Tour de Cure, June 8, 2008

The temperature tied the record high in Reston and the heat index hit triple digits. Hell of a way to ride my first metric century!

It was already pretty clammy even before the 8:00 am start. The temperature would hit 95 before I finished -- the heat index would be close to 110.

I was pretty nervous about riding in the humidity. Probably a good thing. I drank a ton of fluids. Took advantage of all five rest stops, downing as much food, water and Gatorade as I could in 10 minutes. Didn't want to take more than that -- to keep from cramping up. But I took the full 10 each time to hydrate as much as I could.

Starting Line: Reston Town Center, June 8, 2008

I drew rider number 622. We left the Reston Town Center (see picture right) at 8:00 straight up and headed north on the W&OD Trail.

Did really well on the first 10 mile leg to -- averaged just over 20 mph to the first rest stop. Would have done better, but the trail was crowded and a kid peddling along at about 8 mph on a BMX bike was holding up traffic for a good mile. Once I got past him, I fell into a pace line and cruised at about 22 mph to the first stop.

It was an easy ride on the way out. You lose about 125 feet of elevation in the first six miles of the route.

Only real hold up came at Clark's Gap. A Virginia cop had pulled over 18 riders for not coming to a complete stop at the intersection. He was writing tickets for everyone.

A charity ride! And he's racking up revenue for the county instead of directing traffic for the cause! Only in Virginia -- the Commonwealth with no Common Sense!

Then I got to the toughest part of the trail. The W&OD climbs 300 feet in a matter of five miles. You lose about 150 of that after the peak and climb another 100 on the remaining five miles.

The route took to farm roads outside of Purcellville for some of that elevation loss and I made great time, hitting my maximum speed of 36.2 mph according to the bike computer.

Purcellville and the Return, June 8, 2008

I fueled up at the Purcelville stop (right).

This would be the longest stretch without water -- about 15-20 miles -- and the temperature was rising.

The problem was a lot of people didn't notice it.

The bike gear is designed to wick sweat away and use it like air conditioning while you're moving. And as long as you're moving, you don't feel the heat. Problem is, you don't realize how much you're sweating out fluids.

In the last two stops, I saw tons of people blazing through without stopping. And the last 20 miles were all in the sun.

In the final five miles -- moving up a long, slow grade with a 125 foot increase in elevation -- I saw tons of much more experienced riders falling out anywhere they could find shade, looking for the last drops in a water bottle, cramping up from the heat.

People were huddling under tiny little Bartlett Pear trees for what shade they could get.

I finished the ride back at the Reston Town Center in 4 hours, 53 minutes total time -- 4 hours, 3 minutes actual riding time.

And the coolest thing -- Marti, a woman I'd been seeing -- was waiting at my house with steaks and beer when I got home!

Here's the Route!

This is the route I'll be taking next Sunday:

2008 Reston ADA Tour de Cure - 63 Mile Route

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