Last week I was Up North. My annual trek to cottage country where I spent my summers as a kid, and that still holds, will always hold, a measure of peace and connection with my soul. Sure, it's been a couple of different cottages, camps, and so on, but always up there in Muskoka. This year I went later than usual. I am usually there in July. But given the race, and the cost to ship my bike, I decided to head up just a few weeks before the race, and then leave the bike there. I can ride the roadie during taper back here at home.
So the race is actually about 1:20 away from our place up there. Mum dragged a good family friend, Sandy McLean, along with us. When we said we'd leave at 6:30 am, her response was - sure, why not, haven't seen the Park at that time for years. Lol.
The bike course is actually a little long. Instead of 56 miles, it's about 58.5 - I guess they couldn't move the lake. ;) The course is a lollipop style, with the stick going from the resort to Lake of Bays, then around the lake, and back up the stick to transition. My plan for this day was to cover the full course, without spending too much time, and keeping the ladies waiting around too long. I planned for 3 hours, and so figured I would just do the 'stick' once on the way back. Good thing too, since we had some challenges finding the route.
So the ride is pretty tough. Which I expected. But not quite this. First two thirds of the ride are quite similar to the riding I've been doing from my house in North Alpharetta up through Cherokee County. A few hefty climbs and lots of rollers. But the roads are very rough is some spots. Like, I'm talking rough as in you just wouldn't ride your bike on these roads given the choice. There are other spots that are "good", as in your standard road condition - Hwy 35 and the latter part of 117. (Yes, Mum, I know 117 has never been in good shape). Then I hit the last third of the lollipop, and my God. Bredin Road is a spiderweb of cracked pavement, and then it moves onto South Portage Rd. This road looks like it is freshly paved. And true, it does not have all the splits and cracks found on other portions of the course. Having said that, I am not exactly sure what it is they tarred over, but I have never experienced vibration on my bike like I did on this road. It seriously just takes it out of you. And the hills are FREAKING HARD. Now I admit that my experience may have been skewed by the fact that I was tired, and my neck was killing me, and around every bend I kept thinking "okay surely the lollipop ends up around the next bend". Some of these hills have at least a 15% grade on them. And then finally, the 'stick', which of course I hadn't ridden at the beginning of today's ride, and APPARENTLY I was paying no attention as we were driving it, cuz it is also laden with some pretty steep climbs that caught me by surprise.
Needless to say, I totally understand now why the bike splits are uncharacteristically slow for this course. Now there may have been additional issues last year (weather maybe?) but only one girl in my AG was under 3 hrs. That says something. I had been hoping for a 3:00 split. There is frankly not a hope in hell of that happening. I think in my current conditioning (more on that in another post) I will be lucky to pull off a 3:30. C'est la vie.
I am glad I was able to ride the course. Especially that South Portage road section. I'm not sure what I'll do about the neck thing - I just simply have not ridden enough to build up the aero muscles again this summer, and after about 2:30 it just becomes the only thing I can think about. Coupled with the crazy vibration, it is going to make for an interesting challenge.Right. Got a few more rides to get in before the race, but what I've done is what I've got. No additional fitness gains possible before race day. Thankfully, the day turned around, and I had this at the end of it, which frankly was the best damn Tim's coffee I've ever had.
Happy Training!
Kat
No comments:
Post a Comment