85 Mile Ride?
I was at the bike shop this morning, and struck up a conversation with the mechanic. He was a nice guy, a roadie, who does tris in relays (only the bike leg). When he heard I was a triathlete, he got really talkative. Invited me to his weekly group ride, and then also told me about a really intriguing supported ride next month, through a great local biking group, http://www.crw.org. The ride, the P2P, goes from Plymouth Rock to P-town on a Wednesday. Starts at 7 AM, and the boat back leaves at 4 PM, so there is lots of time. There are SAG cars, they carry a bag for you with a change of clothes for the boat ride, plus food. Lunch and a beer in P-town are included in a very reasonable fee. It sounds like *such fun,* and a friend from work who is biking more is interested in riding with me.
So the question is, can I do it? My longest ride so far is 25 miles. My bike will be back from the shop and hit the road Saturday. I figure I've got 2 weeks, to determine if I can make it. I really want to, but I also don't want to bite off more than I can chew. What do you think? For the record, I want to push myself, and grow and improve. This sounds like a good, safe way to do that, yes?
Another funny thing about this morning, the bike guy loved my bike. He was all over it, and kept on saying how nice it was. When I told him what I spent on it (he asked), he just about fell over. Nice to get verification that I made a good choice, 'cause I love my baby!
posted by KLN @ 9:44 PM
3 Comments:
Woot, that sounds like a most excellent fun ride! IN a month? Work up to it and you can!!
I did my first half century on a creaky 1987 Schwinn Le Tour II 10 speed about 2 months into my first season. My long ride was 15 miles at that time. We made it and had a blast.
This sounds like a great, supported ride. Probably the best place possible to push it.
The best part could be the mechanic's group ride. If they are a friendly bunch, your riding could improve dramatically.
While the ride sounds like it would be a blast, it is a whole lot different once you start putting in longer miles. There is a big difference between trifeist's 15-50 mile jump and your 25-85 mile jump. And it's not in the miles logged, it's in the saddle time required.
You have until June 10th to register (or qualify for the early registration). In the next couple of weeks, go out and put a 40 miler and a 60 miler under your belt (in succeeding weeks). See how you feel after those rides. As you finish your 60 miler, think about how your legs feel. How does you BOTTOM feel? More to the point, how do your girl bits feel? Now, think about what it would be like to ride another 25 miles; meaning another 90 minutes to 2 hours in the saddle. If you think you can do it after that. GO FOR IT! And have a blast. If not, you might consider saving the trip for next year.
See ya on the board, Knees!
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