25 Percent Is More than Half

I am told that 25 percent of cyclists in the DC area are women. I doubted this until I did a count on my rides home from work a while ago. Perhaps the reason I doubt it is that the women I know in Bike DC are badass. Here’s a sample from this weekend.

Megan went to Tampa to do a 70.3 mile triathlon. I watched her running her last tune up running race last weekend. Suffice it to say, that Megan kicked butt in Tampa. Congratulations.

A change of plans meant that Lisa would have to work later in the day on Saturday. Undaunted, she drove over an hour to get to the Great Pumpkin Ride in Warrenton Virginia and squeezed in the 30 mile route. Well played!

Last year husband Robert had a mess of trouble with cramps during the Great Pumpkin Ride. Undaunted Reba and Robert went at it again this year. They both finished the 48-mile route in fine fettle. Maybe the beer at the final rest stop had something to do with it. Cheers.

Training, schmaining. Rachel stayed up late, watched Goldfinger, and tweeted about it instead. Then she got up early and rode a cyclecross race. You don’t expect me to finish do you. No, we expect you to die. She finished!

Michele has been training her butt off for this weekend’s cyclecross races. She has become a cyclecross maniac. And her intensity and preparation paid off with two top-ten finishes. Dang!

Linel was between jobs so she decided to hop on a train to Cumberland Maryland with her Surly Long Haul Trucker. She rode back to her home in Northern Virginia, a 200-mile excursion in four days. On the way she was passed by Nelle, riding outbound from DC on an overnight bike excursion. Linel was rewarded with perfect weather and peak foliage. Bravo.

Mary, Queen of Caffeine, had really gotten into running this year. As a retired marathoner, I can say that running two marathons in a season is really hard. Two marathons in a month is crazy. Today she finished the Marine Corps Marathon (her fifth MCM) just two weeks after running a marathon in Shepherdstown WV. Double Dang!

So by my math:

Megan + Lisa + Reba + Rachel + Michele + Linel + Nelle + Mary >>>>>> 25%