My First Century....Almost!

Well, I said I’d be writing the occasional blog entry over the summer and I guess I occasional was the operative word.

I’ve been riding to my new summer job at Park Shore Day Camp in Dix Hills, and the people there have been really great about it. Excited and supportive, even though they probably think I’m a little bit crazy when I roll in the front gate with my tights and jersey on. Oh, well.

It’s been good, though, because I needed to get myself into shape for the Huntington Bicycle Club’s annual 100 mile Gold Coast Ride. It’d be the furthest distance I’d ever ridden to date.

Steve was planning on doing the 70 mile ride, and I was excited to have company since most of my riding is done alone and I haven’t been able to go on as many club rides as I’d hoped.

I was a bit nervous because I’ve been getting this “clicking” sound coming from my bottom bracket/crankset area and I wasn’t sure what was going on. I dropped by Adams Cyclery on Friday and he told me that if I could leave it he’d get it back to me in time for the ride. Since I was riding at the time, I sprinted home, changed and loaded the bike in the car to get it over to Darren. They delivered as promised and by Saturday afternoon it was ready to go.

I laid out all my materials and did a once over on the bike last night so I was certain everything worked right. I have to say I’m still not completely dialed in on the new Black Betty, but I’m getting closer. It was another reason I was a bit nervous. Also, I wasn’t sure my body was ready for such a long ride on a bike that only has about 200 miles on it.

Today dawned with a temperature of 68 degrees and it looked to be perfect. I took all the precautions I usually don’t take with the club rides - I ate breakfast, didn’t drink too much coffee, and stretched.

So I get to the sign in and I’m looking around at all these hard core bikers - some on teams, some on $6,000 road bikes, some on time-trial bikes (wasn’t sure about that one), and then others on hybrids and mountain bikes - okay, so they weren’t so hard-core. I was getting even more nervous until I realized it was just going to be me and Steve and whoever we were able to hook up with.

I registered and went back to my car to put away my t-shirt and get Betty ready, hoping I’d see Steve. Instead I saw a couple of guys from the city who said they were going to be doing their first century, and to be honest I thought to myself that I could take those guys. They had really fancy, expensive Canondale and Specialized road bikes, but they didn’t look to be in the best of shape.

I just kept stretching and getting Betty ready to go, and then I rode over to the registration hoping that I’d find Steve and then we’d be off. We’d mentioned leaving at 7:30 and I was early, so I figured I’d just wait for him and maybe I’d get to see my friend Karen at the same time.

Then I saw Steve. He was wearing a Huntington Bicycle Club jersey and regular walking shorts and shoes. What the ????? So I asked him where his bike was. He replied, “didn’t you get my message?” and I said, “Yes, didn’t you get mine?” He said no and that since he hadn’t heard from me he’d assumed I wasn’t going to make it so he decided to volunteer to work the ride instead.

Aaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhh!

He was my big hope to have someone fun to ride with. Now I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.

When I mentioned I might try the Century, he called a friend of his who was supposed to be on her way and was planning to do it. Maybe she and I could ride together. But she said she wasn’t going to be there for another 45 minutes. Hey, that’s at least 15 miles. I couldn’t wait so I headed out - still debating whether I was going to stick to 70 miles or go for the whole shebang!

The ride itself was incredible! Everywhere I turned or rode I saw another cyclist on the way. I’m so used to doing my commute early in the morning, and it’s rare if I see anyone else. If I do it’s either going up Stilwell or on the other side of the road heading in the other direction. Sometimes they wave back at me. Most times they don’t. It makes me a little sad. I figure that no matter how “serious” we are about our workout/ride we should acknowledge the fact that others are joining us.

Anyway - back to the ride …

At various times I was able to ride with someone or other that I either fell in behind or who fell in behind me. I’d pull a while or they’d pull a while, but we just kept going. Sometimes people would pass me and many times (at least at the beginning) I passed others. I even stopped twice to help other cyclists in trouble, and I have to admit I was surprised no one else did.

The big high came after the second snack break.

As I was refilling my Gatorade and eating my second orange, I noticed a group of riders wearing the same jersey getting ready to roll out. They were members of a bike club sponsored by one of the larger bike shops out east. I figured, what the heck it could be fun, so I latched on. The next thing I knew I was in the midst of my very first bona fide peloton!

Wow! I mean, I’ve been riding somewhat seriously and over the last year I’ve probably logged about 3,000 miles, but this was the first time I’d ever ridden in the middle of a pack of 20+ riders! What a rush! To be honest, I’m not even sure where I was when I connected with them, I think it was Oyster Bay. However, I used all the information I’d learned from my various readings of Bicycle Magazine and I stayed in the pack, I drafted (watching the hips of the rider in front - not his wheel), I powered forward on the climbs to stay in the middle of the pack at the apex, and when I looked down I realized that I was going 26 miles an hour and we’d covered ten miles!

This was Nirvana - I was in cycling heaven. Betty was handling really well, my new wireless cyclocomputer was working flawlessly and I was in the middle of a peloton!

However, as with all good things, this too had to end.

On a long climb leading into Sea Cliff the mighty cycling machine started to spit parts out the back and I was one of them. I didn’t care - I’d ridden in a pace line at 26 miles an hour for twelve miles and I was having a blast.

At this point it started to get a bit hairy.

There was a lot of crosswind and I went through a long flat that gave me nothing but wind right across my broadside. At that moment I wasn’t too sure if I was going to make the 70 mile course, much less anything more. But if I’m anything, I’m stubborn.

I made it to the third rest stop at the 42 mile mark and I felt a bit tight in my chest. Apparently there was some kind of crazy heat index of 100+ degrees going on and there were all kinds of particles in the air as a result. It all combined to cause my asthma to flare up. But I rehydrated, ate some fruit and an energy bar, availed myself of the bike mechanic who was doing some tune-ups (turns out my headset had worked itself a little bit loose so he added another spacer and tightened it all up), and headed back out on the road.

At the exit there were two signs, one pointing the way for the 70 mile route and the other to the 100 mile route - I took the latter, call me crazy I guess.

You know, it was hard but I had a great time!

It took me on another 25 mile or so loop, and about halfway through I hooked up with another cyclist and we took turns pulling for each other. He was more experienced than me, but I found I was able to keep up with him - boy was I proud of myself. As we got close to returning to the park after the loop we got a bit lost and as we were crossing a busy intersection he had a problem clipping in and fell. He made it back to the park, but had busted his hand up some in the fall. So he had to call and get someone to pick him up, and once again I was on my own.

I was feeling tight in the chest again and I had used my emergency inhaler once again - darn good thing they weren’t testing for steroids! I rehydrated, refueled and got back on the road, this time at the park exit I took the left turn to get me heading towards home.

At this point I was at 62 miles and I felt pretty good except for that tightness in my chest every time I tried to take a really deep breath.

After about five miles or so I hooked up with another rider who’d had some people bail out on him and was also trying to do the Century but was just pushing along. So we decided to push on together, again each of us taking turns pulling as the temperature continued to get hotter.

We hit the last rest stop at the 82 mile mark and we both discussed if we were going to take the 8 mile route straight home or the 18 mile longer loop around. At this point I couldn’t breathe deeply without wheezing - and this was after two hits of my inhaler - so I decided to err on the side of health. Mike opted to pack it in too and we headed back to the finish.

Of course, the competitive “gene” got the better of me about two miles from the finish when we were passed by a guy sprinting towards the end. For some reason my legs suddenly felt much fresher so I decided to give chase and I caught him, drafting a bit and then passing him right before the turn in to the finish. I glanced down at my cyclometer and saw that I was pushing 21 mph - sorry I don’t have a power monitor so I can’t tell you how many watts I was pushing - but I felt great that after 90 miles I was able to do that! It made me wonder what if …

Next time I’ll train a little more and I can’t wait to finish my first Century … for real.

Stay well and I'll see you on the road!

And the Verdict Is........!

I can’t believe that it’s the last day of the school year and I’ve exceeded my goal by two hundred miles!

Going off of last year’s tally I figured I could get about 1,100 miles by the end of this school year. Then I’d be able to do the remaining 900 miles in the fall pretty easily.

As of today, though, Connor’s Army has logged 1302 miles for the year.

Through rain and sleet and cold and heat (okay, not so much heat yet) I’ve managed to rack up a good chunk of mileage, and now I’m thinking I’ll do more than 2,000!

We’ve also managed to raise (drum roll please) $5,647.30! So, it’s been six months and we’re past our halfway mark in fundraising, too.

Although I won’t count the miles I ride over the summer, I’ll still be riding and I’ll still be writing the occasional blog entry. I’m signed up to do 70 miles of the Huntington Bike Club’s Gold Coast Ride for fun with Steve Jimenez and I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m planning to ride to work at Park Shore Camp and I’ll give you an update on how they react to my cycle wear.

Already, though, I can’t wait to get started again in the fall and work my closer and closer to the 2,000 mile mark.

And, of course, I’d be completely remiss if I didn’t wish a Happy Birthday to my sweet Sarah!

Stay well and I’ll see you on the road!

Take That Trekman!

If you’ve been reading my blogs on any kind of consistent basis, you know that I have a bit of a competitive streak - okay, a little more than a bit. That being said I have to gloat just a bit, because the times I can are few and far between.

Today without really meaning to I was involved in a good old-fashioned road rider smackdown! And it happened, of all places, going up Stillwell.

As I was turning on to Cold Spring Harbor Road I noticed a guy on a road bike about 50 or so yards ahead of m. I was doing about 25 miles per hour so I thought, “Okay, I’ll catch him at the bottom of the hill and just ride with him a while and try to hold on. I won’t ‘race’ I’ll just try to maintain and ride my own ride.” As I drew closer I saw he was on a shiny Trek wearing riding tights, a CSC team jersey and aero shoe covers. He looked pretty hardcore so it was going to take some doing. I figured I’d just try to hang on to his wheel up the first bend and he’d probably drop me before the first stop sign.

I caught up to him at the base of the climb and I held on to his wheel. When I checked my odometer I realized I was only going 8 mph, so I decided to just ride my ride and see what happened. I figured he’d probably blow by me and leave me in the dust like that other guy did before.

Well he actually latched on to my wheel for about fifty feet until I started cranking it at about 14 mph. I don’t know if it’s the new frame, but it felt like nothing!

After a while I looked back and he was way behind, and when I checked again at the top of the hill I couldn’t even see him. I have to admit I felt good. Here I was on a no-name brand of bicycle that I (and the boys from Adams Cyclery) had put together and I left his nice shiny Trek way down the hill. It made my day! Of course, as my in-laws would say, “Not racing”.

To cap it off, when I got home my odometer read 1,274! I have one more day of riding and then I have to stop logging until September. I’ll definitely take the long way home tomorrow!

Stay well and peace to you all.

How Sweet It Is!!!!

It may not be the 2007 special edition Trek Madone but I’m in heaven!

I finally finished putting all the parts on my new Scattante frame Monday night! I couldn’t ride it on Tuesday because I had to stay for the ACT Spring Showcase and ITS (International Thespian Society) Induction Ceremony, and it’d be very late and dark by the time I came home. My wife hates it when I ride home late at night so I generally don’t ride if I’m going to be very late at school.

But boy was I itching all day to get on that bike!

The kids who performed last night were wonderful! I’m very lucky as a teacher that I get to spend my days - and afternoons, evenings and sometimes weekends - with such good kids. They’re caring and generous. Many of our contributors are either current or past ACT members. They’re really a part of our family no matter where they go in life. It’s strange to think that many of the faces I saw last night were performing for the very last time at SHS. Tonight they graduated, and soon they’re moving on to the next part of their lives. I’m going to miss them in September as I greet the new students. I’ve gone through this every year for ten years now, and it never gets easier.

I was a bit nervous when I rode out this morning because I wasn’t sure how the new ride would perform and if there would be any appreciable difference to make the change worthwhile. I also wasn’t sure if I’d dialed in all the adjustments correctly, and if I’d fine tuned all my shifting and braking adjustments right. I didn’t want to be stuck on the road trying to make major adjustments.

Not to worry, though, Black Betty was a dream to ride. Yes, I know I had also called my last bike Black Betty; but I figure if BB King can call all his guitars Lucille, then I can call all my bikes Black Betty.

She’s so much easier going up the hills, and I can almost feel myself flying on the roads since the down tube and top tube have aerodynamic tear-drop shapes. Supposedly aluminum is a stiffer ride but I didn’t notice that much difference - I guess it’s a result of the carbon fork on the front. She shifts well and I feel good on her. The only thing that bothered me is that there’s a slight amount of toe overlap. It really shouldn’t be an issue unless I make a quick, sharp turn at slow speed when my feet are in the three and nine o’clock positions so I guess that’s okay. I ordered a medium frame and the label on the seat tube says it’s a 54, so at my towering height of 5’6½” I don’t think I really could’ve gone with a bigger frame. I’ll just have to be aware of it when I’m rolling slowly. Other than that she’s a beaut!

So if you happen to be on Pulaski and you see a black, white and yellow streak - it’s probably me logging more miles for ACS. I won’t be put off if you holler encouragement!

Stay well and I’ll see you on the road!

Just Another Day in the Saddle

I really don’t have much exciting to report write now, but I wanted to give you an update on mileage and money raised so far.

The ride is going well and my endurance is getting better. The ride is getting easier each day (most of the time) and I can pretty much depend on getting to school in well under 40 minutes. I’m fairly consistently averaging 19+ miles per hour on my commute, so I’m really getting the hang of it. On the way home I try to go up Snake Hill Road with its killer hill as much as I can and I usually average about 9-10 miles an hour up that hill. For those of you who know it, that’s not bad!

And now for the big news …

The new frame arrived yesterday!

However, as much as I want to, I can’t yet switch all the parts over. I’ve installed the new Bontrager select seat post and the Shimano 105 brakes, but I need to go to my good sponsor at Adams Cyclery (if I haven’t said it enough before, you need to give them your business - they’re absolutely the best service and help around!) and get an adapter for my front derailleur. My old frame uses a 25.4 derailleur clamp and the new one is larger so I have to get a new derailleur clamp before I can finish switching everything over.

We got good news about Randi’s mother the other day. She seems to be responding well to the treatment and the doctors are optimistic about her prognosis. Our friend Michelle is also responding well to her treatment. My sister Angela also is getting positive news in her check ups, and she and her husband been told they can start trying to have a baby so we’re very happy for them.

Although the riding is just another day in the saddle, I’m constantly reminded that the money I’m trying to raise is going to help our friends and even people we don’t know get better, and to aid in the research that keeps them hopeful.

The mileage so far is 1,215. I’m hoping in the next week - the last week I’ll count my mileage until September 5th - to try to squeeze in another hundred miles and end with 1300. I guess I’ll take the long way home a few times.

Stay well and I’ll see you on the road!