My first Bike Ride

In the past couple of years, several of my brothers and sisters have started bike riding.  Then last fall and this spring a they started doing these crazy 100 mile rides.  I thought they were nuts.  Last winter, I started running but I was having a lot of problems with my heal.  Around April, Andrew finally got me on the bike my Sister Vera had found for me last summer.  I was hooked.  Bike riding was fun. 

When my brother Neal moved up with us, he decided that he wanted to do a 100 mile ride and started looking for one.  He found the Bob Lebow Bike Tour which is held every year.  He convinced me to sign up, but all I had courage for was the 10 mile.  I was nervous, but excited especially since my Mom was going to do it with me (my Dad decided to do the 100 with my brother). 

A few week before the ride, I told Andrew I wanted to ride about 9-10 miles to see if I could do it.  He took me on a route and it ended up being closer to 13 miles.  I started to think maybe I should have signed up for the 25 mile ride or something.  But I stuck with the 10 miles because I really wanted to do it with my Mom.  I sure was glad I did. 

The morning of the ride, we woke up to rain and wind.  By the time my Mom and I started out on our rides, it wasn't raining anymore, but it was cold and really windy.  For the first half of the ride the wind was blowing right at us which made climbing hills extremely hard.  Finally we turned to head back and we weren't headed into the wind anymore and it was wonderful. 

Here is my Mom and I before the ride.  Notice the mean looking clouds. 

Our friends, the O'Neils watched my three boys for us and they even brought them out to the finish line.  I had made "Go Mom Go" flags and my parents brought up the "Team Smith" Flags which we had made for the big bike ride my family had done earlier this year.  I was so excited about finishing the ride, that I forgot to take pictures of the flags.  Hopefully I will remember when they use them again in July.  Andrew got off work at 11:00 and came straight out to see us. 

My mom and I coming into the finish line.

Out cheering section eating their lunch that the O'Neils brought for them after we finished our ride.

I am so happy that I did this ride and now I am even more excited for the Goldilocks Ride that my sister Vera and I am doing on July 14 (she is doing the 100 mile option and I am doing the 40 mile option).