Completed th MS150 Bike to Bay!

This weekend I completed my fourth 150 mile Bike to the Bay.  It was a great ride and I got a chance to ride in a couple of real good pace lines.   My older brother who had his RNY three years ago and is the ultimate animal cyclist pulled for a significant portion of the ride.  Couldn't be prouder of him. We got done the first leg in four and a half hours including four stops.  Headwinds were really bad, so we really had to push the bikes.  We rolled into the finish among the first 100 participants and I spent the rest of the day  watching riders roll into the finish. Sunday we got up and had a hearty breakfast at 6am, and got on the road at 6:30am just as it began to get light out.   Since my brother decided to haul out, I got on with a slower pace line for the first 30 miles but still made good time.   The headwinds were even worse on the way back.  I got dehydrated at the 60 mile mark and really struggled.  I slowed down considerably and figured I was going to limp in to the finish.  My brother decided to help me out and pull me in, and turned me on to Clif Shot Bloks.  I chewed on four of those guys and my legs came right back.  I will never do a ride or run without having a few packages.  I was able to really pedal hard the last five miles and overtook about 10 riders at the last overpass before the finish (boy were they ticked).  This was my best and hardest ride ever.  I got home and actually felt good.  I ran a slow 5k in the evening and I'm not even sore. Now is time to transition the training to prepare for two 10ks in October, a 10 miler in December, and the Ceasar Rodney half-marathon in March of 2008.  And I need to find out how to train for the next duathalon next year. So I guess this was quite an eventful weekend.  Much better than staying home and raking up acorns.  Keep your dreams, Rob

Rob, Great job!  I'm glad to hear that you found that the Clif Shots work for you.  I use GU during my runs and I've found that works for me.  I've wondered if it is really physical or a mental boost.  Either way, if it works I shouldn't knock it. Mary

Thanks Mary, I was doing the GU gel (although I prefer the Hammer gel).  They do provide an energy burst but I find them to be extremely dry.  It was hard to ge****er at a couple of stops because we got there too early.  the good thing about the Clif Shots is they stimulate your saliva.  I'm sold on anything that will keep me moving. Good luck on your training. Rob

Great job Rob. You and you're brother. Man, I can't believe the distances some of you are covering. Good luck on the runs. Earl

Wow! Great job Rob! You are amazing! Thanks for all the great inspiration! Also wanted to say thanks for posting about Map my ride...Just started using it and find it to be a great tool!  Keep up all the hard work! Liz

Nice ride, Rob. I'm going back to Columbia Maryland on Oct. 27 for the Ulman Cancer Fund metric century. Your neck of the woods so it would be fun to ride with you.  Boner

Thanks.  Wish I had known you were doing that ride.  I've already commited to a 10-mile run in Philadelphia that morning.  It would be fun to try and get a ride together sometime.  Not sure that I could handle the hills that you do out there.  We're lucky out here that things are relatively flat.  Good luck to you. Rob

My buddy is running the DC marathon on Sunday but I'm free all day for a ride. How's Sunday, the 28th looking for you?  According to Bob Rolle, some of his most brutal climbs were in the northeast. Something to do about the roads being build long ago when they selected the shortest distance (i.e. up and over) vs. around or through tunnels like most of the roads out here in the mountains. Let me know. It would be great to ride with a fellow WLS cycling addict.  Boner