Lollygaging - Morrisville 300k

My take on Saturday’s 2010 Morrisville to Seagrove, NC 300k is a tardy. UMMM, the dog ate my write-up. Oh yea, I don’t have one of those.

We met in the usual place said hi, registered and RBA Al gave a brief to the riders. I started the day feeling strong and hung with the lead pack until Jack Bennett Road a nice little climb that starts with long false flat. I rode most of the way to the next 2 controls solo completing the first 100k feeling great.

I departed Siler City for the short trip to Seagrove with a group of 5 or 6 riders. My legs were still feeling great for about 10—15 miles. After a little pull on Coleridge Road, I lost some horsepower and slowed. Then I slowed some more and maybe even some more. The next 15 miles were a little miserable but mentally I am in the game and knew a rest waited up yonder!

The Seagrove Control came just in time. I refueled my fuel, and topped off the water. The volunteers at the control were a very kind and most importantly they had sun screen. Although as I dawned the lotion, I figured I probably would be jinxing the entire ride with rain.

I tore out of the control on a mission to make up some time. Flying up and down the rolling terrain and zipping around the corners until I mistakenly made a wrong turn onto Trinity Church Road and explored 4 miles of the wrong road. Finally I looked at the odometer and thought, I should be at the corner in Erect. GRRRRR. I’m sure I said a few words that I learned in the Marines and can’t repeat. The bonus miles kinda sapped my motivation and I proceeded to lollygag all the way back to Siler City.

Do you know what that makes me? A lollygagger. (Bull Durham)

To my surprise Ron and Sridhar were sitting in front of the gas station eating some delicious snacks when I arrived. While I was taking care of the logistics at the control, my jinx prediction became a reality with the first of several showers.

Ron, Sridhar and Matt the ROMA RBA rode on and off together until a stop at the Andrews Store. Notable here was the amount of rednecks coming from a nearby concert that kept buzzing our posse. Insert more colorful phraseology here.One stretch of road was lined with fireflies. However, with the lack of visibility and the slippery pavement, the pace became decidedly slow. Ron and I lollygagged to Al’s house sometime before midnight.

Morrisville-Siler City 200k 2010

Saturday marked the traditional the beginning of the NC brevet ‘season.’ This is not entirely the case with the additional offerings being offered on the calendar. Most of the riders had several brevets or permanents under their belt before toeing the line on Saturday. I still like to think of Al’s 200k as the beginning.

As a side note, Coho bicycles were rolling 5 deep on Saturday. I had the opportunity to check out Jerry’s ride with wood fenders and Wes’s with some serious gold flake. Nice machines gentlemen.

While we prepared bicycles in the parking lot and registered for the brevet, the ride actually starts days prior. It reminds me of a show like the Blue Angles. Their show starts before they arrive at an event. Once the logistics are set up, and the planes arrive. Everything they do when they are at a venue is choreographed. On show day, the real show begins. They march out to their F18s in a ceremony. Each member is introduced as they climb in to the cockpit. The ritual continues one by one. On a cue, number 1 plane taxis followed by the rest. Soon they are in the air performing a masterpiece of precision. The crew and pilots spend hundreds of hours preparing for 10 minutes of flying. A brevet is similar in that weeks of preparation go into a single event.

My preparation for the event in the crucial days prior was horrible and it showed within the first 10 miles as my gas tank emptied. A 24 hour post at work Thursday evening left me drained physically. I had poor nutrition on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I could have done a little better on the food part. The biggest mistake the morning of the ride was not fully topping off the liver glycogen. It only takes a few hundred calories to do the trick. I think I had only1 Gu. OOPS.

After dropping from the pack, I decided to just ride and make the best of it but I still wasn’t eating and drinking enough. Sometime before the first control in Snow Camp, I started feeling a little achy all over. I came up with a plan that would change the day for the better. 1. Drink more water. 2. Eat more chow. 3. Get some electrolytes in the system. Shortly after leaving the control, I felt like great and rode strong. Of course that is easy with a nice tailwind.

My second mistake occurred at the Siler City control. Once again, I had an exact plan of what I needed to do and started executing upon arrival. I planned to top off water, grab a sandwich for the road, get card signed and depart. I was held up by the lottery players in the gas station. The NC lottery must have some good pay outs because this happened at every several controls on the Fleche as well. Things went as planned, I thought. I headed back to Snow Camp. When I arrived, I realized I left my card in Siler City. OOPS.

I continued with my plan, topped off water etc. Another rider mentioned he saw it sitting on the ice machine in Siler City. I debated returning to get it for a second but thought I should wait to see if Sridhar grabbed it on the way out. He arrived like Saint Nick with the card. SHWEWW.

Another successful ride with some good lessons learned. Thanks to Sridhar for grabbing my card and to Al for a great route, the sandwich and cold ESB at the finish.

Congrats to Mike D and his accomplishment of 100 straight months of at least 100 miles.

Fleche NC 2010

Fleche 2010 began well before the official ride start. According to RUSA, the fleche is a 24-hour event held on or around Easter weekend. This is an ACP-sanctioned event. No rest stop may be longer than 2 hours…A minimum of 360 km must be covered during the event.

First, we had to recruit team members for the adventure. This proved to be fairly difficult but there seems to be no shortage of the mad itchin’ for adventure. We quickly filled our tentative roster only to have 2 randonneurs back out due to prior engagements. They were promptly replaced and one of these had to back out due to prolonged illness. With that, the team ‘Riders on the Bubble,’ was set with team members Gary, Sara, Maria and me.

Next, Gary liaised with RBA Tony over the route and we received updates on the progress as the route evolved. I must point out Gary with Tony as tutor worked hard on the route and it was evident; the route was great.

Logistics was the next obstacle. We decided to drop vehicles at the finish and car pool back to Gary and Sara’s as the start was less than a mile from their home. This would require a full day driving in the car. My car ride tallied 7 hours. It was worth the trip as I had wonderful hosts and received a full and peaceful night’s rest.

After a quick ride to the starting control, we were almost nearly set for the impending adventure. Wait, no…we weren’t. Gary and Maria had to turn around and get a control card. Good to get Murphy out of the way prior to the event right?

Our route took us out of Apex, NC on the American Tobacco Trail before reaching the first control in New Hill. As we wound our way through the country side, we noticed several cyclists out for a Friday morning ride. It was along this stretch that we noticed the sign for a farmer selling ‘tomatoes.’

The winding route took us to Angier then we bopped to Benson. The temperatures kept rising. We reached the Smithfield control and I was cooked but no time to whine we had more miles to cover before sundown.

Arriving in Mt. Olive, home of the pickle fest, around 1800, I completed the chores were found some shade outside the convenience store to cool off and eat. It was cooler at 85F+ outside than inside the store. Note: chores usually include 1) get control card signed; 2) replenish supplies as required. Today it included cooling down. I ditched my civvies in a dumpster that I thought wouldn’t make too much of a difference when the ride began. This helped rid the bicycle of 2-3 lbs and made the rest of the rout mentally easier. I wolfed down a ham sandwich, a Coke and checked in via Twitter. I received a message from Branson who was doing the virtual eFleche from his desk. He stated the temperatures in Smithfield topped out at 90F.

We reached Kinston in the dark and made our way to Ayden for the next Control. Topping off and carrying some extra water we headed out towards Cape Carteret in the dark. We passed through Cove City, Trenton, and Maysville. The most difficult part of this part of the ride was staying awake and not crashing during the micro-dozing. Finally as the sun was rising, we approached Cape Carteret. I smelled sausage coming from the small restaurants.
We reached the 22 hour control with just enough time to sit and have a cup of coffee and a little food. I mistakenly chose to eat an egg and cheese bagel and when we departed the control I left portions of it out the parking lot and all the way over the intercoastal bridge leading to Emerald Isle.

We were truly on Riders on the Bubble as we headed up the island towards Atlantic Beach. Our pace guaranteed a finish baring any mechanicals. All members of Riders on the Bubble completed the ride. We were greeted by several riders that had completed in the previous hours which added to the motivation of finishing. I think I can speak for all of us by saying we would do it again next year. Thank you to RBA Tony Goodnight for setting up the ride and choosing a great location for the finish.

[I will post pictures later today.]

Gappity Gap Pics

Pics from the Gappity Gap 100k.

The Gappity Gap 100k starts in Sperryville, VA, climbs 5 miles Thorton Gap, Skyline Drive and descends into Luray. After rolling for a few miles, the route climbs Edith Gap and finally Edinburg Gap before turning around and doing the route in reverse.

This route provides a challenge. Both the 100k and 200k versions are available as a permanent, give it a try.

300k take 2

That's a big hill and we keep getting closer!

It took me 2 tries but I completed a 300k this year; it was a long road and a short story. Last week I “headed down south to the land of the pines” and participated in Alan Johnson’s 300k starting in Morrisville, NC. I rode hard and had fun but in the end my feeble mind got the best of me and I got a DNF. My buddy Jon P. said, “Bro – just finish.” Aye Master Chief! So I cowboyed up and hopped back on the horse for another 300k.



This time it was the DC Randonneur’s Warrenton 300k. Friday evening I registered and completed the bike inspection. While operable headlights and taillights are important, I think they really wanted to get a look at Chuck’s craftsmanship. After the early Saturday morning safety brief we were off into the abyss.

Stanton & George

The ride was truly enjoyable. I rode with some hardy randonneurs like aciene George Winkert. George passed along wisdom whether or not he realized it. Of course I’ve probably heard it a thousand times ‘ride your ride.’ I believe this is the key to successful randonneuring yet it is easy to loose focus. I also rode with Stanton for a while, who is freaking hilarious. Stanton is not in a hurry but finishes his rides. Gentlemen, it was a pleasure.

Old Fence

The merchants at the controls were all courteous and thought we were a few fries short of a happy meal. A few of them had some mean Virginia country jambon sandwiches. I highly recommend.

Information control at Civil War Museum

The crew from DCR that set up the ride, did registration, worked the secret control and stayed until we all safely returned were top notch. The pizza was good too!

2009 Morrisville 200k Brevet

The official ACP Brevet 'season' is in full swing. NC RBA Alan Johnson began his series with Satruday morning's 200k. The weather man called for a beautiful day and he wasn't wrong. Around 35 riders headed for a ramble in rural NC.

Overall, I had a great day on the Coho. Although some trouble started within the first 30 miles. Unexplicably, I fell of the pace. A short while later I developed some abdominal pain. For 15 miles, I trudged along in agony. I was caught and passed by several riders. I contemplated turning around and calling it a day. Dean caught up with me and offered some company; there is no way I was going to quit now. I decided I would suck it up until the control which would definately SUCK - big time. Luckily at mile 40, Dean pointed out a port-a-john near a soccer field. This was the day saver or perhaps the season saver?

After our natural break, we were on the road with several riders along our side. Chuck of Coho bicycles caught us and provided entertainment until the control. We paused at the control for a recharge and departed with a posse 5 deep. Chuck, Dean, Keith, Rob D. and I left the Siler City control in good spirits with trailing winds.

Rob and Chuck told some great tales, some of them tall, all the way back to Morrisville. The posse showed true randonneuring spirit slowing when a rider was struggling. We raced to county lines and even one city line. I won a couple sprints although I still reget to inform the group that it was never my intention to earn le malliot vert. At one point I couldn't read my cue sheet, I'd forgotten where we were. I asked Dean where we were. He said, I'm not sure but the county line is right there. I did give it a couple hard pedal strokes and I did win. Fun.

We finished the ride with smiles on our faces and were greeted by Alan with some tomatoe sandwiches and cold beverages. Several riders hung out for an hour or more cheering for the incoming riders.

The Showdown @ Black Creek 200k

The days trip to Black Creek, NC began in north Raleigh where many of the usual suspect gathered. When I arrived on the scene, Mike D. and Dean were already unloaded and were doing a final check of gear. A short while later, Jerry arrived with the coffee and Branson brought the chocolate au pain (I think). This was a perfect start to a great day in the saddle.

The only concern was the weatherman's accuracy. The rain pelted the area most of the night. The day would prove to be cold and breezy; a few scattered sprinkles. Nothing for Randonneurs to fret.

The other riders arrived, Byron had a pastry and we were off. The ride started and ended with 10 miles of rollers. I felt last weeks run on every single incline. I dropped off the back early and rode most of the day with Dean. We wouldn't see the other riders until we were outside of Black Creek.

Stories of the desolation in Black Creek were way off. On Saturday, there was a festival on Main. People were everywhere with their hot rods and tractors. Some wore costumes (very tall cowboy). A country & western band performed in the town's gazebo. Dean and I didn't waste any time. We got our cards signed and were off.

We found le peleton finishing a biscuit or two at Bojangles and rode to the next control together -- mostly. A quick regroup and a snack and we were off. This theme continued for the next 40 miles. Riding - regroup. The group was splintered by strong pulling in the wind! I fell off on a long uphill and rode solo for a while. I looked at my clock when I hit the century mark and was motivated. I was making great time and riding strong. Until I wasn't.

New theme: "I feel strong...until I'm not." This makes me chuckle because when the energy runs out, it takes a while to figure out exactly what happened and a while longer to do something about it. It is a feeling of helplessness.

The next regroup was at the Sheetz 10 miles from the finish. The lead group was sitting in the outside cafe seating sipping lattes. Perfect, I gulped down a cup of coffee while we awaited the other riders.

Like I mentioned in the begining, the last 10 miles of this ride roll right up to the finish. I found myself riding alone for the last few miles of the day. I would also finished with the...ahemmm, distinguished honor of Lantern Rouge.








Stats:
125 miles
Moving time: 8:26
Stopped time: 1:18
Total: 9:45

RUSA 10th Anniversary 200k

Saturday 30 riders departed Morrisville, NC on a 200k route to Siler City and back. This is a familiar route and most of the riders were familiar. It is always good to see everyone at these events. Of course, it is good to see new faces.

At the control, Chuck Lathe was sporting his RUSA 10th Anniversary Medal eagerly signing brevet cards. We talked about wheels and bicycle designs until it was time to get back on the road. Chuck rode his red Randonneuse from his house to the control.

I had the opportunity to ride with some riders experiencing the sport for the first time. Bill and another gentleman (forgot name) passed us. They mentioned they had done some bonus miles already. They must have passed Dean and I at least 6 times. It took a while to register how this was possible. Three words: More Bonus Miles. From the Andrews Store they joined us for the ride into the finish.

At the finish, an entire group of riders and supporters were waiting with some burgers, hot dogs and cold beverages. This was a fantastic way to end a wonderful day in the saddle.

What? No Lessons learned?
Of course, I thought you would never ask.

The biggest lesson that I confirmed was lack of fitness. I need to ride more rides of 3+ hours on a regular basis. (Not only when there is a brevet.)

On a very positive note I completed the ride without the aid of any NSAIDs. This is a first!