Long time gone

How did Daddy's bike get here?

It has been a long time. A lot of riding (but not enough!) and a lot of life going on.
After the B2B I took a week off the bike. I didn't really need it but scheduling rides in was getting crazy so I just took the week off. After that was the 4th of July weekend. It was a three day weekend and I really wanted to get in three rides. I was able to get in rides of 40, 30, and 50 miles. I was really happy with that. The 50 miler was a trip back up to Kimball's in Jaffrey NH. I like that ride because it gives me an idea of where my fitness level is. The was a strong headwind most of the way but I made it fairly easily. Jordan and Annie joined me and we had some lunch and ice cream. Here is a picture of Jordan eating her first cone without the help of mom. Very impressive.

The weekend of the 10th we went camping with the RJ Gray crew. Great time and got in one short ride. Here is a picture of Scary Bear Jordan.



Were you scared???

Jordan loves camping!!!!!!! I did get out for a quick 25 mile ride but I am not that comfortable riding in strange locations so I didn't go any further.
We came back a day early so we could pack for our big move. On the 13th we moved down street to our new house. Most important thing about the new house is I no longer have to store my bike in a shed in the back yard. Just ride into the garage and I am done. Thanks to the Irwin and Gaebel family's for helping with the final push. We could not have done it without your help (well Annie probably could have, but it would not have been pretty).
On the 18th I went out for an easy 22 miles with a friend. We went through Westford, Carlisle and back. It was a great day.
Sunday was the Climb to the Clouds. It is a ride to Mt Wachusett organized by the Charles River Wheelmen. We elected to do the 62 mile ride out of Bolton. I decided to ride to the start to get some extra mileage in. Of course I left the house late and had to ride as fast as I could to get to the start. There wasn't much food at the start so I grabbed my bike and off to Wachusett we headed. It was a great ride but I did not eat enough and really paid the price coming home. The last 20 miles were exhausting. I did get 75 total miles out of it so I was happy with the day. Once I got home, it was more unpacking and moving stuff around.

B2B down, PMC to go

I'm a little behind in my blogging. First let's start with the B2B. That is the ride from the Harpoon Brewery in Boston to the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor VT. Here are the stats.
148 Miles
8 hours 39 minutes on the bike.
Average heart rate of 141
5882 Calories burned
Average speed of approx 16.7 MPH
Max speed of 43.0 MPH
On Friday night I wanted to go to bed early. Unfortunately I was not able to fall asleep. I had the alarm set to go off at 3am so we could meet up in Boxborough at 4. I finally got to sleep at about 1 and then received the 2am Jordan wake up. I rolled out of bed at 3, had a couple of english muffins with peanut butter and headed to Boxborough. Getting no sleep before the longest ride of my life is probably not a good idea but there was nothing I could do. We loaded up the bikes (two on top and two in the Pilot and headed into Boston. Once we got there, we unloaded and for the small fee of $15 I parked the Pilot. I was with a great group of guys so while parking, they took my bag to check in and brought my bike to the starting line. A quick porta potty trip and I was headed for the corral. We stood in line for 20 minutes and then we were off. Immediately, I had to go to the bathroom again. I am always very aware of hydration, the problem with that is I always have to go to the bathroom. We snaked our way through Boston, across the Mass Ave bridge and down past my office. At 15 miles there was a rest stop and I was really not feeling well when I got there. A quick stop and we were back on the bikes. After the stop, I ratcheted the pace back a bit and started to get into a nice rythym. The next 45 miles were on roads that I have ridden frequently. This makes it alot easier, knowing what is in store. We got to Ashby and cranked up the first major hill of the ride. I was feeling better and better but was careful to go at my own pace. After the Ashby hills there was about 40 miles of rolling hills. Somehow here, Geoff and I had gotten separated. I tagged along with a couple of different groups but it was boring riding without having someone to talk to. There was a rest/food stop at 90 miles. Once we started again, we finally took a right off of 119 (we had been on 119 for 3+ hours) and started the second (and hardest) climb. This was a relentless 10 mile stretch that almost did me in. I was again alone and really felt like quitting. The uphill finally ended and there was another stop for food. It was here that I ran into Geoff again and we rode together the last 50 miles. The last 50 were mostly flats and some small rolling hills. It was a long way in, I started cramping a bit but just kept drinking and eating energy gels and we made it. It was an amazing feeling to round the corner and see the brewery. This was by far the hardest single day event I have accomplished. There were a few Harpoons downed and I took the bus back to Boston. You would assume we would all sleep the entire way home but there is something about punishing your body for that long that won't allow you to get comfortable. I was back in Boxborough by 9pm. 17 hours and an incredible expierence later. Props go out Geoff, I would have probably made it if he wasn't there, but it wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable.