Arriving at Bragg Farm early last Saturday morning to begin the 100-mile route of the Point to Point ride to benefit the VT Foodbank, I was filled with excitement and anticipation having ridden a century a few years prior, yet fully aware of the challenge ahead. As the other thirty or so riders made their final preparations; pumping tires, grabbing one last cup of coffee and looking over the assortment of energy bars, carbohydrate goos, gels, and breakfast sandwiches spread out on a long table and trying to decide which to stuff in the back pockets of their jerseys, Kip from Onion River Outdoors, made some last-minute shifting adjustments to my bike. As is often the case at local cycling events and races, he and his staff provide technical support both at the start and at various rest stops located along the route to riders that experience a “mechanical” issue or other equipment mishaps that inevitably occur as riders test their mettle and bikes.
As we gathered for our final pre-ride briefing detailing rest stop markings, locations of local law enforcement officers providing traffic control and rider safety at busy intersections and descriptions of various road conditions and other hazards likely to be encountered along the way, I thought about how warm it already felt at 8am knowing full well that the day would only get hotter as the miles stretched on.
Thankfully, as we rode north on VT 14, and after turning around to collect one of my water bottles that had been ejected from its cage, skidding across the road and coming to rest in the ditch in the opposite lane on the very first descent after hitting a nasty little hole that I failed to see, I met up with a small group of riders in a pace line, pedaling strong. The six riders were working together in the line and drafting each other by taking turns riding in the front. This “pulling” at the front allows the others behind to recover a bit and saves between 20% to 30% of effort until its yet again ones turn to lead the group. As we sped along, working together, we consistently rode at 18-19 miles per hour on the flats and made great time over the first 30 or so miles. Heading north, the morning sun remained low in the sky and the trees cast forgiving shade upon on the right side of the road providing a bit of respite.
By 10:30 we had reached Glover. I felt good given our effort and the time we’d made so far, but knew as the day got hotter, simply getting the pedals over would prove more difficult. At 11:48, at the Albany rest stop, I tried to send a text to my wife, but given Vermont’s spotty cell service, it wasn’t delivered. By this point we had been heading south for a few miles and were at mile 56. Some of us removed our shoes to message them, filled our bottles with water yet again and I dropped another electrolyte tablet into one of my mine. We stuffed down some more calories; bananas, watermelon, trail mix and granola bars, and headed out of Albany more than half-way home. As midday approached, it felt noticeably hotter back on the road.
When we reached Morrisville and turned onto VT 12 to begin the climb out of town, I began to really feel the effects of the distance, the increasing heat, and my repeated efforts pulling the group. The climb proved very difficult also in part because my road bike does not have the range of gears needed for long climbs and given my level of fatigue, I began to feel the onset of heat-related illness. I remember telling Peter that I was getting tired, and he replied that because of the time I’d spent up front, it was understandable. Although I was able to stay and climb with
the group and not get dropped, I experienced goosebumps despite the 90-degree weather, leg and groin cramping- not recommended and quite painful- and came to realize for the first time on the ride, how hot my face felt. Having driven that section of road in the past, I knew where the top of the climb was and that once crested and we began our descent, Elmore was not far away.
Just north of Elmore, my wife Becky and daughter drove passed the group and shouted encouraging words to me which gave me a blast of energy and helped me continue to pedal on toward Elmore.
When we arrived in Elmore, mile 75, I was feeling very hot. Mercifully, the inviting lake was just across the road from the rest stop and after I poured down more water, I walked across the street, took off my shoes and jersey, and slowly climbed down the low bank into the water. It is hard to describe how good the water felt on my feet, my body, and on my soon submerged head and face. It’s as if I could literally feel my core temperature dropping with every second I remained in the water. Once I got out, Becky and Signe asked me if I needed anything from the cooler they had brought, and after taking a few swigs of cold water, I asked Becky to buy me a Coke from the general store nearby. Though I rarely drink soda, that Coke tasted better than I can ever remember! Cooled down and fueled with more sugar and caffeine than one man can stand, I was ready to tackle the remaining 25 miles from Elmore to Montpelier, most of it downhill.
Peter and I rode into Montpelier together with Susan, her husband Leonard, and Micah following close behind. At the finish, as the five of us gathered one last time to congratulate each other on our collective effort, I asked Susan if she had recorded our actual riding time; 5 hours, 55 minutes or an average speed of 17 mph over the total 102 miles ridden! Not too shabby for a bunch of 50 and 60 year old’s riding in sweltering conditions with high humidity.
Would I do it again, most certainly!