Dave's Good Stuff

I finished the Cider Mill Century a few hours ago. It took me a little less than 6 and a half hours riding time, and about 8ish total time. I’m more or less guessing on that. I don’t have exact stats, b/c I left my Edge at home.

I also left my sunscreen.

I also left my registration bracelet in the car after I picked it up.

To say the least, it was an auspicious beginning.

It wasn’t that bad, though. A friend of mine had sunscreen I could use, so I could rest easy that I wouldn’t burn to a crispy critter while I was out. No one asked about my bracelet, though technically it’s required in order to be served at SAG stations. Also, not having the computer on me was, in a way, liberating. I didn’t know how fast I was going, or what my heart rate was, or what time it was, or how long I’d ridden, so I rode completely by feel. How comfortable am I at this speed? Is this cadence to my liking?

All in all, it was a great ride. It was also a ride of redemption for me. I didn’t finish last years Cider Mill Century. I didn’t finish for a couple of reasons… 1) it was crazy hot and windy, 2) I’d hardly ridden any miles at all that summer due to mechanical difficulties, and 3) I’d ridden a good distance the day before and, combined with the heat and wind, was too tired.

This year, I did finish. I finished in spite of brutal heat and humidity. The winds were mild, which was good in that we weren’t fighting them, but bad in that they offered little in the way of relief from the heat. I would have accepted a headwind if it meant I was cooled by it. I have no idea how many water bottles I went through, but it was at *least* one for each of the 9 SAGs… and I probably finished a few more while at the SAG stations.

I won’t go through a play by play on this one, b/c it basically amounts to pedal in the heat, rest at the SAG, pedal in the heat, rest at the SAG, repeat. I rode it with Recumbum (actually, he donned the guise of DirtBum today, on account of riding his MTB) and a friend of his (and, I think, mine as well) named Reed. We didn’t stay together the whole time, but for the most part, we kept pace with each other.

The volunteers for the ride were, as with all Johnson County Bike Club rides, stars. At the lunch SAG at 92 miles, they met us in the parking lot with cold water filled squirt guns and cold wet towels. I cannot describe how great that felt at the time. The rest of the SAG stops were well stocked, and staffed by enthusiastic and eager volunteers. I have nothing but warm fuzzies for all of them. It was crazy hot out there, and they bore it so that we could ride as safely and as comfortable as possible.

The only thing I would change is to hold the meal at the finish line. The food was fantastic, but while we were eating in the relative cool of the shelter, with the breeze coming off the lake, we knew we still had 6-8 miles left to go. We were all ready to be done, and if felt like a reward meal. It should have been a reward meal. They waited until mile 92 to feed us lunch, I really don’t understand why they didn’t just feed us lunch at the finish line, where we could have filled our bellies full, and waddled, satisfied and content, to our cars.

That is my only suggestion, though. Everything else was fantastic and I am redeemed.