Great Valentine Century

[Nanci]

I'll be there! Tomorrow, Sanford, Florida 6:30 AM. Weather is forecast to be 50ish at the start, going up to 70-80, with showers likely!

"This will be the fifth year that cyclists will ride from old town Sanford along the tributaries of the St. Johns River. Along narrow, hilly and heavy canopied roads. Load up on fruit, carbo's and water then take off on an incredible ride across pristine Central Florida, through hamlets, over shady roads. Over creeks, across old bridges along the St. John's river, through famous spiritual communities like Taladega. This is the one ride you do not want to miss! A postride lunch at famous Hollerbach's Willow Tree Inn Cafe and a FREE bottle of cold Bitburger beer mastercrafted in Germany. All included in your fee."

_Maybe_ I will get to try out some new rain gear, if I can ever find any that fits...

Hope to see some FL ladies there!

Nanci

[bouncybouncy]

hey Nanci...
you got a link to the century info???

won't be around this year but always looking to fill the calender! i finally moved out of south florida (not my favorite place by far!!!!) unfortunately the in-laws are still there and anything to ease the pain of having to go back to that place is welcome!!! and that sounds like a breath of fresh air en route to/from the southen part of that state!

[Nanci]

http://www.floridabicycle.org/fbtc/main.html

Here's what you need! Lots of stuff to fill the calendar!

Nanci

[Nanci]

Where do I start...

Decided to take the fast way there, got lost, got there at the posted start time, 6:30. What did you say? The ride really starts at 7:45? And there are no organizers on hand?

The ride starts out along some lake. It is windy, and pretty. 50 degrees. There aren't a whole lot of riders, I'd say 50? Route is marked with orange for the Century, and blue and white for lesser distances. After a ways, a girl and her dad and a guy on a carbon Giant pass me, and I fall in behind them. They are riding 15, nice in the wind, but Giant man wants to go faster, and leaves. I appreciate the wind-blocking of our small paceline.

Throughout the ride, I am disappointed by the vast difference in how the route was described, and how it truly was. Maybe I am spoiled by all the other rides I have done, which take you out of town (and traffic) quickly. This was all city, all heavy traffic, all the time, until the last 20 miles.

Girl and Father decide to take an unmarked left, onto Lake Mary, not Lake Emily. They see a pack of riders who have gone that way. I object- there is no arrow. There is no confirmation arrow when we make the turn. I say I think we are off course. They want to follow the pack. I stop at an auto parts store for directions and off they go. All I have is a cue sheet, no map. The guys in the auto parts store send me back the way I came from, saying I will intersect the road I am looking for, though not as described on the cue sheet. As I am standing there, another big pack goes by, the wrong way. Stupidly, I follow them. A guy in a truck catches me, and I say, I know, I'm off course! How do I get back? He confirms what the auto parts shop guys have told me.

Off I go, alone, no other cyclists anywhere. A map sure would have helped get the general picture. I come to a turn, and there is the organizer, at the side of the road, offering water, saying the next stop is in 20 miles. Well, I am PO'd about the cue sheet missing a turn, and PO'd that all there is for the SAG is water, and decline to stop. Come to another turn, which the arrows indicate, with a totally different street name than what is on the cue sheet. Obviously, no one pre-rode and tested the cue sheet.

At what the cue sheet says is the first SAG, (that the race organizer has just said wouldn't be there) there is a kid, with a table, with one sandwich in a basket, and a pile of the greenest bananas I have ever seen. Great! Luckily, there is a convenience store. I don't really need anything besides the bathroom, though. I thank the kid kindly for my cup of Gatorade, because, no matter how poorly the race is organized, and how poorly stocked the SAG stops are, it isn't the volunteers fault, and without them, there wouldn't be an event at all. I take off, alone, fuming. One sandwich.

Many miles of horrifying traffic and no bike lanes. Many cars honk, I flip the Bird just as many times. Where are the pristine hamlets, shady roads, creeks, old bridges? This ride is NOTHING like how it was described. As someone would describe it later, it is a tour of Central Florida's office parks.

Second SAG at, I don't know, 50 miles? This time there are four sandwiches, so I take one. More green bananas. I spend some time talking with a few other riders who have been passing me throughout the morning. What a surprise, there are no repeat riders from previous years!

70 miles, stop at convenience store where other riders are gathered. Glad to see it, after no bathroom at the second SAG. Have a strawberry milk. I'm not eating or drinking enough, but don't care. I am just annoyed, trying to find something to like, not succeeding. I would have abandoned a long time ago if I had a map. Although I knew in my heart that I needed this long ride as preparation for the 400k in four weeks, and it would be foolish to quit just because I was PO'd about the conditions.

75 miles, last SAG, they have water, Gatorade, green bananas. I don't get off my bike, fill my bottle, which is missing about four ounces, take off.

Finally a long ride through the countryside, with heavy traffic and large trucks, but a small bike lane. Two older gentlemen catch me, but can't drop me. I stick with them, and even take a turn at a very difficult pull, 17-19 mph in a headwind! It's starting to cloud up. The wind, as in every ride this year, is strong and unrelenting. But at least it has been warm. We go through a nice old town, Calledega, and out along the St. John's River, just in time for the wind to _really_ pick up. The water, viewed through live oaks with a cloak of Spanish Moss, is gray and choppy. No traffic, finally!! We pass under a huge murder of crows, maybe a hundred, flocking up, cawing agitatedly, gathering to roost since it has become very dark from the impending storm. The wind is whipping the trees, the clouds are swirling ominously. Ah... Smithers.... I will soon get to test my new Showers Pass Elite rain jacket!!

One of the guys, Art, has a cramp. We stop, though he urges us on. I offer him three electrolyte caps, Endurolytes, not a high concentration. It amazes me that so many "endurance athletes" (for that's really what you are, if you are riding a Century) have absolutely no clue about the body's need for salt, in balance with replacing the amount of water/salt you have sweated out. They think drinking Gatorade and eating a few pretzels will do it, but then suffer from cramps and bloated stomachs and have no clue why. After a short rest, we continue on. It is very windy, and I pull them through a horrifying headwind. Art catches me, and says that they are both cramping now, and I should go on. I don't want to leave them, though, and we only have 10 or 15 miles left, and they don't have a cue sheet. I pull some more, and, after feeling a few drops, pull off to put on my jacket. (Should have put on my helmet cover, too.)

The rain is cold and the wind severe. We are back in heavy traffic, and drivers whoo hoo at us, at the fact that we are out riding in this. It pours, and pours. I lead us in. Finally it stops, and there are only a couple more turns. Then we are back at the parking lot, 3:30 PM. The guys say, thanks, we couldn't have done it without you! Don't they realize that they were the ones who helped me, making the ride an interesting adventure? My ride time is 6:38, I think, and I am pleased with that.

We go to the Willow Tree Cafe for our free lunch, and our free beer. I don't really want a beer, since I have a two+ hour drive and am already nodding off, but Art orders one, only to be told it is non-alcoholic only. Hey, it didn't say _that_ on the entry! As Art says, "The hits just keep coming!"

Nanci

[Melody]

Nanci, that just really sucks that the ride was so bad.

Mel

[SnappyPix]

Nanci,

So sorry to hear that the ride was not only a disappointment, but also so poorly planned and organised. I hope you're going to complain to the organisers? (I'm sure you will!).
I've never done a century where food was laid on (and I've done 4 now), only carbo stuff in the water (if you're lucky) - but it sounds in your case like the SAG stops were a token gesture - and who in their right minds would ever want to eat green bananas - they might as well not bothered.
As for the route itself, it sounded just plain dangerous - from taking your chances in the heavy city traffic, to being misdirected through strange territory without so much as a map.
I hope the organiser(s) have a very good explanation and an even heftier apology.

[yellow]

Oh, Nanci. I'm sorry. I prolly would have come unglued. Good for you for seeing the benefit in it (getting ready for your 400k).

I'm doing an early season century here Feb 25 and I'm really hoping it's not "rinky dink" too. I'm gonna bring a bunch of food just in case (good thing there are 3 pockets back there)!