Weather Blues

It's been a frustrating end of the month for the centuries project, mostly because my weather karma has been on an apparent vacation. On 21 August, I attempted a close-to-home century in Reston, Virginia. At about the 65 mile point, I heard a clap of thunder and looked behind me to see a black sky. A quick call to 50CP Headquarters (my wife, Robbie, at home) revealed that there were yellow and red patches on the radar image of the incoming storm. What's worse, the storm looked like it would last for a long time. So, I arranged for a rendezvous in Leesburg, and ended the ride at 75 miles. It was a good thing, as the ride organizers told me there were about 1000 people left on the road when it started to hail.

Last weekend, I had plans and reservations to do the Shore Fire Century in Delaware. As late as Thursday afternoon, the ride organizers were insisting we would still ride. "The rain from Irene isn't supposed to hit until late Saturday," they e-mailed me. But, Irene was bigger than expected (in rain and size, if not in wind and ferocity) and states of emergency and evacuation areas were declared. They pulled the plug late Thursday.

This is such a bummer because every other day has been beautiful. Temperatures are in the low 80s with bright sunshine and sharp shadows. There is a tangible drop in humidity. This morning was so cool you couldn't sit outside in shorts.

This weekend, I'm going to attempt to double up on the centuries. I have plans to do the Sunrise Century in Clarksville, TN (which does both TN and KY) on Saturday. I fly home on Sunday, and will attempt the Delaware Shore Fire Century self-supported on Labor Day. (The bike club was nice enough to send me the cue sheet.) The weather forecast for these two locations has been all over the map, so it will be a small miracle if I can finish all this.

How long does your weather karma go on vacation for, anyway?

Indiana: A Sequence of Unfortunate Events (Ends Well)

Sometimes, you just have to decide you’re going to persevere. I was in Howe, Indiana for the “Amishland and Lakes” century last weekend (August 6th). There was a lot to like about this ride: the terrain was mostly flat, the weather was warm but not hot, and there was very little wind. The organizers were very friendly as were the riders, and the food on the campus of the former Howe Military Academy was cheap and surprisingly tasty.

The name of the ride came from the large Amish population in the area (the lakes were definitely a secondary feature, but I understand the name is traditional). The Amish tradition here was no different than elsewhere: They avoid most modern conveniences – most prominently the automobile. Thus, we would pass numerous horse-drawn buggies and carriages. While this was charming, it also meant that we would ride 100 miles among the horses’ much-less-charming residue. What started out as interesting sensory reflections of a bygone era, by the middle of a summer afternoon, became the main focus of our riding attention. We had to avoid both potholes and ‘horse apples’.

After an early start, I made good time as far as mile 38. I found a rider, Barb, a florist from Ohio, who wanted to start early as well, and expected to ride the same pace as I. 38 miles in, I developed a flat on my front tire. I searched for a while to no avail to find what in the tire caused the small slit in the tube. In putting a new tube on, I spent too much time chatting and too little attention to what I was doing. I did not notice that I had failed to seat the tire bead. I brought it all the way to pressure before my spare tube blew out with a convincing retort.

I went back to attempt to patch the original tube. The glue in my patch kit had dried out, but a passing cyclist loaned me some from hers. During inflation, the valve stem broke rendering my last good tube useless. I called for a SAG and walked to the last intersection. An hour later, I discovered the SAG did not have any tubes my size -- they gave me a ride back to the ride HQ at Howe. After the purchase and installation of two new tubes (and a new patch kit!), it was about noon. I decided to attempt to finish the century by taking the 62-mile route that began at Howe. I went past the first rest stop after it closed, but I was able to make the others in time. I finished the ride after 5PM, happy to color in Indiana.

Back in the Saddle!

I'm winding down preparations for the Indiana Amishland and Lakes century on Saturday. (Links are on the right column.) I did a dry run metric century last Sunday, and I felt pretty good. Amishland is pretty relaxed: temperatures forecast to be in the mid-80s, and the terrain is flat. I've decided that my mantra will be: you're here to enjoy yourself! If I'm not having fun, then there's no point in going through all this time, expense, and aggravation.

So, I hope to bike 100 miles with a smile on my face on Saturday. I hate to get ahead of myself, but there's lots more to do in the coming two months. Some of them sound like a lot of fun, like Minnesota's Jesse James Century.

I signed up for the Reston Century near here on the 21st. It turns out there really are not many out-of-state options that weekend. I'll do the ride if the weather cooperates, but I've done many centuries in Virginia. There's no need to be a hero -- especially if temperatures reach the boiling point again.

I've also noticed that there's significant weight gain over a century weekend. I think it's human nature to over-compensate for these endurance events. Much has been made about 'carbo loading' in advance of these events, but it may be just hype. I think the best recommendation is to eat a reasonable but not excessive meal the night before, a good breakfast, and top off as you ride along. It's incredibly easy to take in more calories than you ride off. (For the record, I estimate a century rides off more than 5000 calories.) It's a balancing act. If you don't take in enough, you reach the restaurant or the ride dinner famished and start eating the plates and napkins.

I'll post a new map Sunday! Hi Ho, Silver, away!