Cycle for Shelter Revisted

Check this out. Today I received a disk of pictures taken by Geoff Hull from the Cycle for Shelter Planning Group. The ride, which was held on Sunday, July 26, 2008, has raised more than $75,000 to date for Emmaus, Inc.

I tagged along in between fellow riders, Drew (on the left) and Dave for my first 62 mile metric century. This was my first experience on an organized ride and it was a fun but tiring day on a beautiful course. Here's photographic proof of me keeping up with them (or perhaps... them slowing down for me...). Looking forward to doing the 100 mile course next year.

(Click to enlarge)

8 Days Later...

Okay, I'm still here. I just haven't been blogging - or biking, for that matter. In fact, today was the first time I got out on my bike since I completed my first century 8 days ago.

I didn't mean to miss a whole week of riding but I was trapped in a conference room at work for 35 hours last week and then we had a few days of heavy rain. Today, though, I got back out there and did the 18 mile loop I used to do in the morning - but this time it was in the afternoon in light rain. It felt great to be back on my bike and I clocked one of my fastest times, surprisingly.

So...... what to do now.....

I know I'll keep riding as long as I can through the fall. I need it. I really need it. In fact, I felt a bit off my game all last week without riding. Morning rides are out - and have been for some time - since sunrise has gotten later and later. My only option now is to ride during lunchtime and hopefully get a longer ride in on Sundays, since Saturdays are soccer game days.

Later in the year I may even try out my friend Claudia's trainer to set up my bike at home for indoor training. Spin class is an option, too. I guess I'll just have to see how this one plays itself out.

As for my blog.... I've been debating what to do. The whole purpose of it initially was as a training tool to help me complete my first century. Since I've done that - and it was a great tool - do I now retire my blog? But I like to write. And I like to take pictures. And I like to have goals and keep track of my progress. And I like to think I have a fan base of greater than 2.

So I think I'll keep blogging. At least for now. And maybe I'll expand my topics beyond biking. I guess I'll just have to see how this one plays itself out.

In the meantime, though, I'm going to get my butt back out there on the road and mull over ideas for my next major challenge.

Century Accomplished!

I did it!! 103 miles in 6.5 hours on one of the most gorgeous days of the year. The course was beautiful and featured many spectacular views of the New Hampshire and Maine coastlines. Who could ask for anything better?

The day started off very early at the Hampton State Park. I was there by 6:30 so I'd be ready for the 7:00 registration along with 1600 other riders. It was very cold (mid 40s) and the sun was just coming up.

The course began with a 17 mile southern loop to Newburyport and back. I started my ride solo and pretty much froze my butt (or rather, my finger tips and legs) off the first 3 miles. (Incidentally, it's never helpful to look at the bike odometer after 3 miles when you have 97 more miles to go.....). But the sun was rising, I warmed up fast and the day was looking good.

As I passed the Hampton park entrance again on my way north, I met up with Drew and Dave, who I rode the Cycle for Shelter with, and Dave's wife Mary, who were all just starting for the day. Seeing friendly faces injected new energy into me and the miles started flying by.

The ride up Ocean Boulevard (Rt. 1A) through Hampton, North Hampton, Rye and Wentworth-by-the-Sea offered some of the best coastal views, but picture taking opportunities were limited since I was now part of a well synchronized paceline of riders. Before I knew it, I had ridden 33 miles - the ride was already 1/3 over!

Here are a few shots I was able to catch near Portsmouth:
After a break at a very crowded official water stop, we continued to ride north up into Maine. Dave and Mary were riding the metric century (63 mile) loop so they turned around and headed back. Drew and I continued up Rt. 1 towards York and we stopped briefly to enjoy this view. Although there was a coastal wind going, thankfully, it was manageable and was nothing compared to prior years, as I was told.

The next highlight was the Cape Neddick Lighthouse, also known as the Nubble Lighthouse. Built in 1879 and located in York Beach, this is a classic Maine icon. I was at mile 51 when we stopped for this spectacular view.

Here's a shot of Drew in his Hawaiian biking shirt, which added some comic relief to the ride. As he pedaled, the girl on his shirt actually looked like she was doing the hula!

We continued on a few more miles through and around York center, passing many little shops and candy stores, including The Goldenrod, renowned for their salt water taffy. We also biked by the famous York's Wild Kingdom before the course headed south. No rest for the weary, though, since we still faced a good 45 miles ahead of us.

The next photo opp was back approaching Portsmouth again as we walked our bikes across a grated bridge. The tide was out when we were headed north but in as we headed south.

The route back was similar to the way up but a 10 mile loop was added near Rye to make the course a full 100 miles. This loop took us through many tree lined streets and past the beautiful Abenaqui Country Club.

This loop was actually the hardest part of the ride for me. It felt like we were doing our longest stretch of our fastest riding of the day at this point and we had a new rider latched on drafting me. It was around mile 90 I was starting to fade. Plus, I was in unchartered territory since I'd never ridden more than 83 miles in one stretch.

Thankfully, we soon turned south onto Rt. 1A. I never thought the strip at Hampton Beach would be such a welcome sight!

And then it happened - I passed the 100 mile mark!! The official mileage on the course was actually 100.8, but we took a slight detour down a beautiful coastal road, which brought my total mileage up to 103.23, to be exact. Average speed for the day was exactly 16 mph - fast for me!

Crossing the finish line back at Hampton State Park, with ride volunteers banging bells and cheering, was one of the best feelings I've experienced in a very long time. Quite emotional in fact. I still can't believe it.

When I look back at the ride, I have to say that it was much easier than I thought it would be. Despite the fade at mile 90, I finished strong. In fact, I felt strong throughout most of the ride and enjoyed every minute of it. On such a beautiful day with such spectacular views, it's hard not to ride with a smile on your face much of the time. And today - the day after - I feel great and am looking forward to getting back out on my bike again.

So there I have it. Century accomplished.

Completing a century started as a crazy idea, then became a goal, then became an all-out mission. For me, I proved to myself that I could reach for something I've never imagined before, take it step by step, hold myself accountable, include others so they could hold me accountable and complete the task. My blog has been a key element in realizing this goal.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and cheered me on along the way! And thank you Drew, for sharing 85 miles of the ride with me.

Stay tuned for more biking commentary as I figure out the next chapter in my riding and in my blog.

~ Lisa~

POSTSCRIPT
I rode this century in dedication to Bryce Morrill, my sister-in-law Rosanne's companion and an extended family member of ours for the last 5 years. Last weekend, he passed away unexpectedly as he was biking in preparation for the Hub on Wheels charity bike ride to be held in Boston today. Ride on, Bryce. May you rest in peace.

Pre-Century Metrics

The address for this blog is Novice2Century. 18 weeks ago, I started as a novice rider. And in less than 10 hours, I will ride the Tri-State Seacoast Century, my first 100 mile ride.

Time to take stock of what I've done to prepare:

Total number of miles ridden: 1,170
Longest ride: 83
Average weekly miles: 65
Hours on the bike: 79
Towns ridden through: 26
Number of rides solo: 40
Number of rides with company: 7
Number of times lost: 4
Number of pounds lost: 8
Number of dropped water bottles: 2
Number of dropped water bottles that I immediately ran over: 1
Number of times I've forgotten my shoes were clipped to my pedals: 4
Number of cows, horses, llamas, and the like passed: >150
Number of near misses with a car: 1

Am I ready to ride 100 miles tomorrow?? You bet I'm ready to ride 100 miles tomorrow! Thank you to everyone who has been cheering me on! See you on the other side.

Pre-Century Random Thoughts

The century I've been training for the past 18 weeks is only 3 days away!! Thankfully, the weather forecast looks good. Sunny and 66 degrees - perfect biking weather.

The biggest thought that's been looming in the back of my mind - and one I've been in denial about - is this:

What the hell do I do after my century?

And subsequently... what will I blog about?

And further... what comes next? What's the next goal? How much longer can I keep riding into the fall/winter? What do I do to keep in biking shape when the snow and ice come? How will I manage mentally without the meditation and solitude of my solo rides?

I'll have lots to think about during my estimated 7 hour ride on Saturday....

Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Ride with the Champions Follow Up

Yesterday was the Ride with the Champions, supporting the Special Olympics of Massachusetts. First off, thank you very much to everyone who sponsored me on my ride! My team, the Keith Crusaders, was the top fund raising team for the event, thanks to leader Doug, who single handedly raised almost a third of the total money for the event. Here he is speaking at the awards ceremony. Way to go, Doug!

Thankfully, the predicted rain held off and we were treated to a sunny day as we biked through scenic areas of the north shore. The ride took us through 7 towns. Starting at the Topsfield Fairgrounds, we rode through Wenham, Hamilton, Beverly, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, Ipswich and back to Topsfield.

One of the most beautiful parts of the ride was out to Little Neck in Ipswich. I didn't stop to take too many pictures since this was a group ride and I wanted to keep up, but I did manage these two by the Ipswich Salt Marsh. Quite the view, wouldn't you say?
I was one of only about 35 other riders on the 65 mile course. (About 60 more did either the 20 or 12 mile course.) I lost my team in the first few miles and riders grew few and far between as the course progressed. I was able to catch up to a fellow rider named Fred around mile 12, who rides in support of his niece who has Down's Syndrome. We chatted and took turns leading for the next 28 miles. He helped me with my pace and even prevented me from taking two wrong turns as I zoned out during my time up front, which I'm sure would have resulted in many extra miles. Thanks for keeping me on course, Fred!

Doug and I agreed that the course was quite hilly, so even though I was slower than my last metric century, I was pleased with my performance. I rode 65 miles in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Average speed for the ride: 15.1 mph (my first 25 I averaged over 16 mph.) This ride was excellent training for my century, which happens in less than 6 days!

I enjoyed many of the roads and beautiful scenery during the ride and hope to get out in the same area soon. This was a great ride for a great cause and I hope to do again next year. Thank you again to those who sponsored me for the Special Olympics!

A Miss or Two

Everyone's entitled to screw up every now and again. And so on Tuesday it was my turn. During my lunchtime ride I made a series of "misses". I mistimed my ride, miscalculated how long it would take, and missed a turn, which resulted in me getting stuck in a torrential downpour and thunderstorm. I guess you could even call the whole ride a mistake but I actually did some of my best and fastest riding during it.

I was trying to squeeze a 17 mile ride in before a big storm. I knew it was coming but checked the radar and thought I was good for at least an hour. So out I went. My ride was relatively dry for the first 10 miles - a few light showers on and off but nothing to turn back over.

But by mile 11 it started coming down harder. I'm one of these people who actually likes being out in the rain. As long as it's not coming down in buckets, I like to walk in the rain, run in the rain and bike in the rain. In fact, one of my best live music experiences was during an outside performance of Gov't Mule in the pouring rain (you really had to be there).

Anyway, I was out, it was raining harder and then the thunder and lightning starts (image courtesy of thelensflare.com). I was doing okay on the fear scale because it was off in the distance. It was only after the horns suddenly went off at the golf course I was passing (which, incidentally, scared the crap out of me) that I started to get a little nervous.

So what did I do? I biked faster. But what happens when you bike faster and faster? You don't pay as much attention and you miss critical turns. And that's what I did.

Right as I realized this, predictably, the heavens opened (I'm talking buckets) and thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Nearby. In a totally HUGE way. And I was three miles off course when I should have been back at my office.

Thankfully, I did made it back safe and sound shortly, after a fast and furious ride. Traffic was light because what fool would be out driving in these conditions?? On the upside, even though I was soaked to the bone when I arrived back, I had successfully navigated a very challenging ride and had clocked one of my best speeds ever for a 20 mile loop. So even though I missed a few things on this ride, maybe it wasn't a total mistake.

Roadside Eye Candy

I'm stealing the "eye candy" expression here from my friend Claudia. But I think it accurately describes this shot, captured on my way to Cape Ann.Upcoming events:
62 mile Metric Century this Saturday
100 mile Seacoast Century in just 10 days!! Can't believe what I've been training for since May is almost here....

Ride with the Champions

On Saturday, September 13th, I am going to Ride with the Champions along Massachusetts' scenic North Shore.

Ride with the Champions is a benefit bike ride for Special Olympics athletes in Massachusetts. Participants will join Special Olympics champions and pedal along one of three courses: 62 miles, 20 miles, or 12 miles on the Family Fun Ride. I've chosen to ride the 62 mile course, also known as a metric century, with team Keith Crusaders.

I am doing this because I feel it is important to support the Athletes of Special Olympics Massachusetts. Special Olympics provides year-round athletic training and competition to athletes in the state with intellectual disabilities. Athletic training not only builds physical fitness, but also builds confidence and improves the quality of life for SOMA athletes. These athletes are truly brave, and with our help they can succeed on and off the playing field.

If you would like to sponsor me in my fundraising efforts, please click on the above Ride with the Champions icon and you will be brought to my personal web donation page. Together, we can make a difference!

p.s. Check back here after the event for ride pictures and commentary.

Past the 1000 mile mark

Just realized that my long ride around Cape Ann last weekend put me past the 1000 mile mark - 1045 to be exact. That's like biking from Boston to Chicago!

Back Out There - Part II

[I just realized that due to some type of technical glitch, several of the pictures from my long ride were deleted from my last post. Not sure when that happened but I've just fixed.]

Okay then. More on the ride. As I said, strong head and cross winds tormented me for more than half of the trip. Not sure why this caught me by surprise since I was riding by the ocean, after all, but this day was particularly windy. At one point I saw my bike calculator fall from 19 to 12 mph when the gusts picked up on a long, open stretch of Rt 133 on my way home. I tried to convince myself that the wind challenge was good thing since it's excellent prep for my oceanside century, but other times I found myself yelling out loud about it.

Traffic was a bit nutty, too. Not sure why this caught me by surprise since it was Labor Day weekend, after all, but thankfully, I arrived home unscathed. The hardest part was negotiating the Rt. 128 rotary where the highway ends. It wasn't a problem merging on but it was a challenge getting through the two lanes of traffic coming off. I found the best strategy to be to remain confident, assume your position, make eye contact, signal clearly, thank and smile.

One other lesson learned was that getting food during the ride is critical. By mile 65 I was starving and running low on energy. I made a quick stop to get a cold Gatorade and wound up having the best junior roast beef sandwich ever. I was able to finish my ride and even had energy after I arrived home. A web calculator later told me I burned at total of 3300 calories during almost 6 hours of pedaling. I think this is a stretch and it was more like 2500-2700 but it still highlights the need for food during the ride.

My average speed was 14.5 mph - not my best speed but not bad considering the distance, traffic and wind. It was a great ride to a beautiful area. I hope to make this ride one more time before packing in the bike for the winter.

Back Out There

Okay, enough talk and introspection for now. Late this past weekend, I finally got back on the saddle (sorry, another cliche) and got my butt out there for my longest and most challenging ride to date. I rode out to Gloucester and around Cape Ann through Rockport and back.

What a ride. 83 miles! Solo! I have to laugh about the solo part; my friend Sue told me she prefers riding with people since she usually can't stand herself after 20 miles. But I like the alone time. I usually have a great tune going in my head (no iPod just brain tunes) and plenty to think about. Plus, I had bigger challenges to deal with - like almost 50 miles of head and cross winds and Labor Day and beach traffic. Thankfully, I was rewarded with beautiful ocean views and blue sky so the ride was well worth it.

Below are shots from the day (and I do mean "day" because my total ride time was just under 6 hours - that's a long time to be pedaling a bike!):

I inadvertently timed my visit perfectly to coincide with the Parade of Sail in Gloucester Harbor. This was one of the many tall ships out for the morning.
This beachfront view is from private Eastern Point Boulevard, where I took a detour to check out the Yacht Club.
And this is along lower Atlantic Road. The mansions were fantastic, too.
I finally made it to Rockport Harbor, took a brief break to rest and filled up my water bottle.
I was dying for a big, juicy burger but it was only 10:30 in the morning and none of the sandwich shops were open. So I continued north up past Pigeon Cove. It was pretty rural up there until I came around a sharp bend to Folly Cove below.Further down was Plum Cove, which also had a beach area for swimmers and scuba divers to enter.
These were the main pictures from my scenic route. More details on the ride, recovery and navigating the Rt. 128 rotary with Labor Day traffic in the next post...

Metaphor of Hill Climbing

Last week I rode the least number of miles since I bought my road bike in May - only one 17 mile ride. It was also the most stressful week that I've had in a long time. Coincidence? Had I biked more, would I have had a better week? I think I know the answer to that one.

Although I wasn't on my bike much last week, I did think about it a lot and came to the following realization (forgive me if this sounds cliche...):

Sometimes you need to approach life's challenges like you do a big hill: Switch to an easier gear, keep your head up, shoulders back, take a deep breath and focus on the next 10 feet in front of you. If you look all the way to the top, you just might want to get off your bike and walk or worse, give up and coast back down to the bottom. But if you just stay focused on dealing with what is immediately in front of you, you'll eventually get up to the top and be rewarded with an easy ride down the other side and, hopefully, a beautiful view.