Rev Rider

This Ride: 21.3 miles
Month: 391.8 miles
2011: 1,875.5 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,995.2 miles

Last night, I had a very late meeting. I got home around 10:30 pm and was not asleep until nearly midnight. Before going to bed, I checked the forecast and saw a very comfortable 60-62° F prediction.  With a very short night, I decided that a 60° start was not something I could sleep through, and so resolved to get up less than 5 hours later.

I woke up to 50° F, and felt lied to.  It was hard to believe that the weather forecasters conspired to drag me out of a comfortable bed just for me to get a 20 mile ride in, but that’s what I’ve decided happened.  Right now, 50 degrees is tough.  I haven’t been able to find the right clothing options to stay cool enough without getting too cold, and so grumbling at the conspiracy against me I rolled out to meet the group for the morning ride.

The conspiracy caught others too, as they affirmed what I saw as the forecast last night.  Ours was a fragmented ride this morning.  Five started at the Rusty Bridge, including Bryan (one of the Flèche hard men).  We picked up Ben at the Ranger Station and Dan just appeared from nowhere while we were on Jennings Road.  Jeff was feeling frisky and dashed off pulling Dave and Ben with him on a fast ride, while the rest of us accompanied Bryan on the Fixie.  We wanted to hear his stories about the epic ride.

We really did take it pretty easy.  We avoided the hill at Round Bay, but saw Jeff far in the lead.  He must have powered up the hill.  Dave and Ben joined us from there.  Later, when we met Jeff on his return from the south end of the trail, Dan couldn’t take it any longer and he did a quick U-turn and chased Jeff down.

Our ride was generally uneventful.  I clearly overheated with my clothing choice.  It was great to hear Bryan’s stories.  This Flèche was his longest single ride to date and part of the story is how he overcame the mental limits he imposed on his ability to ride this nearly 400 k ride.

This Ride: 24.1 miles
Month: 370.5 miles
2011: 1,854.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,973.9 miles

It was a beautiful 60° F this morning and anticipating a fast ride with the group (Terrible Tuesday) I rolled out early to get in a few extra miles before speed was demanded.  Six riders were out, including Clint, Cliff, and Dan who all rode the epic Flèche last weekend.  Clint was on the fixie and was planning to just get a recovery ride in.  Mike, Cliff, and I accompanied him on an easy ride.  When Dave took off for the fast ride, Dan couldn’t let him go, and so chased after him.

We talked Flèche most of the ride, with stories about rain, lightning, winds, flats, crashes, detours around flooded bridges, traversing ponded roads, a cut tire, and the like.  Dan is working on a ride report, but expects it to take a few more days because of work demands.  It was all very entertaining.

This Ride: 23.1 miles
Month: 346.3 miles
2011: 1,830.0 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,949.7 miles

Not much to say about this morning’s ride. It was one of those days to just get out and ride, this time without much enthusiasm.

Six of us were out.  It was an easy pace.  We did not have anyone from the Flèche out this morning.  The next big event is OC-12 in less than 2 weeks.

This Ride: 57.2 miles
Month: 323.3 miles
2011: 1,807.0 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,926.7 miles

Ahh, Friday. I was so looking forward to getting out for a little stress reduction and a good ride this morning. My goal was 59 miles. I ended up with 57. Close enough.

Our group met in two locations this morning.  The Rusty Bridge was the meeting place for some of us.  Then we stopped at the Ranger Station as Bryan loaded gear to transport to the finish line of the Fleche.  Five from our group are riding some 250 miles in 24 hours from Severna Park, into Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, & Washington D.C.  The forecast is for rain.  That was the topic of conversation for most of the ride and most of breakfast this morning.  When we pushed off from the Ranger Station, we had 9 riders, all in a pretty good moods.

Six of us rode into Annapolis to the Hard Bean for breakfast.  Mike B. even joined us there, which is always a treat.  Some stories were told about a cold, wet Fleche ride a few years ago when some of the group experienced hypothermia, one so bad that he was not able to finish.  These rides can be seriously dangerous, and not just from motor vehicles.  Knowing one another, trusting each other, and watching out for one another are critical because with the stress can come a serious lack of judgment.

Soon we were pushing off and I joined Mike on his commute to work.  It was here that I discovered one of the consequences of my significant calorie restriction as I attempt to lose about 10-15 lbs.  Last night’s supper was an apple (I wasn’t hungry) and this morning I had a muffin and coffee.  On the ride to the Airport my heart rate was significantly higher than usual for the speed we were going, and it felt like a much greater effort.  I didn’t “bonk” but I really had to watch my pace.  As I review my previous rides, my average heart rate for this ride was similar to other rides where I averaged a couple of mph faster than I did today.

[Note to self: Increase the calories the week before OC-12.]

After Mike split off to finish the route to work, I continued on and added an out and back to Elkridge in an attempt to get to my 59 mile goal.  That is a nice route to go, and I’ll need to keep it in mind for the summer when I’m attempting to increase my daily mileage.

The ride ended at Baltimore Washington Medical Center where I needed to pick up Lori’s car and transport it home, so the bike went in the back and the ride was over.

This was one of those routine rides.  There were no near misses.  Drivers of other vehicles were courteous.  Two banana peels were spotted.  Daredevil bunnies were out in force before dawn.  The sunrise was pretty.  No flats.  Good friends to ride with most of the way.  Good food and coffee at Hard Bean.  Temperatures were comfortable.  Yes, it was a good morning.

Bill C is riding Sailing Down to Solomons today … solo.  It is his first official 200k.  It is a perfect day for it.  Bonne Route! (I thought about accompanying him, but really couldn’t swing it for today with too many other things on the agenda for the rest of the day.)

Tuesday
This Ride: 19.98 miles
Month: 244.1 miles
2011: 1,727.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,847.5 miles

Thursday
This Ride: 22.0 miles
Month: 266.1 miles
2011: 1,749.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,869.5 miles

I’ve been jammed at work the past couple of days and didn’t take the time to post my ride on Tuesday.  Wednesday I chose not to ride because of rain, fatigue, and pressing work matters.

Tuesday we resumed “Terrible Tuesday”.  I got out early, putting in about 9 miles before meeting the group at the Rusty Bridge.  Temps were absolutely wonderful.  It was 67°F at the start, and only dropped down to 64.  Rain was threatening and it was humid, but we stayed dry.  I had to cut my ride short, ending where Old County meets B&A and returned solo.  I had a great pace, the fastest 20 mile ride of the year so far.  I was pleased I could keep up as well as I did.  Adding these faster rides mid-week should help increase my fitness and my usual speed.  That result is what I’m looking for.

Thursday’s ride was more of a challenge for me.  I didn’t dress warm enough for the ride.  Leaving my house it was 48.  Returning home was 43.  I was dressed for 50 – 55 as I look at my clothing charts.  My mind is fried.  I don’t know how many riders we had.  We didn’t have a fast pace as I expected.  The Fleche team was all out, and thinking through their 24 hour ride beginning Saturday at 7:00 am.  The forecast is for rain.  My Garmin acted up, with the display freezing at one point.  Somehow my cadence magnet is not registering (battery?).  I’m just glad I wasn’t doing a long solo ride today because mentally I was not in top form.  That’s when it is extra good to ride with a group.

I will say that I felt better after the ride than I did before the ride.

I’m also scrambling a bit now to put in the miles I need for this month.  To be back on track I need 59 miles tomorrow.  That should be possible.  Holy Week will be a challenge getting the requisite miles in, but OC12 is at the end of the month, and should add 100+ miles.

I’m posting only Tuesday’s Garmin track due to the hiccup in today’s Garmin data.

This Ride: 21.6 miles
Month: 224.1 miles
2011: 1,707.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,827.5 miles

I rode not an inch since Thursday’s 200k. I could have. But I didn’t. So it was good to get back out this morning.

The 57° temperatures brought people out in droves.  We had 13 riders this morning.  We had a new rider.  Barry heard about the group from Ann B, the woman who wrote about our riding through the winter.  Mike C and Evan were out.  The day’s agenda was Mosey Monday … but we had a pretty brisk pace going for the ride, or so I thought.  As it turns out, it was the same pace I had for the 200k.  Imagine that!

We all listened to one another’s ride reports.  Clif and Chip rode a 300k on Saturday that included one rider being struck by a deer, plenty of fog, and over 14,000 feet of climbing.  It makes my ride sound like a little jaunt in the park.  There was a lot of good conversation, and a lot of catching up on even non-cycling events.

The sunrise was gorgeous.  The sun was a big red ball in the sky as the ride was finishing up.

This Ride: 128.4 miles
Month: 202.5 miles
2011: 1,686.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,805.9 miles

Let’s get the title out of the way first. On my first 200k in December, Clint, Mike, and I rode the Sailing Down to Solomons Permanent Route after a significant snowfall. We had to watch for patches of ice and snow along the course. On that ride, I noticed quite a few discarded banana peels, and wondered how I would ever live it down if I slipped on a discarded banana peel rather than the ice and snow. Since then, I’ve taken to counting discarded banana peels along the roadway as a way to occupy my mind during these long rides, especially the solo rides. Today … there were 5 banana peels along the road.

I had four goals for today’s 200k.

1. Finish
2. Finish in under 10 hours.
3. Determine if I am ready to try a 300k.
4. Have some fun … including looking around a bit (I tend to focus on the road so I can count banana peels).

I am pleased to say I accomplished all four.

At the 7:00 am start, it was about 44° F, a little cooler than what was forecast.  That meant some last minute changes in what I planned to wear, and I’m glad I made those changes.  I was comfortable at the start, and didn’t really begin to overheat until my first stop at mile 37.  My plan to increase the odds of finishing in under 10 hours was to make sure that I ate and hydrated well on the bike.  That would hopefully allow me to keep the stops to a minimum.  My plan was to eat something and drink something every 5 miles.  My Garmin is programmed to do a “lap” every 5 miles, so it gives a little beep, and if I miss the beep (and the display of the 5 mile split time) multiples of 5 are easy for my addled brain to figure out.  I don’t really know what impact my plan had on my overall ride, except that I got really tired of eating and drinking every 5 miles.  I also didn’t want to have to pee every few miles, so I tried to balance fluid intake amounts to keep me on the bike.  I also tried to manage my heart rate.  I didn’t want early spikes in heart rate to cost me later in the ride.  That was hard to manage the first 10-15 miles.

I can say that the first half of the ride was absolutely gorgeous.  I was conscious of looking around a good deal.  The flowering trees were in full bloom, and some of the horse farms I passed had more flowering trees than they really needed.  The sky had high thin clouds, so color remained from the sunrise for a while.  I also had a pretty good pace going.  The elevation from Crofton to Solomons Island gradually drops and I had a gentle tail wind part of the way.  The route mostly follows Highway 2, so the Maryland Highway Department has smoothed out many of the rollers.  I made great time, averaging about 17.7 mph to the turn around point.  My only stop to that point was for a few minutes at mile 37 at the WaWa.

In Solomons, I planned a brief pit stop at Woodburn’s Market.  When I arrived, there were “50% off everything” signs in all the windows.  The remaining merchandise was all at the cash registers.  I think today was their last day being open.  I spoke briefly with a cashier, who said they were closing because of the “economy”.  I stopped at a gas station for the pit stop, and service was not nearly as good as Woodburn’s had been on previous trips.  The cashier at Woodburn’s Market said they hoped to open again later, but there were no immediate plans.  And so began the slog back up in elevation.

The second half of Sailing Down to Solomons is a gradual increase in elevation, and Highway 2 is mostly avoided for the side roads full of “rollers”.  Some people enjoy these.  I don’t.  Let me say that again.  I don’t.  My plan was to make it to Sweet Sue’s in North Beach before stopping for a bite to eat.  By the time I got there, I was pretty fatigued.  My eating plan had not been as consistent.  I reasoned that from Solomons to North Beach was only about 35 miles.  I still ate and drank, but just not as often.  Sweet Sue’s was a welcome stop.  I ordered an orange juice & a tuna salad sandwich, put my feet up, and spent about a half an hour in the shop.  I also knew that the “rollers” were only going to get more frequent as I pushed off.

I really struggled from Sweet Sue’s until just about 5 miles from the finish.  My average speed was down.  I was pushing an 8-12 mph headwind.  I had “rollers”.  I was tired.  And to top it off, the temperature was bouncing all over the place, ranging from 73° to 53° F (really, from Solomons this had been true).  The closer I was to the water, the cooler it was.  On the trip north I had three different combinations of vest, arm warmers, and jersey trying to manage the temperature.  Part of my plan for the ride included music for the section of ride from Sweet Sue’s to the finish as a way to distract myself from the effort of those hills.  I’m not sure the plan helped.

Soon I was counting down the miles in single digits, and there was no doubt that I was going to finish well under 10 hours.  At Sweet Sue’s, I predicted my arrival to be between 4:30 and 4:45, but pulled into the finish a few minutes before 4:20, but had to stand in line to buy a banana and get my control card signed.  Those interested in the details of the pace and time, can click on the map below to see the Garmin data.

So, I finished.  I finished in 9:20 (officially).  I determined that I’m NOT ready for a 300k (I can’t imagine going another 62 miles).  I had fun during part of the ride, and the ride kicked my butt … again (but not as bad as before) on the return.

And … I have 5 consecutive monthly 200k rides in the book.  Only 7 more to go for the R-12.

Random experiences during the ride.

• I had to scare off a flock of Turkey Vultures in order to pass by at one point.  They don’t like to move away from road kill.
• I heard Bald Eagles, but never spotted any.
• There were whitecaps on the Chesapeake Bay because of the strong northerly wind.
• I’m convinced that panel trucks, especially rental panel trucks don’t know that you are not supposed to cross the solid white line on the right side of the road.
• Other than panel trucks, and one pickup truck driver, most were courteous and gave me wide berth.
• My forearms are now darker than my hands … resuming the cycling tan.
• School bus drivers in Calvert County are no better than the ones in Severna Park in giving cyclists at least 3 feet clearance.
• Even though I’ve ridden this route 3 times now, there are a couple of places where I had to do a U-turn to get back on the route.
• I’m tired, but it was a good day.
• It would have been nice to have at least one other rider with me.
• The Garmin track says I was 42 feet below sea level at one point, and that the finish was 10 feet lower than the start, even though they were the same point (take it with a grain of salt).
• I’m tired of Gatorade.

Just a quick update here.  Thunderstorms rumbled through Tuesday morning about the time I would have left for our 5:45 ride, with tornado watches included.  I chose not to ride.

This morning, I again slept in.  I had a plan in mind and wanted the rest.

I’ve registered for a solo 200k ride tomorrow (Thursday).  I do the Sailing Down to Solomon’s route again.  It looks to be the best day for such a ride in quite some time.  Watch for a ride report (probably Friday).

This Ride: 26.5 miles
Month: 74.1 miles
2011: 1,557.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,677.5 miles

When the thermometer hit the mid-70’s I juggled a few items on the calendar and set out to ride once again.  It was hot!  The Garmin read 91° F at one point, although I think officially it was in the low 80’s.

I tried out my new cycling shoes, and I’m not impressed.  I had to remove the arch support as it is too high for my foot, and the outside ball of my foot complained the last half of the ride.  I need to see what I can to do fix those issues.

It was good to get out again on this unseasonably warm (and windy) day.

48 miles on the day.

This Ride: 21.2 miles
Month: 47.7 miles
2011: 1,531.4 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 7,651.1 miles

It is so much easier getting dressed for a 47°F ride than a 30° ride.  Yes, there are still decisions to be made, but there is a layer that doesn’t have to be put on.  That gets me out of the house a little quicker and a few miles in before the meet up at the Rusty Bridge.  (I cheated though, and cut the end of the ride short in order to make it to Annapolis for a meeting this morning.)

Once all the riders were collected, we had 7, including Mike C. who hasn’t ridden with the group since last fall.  We had an easy pace that felt good on this warmish morning.  (A year ago, this still would have been too cold for me to ride.)  Dave was out and told us a little about the 200 k he rode yesterday.  Clint has registered for the Paris-Brest-Paris ride this summer.  Others were able to squeeze in rides between rain showers over the weekend.  Even with a heavy cloud cover, it is getting light much earlier and I’m looking forward to some more morning daylight rides.