P12 - randonneuring.

[Biciclista]

WOOHOOO despite a really hot day, and thanks to Sue K, I finished my 9th ride in this series of 12.
The LAST 4 miles I started overheating! all is well that ends well. more later (maybe)
at least next month i don't have the danger of it being any hotter.

[jobob]

That's great, Mimi!

[five one]

Yay Mimi! You're amazing.

[Susan126]

It was great riding with you today too Mimi! I really had a good time even though it was so hot! You're right, next month we won't have to worry about the heat! You got your P9 and I got my P2. I hope Don gets the rest of that fishing line out of his bike gears! I'm so tired right now I can barely keep my eyes open. The ride and sun and my daughter's dinner have done me in! I will sleep soundly tonight!

[maillotpois]

Well done toward the P 12 Mimi!!

[Biciclista]

I do have to tell the whole story; this was a memorable ride. Usually these 100 kilometer permanents attract two or three extra people, yesterday there were seventeen of us. Many riders came out in a show of love and support for Raleighdon. He knew he had friends, but he didn't know just what kind of friends they were. Two guys brought him mementos from their Paris Brest Paris ride. That's class. Really. Since there were so many people I decided I didn't need a route sheet because after all, I was going to be at Raleighdon's side for the whole ride, right?
This is a timed ride. They figure out the time the ride will take by a mathematical formula, figuring the rider with stops and all must take just under 10 miles an hour. so for this ride, we had about 6 hours to finish.



We did a big group start down Beacon Hill on Holgate a screaming downhill, through the industrial areas and finally near the west Seattle bridge where we passed literally hundreds of men fishing salmon off the bridge ... when Raleighdon suddenly stopped.





He had run into fishing line, it was tangled in his pedal, derailleur, chain, spokes and cassette. It was ugly. I hopped off my bike and when someone said "does anyone have a knife?" I quickly pulled one out and started to unwind, tug and cut fishing line from the bike with RD. Most of the riders went on, but a few stayed with us.
He finally got enough of the fine plastic filament out of his gears that he decided we could go. This took 20 minutes. He said that took as long as TWO flat tires. So now we were BEHIND the clock 20 minutes. As we were finishing up, Mr Salsa came back to see what was wrong and he rode with us for a while!!
We continued along towards Tukwila, where I quickly discovered that one of our riders was very slow. I poked along, kind of the bridge between her and the faster riders. And we kept losing her! As we neared the Interurban Trail she was gone. RD and another amazing rando guy turned back to find her and RD said to me, Go AHEAD! don't wait. So I took off feeling bold and brave down the interurban trail alone... At one point, I called RD because I didn't know where to get off the trail... They had found our lantern rouge rider, she had turned north instead of south.. but of course, I was in trouble too, I missed my turn.. fortunately there are parallel roads and trails and they finally caught up to me, that is, RD and the Lantern Rouge,.. our Rando buddy was not to be seen (he missed me when I missed the correct turn).
It started to get warm, we were all warned today would be a hot day, but it still felt really good at 11am when we three now; met up and headed south on the Seattle to Portland bike route. It was me, RD and Lantern Rouge, and we were fussing that ALL these people came to ride with RD and now they were probably all far, far ahead and we'd never see them again! After I told the lantern rouge just how important this ride was for me, she sped up a little. that improved my mood. We made better time for the last 10 miles before the control, but I still felt like we were in trouble for time to finish.

Between detours (there were at least 2 depending on where you were - I missed one) and confusion, when we got to the south-most control, we discovered several of our troops were there having ice cream and looking happy, relaxed and glad to see Raleighdon again.

Faced with the prospect of staying back with the lantern rouge for the part of the ride in which I myself was going to be flagging, I asked RD if he minded me going with Susan126 for the second half of the ride. She is a very strong rider, has done Ramrod and some one day STP (Seattle to Portland) rides among others. She is coming back from a back injury, but you wouldn't know it, she looked fantastic out there on her lightweight bike. She accepted my offer to ride with her; She had a route sheet, and I knew (haha) the route. It actually worked very well, I knew some of the stuff that her Garmin couldn't figure out and we never got lost for the rest of the ride.
As we rode north, I was really starting to get hot; so when we got to the trail in Renton (it's a 2 mile out and back) which descends into forest, the cool and shade was particularly refreshing, and Sue patiently waited while I snacked and cooled down. We met a lot of the other riders at that control. On the way out we saw RD with more of our friends, he still looked great. So we were actually staying pretty close together, I found that comforting.
This particular ride is very flat except for the beginning; leaving Beacon Hill downhill in the beginning and then coming home, you have to get back up onto the hill. As we left Renton heading north on Rainier Avenue in the lovely bike lane, I was really getting hot. Eeek, this is not good. I was slowing, Sue was slowing down for me (She even let me draft off her for a while!)
We finally came to the last hill of the day, really no big deal, but when I saw her stand up in the saddle and fly up the hill I decided that the most humane thing I could do for myself was to NOT watch her and ride my own slow ride. It was hot, but it was mostly shady on that hill, so I just chugged up the hill. Up top, Sue waited for me at the next control, but I told her to go on, I was on the home stretch and in my own backyard. She quickly disappeared as I chugged up and down the little rollers on Beacon Hiill. I started to feel a chill. EEEK. One of the symptoms of heat exhaustion. I stopped under a tree, just 4 blocks from MY HOUSE and 3 miles from the end. How ironic. I stood there until my heart rate went down, drank a bit, and then rode on, getting passed by a few sensational riders who all asked if I was ok. Yes, I was going to finish this ride. My major sensation was of tired legs, so I figured I was ok.
I finished at THE STATION (friend them on facebook!) a little coffee shop and found Mr Salsa and another rider. I sat down in the shade and asked for Lemonade. Then i went to the bathroom, ran the cold water on my wrists and soaked my bandanna in the cold water and put it on my head.
The ride was done, I finished with about 35 minutes to spare. No more long hot rides for me this year!
Many riders straggled in after me, because most of them stopped first at the supermarket where the ride started (around the block) but I knew that the Station was where I would get succor, kindness and relief. and P9 is in the books. We all sat there and traded stories, it was comfortable and peaceful and I was happy to be done.

THE END.

WAIT! when we got home RD found something in his bag!!

[jobob]

Great report!

It sure sux when it gets really hot out & you haven't had a chance to acclimate. We've had a fairly chilly summer, and when we venture out of the immediate bay area, I sure feel it!

Now THAT's a donut. I hope he shared ...