HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA
It was a rough week with illness. I did no riding most of the week opting instead for heavy doses of Nyquil and daily naps. I didn’t think I would ride on Thursday but snuck in the Thursday evening club ride of just 15 miles. On Friday I rode with Tim but pulled the plug at 24 miles.
Yesterday was a private VIP ride with Jeremiah Bishop for top fundraisers for the Cancer Journeys Foundation / Prostate Cancer Awareness Project. I went from thinking I would miss the event early in the week to downgrading the distance I would ride. First I changed from 100 miles (Gran) to the Metric Century (65 miles/ Medio) and then I switched to the Valley View Adventure (36 miles / Piccolo).
I suffered on the VIP ride even though it was an easy-paced ride. I had ridden to the ride from my hotel in Harrisonburg so my final mile was uphill back to the Hampton Inn & Suites (University). I thought I might have to pull into a parking lot partway up the hill just to catch my breath.
I never thought about not riding today. The only question was how far. And did I want to change my ride category yet again? I opted for the shortest route, the Piccolo or Valley View Challenge (36 miles / 2600′)
Photo: Bruce Buckley Photography
At 8:00 a.m. I was called up to the front of the group for photos and the rollout. I’m always at the front as prostate cancer survivors are invited to come to the front. That means photo time as we roll out of town. I knew that Robert and I would be riding together on the Piccolo route. And as we rolled through town I willingly started slipping back through the group. And he slipped farther back.
Just two miles into the ride the route makes a sharp right turn onto Switchboard Road. The next six miles are on a narrow country road and a few hundred riders squeezed together create an accordion effect. It’s generally not an enjoyable experience. Actually, those eight miles are my least favorite miles of the route simply because the road is too crowded and some riders are a little too peppy.
Photo credit: Bruce Buckley Photography
Today I hung on the back of the group trying to gauge my breathing. If I needed to bail out early, I would. At the turn where the routes split, I stopped and waited for Robert and some other riders. Cool at the start I used the wait time to remove a T-shirt I had been wearing. I had been sweating and the cool mountain air felt good.
I went into today just wanting to enjoy the weather – the best ever in 14 years of the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. This event supports prostate cancer and I saw it as fortuitous that my bib was #15 as next month I will be 15 years cancer-free.
It seemed in almost no time we reached the rest stop. I was truly caught by surprised that we were there that quickly. It’s not that we were riding fast, we weren’t, it’s just that the time flew by in conversation. This was also the starting point a mile down the road for a 22-mile loop. Fudge the math a little but this is the difference between the Valley Adventure ride and a Metric Century.
I had been chatting with a guy and he left the rest stop before we did stating, “I know you’ll catch up with me.” Well, no we won’t if you ride the Metric and we don’t which is what happened. Nice guy but I never saw him again.
My Whoop band had my recovery in yellow, the 12th straight day I have been unable to have a full recovery. But this was the first day in the last seven that I started to feel better. I thought about changing my route to the Metric, even on course, but I also worried that I might bonk around Mile 50. I didn’t know how one week of illness might affect me so I stayed with the shorter route. Plus I was enjoying the company.
I let myself think of one goal. There was a sprint section on course. Last year I had a sneak peek at it without actually racing it. I had gone for a timing chip at check-in but wasn’t doing the mountain route. I asked a volunteer if I needed one and they said I did not. Of course, they were wrong. But since I didn’t have a timing chip when I came to it I offered to pace a woman on my wheel and maybe help her get on the podium. She didn’t hold my wheel and I had a decent time but didn’t push it. But I thought my pace that day put me in the running if I would try.
I had dropped behind my group. I stopped on the one-lane bridge for a photo op. The group rolled ahead without me. I had no stamina. I didn’t expect that I would.
Being alone and not being distracted by a conversation, I was looking for the sprint start. It was well marked and almost invisible. There was a vertical banner flag marking it but if you weren’t looking for it you might not see it until crossing the timing mat that marked the spot.
I saw Robert and John about 100 meters ahead of me. I saw them cross the timing mat and both started their sprints. I ramped it up and took off. It was the best that I felt in over a week. Robert and John who had been 100 meters in front of me were a bit surprised when I flew past.
My feeling of strength would not last. The segment was 800 meters long and around 600 meters I faded badly. I wanted to get out of the saddle and spring the last 200 meters but coulnd’t stand. I just didn’t have it.
Yet, as I crossed the line I saw that I had set a PR on a similar segment on Strava so I thought I did okay. The exact timing of this segment was not a Strava segment. It was my best time on this segment. It wouldn’t be known until we finished how I actually finished compared to others.
A group of four of us came to Mole Hill. The climb before Mole Hill may have been tougher and I went up first and then waited for the others. Robert was taping and let those two go ahead. I wanted to go last and pass everyone on the climb. One of the guys was up the road by at least 200 meters before I hit the start line.
I took off and quickly passed my two rabbits up the road. I didn’t consider this as a KOM and didn’t go all out. I wanted the sprint segment and was happy with that effort. Robert said something about racing for socks so I knew a jersey wasn’t on the line. I was happy with my effort and know I could have gone deeper but why bother? I didn’t understand all that was on offer.
Back at the finish line I got a text that I was on the podium. Third, second, or first? When they announced the sprint results for 65-69 they called two names but not my name. And then I was in first. Nice.
There was a second podium for the Gran Fondo Series. I’m still trying to understand all the timing. When I got home I could see that not only did I win my age group, I would have taken second place overall with no age categories, losing only to a 45-year-old from Wisconsin.
I am pretty stoked about this PR / podium. I saw the sprint segment last year and perhaps in 2021. There was no event in 2022. I wanted to train for it but my illness kept me from training and from having the stamina necessary. I normally would be able to maintain my spring the entire distance.
While I am very happy for the podium I am also aware that this was in the Piccolo group, the shortest route available. Most stronger riders would choose a longer ride. So I went and checked my time against everyone in my age group in all the categories. I wish I could say I was first overall but I wasn’t. I was second overall. Second.
I am pretty happy about that. I also realized that my time was done after 40 miles in the legs and not 65 or 100 miles. I accept that. But it bodes well for next year and I will be changing age groups as well. Bring it on!
