Tick, tick, tick.....

The time is getting closer...less than a month and we will be in Portland Maine setting alarm clocks for 5 AM and heading down to Florida. I'm starting to get excited but at the same time am never sure I've ridden enough or climbed enough hills. I was out yesterday and tried to combine both the climbing and distance. I finished the day with 82 miles including one long stretch along the Delaware River of maybe 30 miles of just flat out cruising. And on the coming and going I managed to climb a total of 3800 feet - so my training conscience felt good last night and my legs felt like it was time for bed. Lots of miles to go but its all part of the adventure. And what's with this East Coast weather phenomona? First the earthquake - how rare is that in Virginia? Because of my years in California I knew instantly what it was but could not quite believe it. It did no damage here but did re-arrange a couple of pictures on the walls and certainly gave my New York born wife something to think about. And now we are getting our first full-blown hurricane of the season. The TV weatherman had his tracking map ending at exactly Portland Maine on last night's forecast. Tracy always says a little weather just adds to the story we can tell when we finish the ride - I can only hope she has room for a few extra umbrellas in her truck. And for all you non east-coasters, the hurricane lasts a little longer than an earthquake but usually the sun comes out the next day - assuming survival we will be ready to roll.

An early test

We are psyched and looking forward to Portland Maine. Tom Ryan and I set our clocks early and got up for the Princeton Freewheelers annual biking extravaganza on Saturday morning.With all the stress and nonsense over my attempts to sell our house I was not at all sure I had enough miles to date. And so it was with some trepidation that we chose the century but I was the instigator so there was no backing out. Although there was threat of T-storms the weatherman cooperated...a bit humid but temps only in the 80s (as opposed to the 90s we have been experienceing) and a bit of a breeze (per Tom: constant headwind). The course this year ran through central New Jersey in and out of small towns as well as a long run through the McGuire military base where we were entertained by the sounds of weekend reservists practicing their gunnery skills. Also skirted a long scenic lake and lots of horse farms and fields of corn and beans that make NJ the Garden State. And, as you might guess, while there were a few rollers here and there but it is mostly flat which is not a bad thing for century on a warm summer's day.

Bottom line: we did 105 miles at a 15.5 mph average and I think consumed about a dozen bottles of water between the two of us. We hooked up with a couple of "fellow travelers" at one point and up a little five person pace line - lots of fun for the 8 or 10 miles we kept it up - we ended at a SAG stop but the others were the ones who were panting and ready for a break not us (sorry if that sounds like bragging, guilty as charged).

So we sat with our post-ride lunch and agreed that we will be ready for Maine and our east coast adventure. Speaking for myself I have some riding to do between now and then but we know the base is down and we are looking forward to meeting up with our XC09 mates and pedalling down the East Coast.