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| Pulled from the CASA website |
A few weeks back I rode a ride to benefit the CASA kids of the Eastern Panhandle. This was my first organized road ride ever. I have bone numerous mountain bike rides but never a organized road ride. I would have maybe tried the whole century if time had permitted me on that day. I was supposed to be on a military trip to Japan for the better part of last month but it was cancelled. My buddy Tony asked me to do the ride with him only days before the event. If I would have had a little heads up weeks prior I may have done the whole century instead of the one 50 mile loop.
The course of this century took riders through most of the nicer roads to ride on in our area. I rode the Berkeley 50 loop. There was also a Jefferson 50 loop as well. I have ridden the majority of the Jefferson loop on other rides and those roads are amazing too. Tony and I set out on our journey together but didn't stay together for long. Tony hasn't been riding a road bike for too long and still has some cadence and gearing problems. I rode with him for the first 15 miles or so but I think he felt bad that I was always waiting on him at intersections and slowing on straitaways so he could catch up. He finally told me not to wait on him and by the 20 mile mark and the first rest stop I was about 8 minutes ahead of him. I rested there with him until he was ready to go, we started together again but a mile into the course from there is a climb on Thatchers road N that didn't sit too well with him. I felt good on the climb and I did my personal best on that road! From that climb on I was riding alone. I did talk to different riders along the way, ones that I slowly gained on and passed. I came up on a couple riding a tandem bike but it took me a long time to pass them. They could get so much more speed going downhill. The second rest area was at mile 38. I waited for Tony there just to make sure that he hadn't given up on me. He came rolling in about 35 minutes behind me but I left the rest stop once he arrives for the final 12 mile push to the finish.I felt really good considering that 36 miles to that day was the longest I had been in the saddle at once. I rolled back into Shepard University with a ride time of 3 hours on the nose. I ended out riding a touch over 50 miles and averaged 16.7 or something like that. When I was riding with Tony in the beginning we where only riding 15 on average. I was pretty happy with my time. I think Tony finished around 45 minutes after me, ride time, but his goal was a sub 4 hour ride. We where both happy to get into the line for food once we had finished. I did find myself wishing I had a little more time to do the 25 mile loop they had laid out for beginner riders to put me at the 75 mile mark for the day. I believe I could have done the 75 but not too sure about the 100. One of these days I want to do 100 in a day. thanks for reading!