Let me take you back a couple of days to lunch on Friday. The plant safety manager came off of vacation on Friday and we had a lot to cover so we went out to lunch. In looking at the menu, it hit me, "I am riding 200+ miles tomorrow!" I got the Southwest Chicken Pasta to aid in my carbo loading regime. The next four hours were tortuous, trying to focus on work and not about the ride. All I wanted to do was ride. At 10 to 4, I get a call from the front desk, "Your wife is on the way up to your office." Salvation had arrived.
We fought the traffic to get downtown, picked up some food at Chipotle, figured out where to park for the train station, checked-in for the Cascades 508 train, and boarded the train. Rumors were rampart from the other train riders about the time we would get to Tacoma. The information online was saying on-time while many of the riders were saying two hours late. I believed the online information and should have believed the riders. After four frustrating hours on the train, we finally disembarked in Tacoma and began moving towards the hotel in Seattle. I got to bed at midnight, tired, anxious, and hoping to not sleep through my alarm.
3:30 AM came earlier than expected. I got up, dressed for a day of riding, and got down to 2OLDS's room to make sure we got out in time to pick up my bike from the Vitamin Water bus. The Vitamin Water team is a group of 18 riders who had invited me to join them for the ride. Since C was riding the second half, I told them the first century would be great and thanked them for the invite to be a part of the group. We got to the bus in time, got ready, and headed to the start line. At 4:45 AM, we rode across the start line with about 150 other one day riders. The first 50 miles was uneventful (about three hours of riding) as I got to know the group. After waiting for the team to hand out Vitamin Water at the 50 mile rest stop, we hit the road again. Then it happened - after riding through the city with all of the stop lights and slow downs - we got in a pace line and began to work. After an hour of steady work at 20 MPH, Mark, the Ironman triathlete, rides up to me and says, "time to bleed." Quickly I knew what he meant. He rode to the front of the pace line and lifted the pace to 24 to 26 MPH. We bounced between 22 to 25 for the last 30 miles as the team worked together to keep up the pace. The last 50 we covered in 2:19 - very fast. Bleed I did put I didn't notice at the time nor know the impact (a little foreshadowing). I had just ridden my second fastest century. There was much celebration in Centralia, probably too much.
After 30 minutes of lunch and rest, it was back on the bike. I bid farewell to the Vitamin Water team and the C and I set out. The pain train was about to leave the station - with a new conductor. The first couple of miles of the second century indicated that I was in trouble. It was no longer easy spinning for me, my legs burned, my back ached, and the sun was in full force. The first 20 miles of the second century I was hemorraging and there was nothing to stop the bleeding except quitting and that was not going to happen. We stopped briefly for a bio break at mile 120 only to get back on the road. We continued on to Lexington, the 150 mile mark. The new conductor was merciless as she put the pedal down and made me work furiously. Christine had ridden away from me as the rollers got the best of my legs. She provided me the motivation to step up and catch here. After a few minutes of hard riding, I caught her right at the entrance to the rest stop. I was going to need help to get into Portland. We got some food, took a break, lied down, spoke to the team manager (my mom), picked up some more gels and life savers, and hit the road again. We stopped only one more time before getting to Portland. After 11 1/2 hours in the saddle, it was good to get off the bike for good - joyous to be in Portland and arrive with the C at my side.
The last 50 was made possible because of Christine. She pulled me, talked to me, and provided the support that was needed to get it done. The hard riding earlier in the day had done me in. I understand quite a bit better how it works in TdF to put riders into pain early and what that means late.
The C finished her first century with style. Congratulations! Way to go! She would have finished much faster if I had not been her anchor. She will have another chance to show her stuff in a month at the Vine Ride in Newberg. I am excited for the ride. It will be a good time with some serious pedaling. I mentioned in an earlier post the fear of her catching me and proving me the poser that I am. The time is here. Next year, she can join the group and pedal the full 200. Pictures will follow as we get them.
Century #4 and #5 complete - three more to go this year.
We fought the traffic to get downtown, picked up some food at Chipotle, figured out where to park for the train station, checked-in for the Cascades 508 train, and boarded the train. Rumors were rampart from the other train riders about the time we would get to Tacoma. The information online was saying on-time while many of the riders were saying two hours late. I believed the online information and should have believed the riders. After four frustrating hours on the train, we finally disembarked in Tacoma and began moving towards the hotel in Seattle. I got to bed at midnight, tired, anxious, and hoping to not sleep through my alarm.
3:30 AM came earlier than expected. I got up, dressed for a day of riding, and got down to 2OLDS's room to make sure we got out in time to pick up my bike from the Vitamin Water bus. The Vitamin Water team is a group of 18 riders who had invited me to join them for the ride. Since C was riding the second half, I told them the first century would be great and thanked them for the invite to be a part of the group. We got to the bus in time, got ready, and headed to the start line. At 4:45 AM, we rode across the start line with about 150 other one day riders. The first 50 miles was uneventful (about three hours of riding) as I got to know the group. After waiting for the team to hand out Vitamin Water at the 50 mile rest stop, we hit the road again. Then it happened - after riding through the city with all of the stop lights and slow downs - we got in a pace line and began to work. After an hour of steady work at 20 MPH, Mark, the Ironman triathlete, rides up to me and says, "time to bleed." Quickly I knew what he meant. He rode to the front of the pace line and lifted the pace to 24 to 26 MPH. We bounced between 22 to 25 for the last 30 miles as the team worked together to keep up the pace. The last 50 we covered in 2:19 - very fast. Bleed I did put I didn't notice at the time nor know the impact (a little foreshadowing). I had just ridden my second fastest century. There was much celebration in Centralia, probably too much.
After 30 minutes of lunch and rest, it was back on the bike. I bid farewell to the Vitamin Water team and the C and I set out. The pain train was about to leave the station - with a new conductor. The first couple of miles of the second century indicated that I was in trouble. It was no longer easy spinning for me, my legs burned, my back ached, and the sun was in full force. The first 20 miles of the second century I was hemorraging and there was nothing to stop the bleeding except quitting and that was not going to happen. We stopped briefly for a bio break at mile 120 only to get back on the road. We continued on to Lexington, the 150 mile mark. The new conductor was merciless as she put the pedal down and made me work furiously. Christine had ridden away from me as the rollers got the best of my legs. She provided me the motivation to step up and catch here. After a few minutes of hard riding, I caught her right at the entrance to the rest stop. I was going to need help to get into Portland. We got some food, took a break, lied down, spoke to the team manager (my mom), picked up some more gels and life savers, and hit the road again. We stopped only one more time before getting to Portland. After 11 1/2 hours in the saddle, it was good to get off the bike for good - joyous to be in Portland and arrive with the C at my side.
The last 50 was made possible because of Christine. She pulled me, talked to me, and provided the support that was needed to get it done. The hard riding earlier in the day had done me in. I understand quite a bit better how it works in TdF to put riders into pain early and what that means late.
The C finished her first century with style. Congratulations! Way to go! She would have finished much faster if I had not been her anchor. She will have another chance to show her stuff in a month at the Vine Ride in Newberg. I am excited for the ride. It will be a good time with some serious pedaling. I mentioned in an earlier post the fear of her catching me and proving me the poser that I am. The time is here. Next year, she can join the group and pedal the full 200. Pictures will follow as we get them.
Century #4 and #5 complete - three more to go this year.
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