The conversation began last summer, as it does, looking ahead to the 2015 riding season. A mix of tours and one-day rides came together nicely. A busy mix of something old and something new. Some rides are keepers and some, well, are not.
Although I’ve been biking for a relatively short time, I’ve checked many boxes in four years, so to speak. Among them:
- DALMAC
- Week-long tour
- Century
Let’s focus on that century. Riding 100 miles. In one day. The first time I did it I was whooped. Beyond tired. But elated at the same time. The following year I repeated the same rather brutal 100-mile Tour de Lacs. In better time, too. Last year for grins and giggles, I did two century rides in the summer.
The question has been hanging out there. So you’ve ridden 100 miles. How much farther could you go? The last few years I’ve said I had 100 and some change. Some change meaning about another 10 miles. Maybe 15.
Next week we will really see what my biking legs are made of when I start pedaling in Montague and end in Bay City.
ODRAM, baby.
That’s the One Day Ride Across Michigan. It’s literally just days away and I admit there’s a bit of nagging self-doubt. Just a bit, mind you. I’m going to ride from one side of the state to the other. In one day. That’s 147 miles. I really, really try not to think about that number.
I’m riding with two faster, stronger people who plan to stick with me. A big thank you, in advance. That’s key because I will need the company and the encouragement past 100. At that point it’s not gonna be fast and it’s not gonna be pretty. But if the wind is at my back, which it likely will be, and it’s mostly downhill for the last third of the course, I’ll cross the finish line.
Here’s to #ODRAM2015.
BikingAnne 