Rodman Ride for Kids
I received an invitation to ride for the agency in the Rodman Ride for Kids. Dave Gardiner and Scott Hainline also suited up for the Hill, Holliday team. Sadly, Sweeney was unable to join us.
I didn't have the time to train for the event, and I was traveling on business the week before, so the conditions were not idea. But the course was flat and I came up with a plan to make up for my lack of preparation which can pretty much be summed up in five words: stick with the front group.
Liberty Mutual is a title sponsor of the event and there were a lot of guys from Liberty at the front. they were organized, determined, and hell bent to lead the event from start to finish. For the first forty miles, I stuck in the pack, and just tried to stay out of trouble. Dave and Scott were always around and we moved through the pack, taking our pulls. Only problem was there were some pack fill guys in the middle who wouldn't pull, and then would let gaps develop between them and the front. On more than one occasion, Hainline took a mighty pull, then went back to sit in on the back of the pack, then had to pull his way back to the front as the middle just couldn't hold the pace.
We felt good and were going at a good clip when at around mile 60 four guys from Liberty went off the front with authority. I was at the back of the 30-person-main group so there was no way I was reeling them in. We made the decision to let them go.
At mile 60, we stopped for water. Filled up both bottles, ate, saddled up and got going again. At around mile 70, Hainline, who was looking strong said, "I got a problem." I hit the brakes and he said, "Keep going." So I hit the gas, stuck with the group and pressed on.
At mile 80, I started to cramp up at precisely the same time the group lost motivation. "We're never going to catch them. Let's just sit up." We had seven good guys left in the group. There were four up the road. And it was just too early to give up. I went to the front and told the remaining six that we were not giving up, we were going to each take short pulls, and we were going to keep the gaps tight. Number 247, an older guy in great shape, was recruited to organize and inspire the back.
The group got going again, we stayed in tight formation, and one triathlete in our group still had the legs to take longer pulls than everyone else. One weasly guy from Liberty took three second pulls, then hid in the back, but I was pleased to have somebody in the pace line so we pressed on.
We reeled in one guy from the front group who had totally cracked and was soft pedalling on the side of the road. Then we reeled in another who joined us, then fell off the back.
At mile 97, the veteran in the group said we had accomplished our objective and it was time to spin our legs out and warm down. I couldn't stand anymore, and I had cramps in four distinct muscles, one in the calves, three in the quads, and I was dreaming about finishing, taking a shower, and forgetting about the event.
At that point, the guy who wouldn't take a pull all day long sprinted up the road for the glory which was a total joke, but that's the way it is.
We finished together as a group at around 4:24:13. It was my fastest century ever, but not my strongest. I was hurting when I finished, but got it done. The cramps, which were significant, were due to a lack of training and a lack of preperation.
Hainline finished in 4:28:00 which was impressive in that he was out in the wind alone when he tried to get back on after repairing his flat.
Dave witnessed a crash that wrekced two bikes and a few other scary moments, but he survived the day.
One thing I realized when the event was over is Liberty Mutual is title sponsor of the event and they take a lot of pride in putting a solid team on the line. Their guy Eric, who finished first, was a class act. He took his pulls, he rode strong, he appeared to have trained for the event.
Afterward, I had a chat with him and he was a great sportsman. Didn't catch his name, but I admire him. A lot more than the weasel who sat in all day and sprinted up the road after everyone else did all the work putting him there.
But that's cycling.
For me, the highlight of the event was getting six total strangers to quit bitching, shut the hell up and work together to achieve an objective. Selfishly, with the cramps I was experiencing, I couldn't have finished alone in a decent time. Either could they. We were stronger as a group than we were as individuals.
Afterward in the locker room, the grizzled veteran #247 looked up and said, "Hey, you were our Captain on the Road. Thanks for getting us home."
The day could've gone a little better, maybe four minutes if I cut the weight, trained, tapered, and made this event an important objective. But it could've gone a lot, lot worse.
I didn't have the time to train for the event, and I was traveling on business the week before, so the conditions were not idea. But the course was flat and I came up with a plan to make up for my lack of preparation which can pretty much be summed up in five words: stick with the front group.
Liberty Mutual is a title sponsor of the event and there were a lot of guys from Liberty at the front. they were organized, determined, and hell bent to lead the event from start to finish. For the first forty miles, I stuck in the pack, and just tried to stay out of trouble. Dave and Scott were always around and we moved through the pack, taking our pulls. Only problem was there were some pack fill guys in the middle who wouldn't pull, and then would let gaps develop between them and the front. On more than one occasion, Hainline took a mighty pull, then went back to sit in on the back of the pack, then had to pull his way back to the front as the middle just couldn't hold the pace.
We felt good and were going at a good clip when at around mile 60 four guys from Liberty went off the front with authority. I was at the back of the 30-person-main group so there was no way I was reeling them in. We made the decision to let them go.
At mile 60, we stopped for water. Filled up both bottles, ate, saddled up and got going again. At around mile 70, Hainline, who was looking strong said, "I got a problem." I hit the brakes and he said, "Keep going." So I hit the gas, stuck with the group and pressed on.
At mile 80, I started to cramp up at precisely the same time the group lost motivation. "We're never going to catch them. Let's just sit up." We had seven good guys left in the group. There were four up the road. And it was just too early to give up. I went to the front and told the remaining six that we were not giving up, we were going to each take short pulls, and we were going to keep the gaps tight. Number 247, an older guy in great shape, was recruited to organize and inspire the back.
The group got going again, we stayed in tight formation, and one triathlete in our group still had the legs to take longer pulls than everyone else. One weasly guy from Liberty took three second pulls, then hid in the back, but I was pleased to have somebody in the pace line so we pressed on.
We reeled in one guy from the front group who had totally cracked and was soft pedalling on the side of the road. Then we reeled in another who joined us, then fell off the back.
At mile 97, the veteran in the group said we had accomplished our objective and it was time to spin our legs out and warm down. I couldn't stand anymore, and I had cramps in four distinct muscles, one in the calves, three in the quads, and I was dreaming about finishing, taking a shower, and forgetting about the event.
At that point, the guy who wouldn't take a pull all day long sprinted up the road for the glory which was a total joke, but that's the way it is.
We finished together as a group at around 4:24:13. It was my fastest century ever, but not my strongest. I was hurting when I finished, but got it done. The cramps, which were significant, were due to a lack of training and a lack of preperation.
Hainline finished in 4:28:00 which was impressive in that he was out in the wind alone when he tried to get back on after repairing his flat.
Dave witnessed a crash that wrekced two bikes and a few other scary moments, but he survived the day.
One thing I realized when the event was over is Liberty Mutual is title sponsor of the event and they take a lot of pride in putting a solid team on the line. Their guy Eric, who finished first, was a class act. He took his pulls, he rode strong, he appeared to have trained for the event.
Afterward, I had a chat with him and he was a great sportsman. Didn't catch his name, but I admire him. A lot more than the weasel who sat in all day and sprinted up the road after everyone else did all the work putting him there.
But that's cycling.
For me, the highlight of the event was getting six total strangers to quit bitching, shut the hell up and work together to achieve an objective. Selfishly, with the cramps I was experiencing, I couldn't have finished alone in a decent time. Either could they. We were stronger as a group than we were as individuals.
Afterward in the locker room, the grizzled veteran #247 looked up and said, "Hey, you were our Captain on the Road. Thanks for getting us home."
The day could've gone a little better, maybe four minutes if I cut the weight, trained, tapered, and made this event an important objective. But it could've gone a lot, lot worse.
posted by joe berkeley at 5:38 AM
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