Looooong ride . . . KACHING!
Last Post 07/02/2013 02:39 PM by Cosmic Kid. 25 Replies.
Author Messages
thinline

Posts:323

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06/23/2013 10:49 AM
Well, all went well. 212 miles with somewhere in the neighborhood of 11,500 in climbing, the vast majority of that from mile 140 to the finish. Rode smart, stayed on top of fluids and food, had to dig way deep at times on the hard climbs and went places I never went before and experienced that crazy break through the suffering euphoria heading for the summits of the late ride climbs. Awesome experience and one great big EFF YOU to that damn car accident 2.5 years ago. Some of the VeloNews refugees know about that. Thanks for the advice and encouragement. Time for a shot of Patron Silver and a nap!
huckleberry

Posts:824

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06/23/2013 11:00 AM
Congrats!

Sounds like a great ride and an even better memory ; )
cycling chick

Posts:72

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06/23/2013 11:12 AM
You are THE man! Congratulations on an EPIC ride! It sounds fantastic.
jmdirt

Posts:775

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06/23/2013 11:24 AM
I have so much respect for you now...no, not because you came back from an ugly crash and rode 200+ miles, because you drink Patron Silver! ;} I love that stuff! For a refreshing summer drink try three shots of Patron Silver with one shot of real lemonade over crushed ice.

Good ride!
Oldfart

Posts:511

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06/23/2013 11:42 AM
Good on ya mate
Entheo

Posts:317

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06/23/2013 11:47 AM
double chapeau
ChinookPass

Posts:809

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06/23/2013 01:18 PM
I'm very excited for you, Thinline. Awesome!
Dale

Posts:1767

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06/23/2013 02:19 PM
I remember the wreck. Congratulation on the comeback, well done
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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06/23/2013 02:19 PM
Good work. Up there with my two huge victories. 10th place in the State championships, '78 after my head injury. A break got away and took places 1-8. No way I had any business riding the front with 50 miles to go! 2 miles from the finish on the small hill, 9th place got away. I wanted to go there, but he beat me to it and chasing him down would have killed it for both of us. I took off at the town line sign, half mile to go and pulled the surprise. It worked. That 10th place was a huge victory!

3 months later, I rode the Mt Washington road race as a Cat 2. My district rep (who watched my States 10th place and who was at our club's awards dinner 4 days after my accident) upgraded me just so I could ride that race. She watched me spend July and August getting repeatably dropped in shorter races as I tried to get up to speed. We started the race on a VERY windy day. Upwind the first 3 hours with just 40 riders. The day's break with all the strongest legs went near the end of that windy stretch. I got dropped but stayed in the middle of the lane so the wheel vcan with the rep in the front seat could not pass me. She watched me struggle to catch the next rider, then the next and finally back on. I finished in the field. Again, a huge victory!

These rides were nowhere near your ride yesterday. But for the guy who walked out of the hospital the fall before unable to beat up a 5 year old, they were as big as Mt Everest.

And I rode the super hilly Cycle Oregon last fall fixed on Jessica J, the bike that was being built a year before when Jessica aka Team Dumpster was hit by the car. I didn't see your euphoria. But I did dance up Dead Indian Road out of Ashland for 16 miles trading places with a woman riding for a child named Sarah with cancer on day 6.

A long way of saying I know how big this is for you. Congrats!

Ben
thinline

Posts:323

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06/23/2013 02:47 PM
Thanks to all. Really, very much.

Ben, yeah, I've read your posts over time and know how much you get it. I'm sure others here do, too. But, I pick up on it from your posts directly. Your reply brought tears to my eyes. For some reason when I finished I was really controlled. Maybe exhaustion or focus. But it hit this morning when I woke up. All I could do was think about the worst two hours I could imagine where I was wondering whether if I would survive or if I did would I even walk again, much less bike or ski. The tbi, ptsd symptoms all overwhelmed me and I bawled like a baby, but with relief and happiness.
longslowdistance

Posts:2881

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06/23/2013 06:25 PM
Wow, very impressive, "Congratulations!" doesn't begin to show my respect for what you've accomplished.
I raise a glass of milk to you for your comeback (inside joke.)
What was the route? Last double century I rode in VT (many years ago) was rt 100 at the Canadian border to VT30 to US 5 to the Mass line, I think the same distance. That was hard.
dkri

Posts:95

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06/23/2013 06:28 PM
Great job. I finished my long ride, which is funny because at 125 miles it was nothing even close to what you did, yet it was a way bigger ride than I've ever done. But yesterday was just a ride for me, not so for you. The simple 20 or so miles I did with a very select group of good friends after very badly breaking my leg and being on crutches for a few months, not able to ride outside (can't ride outside if you can't walk), not really knowing what I would or wouldn't be able to do anymore, was much more my version of what you did yesterday.

Congrats.
formerly dkri
thinline

Posts:323

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06/23/2013 07:26 PM
LSD, I think you did the original route on this ride. It was changed a few years ago and in East Jamaica where 30 goes to Brattleboro 100 turns right and up and over through Wardsboro to Mount Snow. The "official" route now ends off of a road called Tunnel Street out of Readsboro. Cool someone here has been on the route and done it!
Pin0Q0

Posts:229

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06/23/2013 07:30 PM
Awesome, just freaking awesome. congrats.
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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06/23/2013 09:45 PM
Good stuff
jmdirt

Posts:775

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06/24/2013 12:08 AM
Thinline, I just had two shots of Patron Silver in your honor!
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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06/24/2013 01:35 AM
thinline, I just realized that States happened 35 years ago yesterday.

You have heard me say more than once how little respect I have for US Cycling (under its current name and under its various formers, but the Mass and RI district rep of the '70s, Grace Jones of Lunenburg, MA (and Jones Cycle Wear) was a class act. I owe her a deep thanks. Post accident, she was my biggest fan. If anyone here knows how to get a hold of her, I would love the info. (She's in her 80s now, I'd guess.)

Ben
smokey52

Posts:492

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06/24/2013 06:00 AM
well done
pikeHillRoad

Posts:95

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06/24/2013 08:37 AM
yes, chapeau indeed
Inferno7

Posts:344

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06/24/2013 09:13 AM
Impressive especially with the climbing coming after the 140 mile mark!!! Congrats and way to Get 'er Done!!
Entheo

Posts:317

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06/24/2013 09:26 AM
thinline, how long did it take you? what was your ave speed? any other gory details to share?
vtguy

Posts:298

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06/24/2013 12:01 PM
Congratulations! Well done.
C2K_Rider

Posts:173

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06/24/2013 06:33 PM
Glad you made it in good shape. I even checked the weather for the area to see what you were in for. did you get hit by any rain?
thinline

Posts:323

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07/01/2013 08:39 PM
Many thanks. It was a new experience for sure.

Entheo, about 13 hours of pedaling at 16.0, total time was about 15 hours when including off bike for FOOD and FLUID! That was the pace I was shooting for, thinking if I went harder I would pop. I did not check things during the ride other than controlling heart rate and just how I felt and I came down right about where I thought I would if I rode smart The last 72 miles were pretty killer. The kind of thing that would be pretty demanding but by no means killer if that was all you rode. But, having that start with 140 miles in the legs already made it really "special" :-) Had my left knee, I think outer ligament, start biting at me when I stood somewhere along the climb that went from mile 171 to 183. It had me wincing each time I stood from there to the end. Seems to have rebounded nicely after a day of rest the day after the ride (except for the effort entailed sipping the Patron), then some easy rides on the trainer and some steady state outdoor rides without any hard climbs.

C2K, we were rained on at the start at 5:30 a.m. for about an hour, then all was good. Storms were out and about and it looked like we would get hit a few times mid to late afternoon but we got away with it. Nice, since we were on the bigger climbs and descents in that time frame.

As a final note, I had a can of Heady Topper Ale after climbing off the bike. It is a tasty pale ale brewed in Vermont at about 8% alcohol content and in a 15 or so ounce can. Wonderful recovery drink. I started feeling better almost immediately!!!
longslowdistance

Posts:2881

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07/01/2013 09:42 PM
I'll bet you did!
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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07/02/2013 02:39 PM
Just saw this thread....a hearty congratulations and well done, thinline.

After everything you went through, you should be justifiably proud of your accomplishment!!
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!


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