Friday, September 19, 2008
Its going to be cold this morning
Well, there is a beautiful sunrise this morning becasue the coast is clear with no low clouds or fog but that also means its going to be cold. The temperature is around 42 degrees right now so its not going to be fun. Lets hope it gets warmer as the day goes on.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Sept 18-Astoria to Tillamook-70 miles, 3000 ft of climbing
Our ride today was down the coast of Oregon from Astoria to Tillamook, home of Tillamook Chedder Cheese. The route took us through Seaside, where the support team met us with hot coffee and hot chocolate. It was a great treat as it was pretty cold in the morning even with leg and arm warmers on. When you are moving at 15 to 25 miles per hour the cold chills you to the bone. There is a positive with the cold. You don't sweat as much so it helps in keeping you hydrated. When you sweat your blood volume decreases which makes your heart rate rise for the same level of effort. This results in a harder or slower ride.
After that we continued through Cannon Beach where we started a nice long climb that include a ride through a big tunnel. Oregon is the number one rated state for biking and it shows since the tunnel entrance had an alert button to hit before you rode into it. There was a large sign above the tunnel with flashing lights to indicate bikers in the tunnel and to slow down. It worked as all cars slowed down. The ride continued a great climb through spectacular forests. At the bottom of the other side of the hill we had a lunch break at a really nice streamside picnic area in Cape Falcon State park. The stream was lined with tall trees, moss and lots of ferns. It was very peaceful. It made me think of one of the lessons in Gene O'Kelly's Chasing Daylight book-looking for that perfect moment each day. It was hard to leave but it was getting cold and we had to get moving. We continued down Highway 101 through Mazanita and Nehalam where the route flattened out considerable. From their it was flat all the way home which made for a fast ride to the hotel. We traveled along route 101 through sleepy beach towns and past the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The ride was very smooth today without issues. About the only excitement today was a last minute detour we had to take because of a large accident with a logging truck that shut down the main road into Tillamook. We were relieved to learn that the detour only added about 2 miles to the route. These are small towns we are traveling through and it could have just as easily been a 30 mile detour. Riders arrived at the hotel between 3 and 5 pm. Many of us took a soak in the hot tub ( a daily ritual) then gathered for the team meeting at 7. Dinner will be a challenge tonight as Tillamook is a small town and there aren't alot of restaurants. The entire group was very strong today.
As I was riding a long straight stretch of the road today I though about a few key points for today. There are a number of riders that have never gone on an 8 day 600+ mile bike ride. For them it was a significant physical and mental challenge. They have made it through the toughest part of the tour, days 4, 5 and 6. They are the hardest because you are no longer fresh, but you still have a long way to go. After today we have a nice ride tomorrow then a great ride through the wine country of Willamette Valley to bring us to Portland. The drive to finish strong will carry the riders. These riders have learned alot about themselves during the ride. The huge increase in physical fitness is a great side benefit.
The second point I thought about what a great group of riders and support members we have. Its really neat to see the team come together not only for the ride but also the fundraising. Its great to be part of this team.
The last point is what great people you meet on the road. When you have 24 KPMG Chasing Daylight Tour jerseys on the road you get noticed and people want to know about it. They are so interested in learning about the tour and many have even donated. That tells me we are reaching critical mass on the tour. We are making a difference.
Tomorrow our ride turns away from the coast and head east towards Portland. It should be another great ride through huge tree lined valleys and farmland. Its a less populated area of Oregon with few towns along the way so we have stocked up with a little more water, Gatorade and food. We probably will have an extra water stop along the way. So far the weather has been great and so long as it doesn't rain we will be happy.
After that we continued through Cannon Beach where we started a nice long climb that include a ride through a big tunnel. Oregon is the number one rated state for biking and it shows since the tunnel entrance had an alert button to hit before you rode into it. There was a large sign above the tunnel with flashing lights to indicate bikers in the tunnel and to slow down. It worked as all cars slowed down. The ride continued a great climb through spectacular forests. At the bottom of the other side of the hill we had a lunch break at a really nice streamside picnic area in Cape Falcon State park. The stream was lined with tall trees, moss and lots of ferns. It was very peaceful. It made me think of one of the lessons in Gene O'Kelly's Chasing Daylight book-looking for that perfect moment each day. It was hard to leave but it was getting cold and we had to get moving. We continued down Highway 101 through Mazanita and Nehalam where the route flattened out considerable. From their it was flat all the way home which made for a fast ride to the hotel. We traveled along route 101 through sleepy beach towns and past the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The ride was very smooth today without issues. About the only excitement today was a last minute detour we had to take because of a large accident with a logging truck that shut down the main road into Tillamook. We were relieved to learn that the detour only added about 2 miles to the route. These are small towns we are traveling through and it could have just as easily been a 30 mile detour. Riders arrived at the hotel between 3 and 5 pm. Many of us took a soak in the hot tub ( a daily ritual) then gathered for the team meeting at 7. Dinner will be a challenge tonight as Tillamook is a small town and there aren't alot of restaurants. The entire group was very strong today.
As I was riding a long straight stretch of the road today I though about a few key points for today. There are a number of riders that have never gone on an 8 day 600+ mile bike ride. For them it was a significant physical and mental challenge. They have made it through the toughest part of the tour, days 4, 5 and 6. They are the hardest because you are no longer fresh, but you still have a long way to go. After today we have a nice ride tomorrow then a great ride through the wine country of Willamette Valley to bring us to Portland. The drive to finish strong will carry the riders. These riders have learned alot about themselves during the ride. The huge increase in physical fitness is a great side benefit.
The second point I thought about what a great group of riders and support members we have. Its really neat to see the team come together not only for the ride but also the fundraising. Its great to be part of this team.
The last point is what great people you meet on the road. When you have 24 KPMG Chasing Daylight Tour jerseys on the road you get noticed and people want to know about it. They are so interested in learning about the tour and many have even donated. That tells me we are reaching critical mass on the tour. We are making a difference.
Tomorrow our ride turns away from the coast and head east towards Portland. It should be another great ride through huge tree lined valleys and farmland. Its a less populated area of Oregon with few towns along the way so we have stocked up with a little more water, Gatorade and food. We probably will have an extra water stop along the way. So far the weather has been great and so long as it doesn't rain we will be happy.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sept 17th-Chehalis to Astoria-98 Miles, 4200 ft of climbing
Today was the hump day for the tour. We are more than halfway done in terms of miles and days. It started off an hour earlier than normal because of the long day so we all met for a team meeting at 7 am. The hotel had a nice breakfast area so we ate breakfast and discussed the logistics for the day. The ride took us through Toledo, Castle Rock, Coal Creek and West along the Columbia River to Cathlamet where we had to catch a short ferry across the Columbia River. After that we were in Oregon and had 26 miles to the coastal town of Astoria.
The day was a lot cooler than the previous 4 days with quite a bit of fog. It was colder today and most of us had leg and arm warmers and/or wind shells to keep us warm. While the cold can make it uncomfortable, it has the benefit of keeping you cool so you tend to go faster. In the early morning the fog was so thick we had a lot of water dripping off our noses. But it was a very nice ride through farmland and small towns in Southern Washington. The last 50 miles of the ride were due West towards the coast which means you are riding into the wind. This makes for a slow grind as the wind has a huge impact on your speed. Some of the team members said they had to pedal downhill and wern’t going that fast. That makes for a tough mental challenge.
There was a little bit of excitement today. Tom Roy got his foot caught in his rear wheel (don't ask how) and while he was OK his back wheel was out of true. So our great support staff picked him up and got his wheel to a bike shop where it was trued and he was back in action. A group of riders including Tim Whittler, Conner Donnelly, Karisa Goodman, Sean Harper and Kevin Coleman got chased by a growling and very fast dog. They put it it high gear and barely outran the dog. Sean Harper was a quick thinker and took out his water bottle and squirted the dog who then scampered away.
However the entire team did great today and it’s easy to see that everyone is getting stronger. We broke up into three separate groups of about 7 people each. The first group made it to the hotel around 2:50 PM while the second group trickled in between 3 and 3:10 pm. The final group came in mostly between 5 and 6 pm. That was quite an accomplishment for that group since they had been riding since 7:30 AM or more than 10 hours. The team was in great spirits for the nightly debrief and is getting excited for the spectacular ride down the Oregon Coast. It’s only 70 miles and the wind typically comes from the North so it should help in the effort but there are several long climbs and the weather might be a factor.
The day was a lot cooler than the previous 4 days with quite a bit of fog. It was colder today and most of us had leg and arm warmers and/or wind shells to keep us warm. While the cold can make it uncomfortable, it has the benefit of keeping you cool so you tend to go faster. In the early morning the fog was so thick we had a lot of water dripping off our noses. But it was a very nice ride through farmland and small towns in Southern Washington. The last 50 miles of the ride were due West towards the coast which means you are riding into the wind. This makes for a slow grind as the wind has a huge impact on your speed. Some of the team members said they had to pedal downhill and wern’t going that fast. That makes for a tough mental challenge.
There was a little bit of excitement today. Tom Roy got his foot caught in his rear wheel (don't ask how) and while he was OK his back wheel was out of true. So our great support staff picked him up and got his wheel to a bike shop where it was trued and he was back in action. A group of riders including Tim Whittler, Conner Donnelly, Karisa Goodman, Sean Harper and Kevin Coleman got chased by a growling and very fast dog. They put it it high gear and barely outran the dog. Sean Harper was a quick thinker and took out his water bottle and squirted the dog who then scampered away.
However the entire team did great today and it’s easy to see that everyone is getting stronger. We broke up into three separate groups of about 7 people each. The first group made it to the hotel around 2:50 PM while the second group trickled in between 3 and 3:10 pm. The final group came in mostly between 5 and 6 pm. That was quite an accomplishment for that group since they had been riding since 7:30 AM or more than 10 hours. The team was in great spirits for the nightly debrief and is getting excited for the spectacular ride down the Oregon Coast. It’s only 70 miles and the wind typically comes from the North so it should help in the effort but there are several long climbs and the weather might be a factor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
