The Lemonade Girls

The Ride: Neighborhood Crit/10 laps

Miles: 19.0

Time: 1:17

Ave. Speed: 14.3 mph

Weather: Sunny & cool, 55, Wind 5-8 mph

Total Outdoor Miles 2018: 208.4

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The Story

First of all, I don't know what I was thinking when I headed out the door this sunny Sunday afternoon. I guess I was hoping it would feel more like it looked with all the sunshine.

It didn't

It was too cold for regular bibs and exposed legs, the kind of legs that turned a slightly-deeper shade of red after each lap in the cool breeze coming off the lake.

I forgot the old rule of thumb that a member of the USA women's cycling team once told me while we were on a training ride being led by her in Spain. She said a good rule of thumb is 60 or lower and you should keep those knees covered.

I guess I was overly-optimistic about spring being here, despite the fact that, as you can see, there is still snow in my yard!

So for the most part, I was pretty chilly while doing these 10 laps around the hood.

Lap after lap I would ride past a couple of young girls who, like me, were apparently overly-optimistic about this actually being a nice warm day because they had a lemonade stand set up roadside. This wasn't just any lemonade stand mind you. Nope. The sign on the kids' stand read, "World's Best Lemonade".

Now me being a sucker for lemonade stands, I felt bad on each lap that I breezed by them, ignoring their pleas to sell some lemon refreshment to me.

I came up with a plan. I would finish my 10 laps, stop at the house to pick up a dollar bill, then ride over to them and purchase that world famous lemonade, surely making their day.

But alas, on Lap 9 I said out loud as I came down the slight hill looking to my left, "Oh no, They're gone!"

I missed my chance at that lemonade. They had packed up the stand and moved in to playing in the back yard.

Next time....a much warmer day let us hope!