Climbing in the Green Mountain State

 

That was hot. And steep. And long.  I’m wearing an ice necklace in this picture (nylons filled with ice and tucked under the jersey)…which is the only way I kept my body temp under 105.

We started climbing almost immediately out of the hotel.  It was mostly up for the first 42 miles, but concentrated in two especially steep pitches. The first one was 5 miles and the second one was around 10.   I have been dreading that second one for days. The profile just looked so intimidating on the Ride with GPS software. And when you zoom in on the route, there were some parts that were allegedly as high as 17% grades.

I got up the first part and it really helped to build my confidence for the second. As I’m climbing, I try to keep my power meter under control and my heart rate under control. I can throttle back on the power so long as the road isn’t too steep.  (for really steep grades, there’s really no choice. You have to put in enough power into the pedals or you slow down so much you just fall over.)  I was pleased that my heart rate didn’t go too high through that first 5 mile stretch, even though my occasionally had to put a whole lot of power in to the bike to keep moving forward.  That was a marked contrast to similar climbs that we had done out west where I had to stop repeatedly so my heart rate didn’t climb dangerously high.

Then the second climb went on and on and on, but I don’t think we ever got to any crazy 17% grades. There were plenty of steep pitches, but I just kept grinding. If I had to do this again, I would get a different cassette with an easier gearing ratio. I end up climbing faster than most of the people I ride with, not because I want to, but because my easiest gear is so much harder than theirs.  So I get to the top of climbs faster, but absolutely whipped.

I’m sure there was some lovely scenery today. 

(Photo credit Alena Grubb)

But I didn’t see any of it. Because when I was climbing, I was focused on the road right in front of me grinding away. And on the descents, which should’ve been glorious and fast, I was white knuckling my way down the hillside. They don’t do a good job of keeping the shoulders clean. So you’re trying to decide how fast to go, and avoiding broken pavement, and debris and other problems. Plus these roads had a lot of traffic on them today. So it was all attention to the business at hand and no attention to how beautiful the mountains were around me. 

Actually, the closer I get to the ocean the more cautiously I descend. No point in crashing now…

I’ve written a lot about my riding buddy John. Today was his 66th birthday. I hope I'm half as fit at age 66.

John, with some overdue Carrot Cake

One big ride left. Through New Hampshire into Massachusetts. 91 miles with climbing and the omnipresent heat. We’ll have a final banquet with everyone and a lot of friends and family.

Then Friday morning we have a slow speed procession to the beach. Just 19 miles. (In the before times, 19 miles seemed like a healthy bike ride for a Friday morning but at this point it just seems like a light warm-up for the work to come.) And then it will be time to say goodbye to all of these new friends who I’ve spent the last seven weeks with.

It feels like I’ve been doing this ride for half of my life. And it can’t possibly be over in less than 48 hours.  Many of us are thinking about these last days, and getting emotional about the end of the experience.

I was making a list last night in my journal of the things I’ve learned about myself. I think I’ll share some of that in an epilogue post when this is all over. But it’s a lot.

For example, an ideal post ride recovery regimen 

Pillars of fitness

And now your 2024 right across America most valuable gear countdown.

#2   “Saddle protection”

So let’s do some math here. By the time I’m done I will have traveled 3400 miles. And been in the saddle for about 250 hours over seven weeks.   It’s a minor miracle that I’m still able to get on my bike each day without screaming. Thanks in large part to these two products. ‘Nuff said.