Florida - peaceonabike

March 18, 2023April 29, 2023

The Citrus Tour

CHAMPIONSGATE, FLORIDA

I was here for the MS-150 — the first MS-150 event of the year in the U.S. I went to registration at the Omni Resort yesterday at 5:00 p.m. As a “VIP” (“Club K” for those who raised at least $1000) we were told a perk would be an “Exclusive VIP experience at packet pick-up.”

I’m not sure what that experience was. I walked up. They gave me a jersey. I walked away and then had to go back. “Do I get a t-shirt as well,?” I asked. They went and got me a t-shirt. They did have a room with wine and hors d’oeuvres but that wasn’t my thing. I looked. I left.

The coolest “VIP” experience at registration I had was at the Livestrong Challenge-Philly in 2009. When I went to the registration desk a volunteer found my name. Then she rang a bell loudly and announced, “Barry Sherry raised $3000.” Then everyone in the room (or tent) cheered. So my thought was something similar would happen here. But maybe I missed it but it seemed like the same experience for everyone at packet pick-up.

This morning there was to be “VIP parking at the start line.” As I drove in I asked two volunteers about VIP parking. I even showed them the screenshot of Club K perks. They knew nothing about VIP parking.

My planning for the ride included a hotel which was actually a resort. But being a resort meant no breakfast at the hotel. Instead, I passed a McDonalds on the way and got an order of hotcakes.

I was concerned about nutrition and brought Skratch drink mix and Honey Stinger gummy chews. I also brought Hot Shot anti-cramping mix. As I grabbed what I wanted for my ride, I completely forget the Hot Shot. Crucial mistake.

Opening ceremonies recognized those riding with MS, the biggest earners, and the largest teams. The National Anthem was sung by Sonya Bryson-Kirksey (and someone can check me on this). Are helmets not hats? I removed my helmet but I would guess that less than 10% of men did. Or maybe respect for the National Anthem has died.

The rollout was in groups. I expected it would be staged by the previously mentioned categories or by distance but that we would all roll together. Instead, there may have been one minute between each group as they announced them and let them roll out.

We rolled slowly and it was immediately apparent that we would have stiff winds. Once it was safe I started passing riders. I had a guy join me and we briefly talked about not being able to ride a 12-hour Century (which it would have been at the pace we were riding). When he picked up the pace he was followed by a rider named Sharon (we had nametags on our backs).

At first, I wasn’t going to follow but we were all going the same pace. So I latched on. After a mile or two I went to the front and told him that I wasn’t going to let him do all the work. He dropped to third wheel and after a mile, Sharon told me he was about 20 yards back. I soft-pedaled for a while but he never came back. I never saw him again the rest of the day. Sharon, I would see her a lot.

There’s a proper way to ride a Century. First third – go slow. Second third – ride at a normal pace. And then use what’s left in the tank for the big finish. I knew I was probably going out too fast although I felt good. I wasn’t sweating that I noticed but I was still concerned about losing too many fluids. I would drink a lot today.

Waiting at a traffic light in Davenport – Mile 9
First Rest Stop is just to the right

We were riding along and one of the larger teams came by. Sharon and a couple of riders joined in and I tagged on in the back. There was a split and I was caught out. I decided I would bridge up to the faster group and was about to make the catch when they went through a yellow light but it turned red for me. I waited for the light to change and the group that I tried to ditch caught up to me. When it finally turned green I let them go ahead and I sat in on the back.

The first Aid Station was only 10 miles in and I blew by it. I stopped at the second one, Bravo, and they were serving sandwiches. Hmm. It was 9:00 a.m. I rolled out from Aid Station Bravo and rolled through a glass field on the shoulder/bike lane. I went about 200 meters then turned around. I found a discarded shingle and spent about 10 minutes sweeping the glass off the bike path. #DOGOOD

At Mile 60 I felt “pre-cramps” if there is such a thing. I could feel the telltale sign of a cringe when I dug deep for more power. I tried to conserve where and when I could. I drank. I took on more than eight bottles of fluid. I was riding with a team – Road and Trail Bike Club (Lakeland, Fla.) and gently let them go up the road without me. The subtle accelerations needed to control the whiplash effect on the rear weren’t there for me. I did not want to dig deep. They never went far ahead but I never caught them. One of their guys dropped back and I passed him.

At Mile 80, Aid Station Bravo (again), I departed on my own. I was happy to ride at my own pace. I wanted to ride solo. While there is a very real benefit of riding in a group, I didn’t have the energy to raise the pace even one kph faster to stay with the group or to match accelerations when needed. While a tailwind most of the way back, the advantage of group riding was less.

At this point, I wanted to be left alone, wind or no wind. Whether in a group of 10 or a group of two, we try to stay together which meant that I would have to find a little extra on turns and the little rises that they called hills. (Note: They’re not hills.) Riding alone I could go as slow as I needed to and not push to the point of cramps.

I was caught at a light by a woman I had stopped earlier to help her with a flat from the field of glass. (She needed SAG/bike shop to make the repair). I was glad to see her riding and she was going about two kph faster than me. Normally I would match her pace so we could work together but I did not have the extra gear. Then I was caught by Sharon. She gave up waiting on the two guys she had been riding with and Sharon and I rode together until we came to an intersection. She went straight when we should have turned left. I briefly followed then yelled to get her attention. I would have ridden right up to her but I didn’t have the gear.

We had a brief interchange – basically it was “this is not the right way,” and “are you sure?” I was. We went back as team Road and Trail were coming by and making the left-hand turn. We jumped in with them.

The first real cramp came at Mile 95. It was bad and I wasn’t sure I would handle it. The pain was intense and my reaction was to get off the bike and stretch. As we came to a left turn at a “T” the group got into the left turn lane and stopped behind five cars waiting for the light. I had no choice. I could not coast and didn’t want to unclip and put a foot down. I kept pedaling softly and took the empty right turn lane but then went straight across the intersection to make my left turn. The group came by and I briefly tried to stay with them. I did right to Mile 98. Then I took to the sidewalk to keep moving while they waited at a light. I had to pedal at my own pace. Coasting wasn’t working and I could not add pressure. Lightly pedaling was the best way to keep the cramping from being too bad.

Still, the group finished about 30 seconds ahead of me which wasn’t bad. I would have given them 30 minutes. I was hurting. I slowly rode to my car, moved gingerly as I dismounted, found my Hot Shot, and chugged that down.

I walked over to find lunch. No one knew where it was. On the website, it said lunch was provided by PDQ. I then found some empty PDQ containers in the trash. We discovered the 25 and 50-mile riders ate our lunches.

PDQ Lunch Boxes – No lunches for distance riders

I was tired. It was 3:00 and I needed lunch. While there was a dinner at 6:00 back at the Omni, I knew I would not be going back to my hotel, cleaning up, and then returning for dinner. Partly I was afraid that I might cramp up during dinner and that would not be pretty.

In my GPS I found a PDQ eight miles (air miles?) away. I drove to it and then asked the manager if they provided the lunches to the MS Ride. They had and I thanked him for it. I also told him that the riders who rode the farthest didn’t get any. He gave me a complimentary lunch. It’s a great place and not just for free food.

An MS ride is more than a ride. It’s about the mission to rid the world of MS. I like to connect with people and hear their stories. The first person was a young woman, wearing a tutu (maybe a bad idea for a distance ride). She had written on her bib she was riding for her mother. I told her I was riding for my daughter and showed her the cool stem cap. (She can be seen in the Davenport photo.)

I asked her how far she was riding and she told me she was going to ride 100 but was now thinking about 60 (The routes were 23, 50, and 75 so maybe she was thinking about 50 miles). A group, her group, was rolling out of the rest step and I just missed jumping in with them but left in a hurry to catch them. And then I started regretting not spending more time with her and offering to ride 100 with her. It was obvious no one in her group was willing.

The second person I talked to was Sharon. She was in the Top 50 fundraisers as evidenced by her blue bib number. She told me her connection was seven or eight friends who all have MS. She also said she lost her 35-year-old niece within the last year to MS due to a blood clot. Of course, neither of us knows for sure what may have caused the blood clot, be it MS, medications for MS, or medications for something else.

DISTANCE: 101.2 miles
TIME: 6:04
AVERAGE SPEED: 16.6 mph

November 20, 2022September 26, 2023

Advice from the Jensie

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

It was chilly, if not cold, at the start. Just 52° (11°C) and pretty windy. There was a forecast of rain moving in in the afternoon. My options were a 100-mile ride or a 70-mile ride. Plus whatever distance I would be adding to and from the hotel.

I was thinking about the century ride and whether I would have enough time to ride 100 miles and beat the rain. Maybe the weather would force my hand. But there was something else.

I have been wearing the Whoop band which measures biometrics. Last night, and the two nights prior to that, my “recovery” rate has been poor. My body is not recovering the way I need it to and therefore a big effort may be hard to achieve.

I was out the door by 7:00 a.m. and was at the start by 7:20 a.m. I was ready to roll but wanted to meet a friend first. Scott lives in the area and we planned to meet at 7:30 a.m. But he was running late and we did not meet and get rolling until 8:00 a.m. I felt like everyone who was riding was already on course and ahead of me.

A “private” port-a-john just 10 miles in

As I pedaled the first 15 miles I didn’t feel right. The jump in my legs was not there. Or maybe worse, the enthusiasm I had for riding the bike was missing. There was a group of 30-somethings, probably four men and two women although maybe it was three and three, that went by me. It was a group that I might normally jump into (if they didn’t mind). But I didn’t have the energy to stay with them.

I didn’t need Whoop to tell me that. I was off. I felt it. I decided then to take the 100-mile ride off the table and do the 70-mile ride. But the weather started turning. There was some spitting rain already and I had to rethink my strategy.

Volunteer at Rest Stop one supporting UVA (he attended)

I remembered what Jens Voigt said when he retired. He loves riding his bike but the two things he will no longer do is suffer and ride in the rain. And I knew that even if I rode 70 miles, I would be suffering. And I would probably be riding in the rain.

That made my decision easier. There’s something nagging about shortening the route as though one has failed. I had to put that out of my mind and convince myself that it was okay. But I knew that today, it was the right thing to do. This was the fifth time for this event. I have ridden the 100-mile route twice and the 70-mile twice so I knew the route and what I would be seeing or missing. Plus I had nothing to prove. My decision would have been different if this was my first event or first century.

I came to the 30-mile cutoff and turned. I would go short today. Well, it wasn’t exactly short. I added one extra loop around the lake and there was the distance to and from the event. So I still rode 45 miles.

But at the pavilion, as I ate lunch, I watched the rain come down. I knew it was the right decision for me on this day. I rode in the light rain back to the hotel. When I got back I cleaned my bike and then went to the hotel’s whirlpool. It was outside and still only 52° and raining, but it felt so good to slump all the way down in the water.

Relaxing in the whirlpool (photo from the prior day)

I wanted more miles today. But my body said no. Plus the thought of dealing with soaked shoes and soaked clothes while traveling was one I didn’t want to deal with. There will be other rides but Jens is right – no need to suffer or ride in the rain.

EPILOGUE – I felt very good about my decision today. It rained all afternoon and was generally miserable outside. The thought of soaked shoes while traveling was the worst. I could have washed my clothes but not much to do with the shoes.

November 19, 2022February 24, 2024

Before it was Horrible

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

This was my fifth time coming to the Horrible Hundred. A great feature, and perhaps my favorite, is the “familiarization” rides held on Saturday, the day before the event. They are actually just no-drop group rides.

The first two years I joined the 8:30 a.m. 50-mile ride. It was their “A” level ride. The second time I rode it I decided it was too large for my safety and comfort and instead I rode with their “B” or “C” level (but probably B). Like Goldilocks, this one was just right.

Last year we had perhaps 20 riders and it was a really nice group. I was hoping for the same and even the same group leader from last year.

I left the Marriott Fairfield Inn hotel and headed to the waterfront. I arrived at 8:45 a.m. while the C group was headed out. I waited a few minutes, looking around to see who might be riding. Some people gathered but they weren’t part of us. At 8:58 a.m. a guy wearing a “Ride Leader” jersey asked if I was here for the 9:00 ride. I told him I was and he said, “It looks like it will be the three of us.”

Don was our group leader. I soon found out he lived in Woodbridge forty years ago. Our other rider was Dan. I found out the two of them rode the Trans-America Trail, from Yorktown, Va. to Oregon some time ago.

Don had an eBike. He announced that we would take one-mile pulls and ride in a pace line. Since I was displaying kilometers I always rode at least two kilometers and sometimes three before pulling off the front. When we came to the hills Dan would trail off. Don said it was because he was 75 years old. Good for him. When we came to Cherry Lake Road Don told me to go ahead and ride back without them so they didn’t hold me back. I did ride ahead but when I reached the top I turned around and went back to Dan and rode up again.

It was a nice ride. It’s a very nice route (42 miles). I hope that with three people the event doesn’t decide to cancel it. If I go back I plan on doing this Saturday route again.

I rode back to the hotel and was enjoying the weather. Rather than stop riding, I simply dropped off my Horrible Hundred t-shirt and then went to PDQ for lunch. After lunch, I rode back to the waterfront. I visited a decorating of the trees for Christmas. There I talked to Melinda from the Clermont Triathlon Club. She told me of a ride for C2C that I should look for. Maybe next year.

Clermont Triathlon Club
We approve except for the running and swimming themes

Relaxing in the whirlpool (Marriott Fairfield Inn

LODGING: Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Clermont, Fla.

March 28, 2022April 6, 2022

Alligator Alley

SHARK VALLEY, EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

I enjoyed this ride so much last year I wanted to do it again. And this time I invited, Margaret, one of our Roosters Racing, Inc. team to come and join me as well.

In the Everglades, we headed off on the tram trail. I thought that this wasn’t the best season to see alligators but we would make this work. Actually, it was a great time.

I misremembered when I was here last. It was March 2021. In other words, the same time as I rode last year by two weeks. That wouldn’t make much of a difference.

I thought that I rode earlier in the day last year but a check of the GPS file shows I started about the same time on both rides (1:00-1:30 p.m.).

Last year there were some alligators on the side of the trail. This year it seemed they were all hiding. But in the end, it was probably about the same as last year. In reading this is probably the best time of the year. It is still dry season and not overly hot. In the summer the gators are more submerged as they try to escape the hear.

I love this ride. The key is to not go too fast. Slow down and enjoy the roses. Or alligators. I probably saw 15-20 alligators.

We rode and I called out “gator!” I don’t think Margaret was thrilled about seeing them. At least I can say for sure she wasn’t as thrilled as I was about seeing them. I loved seeing the gators.

The ride is a 15-mile loop. Both years I rode in a counter-clockwise direction. Most of the gators can be seen on the portion going out to the observation tower and not much coming back.

I enjoy this ride so much. Will I do it again? I hope so.

March 27, 2022February 23, 2024

Party Bus

TAMPA, FLORIDA

About to board a party bus for the 2.5-hour trip from Tampa to Fort Myers. There are six of us on the bus. The others, there were about 35 riders today, got rides from somewhere.

Aboard the party bus (pictured: Douglas)

This was Day 2 of a 200-mile charity bike ride, the Pan-Florida Challenge. It has been 10 years since I last rode a double century – at RAGBRAI. With no rides longer than 15-20 miles most of the winter, would I even be able to do one century?

Yesterday went well and today went even better. The 100-mile second day was actually 106 miles. But at no point were my legs ever hurting me or my energy level low.

Uncle Dick is in Memory of Richard Lowmaster

The ride started when the A riders left the start line. About a minute later the B riders would go. I had looked at the group of four guys in the B group and thought I was in the right group (C). Yet I rode with those guys yesterday until I dropped them so maybe I should be with them. But I let them go.

Another minute or so and then the C group pulled out. There seemed to be 12 of us and I immediately went to the front. The others lined up behind me and I carefully pegged my speed at 16 mph. Our riding speed was supposed to be 15-17 mph and by my calculation, 16 mph was in that range.

“Too fast! You’re going too fast!” I heard a voice, or maybe two, from within the group. This was not going well. I slowed to 15 then after five minutes decided to give others a chance. I moved to the back and sat behind Mark.

We were going 14 mph. I was not happy. I was also concerned about being in the sun too long today and needed to go faster. I could see about one mile ahead and could barely see some blinking red flashers on the four bikes of the B group.

It was more instinct than thought but I pulled beside Mark and told him that I was going to bridge up to the B group. I’m not sure what Mark may have thought but I only shared my plan with him. What’s the worst that could happen? Try and fail. But at least I had to try.

The line was stretched out on the shoulder or in a bike lane. I was 12th wheel when I took off. When I passed the front rider I was going 24 mph and still increasing my speed. I soon settled in and looked for landmarks up the road. The first was a pole and it took me more than 3:00 from the time I saw the group pass it until I got there. Then it was 2:15. And followed by 1:45 and 0:55. I was closing and even faster than I thought.

When I got to 0:30 I caught a support vehicle. The driver asked if I was trying to catch the group and I replied that I was. He then asked me if he should go tell them to slow down. LOL. “No,” I replied. “I will catch them.”

If my numbers are right I had chased them for more than 16 minutes. I chased for 5.3 miles. That was probably the most or second-most enjoyable segment on this two-day ride. There’s something very satisfying about doing a chase and being successful.

In retrospect, I probably should have gone right by then to the front of their group. Then I would have had five surprised faces instead of one. But I pulled in behind John who was surprised to see a shadow next to his. It was early morning and going north, we had nice long shadows to our left.

But there were five instead of four that I saw leave the start line. Then a woman peeled off the front. It was Laura who I had ridden with yesterday. She greeted me loudly as I did her.

The winds were strong. Almost exclusively headwinds as we were headed north. At Mile 50 we came to a rest stop and two riders dropped out. One said it wasn’t fun riding in the wind. We were down to a group of four.

However, we also entered more rural roads and we had a support driver who was willing to let us draft off him. I was always willing to hug a bumper but didn’t want to hog a bumper. And we encouraged our weakest link, a rider whom we were always dropping. Once he got the hang of drafting at 15 mph the driver sped up to 17 mph and our rider quit. “I can’t ride at 17 (mph),” he said. This was in the B group where one was supposed to average 18-20 mph. The C group, in which I started was 15-17 and we had a rider who couldn’t ride at 17. The more I thought about this the more I thought I was right about my riding speed. It’s just that everybody else was way off.

At a lull on a backcountry road, I worked on getting our group to do a rotating pace line. After 3-4 minutes one of our riders said “Good luck with your chain gang” and quit cooperating. That was very unusual. After the ride, he said to me, “Well this wasn’t my first rodeo.” I guess he was too good to cooperate with us. Oh well.

I asked Christopher why he was on a cancer ride. He told me he lost his mother, Theresa, 60, to brain cancer one year ago this weekend. I asked him what he thought about our two riders quitting. He told me that he was riding in honor of his mother and he was going to finish the ride no matter what.

I shared the same conviction. I was riding for every name on those stem caps I had. As soon as I put a new name on the bike I was riding. There was no way I would jump in a car.

Chris also told me he is a plastic surgeon in Miami and his wife is a surgeon living in Minneapolis. I think she is finishing her residency and they will live in Miami. But she flew down to visit him this weekend and he took off on a two-day cancer ride. This is what love looks like.

Bike corral before heading back to Ft. Myers

I never felt any energy depletion. I wanted to ride. At the last rest stop, I put on the name Jacob. And I knew that “Jake the Hero” would get me home. I would be riding for him but also with him.

Riding for and with Jacob – Jake the Hero

We picked up some stragglers and Chris and I went to the front for the last five miles. I heard people calling out to go slow so we would all finish together. Okay, I could do that. It didn’t mean anything to me if I was in a group or a group of one.

We finished in a small park. My luggage was there so I changed into casual clothes and out of my riding kit. They had dinner in a picnic shelter catered by Mission BBQ. This was my kind of dinner.

We were to board at 5:00 p.m. but are waiting on one person to finish. We had been told yesterday that anyone out on course at 4:00 p.m. would be SAGged in but I guess that didn’t happen. And I’m okay with that.

Then she finishes. She appears to be one of the oldest participants. What an effort she gave to finish. I don’t mind being delayed so she could complete her ride. What a contrast to the two in our group who just quit at Mile 50.

What a ride. Two Hundred (206) miles fighting cancer. With no real winter training. I like this!

FUNDRAISING: $1700

EPILOGUE: This was a great two-day event. Fundraising was daunting although it was 50% of the required amount for first-year riders. It was small, small enough to be intimate. I would consider making the drive for a two-day event but in 2023 they featured a 100-mile ride on Saturday in Fort Myers and a 100-mile ride in Tampa on Sunday. In 2024 it was a Saturday-only event. Good cause but not enough cycling to get me to drive 1,000 miles.

March 26, 2022February 23, 2024

A Lesson in Drafting

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA

My Uncle Dan became a widower in 2020. My mother was already a widow and the two of them faced the possibility that they would never see each other again. I promised my mother that if she could sit 12-14 hours, one-way, in a car, I’d make a trip from Pennsylvania to Florida so she could visit her brother.

Over the winter I started looking for a cancer charity ride and found the Pan-Florida Challenge. This was a 200-mile ride from Fort Myers to Sebring on Day 1 and then Sebring to Tampa on Day 2.

What follows are my observations. I have no complaints, just observations.

I checked in yesterday at a Brewery in Bonita Springs. Nice volunteers checked my name off a list and handed me a bag that contained stickers for my bike and helmet plus a bib with my number to wear. Also included were an event jersey and bib shorts that I ordered.

The event hotel was the Hyatt Place in Fort Myers. When I checked in I learned their breakfast was not until 7:00 a.m. We were supposed to check in at the event by 6:30 a.m. I thought I’d pass a fast-food restaurant on the way to the event but I was wrong.

My GPS with a saved location took me out into the country and I went by the entrance without realizing it. Mild panic set in as I was thinking I’d miss the start. My bike’s Wahoo computer had the day’s ride on it so I turned it on and answered yes when it asked if it should navigate to the ride start. And that is how I got to the event on time.

My biggest decision was what to wear. I had been given an event jersey but for two days which day should I wear it? If both, then I’d be trying to wash it later tonight. I decided to save it for tomorrow and wore my Rooster Racing Inc. kit today.

At the starting line, I could see that only 3-4 other riders were not wearing an event jersey. I was fine with that because I would wear it tomorrow. There were riders only riding on Day 1 and some riders had two jerseys from riding this event before.

I wanted to do something very special for this ride. I had stem caps made for my bike to ride in honor of or in memory of cancer warriors.

I would begin the ride in memory of my wonderful cousin, Kay Walborn. Kay died in 2018 from brain cancer.

We had to declare a riding speed before the event. The A group was 21-25 mph. The B group was 18-20 mph. The C group was 15-17 mph. I knew I could ride in the B group but for a recreational cancer ride, I registered for the C group. I was prepared to ride 100 miles solo and 16-17 was an honest assessment. Honest.

The A riders were sent off first followed by the B riders one minute (or so) later. The C group was sent off and I was somewhere in the middle of maybe 12 riders when we reached the main road. Almost immediately I was in a group with two women, Lucinda and Kristine, and one man. Lucinda took a lengthy pull until I went to the front to take over. The guy dropped off and the three of us rode to rest stop one.

At rest stop one my priorities were to change the stem cap, refill bottles, grab something to eat, and then roll on. But we seemingly grouped up, maybe all of Group C, and rolled out together.

I pulled out of line while on a country road to ride double file. I was next to Dave from Westfield, Indiana, when he asked me if he was riding on a flat. I looked and told him he was. We both called out “flat” and pulled off. No one came with us. I was with him for 10-12 minutes before his flat was fixed. Dave then told me he was riding the Metric route and was turning around at that point. I was by myself.

If someone else had stopped at least there would be two of us to “chase.” But I was ok by myself. And sort of enjoyed it. A SAG vehicle came by and the driver must have wondered what I was doing. I was beginning to understand this was a ride where people stayed together, much like the Saturday morning no-drop shop ride. And I was all by myself, through no fault of my own I will add. The driver asked if I was OK and I assured him I was.

At rest stop two the group was resting. I pulled in, changed a stem cap, grabbed some water and a bar, and off we rode. Into the wind. We were going mostly north and there was a strong headwind coming from the north. We stayed together, probably a dozen of us, with me dropping only once for a photo op. I quickly caught back on.

The railroad photo op (Dairy Rd and US 27)

And then the day would change for me. We came to rest stop three.

Rest Stop Three (just out of frame after the left turn) – Venus, Fla.

After quickly refilling bottles, eating half a banana, using the port-a-john, and grabbing a bag of trail mix for the road, I informed Lucinda that I was going to soft pedal until they caught me. I don’t do well standing around as lactic acid builds up and my legs feel like crap.

After 15 minutes and they still hadn’t caught me a vehicle came by and pulled right in front of me. I followed him closely – 18, 20, 22, 25, 28 mph – all into a wicked headwind. We did this for more than five miles until we caught the first group on the road. I went by two men and then caught two women who had their own support vehicle. I felt good enough to blow by them and go ahead but was content enough to ride with them.

My ride partners for the final 20 miles were Laura and Kristina. Kristina was from New York City and visiting her parents. I asked her if she ever drafted a vehicle and she hadn’t. I went up to the car and encouraged her to join me. Eventually, she did and then she was hooked. It was beautiful to witness. I tried to get Laura to draft but she finally revealed a secret. The driver was her husband.

We finished our 100 (99) and I went back to make sure it was 100. Then I went back again and found some of my group coming in. Lucinda had never ridden a century before and she needed to turn the odometer to 100 so she and I went out again to get her the final mile.

At the finish, for the third time, my support driver thanked me for knowing how to draft. He said he offered a couple of other guys the same courtesy but no one knew how or would draft off him.

At the hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott in Sebring, I found they did not have a reservation for me. Apparently, I had signed up for the 100-mile ride and not the 200-mile ride which I intended to do. Thankfully our event director had an extra room to be used so that worked out ok.

Dinner was provided and included an awards recognition as well. It was in a building between the Residence Inn and Tru by Hilton, right on Little Lake Jackson. Good food and a great location.

I worried most about how my body would respond. Riding every day in preparation is one thing. But doing a one-hour ride in winter of 14-15 miles is not the same as riding 50 and 60-mile rides. But I did ok. No twinges of cramps. My big question is how the second day, a hundred after a hundred, would go.

A view of Little Lake Jackson – off the deck of the dinner facility

What to wear. I may have missed it but saw no guidance on when to wear the PFC kit. Since I was riding for two days and had one jersey, I made the decision for the second day. I did this in part because I wanted to finish the 200-mile ride in the PFC kit. This is similar to Ride the Rockies where the cool kids know to wait until the last day to wear their RTR jersey for that year.

I would say that today 90% wore a PFC jersey. They were either blue or yellow depending on fundraising level. But there was a special green one – for survivors. I only saw one rider, Lucinda, wearing the green. And tomorrow, I will be in green.

◆ Everyone has a story. Some I made stem caps for. But riding for others empowers me and I talked to someone today about every single donor.

Note: Any names which may appear in this post on riders’ bibs that are similar to the names of people mentioned herein, are purely coincidental.

March 25, 2022February 28, 2024

Casey Key – The Hidden Gem

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

This started as a review of the Legacy Trail. So I can start there. I stayed overnight in Brandon, Florida, and was headed south to Fort Myers. I wanted to ride the Legacy Trail but did not do my homework as to my starting location.

I told Siri to find the Legacy Trail using both Waze and Apple Maps. Neither succeeded. When I ended up in Venice I made my way over on Venice Ave. to where I thought I would find the trail.

At the southern end of the Legacy Trail near Venice

There is parking at the bus/train terminal in Venice. According to TrailLink.com (which I should have noted) there is additional parking:

Patriots Park (800 Venetia Bay Blvd., Venice)
Nokomis Community Park (234 Nippino Trail East, Nokomis)
Laurel Park (509 Collins Rd., Laurel)
Oscar Scherer State Park (1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey)
Bay Street Park (300 Bay St., Osprey)
Potter Park (8587 Potter Park Dr., Sarasota)
Payne Park (2010 Adams Lane, Sarasota)

I ended up at Nokomis Community Park. I found the trail and then headed north. I intended to head south for 1-2 miles knowing I was close to Venice. I thought I had parked east of the trail so a left turn would take me south. I also learned about the directional arrow on my Wahoo (after two years of using it). The N is not at the top of the map/computer but at the bottom of an arrow pointing up. And so when I was headed north the N was on the bottom of the screen which, in my mind, confirmed I was going south. Confused? I was.

Did you know there is a 15 mph speed limit on the trail? You will as there are signs everywhere. Even this recreational rider, into the wind, had a hard time keeping the speed to 15 mph.

The trail is straight. The trail is flat except for two overpasses. The overpass by the train depot at the southern end might be the coolest fixture on the trail.

Being a Friday morning I can’t judge whether the trail was crowded by local standards. I saw very few runners/walkers and no dogs. Don’t they like dogs here? I also saw plenty of trikes. Not just three-wheeled bicycles but trikes ridden by the Amish.

My initial plan was to ride the length of the Legacy Trail and back. Then I would meet my friend, Darrin, for lunch. But the trail has a reputation as being straight and boring.

But any new trail to me is exciting the first time. The pavement was excellent, perhaps the best I have ever ridden. Smooth pavement and no tree roots.

The trail lacks fixtures. No tunnels and no great trestles. There were a couple of bridges next to the old rail line but that was it if one was looking for rail history.

The trail crosses some busy streets and I stopped and waited for the ped-head light at each. Some seemingly were pretty long which adds to a local complaint of the trail – too many at-grade crossings.

When I reached the end of the trail in Sarasota I headed over to the waterfront. I wanted a photo at Unconditional Surrender, the statue that commemorates the kiss in Times Square at the end of World War II.

I had already decided not to return via the Legacy Trail. Was it boring? Or was the coastal route more exciting?

I headed out to Siesta Key. It’s a beautiful strip of land and overly crowded. There was a bike lane for much of it and I almost went down hard on it. At one point it was next to a sidewalk and I had to transition from bike lane to the sidewalk. I did not turn sharply but was going to ease over gradually. There was a lip and my tire caught briefly in it. But I made it and was very thankful I did not crash.

Leaving the island I came to the Tamiami Trail, aka Hwy 41. There was a bike lane on this high-speed highway. I will stop short of recommending any highway riding but for this stretch neither would I discourage it.

I was on the highway for six miles going south then turned on Blackburn Point Road out to Casey Key. I crossed a one-lane steel grate bridge over the waterway and was on Casey Key.

What a joy this ride was. The next four miles were the finest four miles I had in Florida. I regret I could not capture it in photos. On the right side of the narrow road was the Gulf of Mexico. On the left side was the waterway/bay (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway). If there was enough room there was a beautiful home, maybe even a small mansion. This really did look like the most perfect place to live. Or ride.

I rode back over to where I parked and decided I needed to the last mile of the Legacy Trail down to Venice. I was glad I did.

The last mile or first mile features the Venice Train Station which appears to be a city bus and commuter parking center. Here is where the feature fly-over ramp is also.

I finished the ride and then drove back up the highway to meet Darrin. Had I known where I was going and where we’d meet, I would have stopped in on my ride. Or if he knew he would have said to stop at Mad Moe’s in Osprey.

But it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed sitting outside.

Apparently, if you leave your bike too long in Sarasota they paint it

Don’t miss the Ringling Brothers car at the Train Depot.

March 24, 2022January 25, 2023

Withlacoochee

BROOKSVILLE, FLORIDA

I haven’t had great luck on this trail. I brought my own luck. Weather

At 46 miles, the Withlacoochee State Trail is one of the longest paved rail-trails in Florida.

With a generally flat terrain and many access points, the trail is an ideal venue for all skill and fitness levels of cycling, running, walking and skating. An unpaved equestrian trail parallels portions of the paved trail. The trail corridor traverses three counties (Citrus, Hernando and Pasco), offering an enjoyable, varied journey as it runs through small towns, ranches and six distinct natural communities between Citrus Springs and Dade City.

Pancake flat and very wide. It is a nice trail.

I first came here in the late afternoon of November 17, 2021. I found the trailhead at Flora City. It has parking and restrooms. I was about halfway on the trail and my decision was to ride north or south. I met a local who advised me to ride north.

I was soon riding with a guy and enjoying the scenery, Inverness was around Mile 7 heading north. Definitely in the lake region. I continued up to Hernando before the need to turn around as I would be losing sunlight. I had a nice ride on the trail that day but didn’t quite make it to the end.

On March 23 I came to Brooksville. The trail wasn’t far away and I rode to it and went south to the southern terminus at Ownesboro. From there I rode 15 miles north to Nobleton before turning around. The trail here is very wooded.

Bridge over Cortez Bld – Fla. Rte 50 – Brooksville. Withlacooche State Trail

When I got back to the hotel I felt buggy. And for good reason. There were at least four bugs on my jersey or in my hair including an inchworm.

Nobleton is just south of Flora City, the segment I rode in November. I went back the next day and was going to finish the trail.

800 Miles to Richmond – Withlacooche State Trail
(Facing south so it’s 800 miles FROM RIchmond)

I started north and was retracing what I had ridden in November. By the time I reached Inverness, the skies had opened up and I was soaked. It wasn’t a lot of fun and that’s what riding should be about.

A neat feature on this trail can be found every mile. These are mile makers. They begin with the letter R followed by a distance. This was the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and its headquarters was in Richmond, Virginia. It was wild to think that Richmond was only 800 miles away by rail. And I wished it was a paved rail trail. But it’s not.

The trail is wide. It passes lakes and swamps. For summer rides the heavy canopy presents needed shade from the Florida sun. Sadly, for me, it did not form an umbrella to protect me from the rain.

I would not necessarily make this a destination ride as it lacks fixtures associated with some rail trails. But if you are anywhere in the area and want to put in a few miles, definitely go here.

MILEAGE: 73.9

November 21, 2021February 23, 2024

Horrible Hundred

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

The Horrible Hundred can be a full weekend of fun. On Saturday they offer “familiarization rides” which are group rides that cover some of the roads. This is followed by the main event on Sunday. So two days of riding.

The 8:30 ride on Saturday is listed as 17 mph and 50 miles. I did that one twice before. The last time was in 2018. On that ride, we seemingly had 100 riders and way too much testosterone. We had a bad touch of wheels and some riders hit the deck hard when one of the guys at the front braked hard to take a nature break. That would be the last time I would jump in with that group.

Saturday group ride – Howey-in-the-Hills

In 2019, I jumped in with a mid-ride group (16 mph) and had an enjoyable ride over 35 miles or so. And this weekend I would again find the 8:45 group. Our leader was Stacey (I believe). We had a great group that stayed together. Other than Stacey, maybe not the most friendly group but I didn’t ride to make friends. Nor were there any jerks. I told her that this ride was the best part of the weekend.

Officially the Sunday ride starts at 7:30 a.m. and I arrived at 6:30 a.m. I could not find a parking place at the official lots. Not to worry, I went another half-mile away and rode in. And there were many riders already on course at 7:00 a.m.

I was in line at the porta-johns when I received a text from John D. He was two people in front of me. He had driven up from Sarasota but was unsure how far he could ride.

It turned out that John could only ride 35 miles, instead of 70. He had hip replacement surgery earlier this year and wasn’t back to riding many miles. We were passed by a couple of huge groups. They were very sketchy and I didn’t join them because I was afraid of a touch of wheels that would bring down a number of riders.

A few miles later we came upon a crash scene. Half the road was shut down and a number of cyclists had stopped although may not have been involved in a crash. But paramedics were working on one rider who was lying in the road. It was probably caused by a touch of wheels but you never know.

We came to Rest 1 and stopped to refill bottles and take on some food. Once on the road again, John was looking for the turn back to start. That was around Mile 30. He would have five more miles back to start and I would have a decision to make.

Rest 1 – Notice the Limited Vision Cyclist

I was riding solo and catching people. Then I noticed I had someone on my wheel. He should have said something and even passed me and took a pull. But basically sat on my wheel for 3-4 miles until Rest 2 (almost). When he pulled in he came over and gave me a fist pump and thanked me for the pull. He said I was a strong rider (sucking up).

Leaving Rest 2, I jumped on the back of a group from Clearwater. We were going into a strong headwind at 22-23 mph. I stayed with them for 2-3 miles then decided to let them go. I’m not sure if you say I got dropped or let them go but I’m going with the latter.

At Mile 54 was the moment of truth. If John had been with me I know we would have gone for the 70-mile route. But I stopped to check the weather because it had become gray. But the weather app showed 15% of rain for the next few hours so I decided to go for the 100.

Rest Stop 3 – Pirates
Ye Olde Poop Deck (far left)

From my first ride five years ago, and I may be misremembering, I was expecting a 30-mile loop. That would be the difference between 70 miles and 100 miles.

After a rest stop in Howey-in-the-Hills, the loop was completed in just 17 miles. And I didn’t mind.

I came to Sugarloaf Mountain with a wind in my face. I did not expect a PR and I did not disappoint. But I was only two seconds off my best on the lower portion. I had ridden this in March and set my PRs on that day. Today was not the day for it.

Someone pushing their bike up Sugarloaf. Love the GCN Jersey.

After I left the last rest stop at Sugarloaf, I saw that I had about 10 miles to go. I had ridden 80 and was happy to see that the shortened Howey loop apparently cut off 10 miles.

Likewise, when I came to the road back to Clermont, I saw that the 70-mile group turned while the 100-mile continued – apparently for a 10-mile loop or simply a different route. I decided to finish the 100.

I was in a group of four when we came back to the first rest stop. They stopped. I continued. I just wanted to finish.

This guy was cramping so I gave him my bottle of HotShot.

I came to one more route marker for the 100-mile ride. I decided to turn and take the 70-mile route back. I thought it would be shorter and I did not care if I finished with 96 or 97 miles. There was a time I was anal-retentive that a Century ride must be 100 miles. Not today.

But the joke was on me. It was 100 miles.

The lunch was great although I was certainly by myself. Options were a pulled pork sandwich, grilled chicken breast, or a veggie burger (I think).

I had looked in vain from Stacey, the ride leader from yesterday, simply to thank her once again. But there were way too many people.

It was a good day. Afterward, I headed back to the hotel in Apopka. I washed all my kits from this trip to take home some nice-smelling clothes. And watch the Steelers vs. Chargers tonight.

DISTANCE: 101 miles
TIME:
SPEED:
WEIGHT: 171 pounds

March 10, 2021March 15, 2021

A Date With Sugarloaf

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

I came here for one thing only. A PR on Sugarloaf Mountain. Having ridden the Horrible Hundred event three times I thought I would be able to set a PR because I am down 40 pounds plus since I last rode it (and set a PR that day).

But first there was some unfinished business. I had a new tire (Continental 5000) with me and decided I would replace the one that flatted yesterday on the Seven Mile Bridge.

My bicycle pump doubles as an impromptu bike stand

I had mapped the route of the Sugarloaf climb and uploaded it to my Wahoo. I took off into the wind. I hadn’t gone far before I was off exploring some new roads. And then I came back to familiar roads.

I was following the route when I came to Sugarloaf Road. I remembered a left hand turn but the road did not look familiar. Oh well, I rode anyhow. But it just didn’t feel right.

No Strava-Live segments were coming up on Wahoo and then I realized I had come up the backside of Sugarloaf. I have ridden down this way three times. But never up it. Damn. I mapped this out in the wrong direction.

Not sure what is happening but I think it’s a triathlon

I was very conscious of the wind today. It was strong. I came to the top of Sugarloaf and was amazed looking ahead at my descent. This should have been my climb. But I remember standing at the top of the 90-meter hill (ski jump) in Lahti, Finland, in 1995, and thinking what a hill. And I get to ride down it. Of course, I was riding at speed while processing this and just kept riding.

My speed crept up. I saw 48 mph on the computer and I always felt on the edge of control. As the road started to flatten out I saw a cyclist riding up the hill. I nodded because I could not take my hands off the handlebars to wave.

At the bottom of the hill, instead of turning right and following what I had mapped, I turned around. I had to try Sugarloaf the right way.

I saw the rider up ahead of me on the hill. And I was gaining. Wahoo started with a GO! But did it twice. I had marked two segments and I really was interested in one. I briefly saw I was ahead of my PR time but then didn’t see that anymore. I need to unstar one of those.

I had a speaker on my bike and was blasting 50s music from SiriusXM. I could see the rider was a woman and I was gaining quickly. As I got close I said “there’s no sneaking up on you.” She looked at me and said “You make it look easy.” If she only knew.

At the top I went another quarter mile to a house which offered free water. I thought she would come over the top but she didn’t. I would learn that she turned around and went to ride it again. Hill repeats. Ugh.

Turning around and going back down, I wanted to hit 50 mph. But that cross wind was a serious problem. A safety problem. I pedaled and then got into a tuck. Again, I saw 49 mph and then had a serious wheel wobble. With the winds this was too fast. I looked to slow down.

At the end of the hill a truck pulled up and some cyclists got out. I thought it was strange they drove out to ride the hill but I don’t know their stories. From there I followed Wahoo and for the next 10 miles followed the Route of the Horrible Hundred – backwards.

I finished the ride and then checked my results. I set a large number of PRs but the one I wanted – Sugarloaf, I lowered by 28 seconds. I was happy. I was now #4000 instead of #6000. I jumped 2000 places. But for context, that’s out of 10,000 athletes. So I’m in the top 40% instead of the bottom 40%. I still suck.

Maybe if I hadn’t climbed Sugarloaf from the backside first I would have been better. And maybe if there was no wind (I’m not asking for a tailwind) I would have shaved more time off. But the wind, even a crosswind, was formidable today.

Looking at other segments, Up the Ridge Westbound – horrible pave and I was second age group – missed age group#1 by :02. If I had known I would have gone for it. On Sugarloaf-Downhill I was #1 age group. I can still go downhill fast.

There are thousands of cyclists who ride these roads. I never came for a #1 in any group. I just wanted to see what I could do on Sugarloaf. I’m not done here. Next time I will ride in the right direction. And hopefully without the wind.

Distance: 31.1 miles
Average Speed: 14.7 miles
Weight: 172