My car died on the interstate yesterday morning about six miles from the
start of the Seacoast Tristate Century at Hampton Beach (NH) State Park.
I was really lucky to get it fixed at all on a Sunday morning, but by the
time I rolled out of the start it was 11 a.m., about three hours later than
planned. And the park was set to lock its gates at 6. So I had seven hours,
including rest stops, and I'm not a speedy guy.
I suppose you can imagine how frustrating it was to sit around that morning
while the hours ticked by. Talk about bad carma.
The smart thing would have been to wait, I suppose, but after all that
training you get a little fixated on doing the ride. And it was my first
century, which sort of looms as a personal test, difficult to turn one's
back on. Well, it became a test in spades.
Yes, I finished. (Hooray!) but it was a ride stripped to its essentials. No
time to slow or stop and enjoy the view, no time to grab a lobster roll, no
time to rake any photos. Just the rhythm of the ride, the feel of the road
and my legs, and the scenery as it goes by. And solitary--I was the last
rider going for the 100 by far. (Though I did meet other cyclists--who were
heading back--at rest stops.)
It is a great ride, by the way (if awfully flat and often windy) and very
pretty.
I rode as hard as I prudently could could, bettering my average
training-ride speed by 0.4 mph. I owe my performance to a training program
that I stuck to pretty well (and thanks to those who have posted on the
topic here). Also to attention to nutrition, which I now realize is
bicycle-ese for "constant nibbling."
It was really remarkable to hit the road after the 70-mile food stop and
have my legs feel as if they could go for another 70.
As it was I skipped a 10-mile loop through Rye, NH, to get back to my car
just before the gates closed at 6. I drove it down the road and then just
biked five miles along the route and five back, to get to 100 miles. Still I
would have prefered to do the route as layed out.
So, how I feel is, two (or more) cheers for me. But how ironic that
everything about this cycling event, from starting time to finish time to
the speed I had to go to the route I ultimately took, was dictated by
consideration about my car!