Scooter Girl

2019 Outdoor Season: Ride #23

The Route: Confused!

The Miles: 30.0

The Time: 2:14

The Ave. Speed: 13.2 mph

The Weather: Sunny and warm, 80, Wind 5-10 mph

Season Total Miles: 482.0

Okay, maybe she didn't look exactly like this, but there WAS a cute girl in a pink top riding a scooter that was a part of today's adventure on the road.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's start at the start.

WOW...what a perfect ride day it was today.

I started by watching about the first 25 miles of today's Tour de France stage just to get me in the proper frame of mind.

It worked.

I was excited to hit the road in these perfect weather conditions. Sunshine and 80 degrees with a bit of wind. Perfect!

I headed out on the North Loop again, but decided to take a turn before my usual halfway-mark turning point, just to do a little something different.

Trouble was I hit a road construction area where the entire road was gone. I had to detour. That's when I got a bit lost.

Now, this was not the panicked, 'Oh my God I'm lost" kind of lost. Rather, this was the "I know I'm lost but I kind of know where I am and I know I'm heading toward home so I'll be OK," lost.

Eventually I was on a road I knew called Larsen Rd. I realized today that this particular road has three long climbs in a row on it. These are not the steepest hills by any means, but they go on for over a half mile each and they come one right after the other with no downhill payback in-between.

Miles 16-17-18 each had one of these climbs. While I weakened I did not break. I was feeling pretty good soaking up the heat and just enjoying the day.

That's when a girl in a pink top rode past me on a scooter, a cute blonde girl that I decided I would use as my carrot to make one final push of myself toward the end of this ride.

Into the drops I went.

Up one gear I went.

I was holding about 18-19 mph and almost gaining on her.

When she had to stop for a stop sign I saw her checking her mirror as I came up from behind. She gave it a double take as if to say, "How did that guy on the bike get back up here with me?"

Off she went, making the next traffic light whereas I did not.

The chase was over, but the girl on the scooter pressed me to finish the ride harder than I would ever have peddled had she not been my carrot on this great summer afternoon.