Monday, June 12, 2006
the Longest Day Ride 2006 - Port Jervis to Cape May
I just wanted to make a breif ride recap, throw up topo map of the route, and other miscellanea here, regarding our Longest Day Ride, Port Jervis to Cape May, on June 10th 2006.
Good golly, this was a long day.
We rolled into the Comfort Inn at Port Jervis around 3:50 am and fiddled with our bikes and lights and got ready for the ride. We started pedaling around 4:20 am in th dark with the lights on.
Immediately, we lost the sag vehicle that Yori was driving, and we had to stop and wait for it to find us. But this was not Yori's fault. No one waited for her and she did not have a cue sheet. First Cluster Foxtrot solved.
Eventually Chris and I caught up with the group at about mile 15 where everyone had stopped to wait and eat.
After talking about this ride with Toolbox and reading about doing "centuries" I found that its vital to eat all day, every half hour to and hour and get about to water bottles in you per hour. So stops every 20 miles would continue throughout the day.
We rolled on... this part of the ride was hilly and there were some climbs so the trick was to resist the urge to attack hills and just sit and spin. Not everyone felt the same way and some stringer riders really mashed and left me in the dust. I did my best to catch up on downhils but this was also a bad strategy because its nice to coast down them on these long rides to save energy.
After we ducked below route 80, we started riding through the Chester area and the last few remaining climbs were behind us. The last climb was not a big one but one to ride cautiously for energy savings. Me, at least (I was constantly nervous all day about over-exerting myself and bonking before the end). It was good to spend some time talking to Manny; a guy I knew from Lewis Morris rides on Wednesday night but never got to know very well. Thanks for helping me pass the time man!
Once we passed below route 78 there was nothing more than small rollers and flat terrain for hours upon hours upon hours, and more hours.
At mile 103 (halfway) we stopped in a small town (name?) and took a good 20-30 minute rest. This was when someone told be that we just rode 103 miles! My first "century ride" a new personal record! But only halfway there. Wow.
Once we moved on, we rode down a road in Hillsdale along a river. A pretty nice ride. But I remember being pretty tired here. The pace was brisk and I had rouble staying wth the group. Sometime at this point, JimG realized I had no clue how to draft in a paceline (which was true). He took me under his wing as his personal pet project and had me 4" off Rob's back tire. I could not believe this was the correct distance but I did it, and kept close as best I could. Rob was one of the strong riders and yet easy to draft because he was always dead straight.
JimG then kept on me. If I drifted off the pack, he slow and pull me in. Repeatedly. Toolbox was also throwing me lifelines, as was Chris D. But it was JimG who really took me in and got me home. All day long, I watched the pavement whiz by and JimG's tire spin 4-6" off my front tire. I remember this vision especially in the hell that is Fort Dix and the Pine Barrens. The blur of the asphalt, the stripes on JimG's Hutchisons spinning at 18mph, and Alice in Chains in my iPod, my noodly legs... this *was* the Pine Barrens for me.
We kept rolling on... somewhere around 180 I started feeling good again and actually took a few turns up front. Not for long but I was there. Mainly to slow Rob and JimG down. The bastards were still bumping up against 18mph and I thought I would explode. So I got up there and did a casual 16. Not for long though.
The last 20 miles were especially tough. The winds started up from the side and head on and the bridge over the aqueduct felt like Skyline Drive. At some point Rob and JimG decided it was a race for the finish. I did not see them again, I think they had to catch another group that passed us. I wish I had their energy!
Toolbox and I rolled down the Boulevard and then made a left onto road leading to the Cape May Lighthouse. About a half mile from the lighthouse we saw it for the first time. Sweet mother of God, was that a sight!
Here's the thanks I get... after pulling Toolbox in for the last mile, of course he had to pass me, cut me off (swerve to avoid t-boning him) and watch him fly into the parking lot before me. Oh well, I was last one from our group to make it home but I was glad as hell to be there!
The image below is what greeted us upon our arrival at the Cape May Lighthouse (camera in my mobile phone is pretty poor). After 208 miles, you cannot imagine what a beautiful sight this was!
Next year, I am there.
Stats (thanks to Rob for sending these out):
A BIG - TIME thanks to Yoriko, Kim and Frank for driving the Sag Vehicles. Without these people, we would not be able to do this ride! To everyone in my group I thoroughly enjoyed this and it was great riding with you. Thanks for any help you gave me getting me through my "first Century" and double Century.
Close Up Maps:
Good golly, this was a long day.
We rolled into the Comfort Inn at Port Jervis around 3:50 am and fiddled with our bikes and lights and got ready for the ride. We started pedaling around 4:20 am in th dark with the lights on.
Immediately, we lost the sag vehicle that Yori was driving, and we had to stop and wait for it to find us. But this was not Yori's fault. No one waited for her and she did not have a cue sheet. First Cluster Foxtrot solved.
Eventually Chris and I caught up with the group at about mile 15 where everyone had stopped to wait and eat.
After talking about this ride with Toolbox and reading about doing "centuries" I found that its vital to eat all day, every half hour to and hour and get about to water bottles in you per hour. So stops every 20 miles would continue throughout the day.
We rolled on... this part of the ride was hilly and there were some climbs so the trick was to resist the urge to attack hills and just sit and spin. Not everyone felt the same way and some stringer riders really mashed and left me in the dust. I did my best to catch up on downhils but this was also a bad strategy because its nice to coast down them on these long rides to save energy.
After we ducked below route 80, we started riding through the Chester area and the last few remaining climbs were behind us. The last climb was not a big one but one to ride cautiously for energy savings. Me, at least (I was constantly nervous all day about over-exerting myself and bonking before the end). It was good to spend some time talking to Manny; a guy I knew from Lewis Morris rides on Wednesday night but never got to know very well. Thanks for helping me pass the time man!
Once we passed below route 78 there was nothing more than small rollers and flat terrain for hours upon hours upon hours, and more hours.
At mile 103 (halfway) we stopped in a small town (name?) and took a good 20-30 minute rest. This was when someone told be that we just rode 103 miles! My first "century ride" a new personal record! But only halfway there. Wow.
Once we moved on, we rode down a road in Hillsdale along a river. A pretty nice ride. But I remember being pretty tired here. The pace was brisk and I had rouble staying wth the group. Sometime at this point, JimG realized I had no clue how to draft in a paceline (which was true). He took me under his wing as his personal pet project and had me 4" off Rob's back tire. I could not believe this was the correct distance but I did it, and kept close as best I could. Rob was one of the strong riders and yet easy to draft because he was always dead straight.JimG then kept on me. If I drifted off the pack, he slow and pull me in. Repeatedly. Toolbox was also throwing me lifelines, as was Chris D. But it was JimG who really took me in and got me home. All day long, I watched the pavement whiz by and JimG's tire spin 4-6" off my front tire. I remember this vision especially in the hell that is Fort Dix and the Pine Barrens. The blur of the asphalt, the stripes on JimG's Hutchisons spinning at 18mph, and Alice in Chains in my iPod, my noodly legs... this *was* the Pine Barrens for me.
We kept rolling on... somewhere around 180 I started feeling good again and actually took a few turns up front. Not for long but I was there. Mainly to slow Rob and JimG down. The bastards were still bumping up against 18mph and I thought I would explode. So I got up there and did a casual 16. Not for long though.
The last 20 miles were especially tough. The winds started up from the side and head on and the bridge over the aqueduct felt like Skyline Drive. At some point Rob and JimG decided it was a race for the finish. I did not see them again, I think they had to catch another group that passed us. I wish I had their energy!
Toolbox and I rolled down the Boulevard and then made a left onto road leading to the Cape May Lighthouse. About a half mile from the lighthouse we saw it for the first time. Sweet mother of God, was that a sight!
Here's the thanks I get... after pulling Toolbox in for the last mile, of course he had to pass me, cut me off (swerve to avoid t-boning him) and watch him fly into the parking lot before me. Oh well, I was last one from our group to make it home but I was glad as hell to be there!The image below is what greeted us upon our arrival at the Cape May Lighthouse (camera in my mobile phone is pretty poor). After 208 miles, you cannot imagine what a beautiful sight this was!
Next year, I am there.
Stats (thanks to Rob for sending these out):
Started: 4:25 AM
Finished: 7:29 PM
Average Speed: 16.76 MPH
Total Distance: 208.2 MILES
Total Time: 15:04
Riding Time: 12:25
SAG Breaks: 2:39
Calories: 8645
HR Zone 2
calculations based on Rob's HRM, and start and finish times.
A BIG - TIME thanks to Yoriko, Kim and Frank for driving the Sag Vehicles. Without these people, we would not be able to do this ride! To everyone in my group I thoroughly enjoyed this and it was great riding with you. Thanks for any help you gave me getting me through my "first Century" and double Century.
Close Up Maps:
Comments:
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I'm here because I somehow got a hit from your blog. I'm assuming it was from the "next blog" button on the blogger bar.
Those pictures from Africa are amazing! I set one as my desktop, I hope you don't mind.
Congratulations to you both :D Happy riding/hiking/skiing/snowboarding, whatever it is y'all do.
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Those pictures from Africa are amazing! I set one as my desktop, I hope you don't mind.
Congratulations to you both :D Happy riding/hiking/skiing/snowboarding, whatever it is y'all do.
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