STP countdown!

[lauraelmore1033]

Just had that "Oh Cr@p! Stp is next week" realization. Anybody else feel like they haven't trained enough? I for one have been finding it difficult to motivate myself to train as often as I should have because of our weather. I haven't done any rides over 80 miles and haven't done nearly enough back to back rides

[AppleTree]

I was wondering too, how others were doing with their training... what have you done mileage wise for June lauraelmore? I feel like I am a little bit better prepared than I was last year anyway. I got over 370 miles in for June, much better than last year (less than 200). I did an 80 miler last weekend, but it should have been 100, since we are going to Winlock that first day - 120 miles. But I got a lot of 50 and 60 milers in, and in July so far I've done nearly 200 miles.

The only thing that worries me is my average speed, I am soooo slow... I can never really get much beyond 11 mph, so it takes me a long time. But, hey, I did it last year and lived to tell the tale. :rolleyes:

Is this your first STP? Where are you stopping for the night? If you've done an 80 mile ride and are stopping in Centralia, you should be able to do that NO PROBLEM. :)

[lauraelmore1033]

I'm not sure what my mileage looked like for june. I might have ridden over 350 miles. This will be my 5th STP and I'm certain I trained a lot more in previous years. I just didn't feel like riding this year. My husband wanted to train with a faster group again this year and I rode alone because I don't like the behavior that tends to occur in my own pace group. I did tend to force myself to do at least one 50-70 mile on the weekends and maybe a 20-30+ miler during the week if I was lucky. I know I'm better off than I was for my first STP, but it's still going to be a long slog.

[smittykitty]

Just got back from a "quick trip to REI in Portland. Picked up our packets. As next week is looking busy. I HAVE A NUMBER AND EVERYTHING!!!! How did this happen?

I'm really excited. I've gone from "I'm signed up for STP" to "I'm riding STP", but just writing this is making my stomach do that topsy turvy dance its been doing for the last week! And then my heart starts racing! But I'm sitting here in my brand spankin new STP jersey with a big smile on my face.

Only got three 70 milers in the last two months. Two were in the last 2 weeks. The first one was followed by a 56 miler the second day. The last two were off bike days. Lots of 20-30 milers mixed in. Felt like I still had a bit left in the tank the last two longer rides.

We are planing on stoping at Napevine (Frosty's Tavern, the oldest tav. in the state of WA) at mile 115. Just after the Napavine hill (I've chugged up it twice this spring). By far everyone's longest ride.

Our support crew will haul all of us back to our house (after a quick stop at the beer garden at Centralia College). Shower, dinner, massages and off to bed. Back to Frosty's early Sunday AM.

Life can really get in the way. But lots of good stuff! We are "Team Wedding" as the bride, groom, FOB, parents of groom (DH and I) & one of the brides maid are riding one week before their "very formal" wedding. The younger ones have age on their side, but they have not had time to ride much lately. Plus, the weather has really stunk! Hope we can all handle this wonderful stuff called sunshine. Guess I won't need the Buff and toe warmers after all! Finally!

I'm still very much the weak link in this group, but have come a long ways from my previous "bleacher mom" status. I really suck at hills, what more can I say! Speeds hovering around 14mph. Not sure I can maintain that for the long haul.

Thanks so much ladies for your encouragement (you & I know who you are:), I really appreciate it and probably would not have agreed to this craziness without your support!

This WILL BE my biggest accomplishment mentally and physically EVER.

Who else out there is riding this year???

[lauraelmore1033]

Your group should be easy to spot! Have a great ride!

[smittykitty]

Don't think I can get the guys to wear pink veils!

[AppleTree]

I'm not sure what my mileage looked like for june. I might have ridden over 350 miles. This will be my 5th STP and I'm certain I trained a lot more in previous years. I just didn't feel like riding this year. My husband wanted to train with a faster group again this year and I rode alone because I don't like the behavior that tends to occur in my own pace group. I did tend to force myself to do at least one 50-70 mile on the weekends and maybe a 20-30+ miler during the week if I was lucky. I know I'm better off than I was for my first STP, but it's still going to be a long slog.

Sounds like a little bit of burnout maybe?? Hope the weather holds out for us and you are feeling great for the ride...sounds like you have MORE than enough training for sure.

[AppleTree]

Just got back from a "quick trip to REI in Portland. Picked up our packets. As next week is looking busy. I HAVE A NUMBER AND EVERYTHING!!!! How did this happen?

I'm really excited. I've gone from "I'm signed up for STP" to "I'm riding STP", but just writing this is making my stomach do that topsy turvy dance its been doing for the last week! And then my heart starts racing! But I'm sitting here in my brand spankin new STP jersey with a big smile on my face.

Only got three 70 milers in the last two months. Two were in the last 2 weeks. The first one was followed by a 56 miler the second day. The last two were off bike days. Lots of 20-30 milers mixed in. Felt like I still had a bit left in the tank the last two longer rides.

We are planing on stoping at Napevine (Frosty's Tavern, the oldest tav. in the state of WA) at mile 115. Just after the Napavine hill (I've chugged up it twice this spring). By far everyone's longest ride.

Our support crew will haul all of us back to our house (after a quick stop at the beer garden at Centralia College). Shower, dinner, massages and off to bed. Back to Frosty's early Sunday AM.

Life can really get in the way. But lots of good stuff! We are "Team Wedding" as the bride, groom, FOB, parents of groom (DH and I) & one of the brides maid are riding one week before their "very formal" wedding. The younger ones have age on their side, but they have not had time to ride much lately. Plus, the weather has really stunk! Hope we can all handle this wonderful stuff called sunshine. Guess I won't need the Buff and toe warmers after all! Finally!

I'm still very much the weak link in this group, but have come a long ways from my previous "bleacher mom" status. I really suck at hills, what more can I say! Speeds hovering around 14mph. Not sure I can maintain that for the long haul.

Thanks so much ladies for your encouragement (you & I know who you are:), I really appreciate it and probably would not have agreed to this craziness without your support!

This WILL BE my biggest accomplishment mentally and physically EVER.

Who else out there is riding this year???

You sound SO excited for the ride SmittyKitty, I wish you the very best of luck. I well remember that "butterflies in the stomach" right before we rode last year, ha ha. It will really help having the support crew that you do. (Oh how I wish we had massages at the end of the first day!!)

I can't wait to read your ride report afterwards, be sure to post it!

TAILWINDS!! :):):)

[salsabike]

Have fun, you all! :)

[colby]

Jealous! I thought about signing up and making it work, but missed the second chance.

Have fun, everyone! It's going to be awesome! Just keep riding, just keep riding.

[lauraelmore1033]

Sounds like a little bit of burnout maybe?? Hope the weather holds out for us and you are feeling great for the ride...sounds like you have MORE than enough training for sure.

Burnout for sure:(. It's hard to train by yourself...

[AppleTree]

Now it looks like it is going to be quite a bit warmer than what I had hoped... In the mid 80s rather than the mid to upper 70s which would have been perfect. Maybe it will change again before Saturday, but I am going to try to prepare for being hot... I think I almost overheated near Tennino last year. I just bought two new insulated camelback bottles, so I am going to freeze half the liquid in those the night before AND bring my neck cooler like I did last year. That thing saved my bacon from being cooked. :p

I have sunsleeves too, and wetting those down frequently helps quite a bit.

Ride safe. Pray for

TAILWINDS...

[lauraelmore1033]

yeah, the heat is a big issue with me. We just don't get enough time to acclimate to it around here and then we get a big blast of heat just for that weekend. I have arm coolers, but need to find them. Geeze, we were just running the heater last week...

[bikerHen]

Five of us are coming over from Spokane. Been doing a fair amount of training. We'll see if it was enough. I'm not having the best year riding wise. A hip replacement in January has slowed me down more than I had hoped. But I'll do what I can and enjoy the weekend riding with my bike buddies. Weather here has been down right hot (finally) this last week so hopefully I'm ready for the heat. This will be my second STP. We'll be wearing our club jerseys the first day, they say WOW Cycling, Spokane and are orange and teal. We are starting no later than 6am. Earlier if I can get everyone moving in the morning! So If you see a bunch of old women that meet that description say hi! bikerHen

[lauraelmore1033]

That WOW jersey sounds familar. Were you guys at the CROC ride?

[bikerHen]

Yes. Three times. It's a great ride. We haven't been for a couple of years though. Same group of gals doing the STP that have done the CROC ride. For a bunch of old farts we get around! :D

[ttaylor508]

Picking up packets tomorrow, and checking weather daily (88 degrees is better than rain I guess). So our Ironman buddy finally decided he wants to do STP instead of Lake Steven HIM. If anyone knows of anyone who wants to get rid of a ticket please let me know.

[smittykitty]

Just watching the morning weather report. Trying to figure out what to wear! Heat - that's a whole new thing. Supposed to by 57 in the morning. I'll be a little cool for a while, but gonna skip all the extra layers. Don't want to cart them around later.

Thinking sleeveless jersey both days???

Time for another banana!

[bikerHen]

Sleeveless! It's the only way to ride. No goofy tan lines on your arms. :D

[AppleTree]

I am glad we have a cool start to the morning, but it does make it hard to figure out what to wear first thing. It will warm up fast though. I am going in shorts with knee warmers, short sleeve jersey with "sun sleeves" because I hate getting sunburned. The nice thing about those is you can wet them down and it cools you off really nicely.

Plllleeezzeee let there be a tailwind this weekend.... :p:p:p

[ttaylor508]

Wow, the weather forecast is changing....now it calls for a bit cooler temps (yah), but also a chance of thunderstorms at noon in both Seattle and Portland on Saturday (crap). I figure at noon we should be past Centralia and well on our way to Portland, but there is no way to out run the thunderstorm as it is the same for both Portland and Seattle.

Guess I need to just stop checking weather and start pedaling :) Good luck everyone and stay safe.

[lauraelmore1033]

3or 4 years ago there was a thunderstorm in the am around napavine. I was amazed that no one seemed concerned. I mumbled something about taking cover and the guy riding next to me said, "do what you want, but MY bike is CARBON, so I'm not stopping". Hmmm. I wish I'd paid attention more in physics class to such things. Erm... Do you have a carbon fiber bike?;)

[ttaylor508]

I hope everyone made it in okay today with the weather changes. Just goes to show you that we can't rely on the weather report.

We lucked out yesterday, other than it being a bit cold in the morning (I chose to leave my arm warmers behind and regretted it for the first 100 miles) and having a bit of misty rain, it turned out to be a pretty good day. We got off to a late start at the starting line (darn porta pot lines), but felt great the whole day and finished with some gas still in the tank. We rolled into Portland a bit later than planned, 7:30ish I think (way too long at rest stops), but enough time to grab a couple beers in the beer garden and head to the hotel for a shower.

Kudos to the volunteers and the roast beef sandwiches made with Dave's Killer bread (awesome). I hated the new route into Portland (last time I did ride was 3 years ago). It took 30 minutes to go 4 miles through town. Went back to finish line Sunday morning and the Mavic guy lubed my rear wheel for free and replaced some parts on DH's wheel that were bad for the cost of parts alone (yah!).

Hope you all made it safely to Portland and that the weather cleared up for you!

[smittykitty]

Well we did it! We all had a great time. No spills or injuries. No road rash for the big wedding on Sat.

Yes, I was the slow spoke, but I did great and I'm very proud of myself!!!:) I will try to post a ride report, but need to gather thoughts a bit and, I yes, shift gears to our son's wedding on Sat.

Fun Time!!

[lauraelmore1033]

Congratulations Smitty Kitty, and TTaylor, I think I want to be you when I grow up. I had a pretty comfortable STP and that was all I was asking for this year. I didn't want to sign up, didn't want to train, had trouble making myself get out in the weather and ride, but I'm actually glad that I went through with it. I was super pokey--I think I added 2 hours to my usual time. Oh well. It still feels like quite an accomplishment.

[salsabike]

It still feels like quite an accomplishment.

It IS! Glad you all had good rides.

[jobob]

Well done, all! :cool:

[AppleTree]

Way to go smittykitty, lauraelmore, and especially ttaylor508 for doing it in ONE DAY...:eek:

I think we were VERY lucky as far as the weather, we missed any thunderstorms and real rain. It sprinkled a bit Sunday morning coming out of Winlock, but only for a few miles. Stayed nice and cool for most of the day.

I was still slow, but I did manage to better my time by a few hours from last year.... and I didn't have to walk up the big hill in Puyallup like last year... yay me! I felt stronger this year. And I didn't forget anything!

But still, at the start line in Seattle I was thinking... WHY oh why am I doing this again?? :rolleyes:

Last year, I was overcome by emotion at the finish line...this year it was coming over the last bridge, over the Willamette River...and tears just rolling down my face. After all my worries and doubts, I somehow managed to do it again and make a little better job of it... and it was so beautiful.

Okay, who's up for RSVP??? :)

[jobob]

I hope to do RSVP someday! This year is not in the cards, but soon.

[lauraelmore1033]

Yay you, Appletree! I had that why, why, why am I doing this question running through my head the whole time I was prepairing and riding. Not really conducive for happy riding, I gotta say, but probably normal considering that it is kind of an insane thing to do--riding from Seattle to Portland...

[ttaylor508]

But still, at the start line in Seattle I was thinking... WHY oh why am I doing this again?? :rolleyes:


I felt the same way, I have done this ride 6 times (4 times One Day) and say every time this will be the last, but somehow I get talked into it. I guess its kind of like childbirth, you forget the pain... except this year there really was no pain (except the normal saddle sore stuff). I really can't believe how good my legs felt at the finish.

DH just walked into my office and asked if I wanted to do RSVP2. I love the RSVP, so I am totally up for it!!!

[smittykitty]

I'll try to make it quick! Well, we did it and did it well. No mishaps at all! I was definitely the slow spoke, but hey, we had three 20 somethings and two very fit men my age!!!! No bruises for the wedding pictures. Team Wed: bridge, groom, bride's maid, father of bride, father/mom of groom (DH and I). So here goes:

Long day, last minute changes with Wonder Support Team (DH, myself and Support Team left house at 4:00am Sat. morning instead of staying in Bellevue Friday night as previous planned).

5:30 am: First of all we cheated, we started on N. Capitol Hill a couple miles into the ride. Team Wed. joined a couple of ladies (one a long-time friend) and left from their house. Got to use the flushy twice (no waiting:o). The 8 of us worked our way into the Lk WA Blvd craziness and never looked back. Unfortunately, we lost the ladies after the Spanaway stop.

We hit the big stops: REI, Spanaway, Centralia College and Napavine. We ended our 1st day at Winlock in the mid-late afternoon (times are a bit of a blur).

Our support crew drove us back to the college and ushered us to the front of the beer garden/pizza line where our good friends were serving. We were given chairs, beer and pizza and life was good!

Next stop for Team Wed. was our house where pasta dinner was waiting for us. After a quick shower, I tossed everyone's bike gear in the wash. The masseuse was set-up in the back yard! Again life was good! We went to bed early!

Hit the road in front of the big egg (Winlock's claim to fame) about 7:30. Light drizzle that didn't last too long. Tried to actually rain for a bit, then stopped. Our group got separated a few times on Sunday and rejoined on the Portland side on the St. John's bridge. We then rode into the finish together around 3:15pm. Bridge's father pulled the bottle of champagne out from under his jacket and we drank from Starbucks cups!!! Nice surprise! (he had plenty of time to pick it up while waiting for me).

After food/drink, we squished 5 of us in our pick-up for the trip back north.

Just a few details: High/low lites

My average (per my not so dependable computer) was 14.6 mph, my usual average for any ride! 13.6 hours of riding time. The others would have been done much earlier. My poor husband really wanted to ride faster and would get ahead of me then pull off and wait. (Due to the better/worst part of his marriage vows 35 yrs ago, he was required to wait for me).

Centrailia College is JUST CRAZY. People, bikes, tents everywhere. I have to wonder how many struggle day two after spending too much time in the beer garden!

The party in Portland is also awesome!

Not so sure if we will do it again. I'm so very proud of myself for being able to do it and do it well (for my body). Mentally/physically I did fine! All the time spent in the gym and on the bike really paid off. The training and prep were really fun. I've lost 10 pounds since spring (5 after the STP!). My clothes are all too big!

The ride is 200 miles of very "intense" riding. There was never a time when we weren't surrounded by other bikers. Everyone was very polite and safe, but it is not our style of riding. Much of the roads were very busy with car traffic as well.

The food was some times a little tough on me. So much junk food for the sugar. The Costco roll-ups on day two were the best, as well as the watermelon. My food (if you call it that) of choice was Shotz Blocs. I pretty much ate them non-stop.

I think the day two route is STP's best kept secret! We heard just a few rollers from Napavine to Castle Rock, then the climb over the bridge at Longview. Well, the rollers never stopped from Napavine on. Nothing too serious, but definitely not flat like the first day!

I did just fine on both the Puyallup hill and the Longview Bridge. Actually passed a few other riders. There was no way I was gonna stop! It was nice that I was fit enough that I never came close to needing to.

The finish into Portland was terrible. Going up the narrow hill to the St. John's bridge, trying to pass other bikes with cars passing us was a bit scary. Everyone was very tired at that point. I did sit through the red light an extra time before heading over the bridge! The route through the Rose Quarter was just plain scary too!

We got home and immediately switched gears and moved on to the wedding the following week-end. The bridge and groom are now off on their honeymoon and we are all finally catching our breath. The wedding was beyond spectacular! We are so happy to have a new daughter in-law. Hope to be able to think about getting back on our bikes here soon!

To sum it up: Great fun, great group of people. I'm very proud to be one of the 2,600 women to do it! But, we will see about future rides. Too soon to say.

Thanks again for the encouragement. Pinch me, I rode the STP!!!!!!

[AppleTree]

Smittykitty, thanks for the ride report. So glad you had a great experience on the STP! As far as being a slow spoke, I only WISH I could manage a 14+ mph...that is my goal in life. :rolleyes:

Also wish I could have the same weight loss experience you did, I am jealous, wow!

I don't know that many people can say they accomplished STP and the next weekend a big family wedding, whew. But you did it...what a great feeling eh?

A big congrats to you!

[smittykitty]

Thanks. I hope I didn't sound too negative about the ride. I really did love the whole thing (hard to tell).

Been a wild couple of weeks. I'm officially on vacation (started a couple hours ago) for two plus weeks. Off to Idaho camping for a week to finally rest up from all the craziness. The following week we will be back on our bikes. Just haven't figured out where.