So I go in the building where we register, sign in, get my pint glass, change, blah blah blah, and we're off. Probably about 35-40 riders, and man, did they get to dropping me quick. Right off the bat, there was a steep grade, between a quarter and a half mile long, and the conversation I was having with the guy next to me ended right there. I like to keep my pulse rate under 150 for the first 3 miles or so, generally, but that went right out the door. Steep climb, steep descent, and now I'm trailing everyone except for a couple that were clearly just out for a cruise. I'm not a great descender, and although I'm getting better, I'm really not a great descender when I don't know the roads. So, ok, time to get to work. The next few miles weren't bad...some short, semi-steep rollers, but I deal with that all the time down here on the Jersey Shore, so not a problem. I get warmed up, and I can see the pack off in front of me, and I try to bridge up to them, but it just ain't happening, and I set my sights on picking off a straggler or two.
This ride went clockwise around Lake Hopatcong, which is funny, because a good friend of mine lives right on the lake, so I passed right in front of his house. Is he there to wave? Hell no, he has a family, and a life. Good on him. Anyways, long story short, the hills quickly started getting out of hand, and I started getting gassed. Thank god that when you go up, you have to come back down. I was actually kind of worried about my knee throughout a lot of this ride, as I've been dealing with some pain in it in longer rides, and I (perhaps foolishly) did a 63 mile ride with 4800 feet of climbing, in small, but potent doses, and my knee was still hurting from that. Somehow, I managed to keep it at bay - something Edison Road, in Ogdensburg, did not help with.
Edison Road. I pre-drove the course, a few weeks ago, so I knew about Edison Road. In fact, looking at the cue sheet, when it says to turn onto Edison Road, it said "Get ready to climb". Huh? I though we had been climbing. Shows what I know. Edison Road is about 4 miles long, and it's got a couple of pretty relentless sections. I had kind of been dreading getting there, but I had dealt with most of the climbs up to that point ok, dropping down into low gear, which in my case was 39-27, and grinding it out. A couple times I had to just roll the pedals over, but I handled everything, so Edison Road would just be the same, but longer, right?
Let me put it this way - ouch.
Now, it's great, because I did want to challenge myself, but that road had me on the limit a couple times...I hate to say it, but I even had to stop at one point, and recover for a minute. I couldn't help wondering how much easier it would have been if I'd been good about the diet for the whole 6 weeks leading up to this...maybe I'd have been 10-15 lbs lighter, maybe I'd have made it the whole way up. But I digress.
About halfway up, there's a nice little park, which is only open to Ogdensburg residents - which, I gotta tell ya, I find kind of annoying. But it was pretty, so I stopped to take a couple pictures. While I was doing so, this guy, who I'd caught and passed, caught back up to me and passed me back.
The nerve. However, since it's easy to beat someone in a race, when they have no idea you're racing them, I knew I'd have my say in how things went, so I let him go while I snapped a couple more pics of the park that outsiders aren't allowed at.
My mind must have decided to block out the rest of that climb, when I drove it, cause I thought I was pretty much at the top when I was at the xenophobic park. Nope, only about halfway. Ouch, ouch, and ouch. Catch the guy, pass him again, ouch ouch ouch. Finally get to the top, and then get to do some nice, chilly descending. It was a chilly day, mid-fifties, and although I brought arm and leg warmers, I should have brought a wind vest for the descents. Cause I sweated up a storm on the climbs...and sweaty climb + long descent - wind vest = brrr!
The rest of the ride went pretty much the same...lots of fairly difficult rollers, one more long, hard climb (at the top of which I must have looked pretty shot, as a roadie going the other way asked if I was ok, and let me know I was at the top). I had to stop one more time, within a mile or so of the finish, on a half mile long, very steep climb...which annoyed me to no end. But, at long last, I got there.
All in all, I'm slow as all git out, but I was really happy I made the effort...and really, really, really happy I set out to get myself into shape over the last six weeks. I never would have made those climbs otherwise. And on that note, my friend Garrett was supposed to come, but got derailed by family obligations. Had he come, it might have gotten ugly. His cassette is an 8 speed, 13-23, and I was going to go with my 11-23, just to show a little solidarity. Thank god I didn't have to do that. I definitely would have had to stop a couple more times if I did...the extra 4 teeth in back was oh, so necessary.
But I've been needing a challenge like this, to force myself to get it together...and I feel like I'm going to keep the ball rolling. I love riding - and the more weight I lose, and the stronger I get, the more I love it. Next year...well, I might not compete for the win, but I'll represent much better on the big hills. And mark my words, I'll do it with that 11-23.
This coming Saturday, the 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge. Bring it on.
2 comments:
I'm thinking about doing the Tour this year. Are the roads closed off to cars?
Well, my apologies, Buddy, I didn't see this post til now. No, the roads aren't closed to cars, and some of the roads do have a fair amount of traffic. But it's not treacherous at any point, so hopefully you'll do the next one, next April!
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