First Imperial Century long..bedtime story...

The Healing Cycle

I completed my first 160km ride on Sunday. Had to raise a minimum of $1500 to ride the Granfondo century. There were other distances, 100km, 50, 25 and 10k. I was fortunate enough to have many generous friends and a bunch of stuff to sell on Craigslist.

The day started off cool and cloudy. Was supposed to heat up by midday. There were 11 people in the GranFondo group, 9 guys and 2 women. We set off about 6:40 a.m. Immediately, 2 people, a woman and a man were dropped. We weren't even going that quickly. Got to the first rest stop, peeled off the long-sleeve jersey, filled up the water bottles and off we went. Pace picked up a bit more, NE wind picking up more, very humid..felt like rain. But I was still riding ok with everyone. There was one guy on a recumbant..those things really travel! The course is slowly uphill, and rolling. I arrived about a minute after the guys by the time we get to the 2nd rest stop. Fuel up, bathroom break and off we go again. I tried valiantly to keep up with the main group, but I am unable to. Settle in with 2 other guys - eventually they drop me. I am by myself :(. I momentarily felt sorry for myself, but considering that I do all of my training by myself..it wasn't a big deal. Except for now I had a motorcyle dude on a Harley sweeping behind me!

I get to the 3rd rest-stop about 5 minutes behind everyone. It is 54km to the last rest stop. JP (ride organizer and cyclist extraordinaire) says to follow him, he will do all of the work and call out shifting. I think I lasted about 5 minutes before that mini-peleton left me. Then the other 2 guys were off...
So here I am, the seriously rolling part of the course..it was relentless. There were times I would peak on a hill and almost cry at what was in store for me. I remember..feeling cranky, tired..and remembered reading somewhere that if you feel like that you should "fuel"...yes I am hungry and need to eat more. I had made some PB and honey on those "thintini buns" Worked one out of my jersey pocket. Just what I needed. Food for the relentless, never-ending hills.

Sun is starting to peak out. I come to the last rest stop. Motorcycle dude commenting on the relentless hills..and he's on a motorcycle! Filled up bottles again and see the 2 (Bill and Steve) guys that kept dropping me and this stop fussing over Bill's bike. I ask what is wrong. Apparently he has a flat. I watch with amusement :D as these 3 guys have all of these tire levers hanging off the rim, tire still merrily hanging on. I go get my quick lever, show the boys how to use it. Perfect. I figure I'll wait for them. They are standing still....with a CO2 container. They are looking at each other. Ok, by this time I am thinking bad thoughts about people being unprepared for riding that distance. :confused: Again, I go to my bike bag and retrieve my adaptor so they can get the bloody gas in the tube. None of them even have a pump :confused: I remind Bill that he should fill up tire with air when he gets home so he doesn't do out and get another flat...He brushes me off.

I was talking to the motorcycle dude while waiting for Fric and Frac to get themselves organized. I ask him how long he thought it would take these guys to blow me off again. He smiles. Steve heads out at a fairly quick pace -we only have 20 km to go. We have a brisk headwind, so I let Bill work for 5 minutes, then I would work for 5. Steve was by himself. Did this for about 20 minutes and came to the one last spirit crushing hill. Bill couldn't stand it anymore and peeled off to kill Steve on the hill. Oh..if I only had the reserves to crush them on that final 5k. I have to say, I was quite pissed. And all that is in my mind is revenge..crush them like tiny ants. I feel so evil. Stop and help someone...But perhaps to them it was a "race" - for me it wasn't. But I tell ya' I would be loathe to help those two again.

Received a nice medal. I love my Jersey!

http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/a...cle2009001.jpg

JP and "The Prince"
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/a...09002Small.jpg

The "Piss Me Off" Flat
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/a...cle2009003.jpg

My "Motorcycle Dude"
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/a...cle2009004.jpg

Jersey Front
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/a...cle2009005.jpg

Jersey Back
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/a...cle2009007.jpg

CONGRATS!!!!
The jersey is really cool!! :D
The hills sound brutal. I am such a flat-lander that any hills just eat me up. Sounds like you did superbly despite the tough terrain.
Great photos!!

Great job - very well done and awesome jersey and medal. Don't let Fric and Frac (I like that), take anything away from your accomplishment or your day. What comes around goes around....

CONGRATS!!:D

Great job and cool jersey. I love the picture of the four guys trying to change a tire! :p

Don't be too ticked about the last 20k. Pacelining on hills is very, very tough, because you have to precisely maintain speed while shifting, standing, sitting, cresting hills and transitioning from descents to climbs and back again. Compared to maintaining speed on the flats, it's EXTREMELY difficult. I don't actually know anyone who pacelines in the hills, and a lot of the people I ride with also join a flatland ride a bit west of me that's close, intense pacelining. (And it's not that they're avoiding me, because I do plenty of pacelining over the winter when I'm in Florida; and they don't even do it in groups of two or three.) I definitely wouldn't even try to ride anyone's wheel in the hills, that I hadn't done a LOT of riding with, and was very sure that they're a skilled, consistent rider. It's just too dangerous.

Well done, and nice jersey too! :cool:

I will also add, although I am not on the forum as much anymore, well done ride and that is an awesome looking jersey!!

~ JoAnn

Thanks everyone!

Oakleaf- you are correct, I'm not sure what I was thinking... the act of pacelining up up tough hills is best done solo.

I totally love that jersey too! I'll pass on the comments to JP from you wise (and fashionable) :D women.

Now I just need to get me a TE jersey..so hard to choose....

Congratulations!!!

I have cried more than once during a century. Sometimes from frustration, sometimes from exhaustion, sometimes from sheer joy (that part comes at the finish line).

Enjoy your new jersey.

Do you ever read what you've written and wonder what you were thinking? i.e my comment:

"pacelining up a hill is best done solo"..someone slap me upside the head!!!!

That sounds like profound wisdom to me.

;) :D