Jan 15/16 - catching up ... again

It's hard to get a blog out before heading to an early morning ride some distance away !

That said, the rides out of Tavares are about the closest that I ever have.  Just over an hour, by car, I don't have to leave much leeway as I'm already dressed and ready.  I usually stop to use the restroom just before I get there as there are a number of big gas stations on 441 just shy of the starting hotel.

On Friday nothing much happened or at least nothing much that I can remember, nothing notable !  Jim and Sheryl had lunch with cousins; Sandy picked up her now-repaired ring; we cooked in -- shrimp -- and Cassie got a couple of walks.  It did rain, so I looked for a break and we did a quick trot.

She's getting much better at walking and dealing with the street noises and smells as well as different hosts -- me, Sandy and, yesterday, Jim and Sheryl.  The big test will be this coming week as she starts her dog training sessions on Wednesday.

She's losing the puppy look in the face.  We keep saying that she's going to be small like her mother but she does have big feet ... who knows.  She does have access to the living room now but we try to keep her off the area rug.  She's got her own mat in there that she uses.  The gate is still kept close at hand and is still used, like when I headed off for my ride yesterday or if we go out and leave her.  

So ... the ride ... leaving here around 5am, I got to Tavares before 6:30; checked in with Paul, signed the waiver etc. and readied my bike for the ride.  Promptly at 7am we set out; this time I had short and long sleeved jerseys on along with my PBP reflective vest.  Earlier in the week for the 300k I'd had two long sleeved jerseys and my heavy coat, and one of those jerseys was my heavy wool version. 

Starting at 7am, vs 6am for the 300k, makes a big difference.  Even though it's a big chilly, you can see the sun on the way.  Of course it was also 20 degrees F warmer ...

It wasn't long before I was the lanterne rouge and then stopped to remove the wind vest, however, by the turnaround point in Polk City, having fought the headwind heading south solo, there was a large crowd at the Subway.  I was in and out of there in about 5 minutes.  I saw a half-dozen of those riders again as they passed me on the 20 mile northbound Van Fleet Trail, however some of those were at the trailhead using the restroom as I left the trail.  I would only see those at the very end -- finishing after me.

At the next and subsequent Controls I would again see a crowd of people stopped, resting and eating.  I left those behind and none of those passed me except or Art, Don and Susan.  I almost caught up to Don and Susan on the outskirts of Tavares; they'd stopped and were continuing.  Further on, I did pass them because they made a wrong turn -- I called out to them that they were going the wrong way and they picked me up a couple of miles later and went by, only to make a wrong turn one mile short of the hotel and graciously let me finish before them :).  Art had cruised on by and made that wrong turn with them.

There was a crowd of much faster riders and they were all sitting and eating at the hotel when I arrived.  At least half of the crowd were ahead of me. 

I started off slow and, based on my speed, figured that I'd get in a little before 6pm for an 11 hour 200k. We had a headwind southbound and, for the most part, northbound.  The NW wind was channeled by the terrain on the way north and was unexpected -- I'd been looking forward to a tail-wind. 

As the day went on and I shed clothing, my legs continued to feel good and I finished up before 4:30.  That was a treat.  I'd told Sandy that I'd be home by 8pm for dinner but that turned into 6pm.  She picked up crab cakes at OceanS Seafood.

I visited with Paul for a few minutes at the end of the ride, discussing the upcoming Cracker Swamp 1200k in October.  It was pretty busy with riders arriving so I suggested that we talk this morning once he has all the 300k riders on the road.

As for the 300k ... it's hard to say whether my cold ride on Tuesday will turn out to have worse conditions than right now.  There's a monsoon overhead and a tornado warning; huge winds albeit over 60F.  The forecast is 20-30 mph winds ... the rain will blow through but not before the riders set out.  I'm wondering if he should have a delayed start, which is certainly legal in these conditions.  Rain by itself isn't justification but lightening and tornado warnings are something else entirely. 

Anyway, my ride is over and done with, 200k and 300k now in the bag.  The 200k weather couldn't have been more perfect -- mid 70's during most of the day and sunny -- a wonderful day to be alive and outside.

Cassie got her walks yesterday; Sheryl and Sandy sat on the dock; I see that Jim did some bike maintenance on their bikes.  They've now checked into their rental at Sea Woods.  We haven't heard from them since they left.

Cassie is now up to 2.5 cups of puppy food per day -- 1.5 cups of food at breakfast and 1 cup at dinner.  She's very lean but that's the recommended amount of food for her weight.  That will max out at 3 cups total before going back to 2.5.  She inhales her food, typical for retrievers.  Speaking of which, it's time -- I feed her a little earlier on Sunday so that she has time to do her business before I go to Mass.  She wasn't all that excited about going out for her morning pee in the heavy rain but she survived.

Jason is somewhere in the Orlando area at his rental.  We'll be having dinner with them on Tuesday at the Grand Floridian.  Jim and Sheryl will mind Cassie. 

Onward ?  yes !