gusty!).  It was one for the record books for me - I  have never biked in such cold conditions before!  I was really proud of myself for doing the group ride and collecting a few more points before the podium ceremony at the Think Tank Brewery. The ride was "only" 35 miles (1:46). We did one warm-up loop and then it was time for the action - each loop had a designated group that was "sprinting". The women went on loop 3 and 5. The last loop also included the QOM/KOM. It was a spicy ride and the strong wind and cold made it even tougher. And just when I thought I was done and ready to defrost in the car, a group of ~...

GVL WBL #8 - The Grand Finale

Thanks to the Greenville Winter Bike League, I had reason to get on my road bike at 10am every Saturday for the past eight weeks. I also had the accountability to layer-up and venture out in the cold weather for 3+ hours week after week. I only missed one ride due to the weather (we had a rain/snow the night prior and the roads were a little icy so I went out on my own solo ride). What started out as an opportunity to socialize with other people turned into so much more than I had imagined. I met new people, stretched my comfort zone, challenged myself in the designated QOM and sprint zones, improved my cycling skills, discovered new bike friendly routes, won some money (woot woot) and braved the cold winter conditions - all on two wheels. Here's the schedule (and routes) for all eight of the GVL WBL  group rides. Here are the route links to the last two rides:  GVL WBL #7 GVL WBL #8 The last ride was a tough one. It was a smaller group of around 30 cyclists and we covered 63 ...