August 30th UltraMidwest 24 Hour ride in Port Bryon, IL
Port Byron 24 hour ride. Ride started out great. I've never felt better. Cruised at 21 mph for big loop. Then we had to ride mid loop because some one had messed with the arrows on the course. The mid loop is harder than the big loop and you have to stop more. I still went thru the 12 hour at 237 miles and was feeling good still hoping for 460 miles. With 10 hour to go I had 273 miles and would need to ave 18.7 mph to make the 460, so I lowered my goal to 450 and this would require a 17.7 mph ave. shortly after dark my eyes decided to shut and I couldn't keep them open. I had to stop many times to rest, Once even on course on a slab in front of a shed, not in the ditch as many people thought. I felt great, no pain of any kind, but the eyes wouldn't stay open. I know I slept on the bike several times, not good. Congrats to Joe Mann for riding 431+ and finishing second. The winner rode 442 and was from Ohio. Saw Daryl there and rode 3 miles with him Friday. Paul was there and he had the same trouble I did. David Thompson was there hitting on my girl friend(Nancy Guth). Just kidding Melinda. Jay Yost had a good ride 411+. Congrats to Dick Johnston for riding the most miles in a day he had ever done, BTW, dick the room was 200 a night. Congrats again Joe for your RAAM qualifying ride and thank Connie for trying to keep me awake. It just wasn't meant to be. One good thing about being sleeply during the ride. I wasn't tired for the drive home and don't feel as sore from the ride and hope that I will have a speedier recovery since I didn't ride the full 24 hours. Last Chance 1200 KM brevet on the 10th of Sept. Life is good. I think. It would have been better if my eyes would have stayed open. Plan is to cut the Caffiene out until LC and then use it to keep me up as long as possible. Goal is to finish the 753 miles in less than 24 hours. I have a drafting partner is John Schittler. He will be on a Bacchetta recumbent though and is just a partial draft. We'll also have a crew to meet us at checkpoints with supplies. Should be a riot.
This was 3rd major ride in a 7 week period. No record this week. But I did get 3rd overall and first in my age group. Plus it was a RAAM qualifier and I did ride more than the 400 miles a 50 year old needs to ride to qualify. I trying to convince myself I had an alright ride. Bottomline is that I'm pissed that I didn't stay awake and ride 50 more miles. I hope to do something this week to make me forget about this ride.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Illinois E-W, W-E, and E-W-E Records
On August 15th I set 3 Illinois state crossing records. On the next day Paul Carpenter set 2 Illinois state crossing records. We're in different age groups. One group is 50-59 and the other on is 25-49. I'll post both of our narratives of our rides below.
Next up for Paul and I is the Midwest 24 hour ride August 30th at Port Byron. I feel fully recovered from the record ride and hope to set a PR of more tham 457 miles.
Here are the articles and some pictures.
I can't figure out how to get the pictures from my computer to the Blog. Help me GS! Please.
Ultra Cycling Record
Cross Illinois State Record: East – West – East, East-West, West-East
August 15th 2008
By Larry Ide
My main reason for attempting to set three cross state records was to acquire points and fast speeds for the Ultracycling Cup. I talked my good friend Paul Carpenter into officiating for me and in turn I would officiate for him the next day. Joyce and Dick Bowman would crew for both of us.
I started my ride at 3:28 AM Friday with a slight tailwind at the Illinois/Indiana border where Illiana Drive intersects State Line Road. The route was an easy one to follow. I took route 40 west to Smithboro where I switched to route 140 all the way to the Illinois/Missouri border sign on the route 67 bridge at Alton. I did take a few short cuts that Drew Clark had kindly pointed out The ride west ended up being 155.2 miles. I had a slight tailwind all the way across Illinois and it was picking up a bit. The wind usually blows from the west this time of year. I was hoping for calm to slight west winds for the trip west and stronger west(tailwind) winds for the return trip to the east. I got just the opposite. The wind made for an easy East-West crossing. I made it to the bridge at 10:27AM for a total time of 6:59.
I tried a new fuel mix for the trip west. I mixed 2 scoops of Hammer heed, 3 servings of Expresso Hammer Gel and ½ scoop of Hammer Soy Protien with water into a 2 hour bottle. I drank 1 bottle of the mix and one bottle of water every 2 hours. It worked pretty good, but I later found out it contained a little to much protein for me.
My crew of Dick and Joyce Bowman never missed a beat. They had never done this before and I had never rode with a crew before. Our closest call were two deer crossing the road early in the ride. The second one was a buck with a good set of antlers.
The turn around on the bridge was a hard one. I had to load my Trek 5200 into the van and then the crew had to drive into Missouri to turn around and drive back onto the bridge. I unloaded my Trek and put the wheels back on and headed back to the IN/IL border where I had started 7+ hours earlier. I had been off the bike for 18 minutes and started my ride back east at 10:45AM.
The ride back was hard. 155 miles of headwind, not a strong headwind, it just never quit. The traffic had picked up a little so I stopped a couple times to rest and get more fuel. I made the mistake of drinking a coke on the bridge. Once I switched to the coke, I never went back to the mix. I think the mix would have been the best way to go. I was trying to finish as early as possible so Paul could get back and get ready for his attempt the next day. The wind was brutal and the small hills seemed like mountains near the end of the ride. I finally finished at 7:20PM for a W-E time of 8:35 and a E-W-E double crossing of 15:52.
My thanks to Dick and Joyce Bowman for crewing and making this ride possible. Without them, I couldn’t have done the ride. A special thanks to Paul Carpenter for officiating the record. We travel to events together and race against each other several times a year. Being in different age groups for these records, it was nice that we were both able to set records. Next year maybe I’ll try Indiana or maybe the Illinois double again only this time start in the west. Her are the numbers:
Official Record: Illinois E – W, 155.2 miles, 6:59, 22.22 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Finish: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Official: Paul Carpenter
Official Record: Illinois E – W - E, 310.2 miles, 15:52, 19.55 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Turning Point: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Finish: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Official: Paul Carpenter
Official Record: Illinois W -E, 155 miles, 8:35, 18.06 mph
Start: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Finish: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Official: Paul Carpenter
Can you tell I'm a plumber and cyclist, not a writer. Here's Paul Carpenter's article. Definitely better than mine.
Ultra Cycling Record
Cross Illinois State Record: East – West – East
August 16th 2008
By Paul Carpenter
The idea of undertaking a cross-state record came from my good friend and fellow ultra cyclist Larry Ide. The prime motivation was to acquire points for the Ultracycling Cup. For one reason or another we had both missed a number of ultracup events and with the season winding down we were looking for opportunities to secure more points.
The cross-Illinois record was very appealing for several reasons. First, it was close to home for both of us making the logistics easier. Second, the route looked largely flat and, as long as the winds didn’t kick in, had the potential for a fast crossing. Third, as Larry and I are in different age groups, albeit by just a few months, we could both independently set records and score points. Also with no records established for either of our age groups (the exception was an existing W – E record in my 40 – 49 age division) the field was open to score some good ultracup points. Knowing we were in different age groups meant we could compete without ‘competing.’ For several years now Larry and I have been pushing each other at ultra races and I know this led to marked improvements in my riding. We both log our miles on the Big-Dogs website (www.ultramidwest. net) and have a friendly competition going to see who can ride the most miles.
We set August 15th and August 16th for our respective crossings and Larry secured the services of his in-laws, Dick and Joyce Bowman, to serve as crew. Larry rode on the 15th with me as the official and I took off on the 16th with Larry officiating. We all met up in Terre Haute and over dinner worked out the final details of how we would handle the crossing and made sure we were familiar with all the rules and regulations. We never had the opportunity to survey the route ahead of time but had secured detailed information on the route from Drew Clark who rode the route and set the W – E crossing in his age division in 2007. Going second I did get to see the route before riding although this didn’t afford me any significant advantage as the route was very direct—essentially US 40 to mid-state and then Rte 140 to Alton—with just one minor road repair underway. Much of the route followed one of the old RAAM routes as well as part of this year’s course from Alton to Effingham. Seeing the RAAM markings on the road I tried to visualize myself riding RAAM which I hope to do in the near future.
I awoke at 2 AM and proceeded to get ready for the record attempt. I had done much of the preparation the night before after returning to the hotel from Larry’s successful and fast crossing. No more or less sleep than usual though! We made it out to the start on the Illinois/Indiana border where Illiana Drive intersects State Line Road. This also marks the start of the Ride Across Indiana which I had ridden in 2004. We decided to go from E – W and back since, as the prevailing winds are out of the west, we would get a good push on the return crossing. As the winds are typically light in the morning we felt this would make the E – W crossing easier especially if we got an early start. Under a full moon, calm conditions, clear skies with the temperature in the low 60s, I started the crossing at 3.02 AM riding my carbon Felt F4C the bike that had gotten me through the Race Across the West in good order. I felt in good shape and was buoyed by a personal best time in the Metamora 4X50 race the weekend before.
The first three-hours of the crossing were done in the dark although the full moon lit the road very well and provided an atmospheric backdrop. There was virtually no other road traffic and this part of the ride was uneventful aside from the appearance of two deer on the road which we managed to pass without incident. The first part of the ride was hillier than I had expected although the rises weren’t long or steep. As the morning progressed the temperature started to rise, but it never got particularly hot or humid, especially given typical Illinois August weather, at any point during the day. The wind started to pick up, but was light as it often is early in the day. Unfortunately, counter to what we had hoped, it was out of the northeast, so much for the prevailing wind theory. This meant very little push to Alton and the prospect of a headwind all the way back which Larry had experienced the previous day. The roads were good and traffic light through Vandalia and on through Greenville and I maintained a steady pace of around 20 mph. On the outskirts of Alton the traffic got heavier especially on the multilane highway into town and then on the town roads. Eventually the Mississippi River and bridge came in view and on the bridge we were treated to some great views. I reached the Illinois/Missouri border sign on the bridge at 10.40 AM for a crossing time of 7:38 for an average speed of 20.33 mph for the 155.2 miles. I had set the E – W mark for my age group!
The bridge at Alton, although it had a wide bike lane, did not feel very safe as the road was a four-lane highway with a 55 mph posted speed limit. There was no way to traverse to the other side of the road to start the return crossing so we loaded me and my bike into the van and proceeded over into Missouri to the first turnaround. It was then back up onto the bridge to unload my bike and start the return. Given the traffic I was keen to get going as quickly as possible. Despite this, I lost 14 minutes on the turnaround departing the Illinois/Missouri border at 10:54 AM. What with the wind, we both now wished we had done the crossing W – E – W!
Traffic was still heavy through Alton and the crew did a great job of protecting me, as they did throughout the ride, as well as keeping me fed and hydrated. I was drinking one bottle of Perpetuem in a 2 scoop/24 oz bottle mix and one 24 oz bottle of Gatorade about every two hours. Later in the ride this intake increased and I took a leaf out of Larry’s book and downed a few cokes! The ride through to Smithboro passed quickly and I was still holding a 20+ mph pace. The wind from the NE was getting stronger and at times it was a problem making it difficult to hold my pace. Other times the wind seemed to shift and I couldn’t feel any head or cross wind. Once through Vandalia the headwind became more significant and the stretch from Vandalia to Effingham seemed to be endless and always slightly uphill with the wind making it difficult to hold a 17 mph pace. Beyond Effingham conditions improved although the wind seemed to keep shifting making riding at times hard and at other times easy. I reached the Illinois/Indiana border at 7:20 PM for a crossing time of 8:26 for an average speed of 18.4 mph for the 155 miles. I hadn’t beaten the existing mark but always knew that was a long shot and given the wind out of the northeast not on the cards for this attempt. For the double crossing my total time was 16:18 for an average speed of 19.03 mph for the 310.2 miles. I had set the mark for the E – W – E for my age group.
My sincere thanks to Dick and Joyce Bowman for crewing and making this ride possible. Without their support and encouragement I would not have been able to set the records I did. They did a fantastic job of following me, keeping me fed and hydrated and keeping me safe. My sincere thanks to Larry for being my official and for his friendship and support during this ride and the many others we have completed. While we weren’t on the road at the same time, the friendly competition we have with each other helped push me to the times I set. I was very pleased and satisfied with the marks I achieved and although I did the record attempt for ultracup points, setting a cross-state record was a very different experience than other ultrarides I have done and something I’d consider doing again in the future.
Official Record: Illinois E – W, 155.2 miles, 7:38, 20.33 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Finish: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Official: Larry Ide
Official Record: Illinois E – W - E, 310.2 miles, 16:18, 19.03 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Turning Point: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Finish: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Official: Larry Ide
If you have read this far you are as crazy about cycling as I am and I want to ride with you!!!
Next up for Paul and I is the Midwest 24 hour ride August 30th at Port Byron. I feel fully recovered from the record ride and hope to set a PR of more tham 457 miles.
Here are the articles and some pictures.
I can't figure out how to get the pictures from my computer to the Blog. Help me GS! Please.
Ultra Cycling Record
Cross Illinois State Record: East – West – East, East-West, West-East
August 15th 2008
By Larry Ide
My main reason for attempting to set three cross state records was to acquire points and fast speeds for the Ultracycling Cup. I talked my good friend Paul Carpenter into officiating for me and in turn I would officiate for him the next day. Joyce and Dick Bowman would crew for both of us.
I started my ride at 3:28 AM Friday with a slight tailwind at the Illinois/Indiana border where Illiana Drive intersects State Line Road. The route was an easy one to follow. I took route 40 west to Smithboro where I switched to route 140 all the way to the Illinois/Missouri border sign on the route 67 bridge at Alton. I did take a few short cuts that Drew Clark had kindly pointed out The ride west ended up being 155.2 miles. I had a slight tailwind all the way across Illinois and it was picking up a bit. The wind usually blows from the west this time of year. I was hoping for calm to slight west winds for the trip west and stronger west(tailwind) winds for the return trip to the east. I got just the opposite. The wind made for an easy East-West crossing. I made it to the bridge at 10:27AM for a total time of 6:59.
I tried a new fuel mix for the trip west. I mixed 2 scoops of Hammer heed, 3 servings of Expresso Hammer Gel and ½ scoop of Hammer Soy Protien with water into a 2 hour bottle. I drank 1 bottle of the mix and one bottle of water every 2 hours. It worked pretty good, but I later found out it contained a little to much protein for me.
My crew of Dick and Joyce Bowman never missed a beat. They had never done this before and I had never rode with a crew before. Our closest call were two deer crossing the road early in the ride. The second one was a buck with a good set of antlers.
The turn around on the bridge was a hard one. I had to load my Trek 5200 into the van and then the crew had to drive into Missouri to turn around and drive back onto the bridge. I unloaded my Trek and put the wheels back on and headed back to the IN/IL border where I had started 7+ hours earlier. I had been off the bike for 18 minutes and started my ride back east at 10:45AM.
The ride back was hard. 155 miles of headwind, not a strong headwind, it just never quit. The traffic had picked up a little so I stopped a couple times to rest and get more fuel. I made the mistake of drinking a coke on the bridge. Once I switched to the coke, I never went back to the mix. I think the mix would have been the best way to go. I was trying to finish as early as possible so Paul could get back and get ready for his attempt the next day. The wind was brutal and the small hills seemed like mountains near the end of the ride. I finally finished at 7:20PM for a W-E time of 8:35 and a E-W-E double crossing of 15:52.
My thanks to Dick and Joyce Bowman for crewing and making this ride possible. Without them, I couldn’t have done the ride. A special thanks to Paul Carpenter for officiating the record. We travel to events together and race against each other several times a year. Being in different age groups for these records, it was nice that we were both able to set records. Next year maybe I’ll try Indiana or maybe the Illinois double again only this time start in the west. Her are the numbers:
Official Record: Illinois E – W, 155.2 miles, 6:59, 22.22 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Finish: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Official: Paul Carpenter
Official Record: Illinois E – W - E, 310.2 miles, 15:52, 19.55 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Turning Point: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Finish: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Official: Paul Carpenter
Official Record: Illinois W -E, 155 miles, 8:35, 18.06 mph
Start: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Finish: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Official: Paul Carpenter
Can you tell I'm a plumber and cyclist, not a writer. Here's Paul Carpenter's article. Definitely better than mine.
Ultra Cycling Record
Cross Illinois State Record: East – West – East
August 16th 2008
By Paul Carpenter
The idea of undertaking a cross-state record came from my good friend and fellow ultra cyclist Larry Ide. The prime motivation was to acquire points for the Ultracycling Cup. For one reason or another we had both missed a number of ultracup events and with the season winding down we were looking for opportunities to secure more points.
The cross-Illinois record was very appealing for several reasons. First, it was close to home for both of us making the logistics easier. Second, the route looked largely flat and, as long as the winds didn’t kick in, had the potential for a fast crossing. Third, as Larry and I are in different age groups, albeit by just a few months, we could both independently set records and score points. Also with no records established for either of our age groups (the exception was an existing W – E record in my 40 – 49 age division) the field was open to score some good ultracup points. Knowing we were in different age groups meant we could compete without ‘competing.’ For several years now Larry and I have been pushing each other at ultra races and I know this led to marked improvements in my riding. We both log our miles on the Big-Dogs website (www.ultramidwest. net) and have a friendly competition going to see who can ride the most miles.
We set August 15th and August 16th for our respective crossings and Larry secured the services of his in-laws, Dick and Joyce Bowman, to serve as crew. Larry rode on the 15th with me as the official and I took off on the 16th with Larry officiating. We all met up in Terre Haute and over dinner worked out the final details of how we would handle the crossing and made sure we were familiar with all the rules and regulations. We never had the opportunity to survey the route ahead of time but had secured detailed information on the route from Drew Clark who rode the route and set the W – E crossing in his age division in 2007. Going second I did get to see the route before riding although this didn’t afford me any significant advantage as the route was very direct—essentially US 40 to mid-state and then Rte 140 to Alton—with just one minor road repair underway. Much of the route followed one of the old RAAM routes as well as part of this year’s course from Alton to Effingham. Seeing the RAAM markings on the road I tried to visualize myself riding RAAM which I hope to do in the near future.
I awoke at 2 AM and proceeded to get ready for the record attempt. I had done much of the preparation the night before after returning to the hotel from Larry’s successful and fast crossing. No more or less sleep than usual though! We made it out to the start on the Illinois/Indiana border where Illiana Drive intersects State Line Road. This also marks the start of the Ride Across Indiana which I had ridden in 2004. We decided to go from E – W and back since, as the prevailing winds are out of the west, we would get a good push on the return crossing. As the winds are typically light in the morning we felt this would make the E – W crossing easier especially if we got an early start. Under a full moon, calm conditions, clear skies with the temperature in the low 60s, I started the crossing at 3.02 AM riding my carbon Felt F4C the bike that had gotten me through the Race Across the West in good order. I felt in good shape and was buoyed by a personal best time in the Metamora 4X50 race the weekend before.
The first three-hours of the crossing were done in the dark although the full moon lit the road very well and provided an atmospheric backdrop. There was virtually no other road traffic and this part of the ride was uneventful aside from the appearance of two deer on the road which we managed to pass without incident. The first part of the ride was hillier than I had expected although the rises weren’t long or steep. As the morning progressed the temperature started to rise, but it never got particularly hot or humid, especially given typical Illinois August weather, at any point during the day. The wind started to pick up, but was light as it often is early in the day. Unfortunately, counter to what we had hoped, it was out of the northeast, so much for the prevailing wind theory. This meant very little push to Alton and the prospect of a headwind all the way back which Larry had experienced the previous day. The roads were good and traffic light through Vandalia and on through Greenville and I maintained a steady pace of around 20 mph. On the outskirts of Alton the traffic got heavier especially on the multilane highway into town and then on the town roads. Eventually the Mississippi River and bridge came in view and on the bridge we were treated to some great views. I reached the Illinois/Missouri border sign on the bridge at 10.40 AM for a crossing time of 7:38 for an average speed of 20.33 mph for the 155.2 miles. I had set the E – W mark for my age group!
The bridge at Alton, although it had a wide bike lane, did not feel very safe as the road was a four-lane highway with a 55 mph posted speed limit. There was no way to traverse to the other side of the road to start the return crossing so we loaded me and my bike into the van and proceeded over into Missouri to the first turnaround. It was then back up onto the bridge to unload my bike and start the return. Given the traffic I was keen to get going as quickly as possible. Despite this, I lost 14 minutes on the turnaround departing the Illinois/Missouri border at 10:54 AM. What with the wind, we both now wished we had done the crossing W – E – W!
Traffic was still heavy through Alton and the crew did a great job of protecting me, as they did throughout the ride, as well as keeping me fed and hydrated. I was drinking one bottle of Perpetuem in a 2 scoop/24 oz bottle mix and one 24 oz bottle of Gatorade about every two hours. Later in the ride this intake increased and I took a leaf out of Larry’s book and downed a few cokes! The ride through to Smithboro passed quickly and I was still holding a 20+ mph pace. The wind from the NE was getting stronger and at times it was a problem making it difficult to hold my pace. Other times the wind seemed to shift and I couldn’t feel any head or cross wind. Once through Vandalia the headwind became more significant and the stretch from Vandalia to Effingham seemed to be endless and always slightly uphill with the wind making it difficult to hold a 17 mph pace. Beyond Effingham conditions improved although the wind seemed to keep shifting making riding at times hard and at other times easy. I reached the Illinois/Indiana border at 7:20 PM for a crossing time of 8:26 for an average speed of 18.4 mph for the 155 miles. I hadn’t beaten the existing mark but always knew that was a long shot and given the wind out of the northeast not on the cards for this attempt. For the double crossing my total time was 16:18 for an average speed of 19.03 mph for the 310.2 miles. I had set the mark for the E – W – E for my age group.
My sincere thanks to Dick and Joyce Bowman for crewing and making this ride possible. Without their support and encouragement I would not have been able to set the records I did. They did a fantastic job of following me, keeping me fed and hydrated and keeping me safe. My sincere thanks to Larry for being my official and for his friendship and support during this ride and the many others we have completed. While we weren’t on the road at the same time, the friendly competition we have with each other helped push me to the times I set. I was very pleased and satisfied with the marks I achieved and although I did the record attempt for ultracup points, setting a cross-state record was a very different experience than other ultrarides I have done and something I’d consider doing again in the future.
Official Record: Illinois E – W, 155.2 miles, 7:38, 20.33 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Finish: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Official: Larry Ide
Official Record: Illinois E – W - E, 310.2 miles, 16:18, 19.03 mph
Start: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Turning Point: IL/MO border on Alton Bridge Rte 67
Finish: IL/IN State Line Road & Illiana Drive
Official: Larry Ide
If you have read this far you are as crazy about cycling as I am and I want to ride with you!!!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Metamora 4 X 50(52.5)
Last Saturday I rode in the Metamora 4 X 50 mile race which turned into 4 X 52.5 mile loops due to road construction. This was the first of 5 major rides I plan on doing in the next 7 weeks. One race down, four to go. John Schlitter, Bryce Walsh, Brian McEwen and myself all worked well together to finish ahead of the field in 9 hours 27 minutes of elasped time for the 210 miles, 22.2 mph ave. Larry Fritz also finished with the same time. Next up for me is a East-West-East double crossing of Illinois on Friday, August 15. Around 310 miles.
The 22.2 mph was a record for the race. The old record was a 21.25 mph ave by Bill Ford, Wesley Wilmer and myself set in 2006.
One race down, One record.
Four more rides to go.
Aug 15, Il E-W-E, 310 miles
Aug 30, Midwest 24 hour, 400+ miles?
Sept 10, Last Chance 1200 KM(750 miles)
Sept 25, Tejas 500, 25-20 mile loops in Texas.
Hopefully a few more records.
The 22.2 mph was a record for the race. The old record was a 21.25 mph ave by Bill Ford, Wesley Wilmer and myself set in 2006.
One race down, One record.
Four more rides to go.
Aug 15, Il E-W-E, 310 miles
Aug 30, Midwest 24 hour, 400+ miles?
Sept 10, Last Chance 1200 KM(750 miles)
Sept 25, Tejas 500, 25-20 mile loops in Texas.
Hopefully a few more records.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Ride to Champaign
Did my annual ride to Champaign yesterday. I ended up riding 205 miles due to added miles for bridges being out and a few loops around town. The route is usually around 180 miles. I left Monmouth at 2:30Am and finished my ride at 1:30PM. Just in time as my sister-in-law Liezl was starting to lay out the food. Over the next 7 hours I ate 20 chicken wings, 15 big shrimp, 2 barbacue pork sandwiches, watermelon, fruit salad. I drank margaritas and 6 or 7 beers. I also ate half of an apple pie with ice cream. After all, a person doesn't turn 50 everyday. Life is good and I hope it gets better after you turn 50.
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