Tri-ing in Central MA

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I started tri-ing the summer of 2000, one year after my daughter was born. I figured I could do all the sports seperately, but could I do them all together? Well, did Danksin that year and there has been no looking back...

Sunday, October 01, 2006

The Century that wasn't...

Seacoast Century - September 23, 2006

This is a beautiful flat ride from the Hampton Beach State Park, into Massachusetts, and then up to York, Maine and then back. I did this ride last year with DH and a bunch of his ski instructor friends. We had so much fun last year that we all decided to do it again. Alas, it was not to be...Several of our rider friends got hurt and didn't go, so it was just DH and I who made the trip. I felt stronger this year, as I had several longer rides (40+) under my belt including a windy, hilly, 70 miler. I wasn't planning on doing the full 100, but I wanted to do ~85 like I did last year. There is a 15 mile loop into Massachusetts that DH planned on doing 1st then meeting me at the headquarters and we'd do the rest together.

I felt like I was coming down with a cold on Thursday, so started dosing up on zinc, vitamin c, etc. Felt like it was doing the trick as I wasn't getting any worse. The weather for Saturday was iffy, but according to the weather channel, the showers weren't going to start until the afternoon, and we'd be on our way back anyway. Ok, so not too bad.

Saturday am...wake to overcast and showers! WHAT!?!? Ugh. So much for the showers after lunchtime! Sunday wasn't supposed to be any better, in fact they were predicting severe thunderstorms for the area after lunch, so despite the early showers, Saturday was still going to be the best day. DH got up early and did the 15 mile loop and then met me ~8:30 am at the headquarters. I really was not up to riding in the rain, but we're here so lets get going. Well, the showers turned into a steady rain and the wind picked up. This is fun - NOT! But we were not alone in our misery as, there were many, many riders out, so at least we had company.

We had to walk our bikes over two bridges and the second one was up to let boat traffic through. There were ~25 riders waiting in the rain...and it just kept coming down. I am totally soaked at this point and my glasses are all fogged up. Can we go home now?!? Finally we can cross the bridge and we only have ~5 miles to the 1st SAG stop. Yeah!

We pull into the SAG stop and I can't unclip and boom fall over in front a whole group of guys. Great. DH is like, what are you doing?!? I am so frustrated that I don't know if should snap at him or cry, but am able to contain it and in a minute I am able to laugh about it. The rain has let up a little bit, but I am covered on my left side with pine needles, dirt, you name it. Not to mention that I banged up my ring finger on my right hand and it's turning all kinds of purple. Ouch. The bike doesn't look much better and I am off in search of something to clean my handlebars and myself off.

We get some food and I manage to clean up a bit, but now it's really raining and I am starting to shiver. Uh-oh, not good. I am not liking the fact that we still have 60 miles or so to go and I'm thinking that I could get really sick if I keep pushing just to do the mileage. But DH wants to go the entire ride, so that would mean my going back by myself. That's not a big deal as I know I can ride the distance, but I don't want to get lost, as it's kind of hard to see the markers. So, we're trying to figure out what to do, when we hear another group saying they are going back. DH introduces himself and I end up hooking up with a group of (5) guys who have decided to head back. DH and I have phones and I have the car keys, so I can get back to the hotel and get warm. Give DH a kiss, tell him to be careful and we go our separate ways.

So, I am now riding with Pat, Ed and Ralph. We're heading back and it raining like crazy but something doesn't feel right. I pull over and sure enough, my seat has moved (twisted in the fall). Great! No tools, so I am pulling and banging on it to get it straightened out. I got it ~95% of the way back, so at least it's not rubbing. The ride back is uneventful, but I am glad I am with someone else as we have to wind our way through the streets of Portsmouth and I know I would have gotten lost. The rain is letting up a bit and and Ed says, "boy it'll really stink if it stops raining when we get back"...to which I laugh and say "yeah, tell me about it." At one point, Ralph and I are up front and he peels off into a driveway and yells "pee break, just keep going", so I do. Now I know where I am, and keep pushing to get home.

Coming into Rye, NH, the rain is now a drizzle, but the wind has picked up I am heading right into it. Sheesh, nothing like watching your speed go from 16+ to 12 in like 30 seconds...and with no one to draft with, it was tough. Not too many people on the road now, but at least its not pouring! I keep plugging along, and lo and behold, who blows by me, but Pat, Ed and Ralph. They yelled some words of encouragement and then were gone...but I was only ~5 miles from the end, so didn't mind.

As I was getting closer to the headquarters, I checked my distance and I was a few miles short of 50, so since it wasn't raining anymore, decided to keep going to get an even 50 in. And I knew I would have a nice tailwind on the last stretch, so went past the headquarters into Seabrook NH, turned around and finished up. Ended up with an average pace of 15 mph and 51 miles for the day. As luck would have it, I was parked right behind Ed, Pat and Ralph. We chatted a bit, then I packed up and headed for the hotel.

I showered up and found a few more bruises from my fall and my finger was all kinds of colors and swollen, but not really painful. I got something to eat and watched a movie while waiting for DH. He showed up about 2 hours later and said that the group he had hooked up with had gotten lost, so he ended up doing ~110 miles for the day.

And yes, it did stop raining when I finished!