Ed Korres as the start of his Ohio cycling record.

When I began to consider X-Ohio E-W, no one ever told me that I'd be expected to write a report on it also. This is one part of the challenge that I'd never prepared for.

Sunday, September 18, 2005, most of Ohio enjoyed a beautiful day - low 80's sunny brisk wind out of the east-southeast. This was the day I had chosen for my east-west attempt. Unfortunately, I couldn't assemble my crew for that day.

We made the trip a week later on the 25th. We got to the Ohio-Pennsylvania border about 5:30 a.m., got things together, took the obligatory pictures and were on the road at 5:55. It was in the mid 60's with a light wind out of the south. These were the best conditions I'd see for the day. A huge front loomed over Indiana, and promised to make the end of my ride cold and wet.

I had decided to be a slave to my HRM and I even mounted my lights so that I could read it.

Korres plods on across Ohio despite the wind.

I was riding well (for me) from the border through Akron. So well, in fact, on the numerous large rollers from Akron to Seville that I decided to quit paying attention to my HRM. I soon began paying for this. I couldn't get my HR back down for an hour or so, which made me question whether I would see Indiana that night.

Light winds and partly cloudy turned into gusting head/cross winds, and driving rain. Cursing the weather gods, I watched my HR and plodded on for the border, which I reached at 9:35 p.m. cold, wet and tired.

The thing I learned on this ride:

• It is easier to ride into a head wind than to be beat around by a cross wind, my arms and shoulders really noticed it.
• To thy HRM be true, if training says 135 HR then keep it there.
• I must be a pretty decent guy. Why else would Dan, Joe and Mark waste a Sunday driving across Ohio at 15 mph? I'm glad they did - Thanks guys.

Official record: 238.0 miles, 15 hours 40 minutes, 15.19 mph
Start: US 224 at OH/PA state line east of Poland, OH
Finish: SH 114 at OH/IN state line west of McGill, OH