Almost Here

The B2B is only two days away and I must admit I am a bit nervous. Possible rain in the forcast does not make me feel any better. On the positive side, we have a great group to ride with and I am sure that will make most of the 148 miles go by quickly. Last weekend was the last big ride before the B2B. I had my bike serviced earlier last week and they put on a new rear cassette and chain. The cassette (gears in the back) is a little smaller so I was nervous trying the climbs without my 'granny' gear. I headed out at 5:30 to meet up in Boxborough. Finally the weekend comes and I have to get up earlier than during the week. As Homer Simpson would say "Doh!". I got to Boxborough and everyone was ready to go. We headed out through Littleton, Ayer over to Rte 119. Rte 119 has to be one of the worst roads to ride on, but it is part of the B2B so it is good to see the terrain a few times. So far there weren't any big hills so I wasn't able to tell how the cassette was going to work. We rode through Groton and into Townsend. Once in Townsend we left 119 and headed up towards the hills and New Hampshire. This is where the serious climbing started and my cassette was awesome. I think these hills are as steep as anything on the B2B course so I was pretty excited. We looped up through NH and back to Ashby center. From there it was down to Fitchburg, and back home. In total it was an 82 mile day for me,averaging 17.5 mph. I was pretty satisfied and although I should have gotten more miles, I feel ready for Saturday. Saturday is a 3am wake up and a 4am departure from Boxborough. I am excited an anxious. As I get older, it is harder to 'test' myself. I think this will be a major test. I expect to be on my bike for about 8 hours with the whole trip (including breaks for food and bathroom) to take 9. I will have a camera so hopefully I have some good pictures of us enjoying a Harpoon!

A long day

This is a weekend that I should have gotten in two solid rides but Saturday ended up being a busy day so I only got out on Sunday. I met some guys that are doing the B2B at 7:30 and off we went. About 5 miles in I actually got my first flat of the year. It was an easy change so we were back heading to Bedford. We picked up the B2B course in Bedford and rode out to Ashby. For some reason I just didn't have it today and struggled the whole way. Not sure but I have been very busy and maybe I am not getting enough sleep. We ended riding 80 miles and I averaged 17.8 mph. Not bad but I had to work very hard for it. Hopefully next weeks rides will go well to give me some much needed confidence going into the B2B

Buddy's Bash a success again

Last Saturday was the 4th annual Buddy's Bash. The first two BB were just cookouts. The last two we used to raise a little money for the PMC. This year was a huge success. We sold 30 t-shirts to raise $300 for the team and then raised $550 in a raffle that will go directly to the Pan Mass Challenge. I would like to thank all the doners. They were extremely generous.
Nashoba Package Store in Littleton
RJ Bradleys Ski and Patio in Westford
Wachusett Brewery
Colonial Spirits in Acton
The Crossroads in Acton
Scupper Jack's in Acton
Main Street's Cafe in Concord Center
Littleton Sub Shop

A special thanks to Tony for handling the announcing duties of both the band and the raffle.




As you can see, Jordan really ran the show. I think in this picture, she was checking ID's at the beer cooler. The top picture is of Jim's Wicked Awesome Garage... band. The band was a new twist and was enjoyed by all. They allowed me to play a few songs with them, as long as I turned the volume of my guitar all the way down.
The day ended up having perfect weather and I think all had a good time.
Here is a picture of Jordan wearing her new Team Lick Cancer t-shirt.


Sunday morning (after waaaaaaayyy too many Wachusett brews I was up and on my bike by 7. I decided to tackle the first big hill of the B2B course again. I rode out through Ayer and over to 117. I felt great, especially on the hill. The ride ended up being a bit under 60 miles and I was able to average 17.2 mph. A few more big rides and I will be ready for the 20th.