This is the perfect 200k for a beginning randonneur - just a great route design. Into the wind for the first half and with the wind all the way back, and flat as a pancake with some good scenery the whole way. Also pretty good roads except for maybe a 10 mile stretch. It also had a good amount of shade most of the way.
So Steve and I met Jay for his last perm in Texas before he moves to Utah and we headed out, practically past Bud's door. Through Rendon and Alvarado and then Maypearl for the 2nd control. Up to this control I felt kinda cruddy - like my stomach was upset, but I was still riding a decent pace. My plan this time, unlike probably every single 200k I've done before, was to ride slower for the first half so that I wouldn't burn out my second half.
After an air conditioning break, we made our way to Italy. The last 10 miles of this were some rougher chipseal and what must have been a false flat since I couldn't seem to make any speed at all. Also my knee was hurting pretty badly - like it wanted to pop but wouldn't. Took a long break at the Stuckey's there and had a nice chicken sandwich, a monster, and some aleve that Steve had. Then set off for what we thought would be just a few more miles into the brisk breeze.
On the way into Avalon we were already only moving at maybe 16mph with the wind in our face and watching the storm, or what looked like one with the dark clouds, moving by. Then we hit what was obviously a storm front because it was like hitting a wall and the temp dropped 10 degrees. I didn't mind it so much since it was nice and cool, but the wind was howling and gusting. Weather showed gusts up to 60 mph and the wind speed while we were riding through rose to near 40mph.
The poor uprights were complaining their heads off when we finally turned off
. We took a short break at an info control and then with the wind at our backs Steve and I took off at 19-20, which was a pace we easily could have held, but poor Jay was FRIED. After realizing he was 3/4 of a mile behind us and losing ground, we slowed up and tried to keep his spirits up. I know ALL of us can relate to that feeling.
He perked up a bit as we were riding around Lake Waxahachie. That little section is GORGEOUS and so is the lake. I want to organize a little ride for rbent in Mid July perhaps that will hav eit's finish point at the lake for us to go swimming and have some lunch in Waxahachie. While we were there, there was a scooter rally going on - 50 or so scooters were BBQing and buzzing around all over the place. looked like fun.
We had another control right outside of downtown and I had my celebratory Dublin Dr. pepper and an oatmeal cream cookie, and Jay perked up a bit. He wasn't speedy gonzalez, but he was steady the whole rest of the way back to Joe Pool. We took one quick shade break for me before the long descent down Lake Ridge. Steve and I still had a lot of gas in the tank, so we raced at 29mpg the from the "lighthouse" back to the marina entrance, where Steve beat me by a bike length. I need a bigger chainring, dangit!!!
So we got our cards signed and celebrated Steve's first randonnee in style, with a nice lunch. At Oasis, Steve had the mushroom burger and I had the best fish tacos I'd ever had. I'm VERY happy with the outcome of this ride. I hydrated much more than usual, never once felt the lungs closing up and never had a mental wall to push through. Could have easily continued onto a 300k.
My computer, which is a little short, showed 125.5 miles at 15.5 average. Actual mileage somewhere around 127.
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Magical Mystery Tour (Read 859 times)
