Well, it was tough this week, tough not in the sense of riding, but tough in the sense of the weather. When I decided to do this, I totally forgot that I would be training in the cold wet freezing Washington Winter. A few warm days of sunshine brought a smile to my face the other day, yeahhhh, and we thought spring had finally sprung. No such luck. The rain came down, the temperature dropped and my feet and hands becoame ice blocks.
Thank you to Walmart, lol...I found a walmart just outside of warrenton on route 29, just as my hands and feet were about to suffer from frostbite, I was able to pull in, warm up and buy a new pair of gloves and thermal socks. Thermal socks were only a temporary measure, it was so cold, and so wet, that my feet soon were ice blocks again. My feet were so cold, I forgot how cold my hands were.
I found that McDonalds was a good place to warm up, for the coffee?...no...for the hand warmer in the bathroom! Off came the socks soaked with rain, where I spend the next 30 minutes drying out. I did not bother to explain to the bathroom patrons why I was bare footed drying soaking socks under the hand dryer.
I cant believe how much food I am consuming, I eat and I still feel hungry, so I eat again. I nibble all day, its a fine balance of not having too much food in your tummy whilst cycling..that can be very unsettling and very uncomfortable leading to a quick return upwards for that much needed snack.
My route has expanded, I have become much more adventurous, I pack the bike into the car, drive to Warrenton these days, unload and ride the much quieter country roads of Lee highway..either to Culpepper and beyond down towards Charlottesville, through Madison county...or east on 211 through the base of Skyline Drive through Sperryville... They both have their own attractions and drawbacks...
Anyone driven through Madison county towards Charlottesville route 29? Lets just say its an awesome cycle ride for the first 30 miles, then come the Piedmont hills..or as I say..the Madison moguls...up and down, up and down for 30 straight miles..its no fun cycling up for 5 minutes to spend 30 seconds coming down only to have start going back up again..thats tough..hour after hour... this route though was my fist century ride route and beyond.. 120 miles...Yes 120 miles...60 miles down route 29 and 60 miles back....it felt very bitter sweet.
Ever heard of Sperryville ? NO ..well, I had a rude awakening, Sperryville is at the foot of the Shenandoah Mountain range...just east of Route 29 through Warrenton on 211... what a beautiful ride it was..I parked at Warrenton, turned right onto 211 and saw my fist monstrous hillclimb..I just had to go for it..I made it..but looking at the picture, you must wonder how. It is though the first of several climbs, but they become more gradual.
I cycle right through Rappahanock county..a quick stop at the Oasis Winery for a hello to Tareq & Michaele and continue to Sperryville, the most beautiful out of town retreat you can imagine... and then it starts to climb up...and boy..does it climb.. 2500 ft in under 4 miles. At no more than 6 mph with thighs burning, and feet locked into my peddles, I climb and climb and climb again...seeing stars in my eyes and a face full of sweat and tears..in just under an hour I make it to the ranger station ..I did it..I climbed my first mountain....
I am not Lance Armstrong, but at this point I truly feel like a champion...! And then its time to come home...a round trip of 90 miles...excellent ..
Then there were three days of torrential rain...as guilty as I felt, I did not ride until today, saturday ...it was just too wet, and gave me a needed break and time to service my Cycle, new chain oil lube..etc..new handbar covers, seat alignment...things I much needed.
It seems to me that there is nothing to a 50 mile cycle run these days, even 60 miles is okay, the fun starts at 70 miles, the adventure starts at 80, the adrenaline is pushing at 90....I have completed only one run at 100 miles to date in my training, but I have come ohh so close 6 times, hitting over 90 miles only to be foiled by punctures, failing light and freezing wet weather...It going well, its getting close, my legs are pumped...and my heartrate and blood pressure are lower now than in the past 15 years.
A closing note...drivers watch out for us cyclists...there are too many drivers in a hurry that get annoyed with cyclists on "their" road....its not just your road, we share it with you, and some of us cyclists are good people and don't deserve to be driven up the behind of and honked loudly.....
To all my friends..I am doing it...I really am..I don't even believe it myself until I wake up in the morning and it feels like someone nailed my thighs to the bed...!
Tony
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