A Few Post-Flèche Observations

Here it is, 10:00 am and I haven’t ridden yet today.  I might get out this afternoon for a very slow recovery ride … and then again, might not.

These are some “observations” post-Flèche as I take a quick break from work.

Physical

I took a 3 hour nap when I got home after the 24 hour ride, and drug myself out of bed and into the rest of the day Sunday.  I felt remarkably refreshed.  Lori and I washed her car.  We accomplished some work around the house.  I watched a movie with Lori and did not fall asleep during it.  I did go to bed at about 9:00 pm and slept through to 5:00 am.

My mouth was dry all day Sunday.  I just couldn’t get enough moisture in my mouth without feeling bloated.  I’m better this morning, but I’m still thirsty.

I’m hungry.  It is 10:00 and I’m ready for lunch.

My thighs have a little muscle soreness to them.  It is not bad.  I don’t want to sit all day, so I’ve planned activities so that I can be up and down throughout the day.  Climbing steps feels good.  Descending steps is a little more painful.  I have light bruising on the palms of my hands.  My right foot is a little sore when I walk.  The ride inflamed my post-surgical foot so I’ve got a little more swelling than I had before the ride.  I felt every pedal stroke of the last 100 miles in that foot.  Sunday my shoulders were tight … rock hard tight.  Today that is better.  My butt?  I’m aware of some very light soreness, but not uncomfortably so.

Emotional

The ride to the finish and the finish itself was a lot of fun and a real thrill.  The camaraderie and the celebration of welcoming other friends into the finish was simply joy-filled.

Intellectual

I’m clearly not firing on all cylinders this morning.  I’m easily distracted (did I mention I’m hungry?).  Tasks are taking a little longer than usual to accomplish.

Other

I wore the Showers Pass Elite 2.0 jacket and loved it!  I was able to ventilate it enough to stay comfortable in temperatures that would have been challenging for anything else I own.  I’ll do a review later.

I’m frustrated by the shifting of the Kona.  It seems to me that the barrel adjuster vibrates loose.  It was perfectly tuned early in the ride.  The last half of the ride I couldn’t get it adjusted where it would hold.  I had shifting problems that entire last half.

I’m glad I put so much work in the route planning.  The cue sheet was spot on.  The gpx files had only one glitch in 235 miles.  I really didn’t need either the gpx file or the cue sheet as the route was firmly in mind.  Controls were just the right distance apart.  I didn’t really have to worry about navigation (although the last leg into Gettysburg still seems like it took forever).

The team worked very well together.  We each made good contributions to the ride.

I was amazed at the amount of stuff I carried that I did not use.  The only item of clothing I took at the last minute that I did not use were gators for my shoes in the event of rain.  We had rain.  I didn’t really take the time to put them on.  It didn’t get cold enough where that mattered much.  Unused were bike tools, spare tubes, CO2, extra cue sheet, extra  Control card, several extra plastic bags, spokes, first-aid kit, extra hand/toe warmers, and the like.  At least half of what I lugged up the climbs (and more than half the weight) went unused.  Without them, a breakdown could have ended the ride.

I’m also frustrated by my Contour camera.  I got one short video.  That’s it.  The unit wouldn’t turn on at places I wanted to record.  Whether I left it on in standby mode too long or what, I don’t know.

Facebook updates and status updates to friends prompted encouraging words that really helped.  Likewise, knowing the status of the other Severna Park Peloton teams was nice.  They are all much stronger/faster riders and to hear that they were moving along at roughly our same pace was very important to our ride.