1,000K: Plan the Ride – Ride the Plan: Sleep 2 to the Finish!

Plan the Ride

The basic plan was to ride Day 1 as a series of 200k rides with a planned time of 10 hours for each.  That worked out to 15 mph rolling and 1.5 hours stopped every 200k.  Days 2 and 3 were planned as 14 mph rolling and 1.5 hours every 200k.  Also planned was 7.5 hours off the bike for Sleep 1* and the same for Sleep 2*.  This would result in a ride time of 67 hours.  From there, I calculated the estimated departure times for each control and each overnight sleep.  Such a plan would require laser focus at the controls and efficient use of time.  It was very generous in terms of sleep time, so there was built in flexibility there.  The 67 hour estimated finish was still leaving an 8 hour cushion on the end of the ride.

My riding partner, Mike, signed off on the plan, knowing that it was subject to change and flexible.

I did not factor in each leg’s conditions (climbing, walking the bridges, etc.)

Leg 11b started 3 hours later than the plan because sleep was important.  We got to the hotel about 3 hours late so we decided that a 7 am departure made much more sense than a 4 am departure.  Mike and I were efficient and were on the bikes about 5 minutes early.  We passed a couple of riders having breakfast at a coffee shop.  We passed Jack and Mike C taking their time.  We made great time in comfortable temperatures and good roads, ending up at the control some 26 miles from the start hungry and ready for a break.  We found a diner after checking in and proceeded to again spend way too much time in the restaurant.  It was a big meal and we were concerned that it might impede our progress on the next leg.  While eating, other SPP riders pulled in to eat.  We didn’t wait for them, but Bryan was able to wolf down his food and join us. (Pretty much on adjusted schedule)

Leg 12 was the most fun of all of the legs of this ride.  There were seven cues for 60+ miles of riding.  Mike, Bryan and I set a great pace with a light cross/tail wind and soon we caught up to other riders.  They joined what they referred to as the SPP train.  Each time we collected another rider, we increased the speed.  Soon Bryan and I took turns pulling this train at 20-21 mph with other riders tight in our slipstream.  The miles passed easy.  As long as I was in the lead, my knee didn’t hurt much.  After about 10-15 miles of this, riders started sliding off the back, not able to hold the pace.  Mike, Bryan, and I found ourselves alone again just as we entered the Apocalyptic Highway.  This 4 lane divided highway was built for planned growth between Rochester and Niagara Falls.  The growth never happened and the highway has been mostly abandoned.  Non commercial traffic is permitted, but we encountered only a few cars every five miles or so.  We had our own lane, even though weeds grew through some of the expansion joints.  We kept a good pace up.  We found a fruit stand with shade about halfway along this leg, and stopped for some strawberries.  It was here that Dan and Clint caught us (following our trail of abandoned riders) and we joined together for the rest of the leg. We stopped in Charlotte for lunch and maintained good control discipline.  (On adjusted schedule)

Leg 13 was the last leg of the ride.  It took us into Rochester, complete with a big climb.  In Rochester my knee was giving me a lot of trouble and I caught one light green while others caught it red.  I kept my pace and cadence up and rode alone for a few miles.  Clint caught up to accompany me and I informed him that I needed to set my own pace based on the speed and cadence that kept my knee from exploding.  He accompanied me sometimes from the front, sometimes from the back, often confused about the navigation.  Once on Lakeshore Road, I expected the route to flatten out, but there were considerable rollers in the first half.  Soon enough, we were pulling into the finish.  My official time for the ride was 69:49 which was slightly ahead of the adjusted schedule.

Not bad!  The plan called for 67 hours.  We lost 3 hours on day 2 mostly because we were dealing with a larger group, trying to keep it together.  All the other times, we were pretty much on schedule.  We finished less than 3 hours longer than the initial plan.