This past Saturday was a day of long and longer club rides. The official ride was the club favorite Nashville 90. That was the long ride.
Bob DeGroff led a group of 16 riders at the 9 am start. A few chose to do an out-and-back on 446, the only plausible short option.
Meanwhile some of the OWLS offered a slower but longer option, starting at 8 am and intending to a make a century out of it. I had planned out a route that added the detour laid out by Mike Finger to get around the bridge repair on 58, Bear Wallow (!) after Nashville, and Robinson Road/Firehouse Hill to finish up. Our group started with 11 riders. A couple opted to skip our extended stop in Nashville and just complete the standard 90. Another couple had to quit and call for a ride because of physical ailments.
The day started out nice and we made good time to Freetown where we snacked and drank and replenished fluids. As we proceeded toward Nashville the day got increasingly warm. We had a leisurely sit-down lunch in the shade at the General Store.
By the time we had climbed South Shore the remaining group mutinied and wisely decided not to do Robinson Road and Firehouse Hill. Yours truly ran out of gas and limped home with 98 miles. But Gail Morrell and CE Taylor both completed a true century by taking a sufficiently circuitous route home. That was Gail's first century and her longest ride ever. CE has done centuries before (not to mention 6 or 7 RAIN rides in a row). But this was his first century of the season. Congratulations to both.
It was a day for dehydration. That caused at least one person to drop out and it also helped keep me from completing a full 100 miles. That was just the kind of training we need to get ready for RAIN. More liquids and electrolytes needed!
Meanwhile, of course, Saturday was also the day of Jim Schroeder's Double Century event. We hope to hear details from that group soon.
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This was my first time to ride the Nashville 90. It was a great ride. OK, so I was the chief mutineer on the way home but I think deep down, everyone was grateful that I stuck to my guns and said I was heading straight home. I had done the math and I was on course for a full century and didn't need that many extra miles.
ReplyDeleteI drank water all day but should have drunk twice as much. I am sure you can drink to much on a hot day but that would be better than too little.
It was good to get water at the church on Tunnel Road and see fellow club members cooling off. Thanks to Allan for watching out for us rookies on the Nashville 90.
Congratulations on your first century, Gail!
ReplyDeleteKeith