Training Log Archive: PGIn the 1 days ending Aug 29, 2017:
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Tuesday Aug 29, 2017 #
12 PM
biking - dark blue bike 3:03:24 34.11 mi (5:23 / mi) +3893ft 4:51 / mi
ahr:130 max:161 weight:137lbs
Day 2 of hill-climb week.
Up in the hills to the west, starting just past Charlemont. The hill for the day was Whitcomb Hill Road, 1,450 feet in a little less than 3 miles. Was feeling my legs from yesterday so took this one a little easier, though of course it still hurt. But got up it faster than expected, 34:45, so rather pleased.
After the top, Whitcomb summit on Rt. 2, I went maybe 50 yards extra, then up a side road to pay a quick visit to The Rose and Goat, site of one of the higher O' maps in Massachusetts (maybe the highest?), coincidentally also the spot where Ross and Sam got married. Good memories!
The rest of the ride -- well, the car was easy to get to, just down route 2, almost all downhill. But that's not so interesting. So I headed off more or less to the NE, the high road to Monroe Bridge and Readsboro (VT), most of which I'd never been on.
Just fine, until it wasn't. From miles 11 to 14 it just sucked. The first part, uphill, had been recently graded, some mixture of sand and gravel, very loose, terrible traction. Almost lost it a couple of times (meaning my speed was approaching zero despite hard work, the back wheel slipping and sliding and spinning).
Finished with most of the uphill about as I passed the last house. The road got narrow (one lane) and rough, lots of rocks. At some point it turned down, now even rockier. I was close to the point of getting off and walking down, but not quite, just unclipped and went about 5 mph, bouncing from rock to rock, just trying to keep both wheels under me.
Eventually that too ended. But still 20 miles to go. Could have cut out about 3 or 4 miles by going down Kingsley Hill Road, but that wasn't all that appealing either, wasn't sure how steep a hill needs to be before you just go over your handlebars.
The rest was actually all fine. A bit in Vermont, then past the remains of the Yankee Atomic nuclear plant, then past the start of the Monroe Trail Race where I did my Cyclops imitation a few years ago, and then the east entrance to the Hoosac tunnel, and then eventually route 2 and my car.
Pretty beat. But a mostly good and certainly interesting outing.
Up in the hills to the west, starting just past Charlemont. The hill for the day was Whitcomb Hill Road, 1,450 feet in a little less than 3 miles. Was feeling my legs from yesterday so took this one a little easier, though of course it still hurt. But got up it faster than expected, 34:45, so rather pleased.
After the top, Whitcomb summit on Rt. 2, I went maybe 50 yards extra, then up a side road to pay a quick visit to The Rose and Goat, site of one of the higher O' maps in Massachusetts (maybe the highest?), coincidentally also the spot where Ross and Sam got married. Good memories!
The rest of the ride -- well, the car was easy to get to, just down route 2, almost all downhill. But that's not so interesting. So I headed off more or less to the NE, the high road to Monroe Bridge and Readsboro (VT), most of which I'd never been on.
Just fine, until it wasn't. From miles 11 to 14 it just sucked. The first part, uphill, had been recently graded, some mixture of sand and gravel, very loose, terrible traction. Almost lost it a couple of times (meaning my speed was approaching zero despite hard work, the back wheel slipping and sliding and spinning).
Finished with most of the uphill about as I passed the last house. The road got narrow (one lane) and rough, lots of rocks. At some point it turned down, now even rockier. I was close to the point of getting off and walking down, but not quite, just unclipped and went about 5 mph, bouncing from rock to rock, just trying to keep both wheels under me.
Eventually that too ended. But still 20 miles to go. Could have cut out about 3 or 4 miles by going down Kingsley Hill Road, but that wasn't all that appealing either, wasn't sure how steep a hill needs to be before you just go over your handlebars.
The rest was actually all fine. A bit in Vermont, then past the remains of the Yankee Atomic nuclear plant, then past the start of the Monroe Trail Race where I did my Cyclops imitation a few years ago, and then the east entrance to the Hoosac tunnel, and then eventually route 2 and my car.
Pretty beat. But a mostly good and certainly interesting outing.