Metric Century

I'd never done a ride this long...ever.  Well that's one off the bucket list. I almost didn't do it because of the length.  But the cycling club I just joined was planning this ride to the location up there in Markham to do a Time Trial.  I haven't ridden much this year.  Just a few hill rides.  Mostly running.  But running muscles are different from the ones you use for cycling.  Only thing going for me was cardio.  But after hemming and hawing I decided to giver a'go.  What the heck.

At least I'll know where I'm at and can check my progress throughout the summer.
The plan is that they'll do this a few times.

Only thing was that it was going to be nearly a 50km trek just to get to the location up at B to do the 8km loop.  I wasn't crazy about the route to get there either.  I normally ride by myself and when riding in a group of 21 riders, it felt safer.  Strength in numbers I suppose.  I knew a bit about riding etiquette from what I have been taught by my biking buddy/neighbour.  But it really becomes necessary to communicate in a large group.  You get alerted of upcoming dangers, like potholes, construction, stopped cars, buses, debris, you name it. It's very cool.

The group also takes up one car lane.  I'm sure the drivers don't like it, but we were going at 30+km/hr.  My plan was to hang back of the group and get pulled along, but for some strange reason I found myself at the front pulling the group for a stretches.  I was thinking to myself, what am I doing?  I'm a newbie.



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On the way home I was pulling the group down Warden, just cause I wanted to get home ASAP.  In the process however we dropped a couple of riders.  And had to wait.  It was 4+ hrs since I'd left my house.  And friends were coming over, and I needed to help get ready.  I was thinking to myself.  I'm going to be cooked when I got home.

But after eating like a ravaged animal and replenished my stores, with water, protein and sugars that I'd used up.  I felt ok.  My legs felt ok.  They feel ok today too.  But I ate a lot yesterday.  I needed to.

Out of 19 riders that did the TT, I came 15th.  Hey. At least I wasn't last, and I caught one guy who had started 1min 30s ahead of me.  Right at the end too.  On a hill.  But I got caught by 3 guys behind me.
It was a lot of fun.  I had to admit.  I wished it didn't take so long to get there though.  That's the only drawback.

I used to despise cycling clubs as elitist groups, but this club is a mix of beginners and experienced riders, a really nice bunch of folks.  One fellow's wife or GF even came up to the course to bring us bananas and chocolate milk.  So nice. Reminds me of our dragonboat days.  And they were cheering everyone on to the finish.  It was so cool.  I was hurting, but it was neat.

And not everyone had a $5000+ carbon fiber bike.  This one lady's bike was squeaky.  But who cares if you just want to ride.  Some were like me and just started riding with the club.  So it was very non-elitist.  Plus I now get a discount at a coffee shop.  A side benefit for I suppose the club being sponsored by them a bit - (Darkhorse Espresso House)?


May 5th 2012 TT results (8K loop) TT course

Start order - start time - finish time - duration - place

1 - Kari - 00:30 -15:53 - 15:23 - 17th

2 - Emily - 1:00 - 16:43 - 15:43 - 18th

3 - Ross - 1:30 - 15:49 - 14:19 - 13th

4 - Karen W - 2:00 - 16:30 - 14:30 - 14th

5 - Karen R - 2:30 - 16:32 - 14:02 - 11th

6 - Fernando - 3:00 - 18:15 - 15:15 - 16th

7 - Simon - 3:30 - 16:50 - 13:20 - 7th

8 - Matt - 4:00 - 16:58 - 12:58 - 6th

9 - Greg - 4:30 - 21:06 - 16:36 - 18th

10 - Charles - 5:00 - 18:29 - 13:29 - 9th

11 - Chris - 5:30 - 19:26 - 13:56 - 10th

12 - Ray - 6:00 - 21:03 - 15:03 - 15th

13 - Mark - 6:30 - 18:48 - 12:18 - 2nd

14 - Kris - 7:00 - 21:11 - 14:11 - 12th

15 - Andrew - 7:30 - 19:43 - 12:13 - 1st

16 - Cyprien - 8:00 - 20:28 - 12:28 - 4th

17 - Ash - 8:30 - 21:50 - 13:20 - 7th

18 - Michael - 9:00 - 21:36 - 12:36 - 5th

19 - Rob - 9:30 - 21:52 - 12:22 - 3rd