Cap2Cap Century Ride Report

Yesterday I rode my bike 100 miles...well actually, it was about 105 miles but I'll get to that story later.  For now, I am just excited to share that I was able to conquer my first century ride!  I rode from Richmond, Virginia to Williamsburg, Virginia, and then turned around and rode back.  It wasn't an out and back ride though, so mostly it was new roads the entire ride.  What a beautiful day for it too!  The sun was shining, and it didn't get overly hot until the end of the ride so moderate temps were on tap pretty much all day.  The Cap2Cap started at 7:30 am for century riders, so we left our house around 3 am to get there on time and change and unload the bikes. 

The bikes and us survived the early am ride down...with a pit stop around 6 am at a Starbucks.  Had to get some of that caffeine in us!  It was hard to wait until we found one open.  Luckily it was close to 95 and we were in and out fairly quickly.  We also had a chance to try the Starbucks breakfast sandwiches which actually were pretty good.  Pre-ride fuel :)

Our bikes ready to go!

The parking lot was almost full when we got there around 6:45...LOTS of bikes and people everywhere!

Once we got to the lot, Troy unloaded the bikes and I took a quick walk down to pick up our wristbands.  From that point on, we'd be looking for green signs and paint on the roads which meant we'd be crazy and doing 100 miles.  While getting our cue sheets, I grabbed a blue one (50-miler) just in case we just felt like 100 wasn't happening today and opted to do 50 instead.  We'd been debating this pretty much for days and still weren't decided on what we'd do.  I headed back to car, changed, and we got set to head down for the start.  Luckily, we had people around us to help catch smiles before the 100 miles of torture started!

Once at the start, it was a little overwhelming how many people were there!  It was a bit of madness.  This was my second big event ride like this and the first one last year almost sent me to tears being a new rider and just freaking out a bit.  This year, except for a touch of nerves and some begging to start at the back of the pack, I was feeling great.  We started and the pack quickly became more thinned out as the miles passed and everyone settled in.  Our first feed zone was only 13 miles in and barely seemed necessary.  It was a nice chance to chat a bit and then head on for the next 14 miles to the next stop.  Troy stayed with me for this 14 miles and it was a quicker one.  We headed out onto a highway and it felt great to just pedal away, moving as fast as I could.  He couldn't believe my pace difference, even commenting that we should ride on highways all of the time.  By the time we hit the next stop at 27 miles, I was ready for a bit of walk around time.  This was the stop that determined whether we changed and took the 50 mile loop or pressed on to the 100.  It came down to some time calculations - if we continued on we'd likely miss the lunch cutoff and come in just barely at 4 pm when course support ceased.  After deciding lunch wasn't all that important to us but going for the 100 was I found some ibuprofen from one of the volunteers, as was to become my m.o. for just about every stop from that point on, and we headed out again.

Troy and I started out again together but the road was rough and I was feeling it.  I begged him to go around me and I'd meet up with him at the next stop, an old courthouse, at mile 39.  I tend to be able to refocus better alone and I seriously needed some refocus at that moment!  He grudgingly agreed to leave me and headed out.  Once alone, I let myself whine in my head for a few minutes and then figured it was time to move on and get going.  The road was a nice, smooth one again and I felt good.  I pulled into the courthouse lawn and met up with Troy.  I got a pb&j, ate a cookie and we headed out for the next feed zone.  As we rounded the corner out of road from the feed zone, the volunteers were so enthusiastic, I had to smile.  "Green?" they yelled.  We shook our heads yes and they motioned to the right, "Head right...next stop Williamsburg!"  It was so cool to think that we'd be riding all the way to Williamsburg.

I was excited but was starting to really be in pain.  At about 45 miles, I had to stop.  Troy was behind me, and stopped too.  I just needed to get upset and try and find a way to get through it.  I told him he'd have to go on to Williamsburg and let me go on alone, but he didn't want to because he was worried about me.  But I knew that mentally, I needed to be alone again a bit to find that way through it.  This was something that happened several times over the course of 100 miles.  I love that guy, and I love that he wants to be there for me, and it's hard for me when I feel like I have to push him on to let me find my way.  In the end, I think he gets it, but in the moment, it wasn't always fun.  I think in that moment, he wished we'd gone for the 50 because I don't think he thought I could do the 100.

So, alone again, I was headed to Williamsburg.  We encountered one of the rudest drivers I've ever seen biking during this stretch.  We were on the road - lots of us - not blocking traffic, keeping to the shoulder but the Virginia Capital Trail was off the road to our right.  Our cue sheets did not have this as an option even though several riders did use it in place of the road because they were familiar with it, I guess.  I wasn't and didn't know where it went, so I followed the signs and stayed on the road.  A man drove by blasting his horn at each rider motioning to the bike path, being as obnoxious as possible.  I guess he didn't see the many signs, stating "Share the Road, Cap2Cap ride." It's a shame when people just have that mentality of cars only on the road.  Even if the bike path was there, it's still my option to ride on the road.

Rude driver aside, one of the roughest road sections we encountered was yet to come.  My hands, wrist and shoulders were screaming from the rough pavement.  I can't put into words how thankful I was when the James River bridge and the next feed zone came into view.  Thank you, Lord for getting me to 53 miles!  Since the Cap2Cap started at either Richmond or Williamsburg, this was a pretty festive feed zone as it was the end of the line for many riders.  I refilled my water bottle, grabbed a veggie wrap and collapsed on the ground beside Troy.  All too quickly it was time to head back onto the road.  We knew it was only 11 miles to the next feed zone but also knew it was back over the horrendous rutted up road we'd just come in on.  We had our usual conversation about riding together or separate and Troy headed off.

Many times during this 11 miles I wished I asked him to stay instead of go.  The course veered onto a back road that was a little eerie at times.  Just a half mile from the feed zone, I slipped my chain downshifting.  No other bikes in sight and I don't know how to put it on.  Hmm.  I pick up my phone to call Troy when another rider comes up.  He stops, and tells me what to do and heads on his way.  Thankful to be moving again, I get to the feed zone just about ready to give up.  Even the feed zone is a bit depressing here.  It's so quiet after the festivities of the last one and there are only about 15 riders total here.  We're the stragglers. I feel bad that Troy's so much farther behind than if he'd been on his own the whole time.  The SAG van is at the feed zone and it's tempting.  At 63 miles in, there is still a lot of road to cover.  My left knee is in so much pain, I'm climbing hills with mostly my right leg handling up and down, letting the left leg coast and relax.  It's a difficult balance when there are so many hills.  But, I decide I've come this far and I'm not quitting. 

The next feed zone is 20 miles away and it's the longest I've been on the bike in a single stretch all day.  I know that mentally I am just going to have to find a way and push through.  Troy heads off and I start moving.  I find him waiting for me at the 14 mile mark, near the courthouse feed zone from mile 39.  The volunteer on that corner yells that we can head back up to that feed zone, or it's 6 miles to the next one going toward Richmond.  We opt for Richmond and not adding a mile to go back.  And we start moving.  Troy stays with me for most of this stretch and only pushes ahead at the end.  I find him at the feed zone and cry.  87 miles.  I am just so ready for this all to be over.  I know it's only 13 miles but it seems like it's forever.  Again, the SAG van is there.  Several riders get on, just done.  Troy tells me that I can if I want, if I'm hurting too bad.  Again, it's tempting.  But I really, really want to finish.  Not almost finish.  I send a message to my facebook page, knowing I need some moral support.  And as I'm starting out for the last 13 miles, I can feel my phone buzz in my back pocket with my friends texting and commenting that I can do it.  So, we start out together and at 93 miles, I cut Troy loose to finish.  My pace was excruciatingly slow for him and I wanted him to be able to go on ahead.  At that point, I stopped on the side of the road and got a nice, long drink and did some praying, just asking for enough strength to finish.

Back on the bike, with 7 miles to go.  Headed over some busy intersections and fell in line with another rider and we got talking.  I even had the pleasure of a bird pooping on me at mile 97.  We talked ourselves to mile 98 and found we were lost.  The signs were gone, my garmin died and we didn't know how much farther we had to go.  Course support ended at 4 pm and apparently, that meant "you're on your own for real"  We looked for green arrows on the road but there came a point where there was an intersection and there was no arrow.  We knew we'd missed something but what?   We continued on, first on a busy 4 lane highway and then to the city streets.  She saw a road she thought would go back to the finish but I wasn't sure.  I decided to stay in town and figure it out.

After many blocks of riding, I gave up, pulled up on the sidewalk and called Troy.  He came to get me and in the end we estimate I totaled about 105 miles.  How did I do it?  Who knows.  I guess I was running on adrenaline because of being lost.  One thing was a plus out of the whole situation - I rode my bike in downtown Richmond traffic.  In and out of cars, lanes, etc. and was fine.  City biking has been a huge fear for me, but I really wasn't stressed at all by the riding and for that, I'm grateful for being lost.

After all that, we checked into our hotel, took showers, ordered pizza in and I was asleep by 9.  Nine hours of biking takes it's toll on a person.  Today, I feel pretty good.  Not really sore at all, except the knee.  I have some odd sunburn lines that make me look striped - garmin and wristband lines on my wrist, farmer tan on the legs and arms.  It's attractive!  I'm glad to be home and relaxing and I feel so accomplished.  It was a great feeling to be so low on those later miles, even getting lost, and not freaking out, not giving up but just pushing through it all.  Things aren't always easy, but that doesn't mean they're not worth doing.