Escaping From The Pumpkin Man Via ET

My first thought was to ride to the Pumpkinman Tri and watch my wife compete then ride home.  Well, it was 54 miles one way on main roads and the race started at 8:00.  F-that.  The next best thing was to get up at 5:00 with her, get her set up at the race and then ride some areas that I don't usually get to.

Happy Triathlete

It turns out that the Eastern Trail runs right by the triathlon start and I've never ridden it south of Saco.  The first part isn't so much a trail but signs telling you what roads to be on.  Kind of a gyp if you ask me but the signs were clear and the roads were (mostly) back roads so I'll let it go.

This is the part I had been to.

 The trail part from Kennebunk to OOB area was nice with only the occasional "On Your Left" being needed.  For the most part even that was unnecessary.  Then it happened.  The one day of the year I decide to ride the eastern trail...1200 other people are riding it too.  The trail to Scarborough was a total parking lot of people out to do their big 25 mile ride of the year.

1200 Trail Users

1201

 The ride was actually the Maine Lighthouse Ride which supports the ET so it was all good but what are the chances?  I slowed from the 20mph range to somewhere right around 9mph.  I got to talk to Mark (?) from the Bicycle Coalition of Maine for a few miles.  Mark yelled words of encouragement to every person we passed, and there were a lot.  Fun guy!  Kind of a BCOM cheerleader. Soon after we hit the road I picked my pace back up so I'd be home before dark.

This time it isn't wrapped in plastic.

From there I rode to the end of the lighthouse ride to see if they had some water.  I was the first bicycle on the scene.  No water (?) but they did offer me some ice tea which was even better.

This picture has nothing to do with the ride. This is what a fitbit looks like just before it shits the bed - AGAIN.

I'm not sure how a picture of my broken Fitbit got here (other than I loaded it by mistake).  I wasn't even wearing it because it broke.  Don't buy products from Fitbit, they suck!

Anyway, I got tired of taking pictures after that.  Actually, I got tired of just about everything after that.  I continued up the coast through Falmouth & Yarmouth. By mile 80 I was at Pineland Market to fill my water bottles one last time and my legs were done.  Done I tell you.  Somehow I made it home.  I'd say this was one of the hardest rides of the year and I'm not sure why.  Oh well, there's always next weekend.  Loon Echo!