Benson Mule Pull 100K 1/28/11

The weatherman said we were going to have a veritable heat wave on Friday, so Maria F. put the word out for riders on Dean's Benson Mule Pull 100K. Since I only live about 2 miles from Swift Creek Coffee I just rode over to the start. There were 5 of us riding: Dean, Maria, Alan, Steven, and myself. Temperatures were still a bit brisk at the start, so we were all bundled up against the cold, but looking forward to a thaw.

After leaving Garner on Aversboro Rd. and a short stint on Hwy 50 we made the right on Rand Rd. and I took off to use the hill there for some warm-up. Steven followed me, assuming that we were approaching a county line sprint! At the top we had a gap back to the rest of the group, and Steven asked me if I knew the route well. I said something like "Oh yeah- this is pretty much my standard training route!" so he trusted me not to get him lost. In hindsight I think he decided that was a mistake. We made the turn onto Crowder Rd, and as we approached Ten Ten we had the light so we sprinted to make it. Dean, Maria, and Alan got caught by the light and Steven and I decided to soft-pedal for awhile. We were having a conversation and I wasn't paying attention, so we missed the turn onto Harvey Johnson Rd. Eventually we noticed that they weren't catching up, and figured out that we'd missed the turn. A quick u-turn and we were playing catch up. Steven can really crank out the speed, so it wasn't too long until he'd dropped me. I caught back on Barber Bridge Rd. only to be dropped again on the hill. When we crossed Hwy 42 we had the group in sight.

A quick stop at the Grocery Boy Jr. and we were back on the road. Steven and Maria took the lead, but I tarried a bit at the store fixing my cue sheets. Catch-up once again. A little way down the road I was with Dean and watching Steven and Maria pedal past the turn onto Massengill Pond Rd. They heard me ringing my bell and turned around to join us. The four of us stuck together the rest of the way into Benson, and Alan caught up to us at the controle there. We all sat down for a cup of coffee before getting back on our way.

The sun was out now and the temperature had warmed up nicely as we left Benson. On the way up Hwy 50 I stayed on Steven's wheel and we opened a gap on the rest of the group, but I had once again forgotten to flip my cue sheet so I slowed down while adjusting it. Next thing I knew I was at the turn for Benson Hardee Rd, but Steven was still cranking down Hwy 50! I yelled for him, but wasn't sure if he heard me or not. We figured he'd turn around and catch us again, so we all kept rolling. After awhile I found myself riding solo, but I could always see Maria just behind me. We rolled into The Grocery Boy followed shortly by Dean and Alan. By this point we were worried about Steven, since he really should have caught us before the controle. We enjoyed a nice long stop and lingered a bit more than we usually would, but eventually decided to get back on the road. Just as we left we spotted Steven coming down Carlie Adams Rd.

He caught us pretty quickly, having made a really short stop at the controle. We all made the fun descent down Barber Bridge Rd. then I took the lead on Rock Service Station. After turning on Pagan Rd. I shot a quick video.



Back on Sauls Rd. Steven and I once again sprinted for the light and made it, I guess the others got caught again. This time we knew where we were going, down Rand Rd, a quick jaunt on Hwy 50 and then Buffalo and Aversboro. As we were approaching the light at Timber it turned green, and I got up and sprinted for it with Steven right on my wheel. I screwed up, wasn't paying enough attention at that speed, and nailed a pothole. I never saw it coming! Took stock of my bike real quick and everything seemed to be in working order. Steven seemed to be right there on the wheel still, so I kept cranking for the light. As we made it through I was pretty sure that Steven had missed the pothole. I was wrong. When we got to the coffee shop at the end he showed me his broken handlebar! Sorry Steven.



Here's a shot of the group having coffee at the finish:

L-R: Dean, Maria, Steven, Alan

Jan 22nd 2011 Bicycle for Life Lumberton 300K

With a forecast for temperatures in the 20's at the start and a high of 40, Saturday's Bicycle for Life 300K was looking like another epic ride. I drove down to Lumberton early in the morning, swathed in wool and ready for a long day in the saddle. There was a good sized group of riders at the start, mostly riding the 200K, but I knew that Tim was there for the 300K and I was hoping to stick with him all day to help deal with the wind. Joel, Tom, and Ian were there for the 400K- more power to 'em! We all got signed in and ready to go and were treated to a gorgeous sunrise to start the day.


Everybody stayed together for the first few miles at a literal warm-up pace, but as the speed picked up a bit the groups separated. Tom F. got on the front and did a 30 mile pull all the way to the first controle at Ammon, and I had a good time catching up with John P. and meeting his friend Eli from Asheville. At one point I pulled out my point & shoot to take a video of the group. I got out of line and moved up the left side to get to the front and just when I got there I noticed we'd hit the county line! I think we're going to need a photo finish to see whether Tom or I got the sprint points. Too bad that first controle wasn't a stop for the 400Kers, and we bid Tom and Ian "bonne route!" as they continued on down the road. Short stops are best on cold days, so I took care of my controle to-do list quickly and was ready to get moving again.



The next leg of the 300K to the 2nd controle was 68 miles, and I had two extra water bottles along to handle that long stretch. Tim and I soft pedaled for the first bit but soon were joined by a couple of guys on the 200K whose names I've forgotten (sorry!) and Mary and Lee Ann who were also riding the 300K. Tim got on the front and the pace picked up. Soon we were cranking along at 20+mph and making good time. Here's where I always run into problems on brevets- I either have to struggle and push myself to stay with these fast groups or let them go and ride at my own pace in the wind. I knew my speed would drop to 16 or 17mph if I let them go, so I hung on as long as I could. After 30 or so miles I started yo-yoing a bit off the back, any speed fluctuation seemed to cause me to gap off and the effort it took to close those gaps was taking its toll. Tim put in one of his signature extra long pulls, and when he got off the front the guy behind him dropped the hammer. I was doing 24mph and there was still a gap opening! When they finally calmed down a bit I caught the group again, but I was spent. There was still 25 miles or so to the next controle, but I told Tim it was good riding with him and the next time a little gap opened up I just stayed within my rhythm and watched them go. I still had them in sight for awhile, and I was doing a comfortable 17-18mph pace.

I had resigned myself to a solo ride to the next controle at Shallotte, but when I made the turn onto NC-130 I spotted Tim stopped at the store. He'll tell you that he had to adjust the chemical warmers in his shoes, but I'm pretty sure he was also waiting to give me a helping hand over the next 20 miles to Shallotte. Randos value self-sufficiency, but I sure was glad to see him! We were hoping to get to the controle while Mary and Lee Ann were still there and group up again. We'd enjoyed a tailwind as we headed south, but after Shallotte we'd be fighting the wind. At the controle there was no sign of Mary and Lee Ann, so we got our cards signed and decided to go to the Wendy's next door for a much needed sit-down break. As we were leaving the store Mary and Lee Ann showed up! They had stopped at a store somewhere along the route and we didn't see them as we passed. They joined us at Wendy's and we all discussed techniques for staying warm out there!

The four of us made the short 12 mile trek to Sunset beach, climbed the bridge and stopped at the pier. Here in the off-season the pier was closed, so we were unsure where we were supposed to get our cards signed. We took a picture and headed back out on the road looking for an open shop. At an open realty firm I finally looked at the brevet card and saw that Tony had made the pier an information controle! I rode back to the pier to count the porta-johns and met up with a couple other 300K'ers. Back at the realty firm I told Tim, Mary, and Lee Ann to go on without me- the pace they were able to maintain had been hard for me, and I thought that I should group up with the other riders and share the work. They said we should all group up, so we waited for a bit but standing around waiting makes you get cold. We went ahead and got back on the road, intending to soft-pedal and let everybody group up. I got dropped on the climb back over the bridge, so it wasn't long before Tim and the ladies were out of sight.


I soft-pedaled and let Doug catch me and we rode together for awhile, at one point we passed a store where Mary and Lee Ann had stopped. We kept going, figuring that they would catch us (which they did.) The four of us rode together the rest of the way into Nakina, only catching up to Tim right when we got to the controle. This pace was much slower than before, mainly because of the quartering headwind. Even though I was glad we weren't cranking along at breakneck speeds I felt like this pace was just too slow. I wasn't working hard enough. That's one of the catch-22s of cold weather cycling- you need to work hard enough on the bike to keep your heart rate up, keep that blood flowing to the extremities, and stay warm. Initially it feels colder to go faster because of the wind, but the extra work is what keeps you warm. Perhaps riding solo in cold weather is in some ways better, I guess everyone has a different optimal exertion level and if the group is going too slow you cool down. Too fast and you get drenched in sweat!

After a nice stop at Nakina we all got back on the road together and the pace started to pick up again. Darkness had descended and the temperature was going down quickly. My battery lights were much dimmer than my riding partner's, and when one of them was behind me I had trouble seeing the road directly ahead. Their bright beams threw a dark shadow of me and my bike and my lights weren't powerful enough to illuminate the shadows. Hopefully this was my last night ride without a dynamo light- it should be here in time for the 400K. When we rolled into the controle at Whiteville we were met by Tony with a thermos of hot coffee, exactly what we needed just then. Thanks Tony!!

We got back on the road and by this time I had recovered a bit from my earlier fatigue, and was able to keep up with Mary, Tim, and Lee Ann. I was even doing turns on the front, albeit mine were shorter than everybody else's. The temperature had dropped to around 22 degrees and we were all experiencing numbness in our fingers and toes. It becomes a self-perpetuating problem, your numb toes make you want to pedal slower and then you're not working hard enough to keep the core temperature up. I saw Tim falling back, then closing the gap, then falling back again. Once I figured out what he was doing I started doing the same- out of the saddle sprints to warm up! That got me to the finish, and we all went over to the Waffle House and scarfed down some hot food. All in all it was another epic ride, and I finished it off by driving an hour and a half to get home instead of getting a hotel room. I was pretty tired, and in hindsight driving home was probably not the brightest idea. Still, I made it home safely and crawled into my warm bed for some much needed sleep.

Jan 8th 2011 Salisbury 200K Brevet

There was some doubt about whether this weekend's Bicycle For Life brevet was even going to happen. With a winter weather system moving in and snow in the forecast overnight on Friday a 7:30am start on Saturday morning wasn't looking good. Once I got the call from RBA Tony Goodnight on Friday saying he was going to delay the start until 10:30 to let some of the ice on the roads melt I was even more unsure about it. A 3 hour delayed start means about 3 hours more riding in the dark at the end, and it gets cold when the Sun goes down! Instead of driving to Winston-Salem Friday night to stay the night at my Mom's house I elected to stay in Raleigh and make my decision in the morning based on how much snow was on the ground.

I awoke to no snow whatsoever, so I got on the road and made the 2 hour drive to Salisbury where 5 other intrepid randonneurs were ready for a cold day in the saddle. Branson, Jerry, Mike, and myself were doing the 200K, while Joel and Chris were doing the 300K :-0 The roads were just fine, barely damp and no ice since the temps at the start were about 40 degrees. I was a bit worried that I had over dressed, but that worry went away once it started snowing:



I was having a great ride and feeling strong all the way to Mt Gilead, almost the halfway point. Here is where we bid farewell to Joel and Chris, off to ride 100K further than us on this bitterly cold day- chapeau! Branson had flown up the road on his fixie, and we'd see him leaving the controles as we arrived. Just before rolling out of Mt. Gilead Branson commented that he wasn't looking forward to the headwinds on the way back. Uh-oh. It was then I realized why I'd been feeling so strong. We'd been going mostly downhill with a tailwind! Mike and I set off together and soon we were moving painfully slowly, fighting both the climbs and the strong wind. Jerry caught us at the next stop, and I learned a new trick observing his controle regimen. I noticed he removed his jacket while he was in the store, and realized why once I was back on the road. If I'd taken my jacket off I would've given some of my sweat a chance to evaporate. This moisture is a big part of what makes it so cold to get restarted after a stop on a winter ride. Jerry left the controle just before Mike and I did, and we could see him up ahead all the way to the last controle, by this time it was dark and the lights and blinkies were deployed.

They told me the last controle was a convenience store with a McDonald's, but when we got there we found out the Mickey D's had been replaced by a BBQ restaurant. I had planned to short-stop all the controles to minimize the bitterly cold night riding at the end, but by this time the wind, hills, and cold had taken their toll and I needed to take some time off the bike. Branson was there and we all were planning a sit-down stop. I took off my jacket a la JP and ate a BBQ sandwich and a side of tater salad. Mike had some shivering issues, so he and I both got hot chocolates at the c-store next door. Branson and Jerry were ready to go, and we told them to go ahead without us but they wouldn't have it. Much safer to stick together as a group in the dark, they said.

It was obvious I was going to be the lanterne rouge, falling behind every time the road took a tilt upward (which it seemed to do constantly!) Luckily everyone seemed to be having trouble reading their cue sheets in the dark, and since my headlamp was working and I could (mostly) read my cue sheets I became navigator. That's a position I gladly accepted, since it meant the guys were even more hesitant to leave me behind!! When we finally got back to Salisbury we were greeted by Tony with hot coffee and a helping hand. My fingers were frozen, and I needed help untying my front bag before putting my bike on the car.

L-R: Jerry, Branson, Me, and Mike at the finish in Salisbury

We all drove a caravan over to the Mexican restaurant, but at this late hour it was closed and the only food we found was a Taco Bell. Tony, Branson, Jerry, and I stopped there, ate, and swapped stories for a bit before beginning the drive back to Raliegh.

How I Got Started Randonneuring

One of my favorite poems of all time is Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

After a couple of years of fairly typical "club cycling" I met my big goal, riding an English century (100 miles) at the Bike MS New Bern Ride in 2009. I was surprised that it wasn't nearly as hard as I'd imagined, so on the 2nd day of the Bike MS event I rode my 2nd English century! Sometime the following month I was riding on a Sunday morning with Geof and Byron when Geof suggested that I make a new goal- to ride the Kerr Lake Loop 200K permanent by the end of the year. I believe his exact words were: "Now that you've done the back-to-back centuries you can do a 200K... It's only 125 miles!" I remember it very clearly because that was the exact moment that started my addiction to randonneuring.

On the morning of November 1st, 2009, I presented myself at the start of the Kerr Lake Loop with my application for membership in Randonneurs USA. It was about 50 degrees and raining. I had read enough about randonneurs to know that they take pride in riding no matter the weather, so I didn't want everybody to think I was a wuss by not showing up because of the rain! That was the first of many epic rides. That was also the day I discovered why I'd had so much leftover energy after my 1st 100 mile ride 2 months earlier. The New Bern ride is very flat. Group riding and drafting was the order of the day. I probably only did 6 or 8 turns on the front of the pack out in the wind over the whole 100 mile course. There were rest stops every 10 miles stocked with water, Gatorade, snacks, and bike mechanics. Randonneuring is different- self-sufficiency is key. The Lake Loop is not flat. Heading out from North Raleigh and traveling up to Virginia, around Kerr Lake and back involves a fair amount of climbing. Randos ride their own pace, so when I couldn't keep up on the uphills I'd be out in the wind on my own. That's not to say that my riding buddies just dropped me heartlessly- Geof and Byron spent the whole day keeping me in sight, stopping and waiting for me at the turns. After about 90 miles the cumulative effects of hills, wind, cold, and rain had really done a number on my knees. The pain was such that I could no longer stand while climbing and I could barely spin my lowest gear. I slowly clawed my way up yet another climb, and there at the top was a little convenience store with Geof and Byron once again waiting for me. I went in to purchase some Advil and came out to find that Byron had applied some oil to my chain for me. They looked out for me the rest of the ride, and at the end everybody congratulated me on becoming a Randonneur and finishing a truly epic ride.


Since that day I've done a lot more randonnuering. I completed a full Super Randonneur series of 200K, 300K, 400K, and 600K rides, and also an R-12 award for at least one 200K per month for 12 consecutive months. Much of that riding has been by myself, but I've also made great friends along the way. I've seen a lot of the NC countryside in all sorts of weather. Foggy mornings and stunning sunsets, steam rising from hot asphalt just after a summer thunderstorm, and falling snowflakes in the beams of my headlights . I've been chased by unknown animals in the dark- or maybe I hallucinated that. Many times I've thought about Robert Frost's little poem while stopped briefly on the side of the road for one reason or another. Sometimes I take a picture, or adjust something on my bike or my clothing, or perhaps take a short nature break. But I always have to get back on the bike and keep pedaling. For I have promises to keep... And miles to go before I sleep.