8/23/09

OMG-Sheperdstown take 2

From August 23rd

I was going to do a good long Mt. Bike ride up at Gambril/Shed to get ready for the SM100. A Hurricane had come up the coast so the trails had 2 full days of rain, so we thought it best to do a road ride. I had done this ride about a month ago, and it was still fresh in the mind. This time out we has a smaller group of Sid, Jonthan-repeat costomers, and I was able to get Tyler to come out who I had just raced with the previous week.
This time we started the ride at a lot easier pace which is the correct way to do things. First hiccup was Sid getting a flat 3 miles in on the ride. The good news was that we found the thorn that was in the tire from an earlier flat that week. The second hiccup was helping Lucas a tri guy who had a broken chain. I gave him some pointers on having the right tools when trainning on the bike.
Lucas then followed us up Hamburg and I was a little surprised at how well he was climbing, not that I am that fast but usually tri-folks don't climb as well as he was. I was up in front following 25 yards about behind him, just going the pace I could go and then resting a bit on the flats to push on t
he uphill parts. I got closer to him and I noticed a IronMan tatoo, so this guy does IronMans, and he had almost no body fat so now I felt a little better that this guy could climb so well. Lucust then asks if I know Jeff Schalk, I say I know who he is, and he says,"yeah I ride with him sometimes". So now I know this is one fast dude. When we got to the top we waited for the others and he told me he was pro or close to it for Tri. He did a IronMan I found him in the 2008 Ironman Kona version:
300 09:59:10 McCollum, Lucas Frederick MD USA
After this we went down the mountain and did not miss the turn we had the previous time, but I have realized that I will recue the ride to just down Highland Rd. We got down the mountain in one piece, and then it was off to Harp hill. I find Harp hill easier then Hamburg, only because it is shorter. I was dieing up there, but seemed to be going a pretty good tempo. I waited at the intersection after the
climb. Tyler and Jonathan were on triples so the climbs were not bad for them since they had the gears to go lower. Sid was on a 39-53 with a 25 in back. I was on my 36-50 11-26. Which usually serves me well.
Then we were off to the Gapland climb which was the only climb of the day where I actually pedaled up it, instead of battling my bike. I could see I was having a good day cause I was putting distance on most of the people. Sid was riding well, just loosing ground on the mountains, but riding strong on the flats, and rollers. I then took the lead for the most part all the way to Sheperdstown.
Once at Sheperdstown Jonathan realized he was dehydrated and he was going to ride back solo so he could go his own pace. Tyler, Sid and I left a little later, and I was still gapping them, so it was decided I would ride the last 30miles(2 mountain climbs) solo. I didn't catch up to Jonathan until part way up the Reno climb, and I kinda felt spent at the top. I kept going, and was really feeling it on the
Mt. Tam road. After that I kept thinking only one more climb.
Coxey Brown Implosion
So I got to Coxy and I was trying to ride up it, and it seemed I was going so slow, I was trying to tack as much as I could but cars were coming every so often so I couldn't. I finally got to the flat section in the middle, and really felt like I had used all my matches. I then was going up the last part and almost stopping with the short steep pitches. I believe this section is the part where I hurt my knee. I was having to stand, but was turning the pedals so slow it was more like do one-legged squats. I was trying to tack but the again there was a car ever couple of minutes. I finally got to the top and still had the hills on Gambril rd, which were only annoying, since they can be easily climbed with the gearing I had.
I Finally made it to the finish and ended up waiting 20-30minutes for the others who took the Rt. 40 back instead of Coxy.

Notes:
  • I think the first downhill need to Highland then take a right to Harp hill.
  • I might have to put on different gearing for this ride, knees can get messed up Alex hurt his knees when he did this ride.
  • Always respect the Coxey Brown climb it will always bite your ass.

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