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Ultra Cycling Records "The air was charged with the changing of the seasons and the landscape was painted with the colorful hues of fall." |
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This was my first attempt at any type of cycling record. I've been involved with randonneur cycling since 1996, and with ultra-marathon cycling for the past two seasons. With my novice level in ultra-marathoning, I decided to establish a record as opposed to challenging an existing one.
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The weather on Sunday, October 6, 2002 was spectacular. It was sunny, dry and cool with temperatures ranging from the mid 40's to low 60's. Also, several times throughout the day a rare easterly tailwind was a welcomed bonus. In addition, the air was charged with the changing of the seasons and the landscape was painted with the colorful hues of fall.
My attempt began fourteen minutes before sunrise at 6:33 a.m. at Boston City Hall. With an early fall chill in the air, I required both arm and leg warmers for the first two hours. As I left Boston and headed into the suburbs of Lexington, Bedford, and Carlisle, the morning temperatures dropped into the mid to upper 40's. The low-lying fog on the small ponds and rivers during these early morning hours were tranquil and serene. The affect allowed me to calm myself and focus on my goal and the full day which lie ahead.
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As I was preparing to leave the town of Carlisle and enter Groton, I experienced my first mechanical problem of the day. Within minutes of my support crew passing me, I rear flatted. Although I had a two-way communication system with my crew, the terrain of the course severely limited its operating distance. As they were already out of range, I began to continue on the course running while pushing my bike with one hand.
Within twelve minutes of my flat, my crew had come back to check on me. We made a bike exchange to a Seven Odanata with an 8-speed cassette, and I continued on while they remained to replace the rear tube. Approximately forty-five minutes later, the crew and I exchanged bikes back to my original Merlin Extra Light with a 7-speed cassette. Thankfully, this was to be the only mechanical problem of the day.
The remainder of the ride was problem free, but I still had to contend with several long and steep climbs both up into the Berkshires and also up to the New York state line. As the day wore on and I approached the hills of the Berkshires, my legs were feeling sluggish. My crew and I made the decision to take a short break at mile 109 so I could refuel and receive a much needed leg massage. Although the stop was only 11 minutes, it was a critical stop that ensured a strong and steady climbing pace.
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The longest and steepest climb of the day was the twelve-mile climb from Charlemont up the Mohawk Trail (Rte. 2) to the summit overlook just before North Adams. It seemed that the climb would never end as it curved back and forth, and continued to increase in steepness with each passing mile. However, both the summit views and the steep, fast descent were well-deserved rewards.
With the momentum and adrenaline rush from the 45 mph descent along with the knowledge that the NY state line were less that 15 miles away, I pushed as hard as I could to the finish. As I passed through Williamstown and Williams College campus, my niece from Chicago in her first year at Williams cheered me on. It was the last, big psychological boost required to push me to NY.
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As I mad my final turn and headed to the NY state line, I was greeted with a wall of pavement that was to challenge me both mentally and physically with its 7% grade and its 5 miles of length. Knowing that the finishing and my salvation lie only a few miles ahead, I depleted the last of my reserves, finishing in a state of exhausted euphoria.
I had an unbelievable experience with my first cross state attempt. My hope was to finish the attempt near the 10-hour mark. I surprised myself with my time of 9:30 as well as coming within 12 minutes of the West-East record. My crew was fantastic, catering to m every need. They monitored my nutritional requirements and continuously reminded me to eat and drink. Without their support and encouragement, I could not have performed as well as I did.