I was feeling like all the miles are paying off. Then Sunday I was struck down by some sort of bug that caused my body to shut down 10 miles into last Sunday’s MUSEP ride. Rather than gut it out I limped home by myself. A few days of travel kept me off the bike for a few days afterward.
But tonight I got back on, and joined the Day School ride. Several of us got separated from the main group and ended up doing a few more miles (34.4) than planned. I felt like I was about 70%, and my legs kept cramping, but I managed to finish without falling apart. A small victory, but I’ll take it.
Now, when riding I never suffer like a racer does. Riding should be fun, and there are always reasons to stop for a moment, have a drink, and stretch the legs. No one’s chasing me, and I’m not chasing anyone else — at least with the goal of winning anything. So I seldom feel the need to push myself so hard that I feel like I’m going to end a ride totally spent. That seems to go against the point of riding — to have fun.
However, today was all about suffering. For the music in the park ride the temp was just south of 100 degrees; humidity was off the chart; we always seemed to be riding on fresh blacktop and without shade; there was no such thing as enough water. As I told my wife later, I got to a point where I just switched off and stopped thinking about how I was feeling. We covered 40.5 miles; the entire time I tried to avoid thinking about the heat, and kept telling myself to keep my legs spinning. Must of worked — I finished feeling relatively fresh, though definitely not ready to go any more miles.
I rejoined the Oak Ridge ride this morning (btw, it’s called the Oak Ridge ride because it occasionally starts there – today we started in north Greensboro) for an 8:30 AM start. I named today’s route the Dead Coyote Ride, because we stop midway at a store that features a stuffed coyote under glass.
The route itself follows relatively quiet roads to Wentworth, then takes a hilly path that brings you back to Lake Brandt Rd., where there is no lack of automotive traffic. Not to mention a nice little hill to end the ride.
I felt strong today, and covered the 44.8 miles without ever feeling like I was killing myself. All those miles – I’m approaching my 2004 mileage total – must be paying off.
Bike Virginia started this way for me: I rolled into Roanoke, VA Friday evening, registered, set up camp, caught a shuttle into Roanoke where I found a comfortable barstool and a couple of cold Sierra Nevadas, then fell asleep by 10.
I was up by 6, and found fellow North Carolinians John and Herb at breakfast. We agreed to be on the road by 7:30, and left out of town at a comfortable pace. Good thing – we had a lot of climbing ahead. The first serious climb – a 12%-ish thing – took its toll, with lots of riders bailing out and walking. We honked up it, and found plenty more throughout the day, including a 2.5 mile, switchbacked monster that came immediately after the lunch stop. We rolled over it, and plummeted off The Wall, a steep descent that was unlike anything we have around here. Not having descended it before, I maxed out at a moderate 45 mph. Miles on Saturday: 54.4.
We enjoyed dinner on Mill Mountain that evening, along with some jazz and a walk up to the Roanoke Star. I had a hard time getting started the next morning, and left a half hour after John and Herb. We finally met up at lunch, in time to hit a 10 mile, 1,500 vertical foot climb. In glaring sunlight. It wasn’t the last, either, as we rolled toward Tent City in Lexington. Sunday miles: 74.7.
Monday seemed easier in comparison to Sunday, but it was a hot one, measured in gallons of liquid consumed. Other than a couple of short, steep hills, the route was rolling and the miles flew by.
A couple of highlights: A slightly uphill ride to the very pretty Goshen Pass, where we spent a while with our feet in the Maury River, and the Governor’s no-show at lunch, after he crashed while riding a leg of the route. Monday miles: 54.7.
Tuesday, or day four, started with a breakfast of Chris Cakes, which fly through the air on their way to your plate. Tasty. The day in the saddle that followed was pretty relaxed. After a long grunt out of town we hit a series of flat to rolling roads, broken up by a tour of the Rockbridge Winery and other good rest stops. The weather wasn’t as hot as on Monday, and we enjoyed rolling through a river valley – at one point on the wheels of a couple of recumbents which pulled us along for an hour at 18-20 mph.
We finished off the day with dinner at the Lexington Horse Center, and a party featuring a Buffett cover band. The lack of shade finally drove us back to camp, where we got ready for the final day. Tuesday miles: 49.4.
Wednesday, the final day of BVA, was reputed to be hilly. Not really. After climbing out of Lexington, we hit a series of flat, rolling and downhill roads that carried us through the fastest metric century I’ve ever done. We were cranking along, and even a couple of harsh climbs after Troutville, on the way back to Roanoke, didn’t seem so bad. Funny though – after traveling 20 miles or so without stopping, we did the stop and go routine through downtown Roanoke. It felt like a half hour of stoplight sprints.
We rolled into the parking area early in the afternoon, collected our bags, and just as I started out for home we got hit by a downpour. Talk about timing. Wednesday miles: 63.4.
So how was it, overall? Excellent. Great organization, a beautiful and challenging route, and perfect (for June, anyway) weather. In retrospect, the 22,000 vertical feet of climbing made me a lot stronger (though I was cursing the climbs at the time), and I’m looking forward to more rides like those.
While Uber-Kid Tom Boonen was biding his time until he waxed the competition on the finishing straight at Tours, I was out at the GVC Fourth of July ride. After a late start (somewhere between 8:30 and 9, but who’s paying attention?) we rolled on up to Madison (briskly!) then to Wentworth (quick!) and back for lunch at Hugo’s. Total miles: 66.3.
Stretched out my legs on Saturday with an easy 17.9 miles with the Smoky Mountain Wheelmen. Along the way I had a chance to chat with another rider whose experiences at Bike Virginia were much like my own.
The short story: 22,000 feet of climbing and 295+ miles. Great routes. Excellent scenery. Perfect weather. I’ll have photos and details after some rest.
Work’s keeping me off this bike this week, so today’s 32.4 mile ride was the last before I start Bicycle Virginia. A large group started from Barber Park and then quickly split as the pace kept rising. I fell in with a few folks who rolled along at a comfortable-but-not-too-slow speed and occasionally regrouped along the route. A front rolled in and kept temps cool and winds brisk – it didn’t feel like mid June, that’s for sure.
