Today Jen, Reggie and I completed a major milestone in our cycling lives. I think it is not just a red letter day but a neon, blinking red letter day. Today we accomplished riding 50 miles in one ride. We did this not on the easy, pretty flat
Clarksville Metric century route but took a route that Jen picked for us. Our location you ask, none other that Land between the lakes. We cycled from the south welcome station, up past the Golden Pond welcome station (to hit approx 25 miles) and then back to Golden Pond for a 30 minute break (good time to do it as a flash thunder storm hit us just as we
returned to the welcome center). After our break we then proceeded to return back the route we had just came. To explain this route is simply and perfectly summed up by Jen. Just before we started the route she talked about how she had seen a cyclist doing the route a while back and thought to herself that he was crazy and she would never think about doing this road *
LOL*. Yup guess what she picked this road for today *
LOL*. All joking aside, this was a difficult route but I feel the better for it, especially after eating yummy
Mexican, a sonic blast and getting two hours sleep when we returned home *grin*. It was a route that challenged both our mental and physical endurance. Each hill we took we thought only of it and of reaching the top. At about
the 40-45 mile mark when
exhaustion had set in each of the hills encountered was a personal battle and felt all the sweeter when accomplished. Reggie reached the end and drove back for us thinking we were 5 or so miles back. He found us on the last hill, half way up, drained but refusing to give up, not one hill did any of us walk up. On the last couple of hills if anyone had to stop, they stopped, rested
for a minute then got back on the bike to get to the top.
It will be a few days before I go near the bike. I hurt and I realised that as well as the numbness I encounter on hard rides my saddle is just damned uncomfortable. One of my major problems because of it on this ride was I had to stop, get off and rest at times because my rear just hurt so much.
AS you will notice the route was so long I had to split the elevation graph *
LOL*
Stats for the ride:
- Trip Distance : 50.46 Miles
- Trip Time: 4 hrs 9 mins 30 secs
- Ave Speed: 12.05 mph
- Ave Cadence: 60 rpm
- Max Speed: 39.35 mph
Time to go relax again.
s.
No, the storm didn't hit just as we reached the Visitor Center, it hit when we were two miles out. Steve raced...nay, zoomed, to the Visitor Center, leaving Reggie and I in the dust...or err mud. Reggie was in front and missed the turn to the Visitor Center. I kept yelling at him that he was going the wrong way, but he couldn't hear me. But the good friend that I am, instead of abandoning him to figure out his error all on his own, I followed him until my yelling forced him to stop. By the time we made it back to Golden Pond we were absolutely and thoroughly soaked. But hey, riding in a torrential downpour was actually kinda refreshing, like jogging in the shower. Good times!
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved the odd looks we got from the people at the Visitor's Center...I interpreted their message to either mean "crazy fools" or "idiots." :D
Oh, and I think it should be noted that another record was broken on this ride. 10 miles into the ride Steve yells, "Jen, I hate your guts!" Only 10 miles! It usually takes Steve 15 to 20 miles before he hates the person that chose the route.
ReplyDeleteScore!
*grin* very true. I did say I hate you at MM10. another record Reggie is gonna have to figure out how to break
ReplyDeleteAs stubborn as I can be when I think I'm right, I'd still be on that road to Cadiz, KY if you hadn't tagged along!
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget the speed record that fell on the journey!
How was that last .75 mile downhill when you could see the entrance to the south visitor center?!?
Great job on powering through to the end!
Oh, yeah I had a personal best top speed of 40 mph. I'd have to check my computer to get the exact figure...but woot all the same.
ReplyDelete