Aug 17 - GA Aftermath

Waking up was not a problem. Shortly after 1am Geoff woke me up to say that he needed to go to the hospital. He'd been having stomach cramps etc. when I went to bed but they'd gotten much worse. I called the front desk ... 5-6 blocks south on Simcoe ... and off we went.

There were a few people in the waiting area when we arrived at the hospital but Geoff went straight in after checking in with the triage nurse and the front desk. Rather than wait outside, I opted to go in with him, moved a chair into his little room and cracked open my book. We were both cold, not used to the air conditioning yet, so I fetched two blankets -- well, sheets, and got us both water to drink.

The staff were friendly and efficient, reflecting very well on the Canadian health system. I read & snoozed on my chair and a couple of times had to tell staff coming in that I wasn't Geoff. Otherwise I'd have probably been given an IV ! They dripped two liters of saline into Geoff, did the Fleet Enema thing, took x-rays ... and concluded that it was simply severe constipation causing the cramps exacerbated by the dehydration. I don't think that they really understood what we'd been through, but they did satisfy themselves (the staff that is) that there was nothing else wrong.

Geoff was given the green light to leave and was feeling more chipper. The doctor advised him not to take the prescription for the laxative before getting on the plane ... hmmm.

Back at the residence, now after 4:30 a.m., I made some coffee while Geoff made a reservation for the airport service. He was definitely looking and feeling better and bid me good night. He was going to get some sleep. I, on the other hand, having consumed my coffee, decided to hit the road. It was an uneventful drive and I was back home around 9:45. The rest of the day was quiet. I had a sleep, set my minnow traps, put my clothes in the washing machine, partly unpacked etc. Jason et al came over to the gazebo and we had a drink; pickerel (store bought) and pike (local) were a great meal after all that I'd been eating on the ride.

It's morning ... warm ... showers have just moved through. The day's activities will depend on the weather.

So ... what about the ride ? I'll try and keep this short but you know that I never do.

...

The ride ...

Day 1 -- no Granite, no Anvil

We headed out at 5am. There was one "did not show" so I think that made 49 of us at my last count. In the dark, lights on, I kept track of Geoff & his friend Vincent. I lost track of Glen. We kept a moderate pace and were soon at the back of the pack.

It was warm enough for me to survive with the short sleeved jersey and vest. That was a bonus. The less clothes that I have to wear the better. Once it warmed up the vest went into my pack.

When I say "back of the pack", I really mean it. We got to the first control at Hockley Valley, 74 miles into the ride, with only one rider behind us. We'd passed him shortly before getting to the control. It was then 10:14. I see from the results posting on the website that several riders were credited at 10:14 -- we must have arrived close enough that they gave us all the same time, but we three rode together. The earliest riders got in at 9:15.

The terrain was rolling farmland, no granite yet. Well north of the city, the lights were evident in the dark, but once light it was simply farms. Hockley valley is north of the airport. I remember that area well because we used to go to a "cut your own" tree farm there at Christmas when we lived in Mississauga.

The next control was at Eugenia, the "top of the rock" restaurant. We did not realize that it was a restaurant and stopped about one mile earlier at a small general store / burger place. It was a long stop, probably close to an hour, which obviously impacted our check-in time at Eugenia, but these times don't really matter in the overall scheme of things as long as you're within the open/close of the Control. 17:08 at Eugenia ... mile 157 ... the day has been comfortable, warm, easy riding, and we're now heading into the evening. The three of us rode together but did not really draft. Side by side at times or strung out, we kept pace with whoever was the slowest, which varied.

As I look at the results page, I see that there were a few riders behind us -- 7 to my count, with the earliest time of 14:39 -- about 2.5 hours ahead of us, and the latest time of 19:53. That's quite a spread in 154 miles. There were no DNF's yet ... and the 19:53 guy did finish the ride, which just goes to show you that you must set your own pace.

The next section took us down to Collingwood with a nice view of Georgian Bay, and along the Wasaga Beach area, with the sunset on our left, as we headed to our overnight stop at Victoria Harbour. There was a wonderful descent to Collingwood -- payback time for our climbing -- and then a rolling road as we followed the shoreline. Somewhere in there Carol Bell caught up to us and started riding with us. She was one of those almost one hour ahead of us at the first control but had missed a turn and ridden an extra 25 miles somewhere. She welcomed the chance to ride with us -- GPS equipped and no bonus miles. She is a stronger rider ... but there's not credit for bonus miles !

Cruising along Tiny Beaches Road I decided that we could probably maintain a quicker pace. I'd told Sandy that we would probably arrive around 11pm, but I really wanted to get in earlier. I set a pace for about 15 miles and we did our first real drafting of the day. At the end of that road I was somewhat bonked and fell behind the group, only to catch up as we entered the Wye Marsh / Tay Shores bike trail. Geoff was going to get the group to wait for me at that point but they'd overshot the entrance; I didn't see them; they saw me make the turn. Convinced that they were still ahead of me I was riding along the bike trail at 18-20 mph but then finally slowed to let the lights behind me catch up, only to find that it was my crowd.

We arrived at the overnight stop, which was the Victoria Harbour Community Center / Fire Station at 10:10 (20:10) -- mile 227. At that point there were 11 people behind us, by my count. The earliest arrival was at 19:50 and the last arrival was at 4:00 a.m. We'd made up time on the leaders.

The setup at this control was good for showers and eating / gathering except that the showers were cold. Brrrr -- I don't swim in water that cold, why would I shower ? Swimming would be easier ! However, I did get cleaned up, ate dinner, and found a place to sleep. The sleeping arrangements were awkward -- a side room looked to be the quietest place, with some mats on the floor, but they were awakened during the night by the firemen. I chose a lined-up set of chairs on the stage area which was somewhat like sleeping on an airplane. I used to do that well ... but the white noise on an airplane is better at drowning out other intelligible sounds. I must have slept though, because I did not hear the firemen.

Day 2 -- Gravel Anvil

Our plan had been to get up at 2am for a 3am departure. Carol was going to stick with us. I was awake at 1am and couldn't get back to sleep ... we left around 3:30 joking with Vincent, who calls himself a "fiddler". Yup. Carol had started rolling but we caught up to her.

The next section was one that really should be ridden in daylight. Through Waubushene, across the canal at Severn Bridge, through Big Chute ... one day perhaps I should take the cue sheet and do that area of the ride on my own. It's really neat ... unfortunate that all the riders who will probably never see this area again missed the beauty.

The Big Chute / Severn Falls Control was at mile 258. We arrived at 5:54. The largest variable in the arrival times was now dominated by length of time spent at the controls. How long / did you sleep ? The earliest arrival at this Control was at 22:29 the night before; the latest was at 8:00 a.m. We had now accumulated 3 DNF's, one due to a bee sting as I understand it. Glen was up and about at the overnight Control when we left; he caught up with us after Big Chute and we rode together for a couple of miles until he turned into a grocery store. We did not see him again -- shortly after that he DNF'd with a freewheel problem -- stuck pawls from the sounds of things.

The day was warm but the riding was easy, easy that is until we hit the gravel. Freshly dug up road for a few kms, this was a dirty, treacherous section with big trucks sliding, huge clouds of dust obscuring the road, cars not yielding to cycles. UNpleasant, UNsafe, UNhealthy and downright hard on bike and man (or woman), we made it through and arrived at the next control -- a Sobey's -- in Fenelon Falls at 12:22. It was lunch time.

We all looked like raccoons with the dirt on our faces. There was a Tim Hortons right there and I washed up and applied suntan lotion. I couldn't do anything about my legs and arms. What SPF factor do you think a layer of dirt provides ? Who cares.

The earliest arrival at this Control was at 5am. The latest was at 4:08 p.m. One of the problems with getting volunteers to work at a 1200k ride is that the later Controls have wide open/close times so it's a long stint. At the Big Chute control, for instance, they'd pitched at tent. It was damp, misty, cool, but they had to sleep on the ground. I think that the backseat of a car would have been preferable ... oh well. The open/close times for the Sobey's Control were Aug 13 22:04 to Aug 14 17:32 -- that's not simply volunteering, that's commitment ! At least with a small group of riders like ours grapevine would suffice to know that they didn't need to be there at 22:04. Thank goodness for cell phones.

We hit another gravel section, a long one. It wasn't as heavily traveled, but it was rougher. I was worried about my rack slipping down with only clamps to support it to the seatstays. The gravel was hard washboard and I picked my way through a few kms of this stuff, falling behind the group again.

It was hot. Lack of sleep and food, sun and dehydration caught up with Vincent. We dragged. Geoff and I pulled over with him and the local let us use his grass, shade and hose. Vincent hosed himself down. Carol and two others who had been with us were ahead at that point and did not know what had happened to us. They turned around and found us as we were back riding. We bid them go ahead and they did.

We eventually arrived at Bancroft, mile 417, another community center with a Best Western beside. Arrangements had been made to use two rooms at the BW for showers but we paid for a motel room, wanting to get some real sleep. I showered first while Vincent and Geoff grabbed some dinner. Vincent showered next and when I got back to the room he was already crashed on one bed. Geoff and I organized and then shared the other bed -- both Queens.

Did I sleep ? Well, I didn't hear Vincent up during the night being sick. He couldn't hold down any food. That did not bode well for the next day's ride.

Day 3 -- up and down

On my way to the hotel room we saw Carol. She and the two others had arrived at 18:48 while we arrived at 19:08. There was only 20 minutes difference, which is not that bad a spread. We didn't talk to her about departure time ... but I saw on the check-in sheet that she left the next morning at 00:55. We got up at 1:15, later than I'd have planned it but still reasonable so I didn't quibble with Geoff's recommendation. We were committed to seeing each other through the ride and Vincent needed sleep ... well, we all did, since we had not gotten much at Victoria Harbour.

The route south and east from Bancroft is very hilly, much more than I'd realized. It reminded me of a circle-vision movie of China with these hills that look like bumps on the landscape. These hills were all tree covered though and we went up and down, up and down. Geoff maintains that this is easier climbing because some of the vertical ascent accumulation is simply momentum from the downhill ... but that's hard to know. It is different.

Over the first two days of the ride we accumulated 11,000 feet of ascent. On this day we added 10,000. We caught up to the two riders who'd been with Carol the day before -- Dan & Jim -- and yo-yo'd up and down the hills. I am faster on the uphill and slower on the downhill -- it was me doing the yo-yo. I also was able to get a nice rest after each climb ... this kind of riding works out well for me.

My secret is out. At one point Vincent came up to me and asked "how much do you weigh ?". Well, I weigh 135 at this point. He weighs 200. He's a big guy -- doesn't have an ounce of fat on him from the looks of things -- that's a lot more weight to carry up the hills ! He was doing much better at this point. Geoff has a fairly constant speed and just chews up the hills. I stand on most of the uphill and climb at a faster pace, sitting and resting as I get close to the crest. Vincent actually changed his riding style more to match mine, or so he said, and found the hills easier that way. Geoff, on the other hand, never stands, except briefly for butt relief.

The climbing on day three was mostly loaded into the first 2/3 of the day, which is good. Controls were at Foymount -- 8:06; Plevna -- 15:09; Sharbot Lake -- 18:23 and then we finished at Tyendinaga, mile 625, at 23:55. Along the way we found a restaurant -- the Swiss Inn -- shortly before noon and spent an hour plus there along with two other tables of riders. Service was slow -- they had not expected this crowd -- but the food was good and the A/C was welcome. It was hot outside.

After Sharbot Lake, a park by the water and a sub from the restaurant, the riding was relatively flat, slow and easy. It was too slow. We were estimating a 1am arrival and were probably maintaining a 12-or-so mph average speed. I wanted to get in earlier; I was feeling good; it was cooling off. I cranked up the pace and we did perhaps our only real pace-line of the entire ride with a large group. I pulled for the next 20 miles, if I read the cue sheet correctly, the 5 of us picking up another half-dozen or so who were milling around one intersection not sure which way to go. Some of them kept with us for a while but then dropped off. We were rolling along at 16-20 mph, depending on the grades with no wind. Vincent joked that as the domestique he should be pulling, because I was the hill climber ... but to me this was riding like Florida ... felt like my return trips with the wind, but there was no wind. It was an easy, fast cruise. Vincent would come up and say "Geoff wants you to ease up" ... and I'd drop it a mph or two, having gotten too stoked. When you're riding slightly under what you think you can do, it feels like you can ride forever. Without hills to add strain the legs do not tire.

What's my other secret ? It's easier to pull than draft -- for me. I hate the concentration that drafting takes; pulling I can do at my speed. It's not fair to the others if you're really trying to make time because you cannot ride forever at the limit, but we were into getting through the miles, not riding at the limit.

Objective achieved, but just barely, we pulled into the Community Center at 23:55. We had arrived same-day. Food, wash up (no showers), hit the mats -- I was sure that I wouldn't sleep very well if at all. Our original intent was to stop not much more than an hour but by the time we ate etc. it was close to 1am; we agreed upon a 2am wake-up and a 2:30 departure. The sleeping area was upstairs, completely dark and silent. I crashed and when the volunteer -- in this case Peter Dusel from Ontario NY -- woke me at 2:20 (yes, a little late) -- I was so dead to the world that I didn't know where I was. My cell phone alarm, set to vibrate so as to not wake anyone else up, had not disturbed me.

It had been a good riding day, in my opinion much better than the day before, which was spoiled by the gravel sections. That's life though. We were biking, not resting on a beach !

Day 4 -- the Anvil

We rolled out in the fog. It was warm, much warmer than I'd expected. Dense fog make your glasses drip, which perched at the end of my nose so that I could see over them. My long-sleeved jersey was wet on the outside, the hairs on my arms and legs coated with droplets, my helmet dripped in front of me. It wasn't raining, but almost as wet.

The fog was so dense that when we got to one turn we couldn't see it. Marked on the cue sheet and visible on the GPS, we couldn't even see that it was a road. We turned, it was there, it was gravel. No ... it wasn't gravel, it was some sort of roughly loose chip-seal. It wasn't a long stretch, only one mile long, but about half-way through the riding became much more difficult. What the heck is going on ? Well, the hill cranked up in front of us at almost an impossible grade given the road surface. Vincent made it up, but not without almost crashing into Geoff. Geoff and I dismounted and walked the hundred yards to the end for safety. It was impossible to see the road, let alone mount and ride on it.

Gommorah Road was its name -- no Soddom nearby, no pillars of salt that we could see in the fog. I heard afterwards that those who missed the turn came to the next road by the easier path -- the other two sides of the triangle, or the other side of the circle ...

Our next Control was at Colborne. This area was familiar territory from the LOL 1000, but it seemed to be easier riding the second time through. Getting there at 8:00 a.m., we were now at mile 679 against our goal of 747 -- 70 miles to go, just like one of my normal day's rides.

Some gentle but gradually increasing grades later, we got to Rice Lake. With 37 miles to go, I'd have only filled my water bottles and moved on. Geoff wanted to stop for a proper lunch and I did not argue. He was the smart one. We didn't know it at the time, but the hilliest part of the ride was about to hit us and the rest of the ride would have been tough without a break. After our sit-down lunch at Rice Lake and a huge order of fish and chips (fries) later, we hit the road. Vincent ordered the same thing but only ate the fish; Geoff was smarter and ordered a deli ham sandwich, no fries.

The anvil then struck. 12%-14% grades on every hill with enough of a flat spot between to lose momentum, it was brutal. It was brutal because it was the end of the ride. It felt like the route was planned to find the toughest hills, but that was probably only the impression. It's simply a very hilly route. My understanding from talking to others after the ride is that the TOT (Toronto=>Ottawa=>Toronto) 1000 covers this twice -- out and back. Do I want to do that ride ? Hmmm.

The last few miles backed off to 10%-12% on these grades as we got closer to Durham College, with the hills close enough that you had a little momentum for the next uphill. Vincent was ahead of me at this point and I saw him turn into the College. Expecting him to wait for me and Geoff, I looked for him but didn't see him. I rode around a bit and then headed in, expecting that he'd already be there. He wasn't. I checked in (out) at 15:07; Vincent at 15:10; Geoff at 15:13.

With 82:07 total time, I'd beat my Shenandoah time of 82:45 by a little. Total ascent came to 26,500 according to my Garmin. Rolling time was 57:14, although that might be a little overstated because I forgot to shut down the Garmin at one point.

We celebrated a little, picking up some beer and resting in our room -- Geoff, Vincent and I. The barbecue / party started at 6pm but I soon tired, surprise surprise. I did eat a hamburger, large hot dog, lots of veggies & dip, another couple of glasses of beer from the keg. I got my Can-Am medal with a few others, having completed a 1200km ride in both the US and Canada.

There were 7 DNF's and 1 DNS out of 49 riders. The first rider -- Ken Bonner from Vancouver, finished at 20:39 the day before. He's 66 years old. Simply amazing. The last rider got in at 21:58 -- an hour to spare before the deadline of 23:00. There were 23 riders behind us -- 31 if you count those who did not start of finish.

An interesting question would be how fast could I do one of these things on my own. For the Shenandoah, not much faster. We did not draft to speak of so I had no particular advantage to riding with Juan and Andy other than companionship. You cannot discount companionship though as helping keep up the pace at times, adding a touch of realism to provide decent stops, forced pacing keeping you under bonking threshold.

On the Granite Anvil, I would have maintained a higher pace, at times, on my own. Riding with someone faster would not have worked at all unless they were prepared to slow down to my pace. I don't know -- I don't expect that I'd have cut much more than a couple of hours off the time and even that would have been heavily dependent on time at controls. I enjoy riding with a couple of companions ... but not a large group. I have no problem riding by myself (although Sandy doesn't like it). The closest to my speed might be Carol Bell, probably faster than me, but a terrible navigator. She left the Tyendinaga Control just before we did on the final day and arrived at 4:51, almost 2 hours behind. It seems that she and her riding companion of the day made at least 4 wrong turns ... bonus miles cost you !

Riding with Geoff and Vincent reminded me of time with Geoff and Jerry, although Vincent is "out there" at times, a little off the wall.

It was a fun ride. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but not next week. Doing it again, I'd make a reservation at the Best Western ahead of time, and probably at some place in Napanee just before Tyendinaga to get a proper motel. I don't know if there is something close to Victoria Harbour ... but again, that would be preferable. Performance is much better with true sleep.

The Shenandoah setup was better for sleep; the GA was better in terms of volunteers and staffing at Controls -- more of them, all Controls staffed -- a very good show for anyone visiting Canada or doing a ride like this in Canada for the first time.

What's next ? I don't know. I have a 200k in NYC in a few weeks, but that's just a nice ride. I'll plan stuff for next year as it becomes evident what's available for next year. I'll probably take a month off riding after getting back from Florida in October, we'll see. It will be time for a break.