February 23-24 My First Brevet

Sandy took Abby to the dog sitters while I went up to Home Depot to pick up some ant bait -- I like putting that stuff down outside when Abby won't be here for a couple of days. With the sandy soil it is a regular maintenance activity. I also sprayed around the foundation which stops them from climbing the walls and coming in through cracks -- for a time.

We then set out for Bonifay which is about 45 miles north of Panama City in the Florida panhandle. The route is easy -- north on I95 to Jacksonville then west on I10. Bonifay is just north of I10 about 15 miles south of the Alabama border. About an hour before we got to Bonifay the time zone changes to Central, and sure enough, my cell phone's time display switched.

Traffic -- or rather -- accidents, held us up. We probably lost about an hour between an accident before we got to Jacksonville and then one along I10. That lengthened the 360 mile drive, which is basically cruise control @ 78 mph for the most part (speed limit is 70).

We arrived about 5:30 local time, drove north a bit on SR79 seeing if there were any restaurants around, then came back to the hotel -- the Tivoli Inn (one star at best) -- and ate at the place across the road -- Simbos. We both ordered Grouper, which was well cooked but overly salty -- but we were so t'd of at that point because dinner took over an hour to be served that we rate this place less than one star. Bonifay is definitely not a place to go for food and accomodation -- Rural South at its best, or worst. Surely there is some good food around, but we didn't find it. Simbos was crowded though ...

The riding was another matter. I have to confess that I was a bit nervous coming into this just because it was something different than I had ever done before, the weather was cool to start (mid 40's) and I had, and still have, a heavy head cold. I did not know how the head cold and the cold medicine that I was popping would affect my ability to do 130 miles.

The 200k and 300k brevet were being run simultaneously and it turned out that of the couple dozen people riding, only 3 were riding the 200k, including me. We were together until the first control point and then diverged shortly thereafter. Official start time was 7:07 a.m.

A couple of people set off quickly, including one of the two others doing the 200k, and disapeared and I rode with a group of about 7 or 8 which included 3 recumbants. A good gang, they were obviously brevet vets and many are planning on doing the Paris-Brest-Paris this year. They were from all over -- Tallahassee FL, Jackson Mississippi, Atlanta Georgia etc.

The terrain was wonderful for riding and for the most part, deserted. We rode a combination of the State Roads and County Roads, all paved, albeit some were rough. The 200k was a rough clockwise circle going south towards Panama City, west over to SR 81, then north of Bonifay and back south. It was windy though -- 15mph was the advertised wind coming from the SE. With the last miles being southbound, and riding alone, it was work.

There was mostly no cell phone service, which I did not notice until I tried to get hold of Sandy with roughly two hours left to ride. I got hold of her with about 45 mintues to ride but she was still at lunch with Carol & Alistair. Our original plan was that she would get back to the motel around 4pm and I would call her if there was any change, but she was late getting down to Panama City, lunch stretched out with Carol and Alistair, so she got back around 4:20. It sounded like she had a good visit -- they are planning on coming to see us after the 21st of March when they check out of their place in Panama City.

I was back at the motel at 3:18 -- 8 hours 11 mintues -- which was not too bad for how I was feeling, the distance, the wind, riding alone, two control point stops, refreshment and restroom stops. The first rider doing 200k got back before me, the 3rd rider got in about 15 minutes later. Just as important, I did not feel wiped out. I had a coke and a little of the food that Joe Arnold, the ride organizer, had at the end of the ride, took a shower, and chatted with Joe until Sandy arrived. My first inclination was to feel irritated by the waiting around -- but it was no-one's fault; I felt comfortable and mellow (the shower helped immensely).

The drive back was another matter -- clear sailing until just before the Ormond Beach exit from I95 there were lots of emergency lights ahead -- and we came to a halt about 200 yards from whatever was blocking the road ahead. After 1.5 hours, after the helicopter left, I finally gave up and did what most people in the immediate vicinity had already done -- turned around, drove along the shoulder, crossed the median, and got onto the northbound lanes. By that point it was after midnight and there were breaks in the northbound traffic so I judged it to be safer than earlier.

Travelling north, there were miles and miles of cars and trucks stopped in the southbound lanes. We exited at US 1, worked our way around whatever it was, got back onto I95 and then were home around 12:45 a.m.

Nutrition -- no problem, but I have to find something other than gatorade to drink on these rides -- 2 bottles of water; 2 mini cliff bars, 3 gels, 4 bottles of gatorade (I think -- might have been more). It was reasonably cool -- I wore my jacket for the first 3 hours -- and cloudy, so liquid consumption was not critical.

Ride stats -- 128.44 miles; 16.9 mph.