Saturday, March 31, 2007

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.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

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

Saturday, March 17, 2007

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. :)