All Signs Say it's Still Winter in NH

(Thank You Sir, May I Have Another!!!)

This past weekend was another of my long training weekends. My plan was to ride on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I had a total of 38 hours planned for the three days, but an early winter storm rolled in on Friday and covered the roads with 8-10 inches of fresh snow. I decided to push my schedule forward by one day, riding instead on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. (I rode a 13, 13 and a 12)

I was also going to try and meet up with John Jurczynski, the cyclist from Holderness who is also doing RAAM this year. But the roads were pretty slick all weekend, so I decided to use my cross bike instead of my road bike and keep my loops a little closer to home.

(Top of Gonzo's Pass, Day 3)

I did make it up to the Whites on Monday. I rode up to Lincoln and then climbed up over Gonzo’s pass. How many cross bikes do you think have made that trip? My mind is a little foggy (38 hours in the saddle will do that to you) but here are a few incidents that I do remember:

-Even with the cross bike, I managed to crash once. On Saturday morning I was riding on back roads to limit the odds of getting run over by drivers maneuvering thru the fresh snow. At 5 in the morning, the snow covering the dirt roads was firm and great for riding, but by 11, it had warmed up and the once hard riding surface turned into a slippery mess. I skidded in the loose snow and fell off the bike, landing with a roll that could get me a job on The Fall Guy. No real damage to me but I did break my good Lume Light (hope it’s just the bulb.)



- I was riding up North Rd, which is a dirt road that runs from Warner to Sutton. A Lexus SUV with Rhode Island plates was coming the other way; it stopped and the driver leaned out the window and asked “Is this Route 100?” North Road is a fine dirt road as dirt roads go, but it’s still a dirt road so I’m not sure how he thought it was a state highway. I couldn’t even think of a Route 100 anywhere in the area, so I asked him, “Where are you trying to go?” He replied “Stowe.” To which I asked “VERMONT?” I told him how to get back to the interstate, and it wasn’t until he left that I realized I had missed my first and only opportunity for a real Bert and I moment. Instead of giving him directions, I should have simply said “Oh, you can’t git tha from he’ah.”

(That's why I ride. Like my new wheel set in the backgroud (low spoke count)?)

- On Monday evening, I was 37 hours and 40 minutes into a 38 hour planned workout, 20 more minutes of peddling I would be home. A pickup trucked passed me, and then pulled to the side of the road. I watched as the driver got out, came to the back of the truck and watched me approach. I thought here comes another confrontation with an irate driver. He asked me “are you from Salisbury?” I stopped and told him I was. He then asked me if I was that guy doing that big race. Apparently he had heard the story on NHPR and figured I must be the guy. He wished me good luck and told me to “give em hell.” I rode the rest of the way home with a smile on my face.

- I got home at the end of day one, rode up to the side door of my house and stopped. Unfortunately, my left foot wouldn’t clip out and I fell over and landed in the snow.

I have decided to go to Alabama at the end of the month to race in the Heart of the South 500. It will be another good test of my fitness and it will be a good opportunity for some of my RAAM crew to get some practice. Terry, Dave, and Brian G are coming down to crew. Thanks guys.

In two weeks it will be triple 14 hour rides.

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