Saturday, May 15, 2010

Lewis and Clark Ultra Training Ride

QUICK STATS This Ride 2010 Cumulative
Distance 141 miles 1,608 miles
Elevation Gain 8,191 feet 16.20 miles
Average Moving Speed 14.8 mph 14.8 mph
Dog Bites 0 1

I was toying with the idea of racing in the Lewis & Clark Ultra in two weeks, but not sure where I am fitness-wise. No better way to check than to just do the big loop.

I am not going to be racing in two weeks!

We were able to finish, but it was... grueling. There were various factors, but the bottom line is that I'm not ready for this race yet, particularly this early in the riding season.

Maps showing all rides: 2010 Rides2009 RidesAll Rides

We were very blessed that Amy's dad Paul drove support for us. I was concerned enough about the ride to be unsure about the lack of phone reception for approximately 70 miles of riding after Carson. He met us just past Old Man Pass (yes, a time traveler named it after me because of how I feel right now) and restocked us with ice cold water and a couple snacks.

There was lots of beautiful scenery (forests, mountains, lakes, etc.), plus some wildlife including a deer and a bald eagle. Possibly two bald eagles, but only heard the second one.

The roads were a problem. It was a pick-your-poison sort of arrangement: lots of traffic or a very bumpy ride. Survived the traffic, but the bumps (along with the dramatically increased time-on-the-bike) contributed to very sore body parts. I won't list them. Not sure the internet is big enough to hold it.

I guess we are hoity toity riders or something. We like low traffic and smooth roads. Is it too much to ask? I think not.

EDIT: Forgot to mention the 50 bazillion motorcycles on the roads between Carson and Amboy. I would say the ratio was probably something like 70% Sport Bikes, 20% Touring Bikes and 10% Cruisers. The noise ratio was more like 20, 5, 75, respectively.

2 comments:

  1. It felt like 12000 ft of climbing! I don't believe these stats.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, it does seem off by a factor of 2, or maybe 5... ;-)

    ReplyDelete