exactly how crazy am I?

[topaz]

Today I happened to pick up a copy of Metro Sports Boston, a free rag that covers local sporting and outdoor activities. In the event calendar I noticed the OutRiders Boston to Provincetown Ride scheduled for June 21. The B2P ride is done in one day, 130 miles from Boston to Ptown. It's three weeks from now.

When I saw Pat and Tom a few weeks ago, one of the first things Pat asked me was, "Are you doing the OutRiders ride in June?" Pat and Tom are much more experienced cyclists than I am, with about a dozen Pallotta TeamWorks rides to show for it, and whenever I see them they tease me about training up for some serious riding. At the time it was absolutely out of the question -- there was no way I could set aside enough time from work and childcare to train for a ride like this.

But now, of course, I don't have work to worry about. :-)

130 miles is more than twice as long as the longest single ride I've done in my life, so even at my peak it would be a stretch. And I'm not in peak condition. I've only just started the cycling season. On the other hand, I'm starting out this season in better shape than in years past. Yesterday I did 26 miles (home to Somerville to Lexington) without breaking much of a sweat, and with minimal aches today. That's better than usual for this time of the season.

There's a 65M ride around the Quabbin next weekend. If I can make that ride, and a century the weekend of the 14th, I should be able to do the OutRiders ride the weekend after that. It's certainly an accelerated pace, but it's still within reason.

The childcare will be an issue too. Neither E nor I have done a 12-hour solo stint with both boys. If we can enlist help from my parents and our friends it might work.

What do you think? Am I totally nuts for even contemplating this?

Comments

[sweetmmeblue.livejournal.com]

Sure. We can help out. Just depends how much based on if I have the car on any particular day. You could also bicycle by here with the baby carrier we talked about :)

Do you plan on taking the younger boy with you on any of your training rides or will the need to stop and feed/change make that impractical?

[bitty.livejournal.com]

bubblebabble did the ride a few years ago. He hasn't felt interested in doing it again, but he doesn't regret having done it, either.

[catya.livejournal.com]

sounds good to me, but we'll be out of town then... (i thought you guys were goign to baitcon...?)

[trom.livejournal.com]

Go for it! Given your training schedule, you will _hurt_ afterwards. Also, talk to P & T. You really won't want to drive home right afterwards. Plan on spending the night in P-town. But do it :)

-M

Ferry

[sconstant.livejournal.com]

The other alternative is to ferry back. You should make a reservation if you're going to do this.

S.

Me? I'd ask

[zsquirrelboy.livejournal.com]

moominmolly and dilletante. They've been doing scary long rides lately. (And should just be recovering from a 400k ride they did this weekend.)

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I'm already impressed. :)

FYI, if you were thinking of going to Baitcon, John Hood and phi and both bicycled there before, though I don't know if they plan to this year. That'd be a pretty good ride, in any case.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

That's not crazy -- it's a planned ride, and if I'm not mistaken, they have sag vans and the such, so that if you have to stop you can.

Crazier is going on a trip alone and/or un[der]prepared. If the ride is supported, then it doesn't matter (ie, what if you only make it 65 miles?)

if you need a cheering section, or another non-totally-skilled biker (I only have one Palotta ride under my belt, and that was 3 years ago) I apprear to be free that weekend.