Outriders postmortem

[topaz]

So I did something way crazy this weekend and had a total blast doing it.  Lots of disconnected notes:

For the first 60 miles or so, inseriatim and I rode more or less as a team.  She's a stronger rider than I am, but I have more mass and can use momentum to my advantage, so on the flat parts of the trip we could keep up with each other.  Then when we started hitting serious hills in Sandwich, she completely kicked my ass. :-)  In the end she finished the ride about half an hour ahead of me.

Learning to pace myself on previous long rides turned out, as I suspected, to be absolutely key to finishing this ride.

I still didn't pay enough attention to my pace.  :-)  When inseriatim started pulling ahead of me, I kept trying to keep up with her, since I was still thinking we were evenly matched.  After a while I figured out what was going on and let myself drop back to the pace that worked best for me.  But the damage was done: at 60 miles I still felt in good shape, but by 80 miles I was feeling downright tired, and never quite got it back.

Even though I had overextended myself, I was able to finish the last 45 miles and I did not die.  Now that rocked.

Among the truly brilliant things about this ride: fluffernutters and nutella at the lunch stop.  PACKETS OF PURE ENERGY.  Now I know what to pack for lunch on my own all-day rides.

omegabeth was not kidding when she said it was like I'd been rolled in salt.  When I showered after the ride, and the water washed the sweat out of my hair down my face, goddamn if it didn't taste just like the brine from the sea.

Favorite street name of the day: Federal Furnace Road, followed closely by Gunners Exchange Rd, both in Plymouth.

I owe so many people thanks.
Thanks keyne for your patience and support through this whole nutty enterprise.
Thanks omegabeth for volunteering and being part of my personal cheering squad.
Thanks inseriatim for joining me and riding more than half the trip with me.
Thanks bubblebabble and bitty for your fabulous hospitality and company.
Thanks kcatalyst and family for bringing this event to my attention in the first place.
Thanks sconstant for keeping me honest. I've been talking about doing this for years -- you helped make sure I'd stop talking and start doing. :-)
Thanks moominmolly and dilletante for inspiration in nutty cycling activities.

And boy, thanks all of you for being so flippin' enthusiastic!

Registration for this ride is only $60 and I'd really love to bring some more people along next time.  Anyone else want to get in it with me for next year?

Comments

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

We're in! Hurrah!

[wotw]

RAGBRAI! RAGBRAI! RAGBRAI!

[yagagriswold.livejournal.com]

Hee. Be sure to wave at Grinnell for me if you do.

[jacflash.livejournal.com]

Registration for this ride is only $60 and I'd really love to bring some more people along next time. Anyone else want to get in it with me for next year?

Conceptually, yeah. Let me figure out if I can actually do this...

[mangosteen]

So, for those of us who don't even have a lousy copy of the home game, what was this event?

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

http://www.google.com/search?q=outriders :-)

[skintalker.livejournal.com]

Congrats! I enjoyed tracking your progress through the day. It's been 15 years since I've ridden triple digits, but I got a new bike for the holidays so I think I may be down for it by next year!

[inseriatim.livejournal.com]

I thought we were (or are) evenly matched as well -- I went much faster for the first 60 miles than I usually do, because I was tailing you. But somewhere around Yarmouth I unexpectedly leveled up. Picking up someone fresh who I would really like to impress might have helped.

I wonder if I'll go faster on my normal commute, or if I'll be less motivated, or what, now that this is done. Tell us if your cycling style changes!

Thank YOU. (And Beth and bubblebabble and bitty.) Lord only knows when our schedules will align, but I owe you dinner still.

Boston-Montreal-Boston next year?

[ceo]

Go, you! Eventually I'll work up to doing something like this (rode to work today for the first time in over a month, and boy am I out of shape).

[penk.livejournal.com]

Lets you and i ride a couple 50 milers and then I'll see aboutnext year. Maybe I'll be the only one riding it on a 'bent :)

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

I totally want to do the ride next year! I'm crossing my fingers that Dr. Foot the Second will help me make that possible.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Anyone else want to get in it with me for next year?

Well, that would be a good excuse to get a fancy new bike...

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Even though I had overextended myself, I was able to finish the last 45 miles and I did not die. Now that rocked.

Yes. Yes it did. Though I have no doubt that someone would have caught it on camera and posted it for the rest of us to see. ;-)

That was really cool, watching your progress...

[actjack.livejournal.com]

CAN I DRIVE?