Quick update. I have been managing to still get in approximately 100 miles a week on the bike. There have been some weeks and weekends where the weather has made riding tough. A couple of weekends back, one of my daughters was involved with a service project to rebuild a trail at the Hemlock Bluffs park in Cary. I needed to take her there from Chapel Hill, and planned to take my bike and ride the roads around Jordan Lake. However, as luck would have it, that day came with 30 MPH winds, and I chose to run instead. I managed to run one some of Raleigh’s greenways whilst my daughter toiled with wheelbarrow and wood chips.
I also got to run on the Reedy Creek trail, which is the one that has the bridge over the Raleigh beltline. I was glad for the chainlink fence on the bridge as I might not have run across in the fierce winds fearing I’d fall off on to the cars below!
I have learned from the Chapel Hill Cycling group as well as from the Tri-Cyclists web site that the Meadowmont Criterium will no longer be held. This is truly a shame. Having been held for the last 5 years, this exciting race had become a tradition in the early racing season. The recent addition of speed bumps on some of the streets that made up the course is the reason the race can no longer be held.
Unlike a lot of flat, boring races held in parking lots, the Criterium was held on the streets of the Meadowmont community in Chapel Hill. The course was challenging and had lots of features.
The start/finish straight was on a downhill so the spectators saw the bikes speed by, nearly at maximum speed. At the end of this straight, there was sweeping downhill turn that lead onto a wide boulevard. Because of the width of the turn, some competitors could take the turn without touching the brakes. It was a test of skill and bravery. There were two significant climbs on the course as well. Some sharp right angle turns and a weaving section that connected the two climbs. Riders were challenged over the entire length of the course, and the climbs served to burn the legs, and thin out the pack for the final lap of the race. I participated in the race one year, as a beginner Cat 5 racer. I am glad I got a crack at this unique event.
I don’t know how the organizers pulled it off in the first place; Entire streets in the neighborhood would be closed to vehicles during the various classes of races, which lasted the better part of the day. But for fives years, they managed to pull it off, and the race gained a respectable reputation. It is a shame that ‘road furniture’ such as speed bumps, are even required in a neighborhood full of children, walkers and joggers, but the residents of the community must have felt they were necessary. I will miss this race, as I am sure some of my fellow cyclists will as well.
I’m getting a lot of training done right now. I rode Saturday, Sunday and now today, for a total of 130 miles over the three days.
Today, I knew I had to do some work starting at 7PM, and it was going to take a while, so I took some time mid day and got out on the bike. The weather was perfect; I was able to ride in shorts and short sleeves. However, it *was* windy, and I nearly got blown off the bike a couple of times, especially heading back towards Carrboro on old NC86. I saw a lot of other riders out there today, taking advantage of the good sunny weather. I even came upon what appeared to be the UNC cycling team heading out on a group ride as I rode in on Cameron. I tried a new pre-ride ‘energy food’ today. Cocoa flavored marshmallow Peeps. Mmmm, yummy!
In preparation for riding up Mt. Mitchell, I need to do increasingly longer rides. I also need to do more rides in groups. It’s hard sometimes to go out solo and ride for 3 hours or more on the bike. Fortunately, there are often organized rides of 60 – 100 miles in length each weekend. This Saturday, I participated in the Capitol Cycling Clubs “Ride for the Rock” a charity event to raise money for brain injury research. It was a sunny, albeit windy day, with gust in the 20’s
Approximately 100 cyclists turned up, and fortunately for me, there were plenty in my current state of fitness. The Mt. Mitchell ride is going to have a LOT more riders, and brushing up on my group riding skills is going to be important. It was especially important Saturday; the course made its way on roads around Jordan Lake. The headwinds were brutal.
When riding in a pack of cyclists, each rider takes a turn at the front of the pack, and all the other riders do their best to tuck in behind them. When the lead rider has had enough, they pull off the front and gradually drift to the back of the pack. There is no set point in how long each cyclist ‘takes a pull’ at the front. It is important not to bear the headwinds for so long they tire and then are dropped from the pack.
I was able to take several pulls in my group. And I was glad for the shelter from the wind when I would slip back into the pack for a brief rest.
Saturdays ride met all my goals I had set out. I finished the ride in 3 hours and 15 minutes, I rode in a well organized pack, and I also got to ride in some tough winds and a few challenging climbs. Now, I just need to convince my legs I need to go out again TODAY!