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HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's been an AMAZING 2017 year and it's going to be an EPIC 2018!NEW YEAR
by Robin L. Sandos
Nostalgia of another year of growth & lessons has completed
Endings & yet new beginnings with motivating dreams are set into motion
Wise lessons with new goals are implemented & now embarking on thy journey
Years fly by, but thy growths & lessons last a lifetime & more
Ending this year only to begin another wiser & ready for the new challenges
Around & around the years pass by creating gains of wisdoms & strengths
Realizing the meaning of life is to LIVE EACH DAY TO THY ABSOLUTE BEST!
http://www.100-200.org/ - BIKING 200 MILES IN ONE DAY IS TRULY AN EPIC RIDE!
“The 100/200 is a one day bicycle ride that stretches from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts state line. Bicycling Magazine included this ride in a 1989 article titled "Hell On Wheels: The 10 Toughest One-Day Rides in North America."
The 100/200 was truly an EPIC RIDE! I never thought I’d say this but in my opinion it was tougher than doing the Ironman. Why? Well, you use the same muscles for the entire time (12ish hours of riding, very little fast stops to make it back before sunset and you are pretty much in the same positions the entire time). Also, I chose to ride with a group of very strong riders and the pace we averaged was right around 19 mph for entire 200 miles and close to 10,000 ft of climbing including going up a mountain properly named Mt. Terrible at around mile 140 lol. I had a BLAST and pushed myself very hard to stay with this lead group and do my work at the front pulling when it was my time. I’m happy to say I finished with this lead group which ended up to be only 5 of us that started together and 1 other random guy we picked up in the last 50 miles. The guys I road with were GREAT and took good care of me lol. I pushed it a little too hard in the beginning and definitely felt Mt. Terrible! The most important part was staying on top of nutrition and pacing ourselves on the hills. David and Dominique had good energy at the end and so we picked up the pace on the last 50 miles home (to the MA state border). It was definitely tough staying on that last 50 and I dug deep but was happy to say I stayed on. Most of the rests were very fast except for the lunch break at about mile 100. The second 100 I couldn’t drink Gatorade anymore (my body didn’t want it) and opted for just water. It did the trick but it was definitely a mind over body game for a good portion of this ride. This ride was not like an IM because you don’t just do your own endurance pace the entire time when you are in a group of riders. You do the pace that is set by the rider pulling and this changes nonstop. I was very happy to finish and finish with the guys I started. I had a BLAST and highly recommend this challenge to experienced riders looking for a great challenge and EPIC ride. I missed not having to get off the bike and run after the first 100. Having to get back on and use the same muscle for the second 100 was definitely a bit uncomfortable from time to time and this is where the mind over body came into place and having to keep positive thoughts (while being in pain) and trying to stay loose while in the same positions for another 6ish hours. All in all it was GREAT and what made it great was the AWESOME support group and team we had: 15 riders, 1 bike mechanic, 2 full time drivers, 2 sag vehicles, 1 nice van pulling a U-Haul Trailer and 1 Expedition ticked out to nicely carry 4 bikes inside, lots of gear & nutrition. It was truly GOOD TIMES with GREAT athletes and friends!
For FUN here are some poems I wrote about this awesome ride:
EPIC RIDE
By RLS
Energy from sunrise to sunset met
Pains ignored to keep pushing on
Imagining, visualizing the finish
Cascading 50 mph descents
Rolling scenic views
Inconceivable Mt Terrible climb
Determined, focused, pedaling on
Energy maxed & finish accomplished
TWO HUNDRED MILES
By RLS
Together we embarked on a courageous adventure
Wanting, striving, pushing for one goal, a finish
One hundred miles was only the half way point
Hundreds of miles were spent training & prepping for this ride
Under the sun’s light from sunrise to sunset we rolled
Numbering the miles & hours as they went by one at a time
Determined, focused, & pushing on to finish 200 miles strong
Encountering technical, physical & mental challenges along the way
Dedicated & devoted support team keeping us going strong
Managing energy levels, hydration, & nutrition to sustain the ride
Imagining & visualizing the finish of this desired accomplishment
Learning new challenges & struggles to overcome and defeat
Encountering like minded athletes, souls & friends along the journey
Surreal ending & accomplishment of a hard fought finish to an EPIC Ride
