New PR in OR 200K!

... first qualifier for PBP done in 9 hours and 39 minutes.

My fastest ever 200K brevet. Many thanks to Bert Lutz who rode with me for much of the ride. I also met Lynne, Mike Richeson and Peg Winczewski (who suffered to flats, back to back)

I have done a faster permanent: The Three Rivers Cruise in 8h 59m. This was last weekend. If I do the Tahuya 300 next week, I would have ridden long distances 3 weekends in a row.

Next looms the Monster SIR 300K: The Tahuya Hills 300. I finished last, last year, having wasted tons of time at all the controls. Not so this year. I shall try and finish and catch a decent enough ferry to get home on time. Or just ride home from the ferry terminal.

New PR for 200K distance.

To punish myself for DNF'ing the SIR Spring 200K, I rode a hard 200K with Don and Elaine Jameson, Shane Balkovetz and Jim Jensen. All of them being stronger riders than I was, I had a good time hanging with them (for dear life), and pulled off a sub 9 hour 200K. My first ever.

Notable fact: Shane did this suffering from Pneumonia.

We had occasional splotches of rain, and glorious sun on the finishing stretch on Highway 9. Shane gave me a ride home, and I was most happy. Next week is the ORR 200K, an ACP Brevet that is the first PBP qualifying ride for the year.

Pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ottavayan/2007ThreeRiversCruisePermanent200K

My first DNF: 200K

(Originally posted March 17th, 2007).

Well, I followed my best ride of my Randonneuring life (the 1000K) with the worst possible ride. DNF!

I started the 200K one hour late and found out that the first control was 32kms away. I hammered like I have never before, but still was short by 12 minutes. I rode back using th cue sheet, kicking myself all the way. Greg Cox, the organizer, said he would have "given it to me". I should have called him from the first control. I guess the moral of the story is to "always ride on".

I am planning to drive down to Oregon to do the 200 there. And, I plan to start on time. :)