Epic...
that’s what the recent century that I rode around Lake Tahoe was like. I couldn’t have dreamt better weather, and our entire team rode swift and strong. With no official time goal other than completion before course closure (roughly 12 hours or 6am to 6pm), and since I’m mad, and afflicted with cycling sickness, I set a personal goal of six hours. Don’t let me fool you, it’s not as aggressive as it sounds. While it certainly is challenging given the topography, it’s not impossible.
I did this ride for a number of reasons; To celebrate a decade since the last time she asked me if I was ready; To celebrate the memory of a friend’s son whose tour of life was way too brief; And to reconnect with a worthy cause.
If that's not sufficient there is the scenery.
Our pace-line had five riders. We covered fifty miles in 2:20:00. We put seventy-two miles behind us by 3:20:00. The remaining distance of 28 miles, was spent cranking up the slopes of Spooner Peak at a swift pace of 8-10mph. Of course once we crested that hill, the downhill pace increased to 40mph. Total ride time: 6 hours. Average speed: 17mph. Of 3500 riders we finished in the top 10%. Sweet!
There are side effects that accompany training for such a challenging event. One becomes swift, strong, and focussed. Simply put...
One becomes an athlete.
Another fully awesome outcome of this effort is that I’m now a cycle coach for Leukemia, Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team in Training (TnT). They are the organization, and training program I’ve been participating in.
My madness knows no bounds.
