Parades, Bears, and Everything but the Kitchen Sink

...oh wait, we had that, too.

Welcome to Chelmsford!

On Saturday, I (somewhat) successfully completed my first ride with friends.  This doesn't sound like that big of a deal - I mean, what isn't better with your friends??  And, in truth, it was better with them - but that didn't mean there wasn't a whole lot of anxiety leading up to the ride.  Of the 3 people I went with, two have been cycling for months, and the other is actively running marathonS.  (Capital "S" on purpose.  MarathonS!).

Needless to say, the first thing I did was get us lost.  Pro-Tip #1: If you think your exercise app has GPS that gives you directions, try it out before you embark on a 26+ mile trip in an area no one is familiar with.

37 miles later, we rolled back into the parking lot where we started, grimy and gritty from being on main roads, a little unsteady on our feet (well, I was).  One friend hopped in her car and took off like we'd just spent the afternoon lunching and she was off for some shopping and spa treatments.  As I'm leaning on my car, bargaining with whatever deity you believe in to pick up my bike and deposit on top of my car on my behalf, my friends are laughing and walking around like someone didn't just triple gravity.

Oh well - there's something to be said for going above and beyond your goal (25-30 miles), even if it was accidental.  We got lost many times, not just as we were leaving the parking lot, but that led to a few adventures.  For instance, we biked through an oncoming parade.  We also pulled over on a back road to check our map, and a woman walking with a baby told us, in all seriousness, not to go down a road because there were bears.  Then, she walked down that very road.  Maybe she's not afraid of the bears, and actually lives peacefully among them - who knows?  Pro-Tip #2: Don't get eaten by bears.  We moved on.

Not pictured: the gaggle of baton-twirlers in pink dodging in
and out of our way , and the bear who later ate them

It might have taken us 3.5 hours, but we somehow managed to get 37 miles out of a 26 mile mapped course, climbed some miniature mountains, seen the pride of Westford up close and personal, enjoyed the sweet wafting aromas of a carnival, and met a crazy person.  Success!