With sunrise around 5:00AM and Sunset around 8:22 PM I got the idea that I could ride a century on a work day. So I did.
Up at 4:15 and out the door at 4:30, I started with some lights. My general plan was to ride to Portland. By Sunrise I had made it to the boat launch in Standish. It was a chilly start!
Sunrise at Sebago
I got it in my head that I should see how many towns I cloud hit on my ride. I ended up with
Raymond, Windham, Standish,
Gorham, Scarborough, South Portland, Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland,
North Yarmouth & Gray for the morning commute and a total mileage of 58 miles. Only 10 minutes late to my desk. Work was like a 9 hour rest stop with some programming requirements.
I must say, my legs were a little tired when I threw a leg over the bike in the afternoon. The first 10 miles (away from home) were OK and then the HEADWIND kicked in to quickly suck the life from my muscles. Other than the wind, the day was amazing. I debated my sanity and turning home early but quitting isn't my thing so I pressed on. I told myself I had to make it to Mechanic falls before I could have a snack.
Mechanic Falls Snack Spot
Once I got some food in me I felt better...for about 30 seconds and then I realized that I was still tired. At least the wind had died down. I picked up Gray, New Gloucester, Pownal, Durham, Auburn, Minot, Poland. Mechanic Falls, Casco, Raymond and 50 miles for the ride home. I was back by 8:06. I didn't need those extra 16 minutes of daylight at all.
I don't think I'm in the shape I thought I was in. I've done a half a dozen centuries and that one took a lot out of me. But I did ride though 19 unique towns in 108 miles and still went to work. What a commute.
Forgive me Dog, it has been 7 weeks since my last post.
Not to taunt all of those people in California that have boxes of instant water on the shelf and nothing to add to it. But I passed 7 lakes on my commute in to work, 3 of which had some good photo ops. Actually some of them were ponds. But I'm not clear on the whole pond/lake distinction because some of the ponds I passed were much larger and deeper than some of the lakes I passed.
Crescent Lake
Tripp Pond
Range Pond, Upper to be exact
Miraculously, I was able to walk through the door at 7:58 after stopping to take all these pictures. If you ignore the time to shower I was on time. (If you don't I was still at my desk at 8:10) I also had a failed attempt at a muddy mountain road, maybe next time after a few days without rain.
Mrs. Candid Cyclist has actually been preparing for this event for years now. Qualifying for Boston is hard! Training for Boston is hard! Getting around in Boston on marathon day is hard! The asphalt under the trolly tracks is really fv(&!^$ hard!
A brief history. My wife ran 4 marathons in preparation and hopes of qualification for Boston. The first Maine Marathon was a trial run to see if she could even run a marathon. Because running a marathon is what? Hard. Oh, and it was pouring! The second Maine marathon was hopefully the qualifying race, except it wasn't. Oh, and it was pouring. The third attempt was a brand new international marathon. International Marathon Chasing. It was really hard! Next came the qualifying run, The Baystate Marathon. Her training was good, the weather was beautiful and the ticket to Boston was punched.
Very pretty course, I liked riding it too.
Qualified Face!
Fast forward to winter 2015. I'm not sure if anybody remembers it but it was pretty sucky with tons of snow and months at a time with temps that never got above freezing. This is the time to train for Boston. Um, sounds fun.
I think this was a -11 degree F run.
Being a first time Boston runner and training through a tough Maine winter got her a spot on the news. We'll see how long this link lasts: WGME News
We don't get cable so we used a little redneck ingenuity to get a signal.
Then it was off to Boston. I packed my trusty old Bridgestone bike for the trip since the forecast was for rain and it was the only bike I have working with fenders.
Packet Pickup
Badass in Free Sunglasses
Getting Around
We parked out of town and I dropped her off at the subway that would bring her to the bus that would bring her to the start. From there I was going to ride into Boston and chase her around the course. I was riding in from Cambridge, I checked my phone and made a mental note of the direction I was supposed to be going and was on my way. I made it about 2.5 miles and turned in totally the wrong direction. In another 2.5 miles I knew I should have seen Harvard Square so I checked my phone and headed back in the right direction. I got into Boston and found that I could ride the now vacant course back towards the start for several miles. Around 9:30 I started to worry that I'd get stuck on the wrong side of the course with no way to make it to the side I wanted to be on. Luckily, Beacon street was nearly void of cars and ran in the right direction. When I finally found my way to the Wellesley College area , I had about 5 failed attempts to get to the right spot on the course. Finally I made it to the scream wall.
I got back to the course in time to support my runner.
The only live marathon picture I managed to get.
At least from here I was on my way back and knew the roads I was looking for. My goal was to make it back to mile 23 where some friends were watching. I made a quick stop at an interesting waterfall. I checked back on google maps to see what it was called but apparently they have moved it because it is no longer there on earth view.
Interesting Waterfall
From there I made my way back to Boston where "The Incident" happened. I was riding through a section of streets that were near (maybe in) a trolly yard with dozens of criss-crossing tracks. I had just thought to my self "These are wicked slippery, be careful you dope. Maybe you shouldn't ride here" But I ignored myself and promptly bounced my helmet off the asphalt. Stupid Stupid Stupid. Anyway, the helmet saved my head from serious injury. I banged up my shin, knee, hip, elbow, shoulder and wrenched my neck...but the head is fine, aside from a small headache. One of my spectators commented that the ground came out of nowhere. Unfortunate I was too stunned for a smart-ass retort. Nothing seemed too broken to continue my ride so off I went. Oh, and the bike was fine, thanks for asking. I was concerned too.
So, back to the marathon. After many failed attempts at popping out on the course in different locations, I finally found the address my friends were at in time to watch my wife pass by. I took 3 pictures of her on the course from here and they all disappeared. I'm blaming the rain on the touch screen.
From there I got directions from my friend who actually knows his way around Boston. I would have made it to the finish line in plenty of time except for the traffic. I was able to move faster than the cars but with traffic lights and congestion I didn't quite make it, not a big deal.
I dropped the marathoner off at the T station and rode my bike back to meet her where we started. No bikes on Ts on marathon day. By the way, on marathon day they make lots of special rules about the public transportation that are largely not published in any useful way. As if navigating Boston for Non-Bostoners isn't bad enough. I used Google Maps navigation for bicycles to get back. This would have worked great if I could hear my phone deep in my rain jacket. (Note for next time, headphones). Also, when I strayed off course it made no attempt to get me back on. Directions would just cease. The last leg was on a lovely bike path. Boston does have some decent bike infrastructure if you know where you are going.
The Stats:
Miles Ridden: 61.6
Lost Miles Ridden: About 14
Time on the bike: 8 & 1/2 hours
Runner Time: 3:59:43
Oh heck, it is all here on Strava and nothing is private so have a look for yourself. It's entertaining to see how many times I turn around and go back to whence I came.
And from the runner's perspective. (She seemed to stay on course)
Despite the rain and the crash, I think the bike was an excellent way to cover the course. I hear we may be trying this again next year, I think I can get around a lot better now! Maybe I'll even be able to make my way to the start.
Spring has sprung! Which means that the snowfall amounts are getting lower. It's not like snow in April is unheard of but most people are just sick of it this year. My neighbor must not be sick of it because he was out at 5:00AM snow blowing the 8 feet of driveway between the garage and the street. It's not like they were going to get stranded in their house since it should all melt by tomorrow. Anyway, being awake, I got a chance to take a slow ride to work in the snow. If all the pictures look about the same it's because most of the ride looked about the same. This really, probably, possibly, maybe definitely, certainly might have been my last trip across Little Sebago this year season year(on a bike). The lake better not freeze before December 31, 2015, that would be a cold December.
Took the road for part of the ride so I could get to work in time.
You can see we still have a few snow banks.
Penguin
Took the trail for part of the time because I could.
This ride will never be repeated. Of course no 2 rides are ever exactly the same but this one goes a step further. The crusty snow made it possible to ride anywhere in the woods so at times, that's what I did. I got to a point and pointed my bike in the direction of work and rode over hill, over dale and into creeks. The last part was less intentional...thin ice. Indecently, mechanical disk brakes freeze solid when wet at 15F. Speaking of 15F, it's April 2nd for cripe sakes. The start of my ride was blessed with some amazing views.
My wife and I are entering Trek's Driven By Adventure contest and this is as good a place as any to collect the entry materials. The contest requires 5 photos, 2 essays and 1 video.
The Photos: We tried to pull some photos that show our adventurous side. Most of them seem to end up at the top of mountains. I guess we climbed them because they were there.
Burnt Meadow Mountain, one of our favorites!
Mountain Climbing In Reverse
Pre-dawn Ride to the Top Of Cadillac Mt
Overall Winners of The Great Adventure Challenge
Mount Washington Summit, Awesome!
The Writing: The two stories required are the most memorable adventure and why should we be chosen.
Most Memorable Adventure
Of our adventures, a few come to mind as memorable. Buying plane tickets and donning backpacks for a 2 week adventure across 10 countries in Europe with no itinerary for our honeymoon comes to mind. But that memory is fading so it doesn’t count as most memorable. Loading the bikes and heading to Acadia National Park for an extended weekend of riding ALL the carriage trails was just last fall. Those memories are vivid because it was our most recent adventure, but in time I don’t think they will be the most memorable. For me, the most memorable adventure we have taken together was a hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We were both in adequate shape with adequate experience but we weren’t in great shape with great experience. This is how memories are made.
We started our journey with 3 days of gambling, drinking and eating in Vegas. I must admit, that portion of my memory is a little fuzzy… but that could be accurate. We made our way to the Hoover Dam and took the tour, which was pretty unforgettable. That thing is BIG. From there we drove to the south rim of the canyon. We’d been planning this trip, brought gear from Maine to Arizona, packed food and tents and all. What we hadn’t done was make reservations to actually hike down into the canyon, who knew? Not us! We’re from a place where if you want to hike a mountain you park your car and point your feet up the trail. Some places, like Mt Washington, they like you to sign in to make sure that you sign out. But limiting the number of people on the trail was foreign. Ultimately, we got on a waiting list and got our permits to hike down.
To our surprise, it was snowing on the rim on the morning of the descent. Given the time of year and the hot desert we just drove through to get to the canyon we were caught a little off guard. No matter. We collected our gear and headed down. We were prepared, maybe a little over prepared. We were only staying one night but I think we could have made it for three. The trip down was pleasant and quicker than I expected. It should go without saying that the views were amazing! We got to our campsite and set up our tent. The weather was a stark contrast to that on the rim, hot and windy! Sand was everywhere.
The next day’s assent started easy enough. I got to experience my first and only rattlesnake in the wild. My wife does NOT like snakes. Poisonous snakes on a 2 foot wide path with a cliff on either side even less. As we neared the rim, our lack of training and abundance of packing was showing. My pack gained half or her pack’s gear. But, we made it out with some sore muscles and great memories!
Why We Should Be Chosen For The Driven By Adventure Contest
Well, who wouldn’t want to be chosen for an all-expense paid bike tour with nice bikes that you get to keep? Maybe a little more detail is in order. I love to bike, my wife loves to bike! Need more?
I started biking in my late teens and it transformed me from a fat kid to an athletic adult. Biking has transformed my life. I own 8 bikes (10 if you count antiques) and ride them all. I commute an average of 24 miles/day to work over roads, trails, snow and ice. I’ve tried my hand at road racing, mountain bike racing, fatbike racing, cyclocross racing, triathlons(on and off road) and all things biking. I’m not that good but I’m not that bad. Coming in at the middle of the pack is good enough for me in a field of clearly skilled riders. Oh, and I keep a bike blog: http://www.thecandidcyclist.blogspot.com/
My wife has a similar story. She started as a fat adult (sorry honey) and chose running as her means to an end. From her peak weight she’s dropped 90 pounds and kept it off for well over a decade. She’s run several marathons and will be participating in The Boston Marathon next month. My biking influence as rubbed off on her and last year she finished her first half iron man. Add to that countless 5Ks and smaller races. My passion for riding to work seems to be addictive too because between the two of us the car usually only makes one trip per week with supplies. She’s worked her way up to 4 bikes of her own but has her eye on her fifth. Oh, and I write about her in my blog: http://thecandidcyclist.blogspot.com/2013/06/international-marathon-chasing.html
Together we have ridden in about 10 centuries in the past 5 years and organized group road and mountain bike rides in our area. We love to bike! But even as much as we love biking, we have never had the opportunity to do a bike adventure. The logistics of flying bikes back and forth has kept it on the bucket list but never in the bucket. Also, with all the bikes we own, neither of us owns a touring bike. N+1 baby, N+1!
So, it is obvious that we should be chosen for this adventure. We represent a healthy active couple who love to bike and love to write about biking. When you choose us for the adventure please give us the full 14 days to respond because we will be in the Dominican Republic. Guess what we did the last time we were there. I’ll give you one guess: http://thecandidcyclist.blogspot.com/2013/05/el-choco-loco-dominican-republic-iguana.html
The Video: This sounds fun but it can be kind of stressful trying to put together a decent video. One big challenge was that it couldn't infringe on any intellectual property, i.e. no background music. Most of the other entries we saw broke this rule so maybe they will be disqualified.
Just returned from a 20+ mile fatbike ride with friends on one of the best trail condition days of the season. We started out across a lake.
Followed the pipeline to what we thought was the trail to Hackers Hill. It didn't really matter that we didn't know where we were going because the trails were perfect.
Got a little lost and then road mostly free-range through the woods to the top of not Hackers Hill. In the interest of time we abandon the Hackers Hill idea but did take a side detour to the top of a scenic lookout and proceeded to take pictures about 1000' before we got to the scenic and/or lookout part.
Not The Top of Hackers Hill
Not the Scenic Lookout Either
Our Bikes At The Scenic Lookout on the Top of Hackers Hill
The Lake Was a Challenge for Anybody Without Studded Tires
Tired
What? You're taking a picture?
Makes You Feel Kinda Small, we just came from that lump in the background.
