Yippee!! Bruce, Clint, and I finished the last fifty or so miles of the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride yesterday, completing just over 200 miles over two days. I'm thrilled and more than a little relieved. I honestly wasn't sure how this ride was going to go given the time and distance and the fact I didn't train as much as I'd hoped.

The amazing thing about the second day was the ride felt awesome. While my hands and butt were still a bit sore from the day before (although not nearly as much as people had warned me about), my legs and back felt great.

We left our hotel in Kelso around 9:20am and rode the few miles to the Lewis and Clark bridge that crosses the Columbia River into Oregon. We waited for a few minutes there to be escorted with hundreds of other STP riders across the bridge. It was pretty exciting to climb up the bridge, see the "Entering Oregon" sign, and then do a fast descent down the other side. (On one big expansion joint, you could see a dozen water bottles that had bounced off of peoples' bikes on the side of the road.)

Once we got going, Clint took off again. Bruce and I were also riding a lot faster than the day before, feeling very strong. We only made one stop early on to use the bathroom and then rode continuously all the way in. For a while, we rode with a older lady on a triathlon bike. As Bruce talked to her (I call him "Chatty Cathy" because he talks to everyone we bike past) we discovered that she's completed four Ironman races in the last two years, but is taking some time off since her grandson was born. Well, we couldn't get dropped by a grandmother, so the three of us bombed along at 21-22 miles an hour for a while in a nice pace line until she pulled off at a rest stop. Both Bruce and I breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down a bit after that.

I enjoyed riding into Portland. We had nice views of Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood plus the city as we pulled in. The only downer was that we seemed to hit every red light in Porland for the last few blocks. The worst was that we hit the red light across the street from the finish line. After 200 miles, we had to wait a minute for the light to change so we could go the last twenty feet. Bruce kindly let me finish first so the photographer could get a shot of just me. As I crossed the finish line, the announcer called out my name, which was kind of fun too.

In Halladay Park at the finish line, the organizers had set up a big party, so there were food booths, a beer garden, and bike equipment/clothes booths. We checked in our bikes and then looked around for Clint, who showed up about 15-20 minutes later. He had been waiting for us at one of the rest stops and missed us as we went by. So, as it turned out, I finished first...

Anyway, we hung out at the party for a while with Bruce's wife Theresa plus Kellie and Chase (who went shopping in Portland since we didn't need support for the shorter ride today). We then headed over to the Heathman Hotel (one of my favorites) where we were staying the night. I had a wonderful shower and then a great massage. More on rest of the afternoon and evening later.

Today I'm barely sore and am walking just fine. I was surprised how strong I felt through the finish. In total, I rode for 12:30 on the bike at an average speed of 16.1 miles per hour over the 200+ milles - faster than the 15 mph I'd expected. The second day was closer to 19 mph average. I think our overall elapsed time was about 15:20. (Note, my data isn't quite perfect because I left the GPS on for the mile+ from the trail to our hotel in Kelso and the mile back to the line, but then I forgot to turn the GPS back on as we crossed the bridge into Oregon. It's close, anyway).

I'll blog more about STP lessons, quotes, and stories later. For now, sufficed to say, I'm very happy.

I'm very happy to report that Bruce, Clint, and I (and especially I) made it all the way to Kelso on the first day of STP. We rode all the way up to the lovely Red Lion in Kelso, not needing our sag wagon that our friends Kellie and Chase were driving (how funny -- Chase driving the chase car. I'm low on blood sugar. Everything is funny...) You can see the route map here to get a sense of where we are.

What's more, I feel great, even this morning, the dreaded day after. I'm not sore (well, not really sore) except that my ass feels like, well, ass. This, however, was to be expected.

We started at 6:20am, a bit later than we had hoped, but we settled into a good pace after we cleared out of the starting line mess. The first 50-70 miles felt pretty good, so I equalled my longest ride pretty easily. The fact that it wasn't very hilly and the weather was pleasantly cool and overcast helped no doubt. I made the mistake of trying to keep pace with Clint, however, who was booming along, so I started to feel pretty tapped and sore as I limped into Centralia, the 100 mile point (see the image on the above documenting my first century - I forgot to take the photo at the end). I wasn't really sure if I could keep going, but Clint and Kellie advised me to eat some real food and sit for a while. After a big plate of spaghetti and sitting for about 30 minutes, I felt like a new man. The last fifty miles (well forty miles) felt super good. We pulled into Kelso just before 6:00pm, after 148.8 miles and 9:20 riding time.

The one lowlight was that my heartrate monitor was acting up, so I didn't have reliable heartrate data most of the ride. This is important because I was largely setting my pace via the heartrate to keep myself from dying. Bruce did a good job reminding me to slow down. It's good to have the voice of experience to keep you in line.

The ride definitely reminded me that, like Lance Armstrong said, it's not about the bike. There was one very clear moment of this as a line of people who were riding the same Trek 1500 (same year even) as I do came flying past me. I hit an even lower point when the woman on the Trek 1000 (a lower end model that I have) went by. Of course, I passed people on $3000 carbon fiber bikes too, so turnabout is fair play, I guess.

There was an amazing range of bikes. Early on we passed a guy on a Big Wheel, a guy on a unicycle, and a skateboarder. Later, we rode with a dude and a woman from New Belgian Brewing Company (makers of Fat Tire Ale and one of the sponsors) riding heavy single speed coaster bikes. Of course, there were also the teams of racers flying past too. Most everyone was pretty nice along the ride.

Last night, we had a nice steak dinner and a few beers and then crashed. Lots of fun.

Anyway, time to get ready, I'll have more later. See you at the finish line party!

Well, I think I'm ready to go to Portland on this nutty bike ride. I've packed my gear, Gu, and extra Cytomax powder in little baggies. My bike is lubed and tires pumped up. All that's left is to ride the damn ride.

Bruce and his wife will be picking me up at 4:30am tomorrow. We're driving over to our friend Kellie's, who lives near the start line, where we will meet Clint. Kellie has promised to make us a nice high carb breakfast. With any luck, we'll get to the starting line at the University of Washington and be ready to leave by around 5:30am.

Clint, Bruce, and I will be riding. Kellie wimped out this year, but she agreed to drive support for us, carrying our bags and meeting us along the way in case we need anything. We're staying in Kelso the first night, 150 miles into the ride. This is well past the Centrailia mid point (100 miles); the strategy is to go as far as possible the first day and then have an easier second day. My longest ride is 70 miles so far, so 150 is a significant step up. Fortunately, this route is much flatter than the 70 I did, so it should be a little more straightforward. (Our friend and co-worker Todd is also riding STP this year, but he's doing the whole ride in a single day and then coming back the next day - the PTS. What's more, he and a buddy are doing this on a tandem bike. Whacky.)

Anyway, guess I should get some sleep. I'll have a little camera with me and my laptop in Kellie's car. I hope to blog in Kelso and Portland.

See you on the other side.

Eek. Two days to STP (the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride I signed up for back in February.) I'm still nervous about my ability to do this, but I've done what I can do to prepare. Now, I just need to ride smart and get through it.

Honestly, I'm looking forward to it. I've never tried any physical activity of this length, so we'll see what happens. Hopefuly, the weather will be good Saturday and Sunday. Should be interesting anyway. Who knows, maybe the leaders will get thrown out on a drug scandal or someone will get a red card for head butting. I'll be sure not to insult anyone's mother or sister.

As part of my panic preparation for the Seattle-to-Portland (STP) ride in a few weeks, I did a 70 mile ride today with Bruce, Todd, Clint, and Whitney. We followed the Flying Wheels 70 mile route (the longer version of the ride Bruce and I did last week.)

This was easily the hardest ride I've ever done for several reasons. First, it's the longest (albeit by about five miles) and was very hilly. Bruce sold me a bill of goods; the extra twenty miles were supposed to be a flat loop around a valley. Instead, big hills (I swear I'll kill the next person who says, "this is the last hill!"). Second, we were hauling ass. All of my colleagues are in far better shape than I am, so our average speed was even faster than last week's fast ride. What's more, when I dropped out of the line, I had to work 30% harder to keep up since drafting is such a big help. Finally, it was really warm today (high 80's), easily the warmest weather I've ridden in.

The result was major cramping at a few points (including one very exciting locked up leg) and a sore everything. I feel good for having finished though and just hope I can walk tommorow (I feel OK right now.) I clearly need to drink more fluid; I thought I was drinking enough, but I didn't need to pee the whole five hours, so I understand that means I need to drink more. I also learned that I can't start at a sprint. As soon as we started, we hammered at 22-23 mph and then hit a huge hill. I was dizzy by the top and really considered quitting there, less than ten miles into the ride. Fortunately, once I hit my stride it got better. Finally, I learned that I hate really sweet stuff when I'm hot and thirsty. I had energy drink in my bottles; they were almost unbearable until I cut them with water I bought along the way. I also hated the Hooah! energy bar I ate along the way. I'm sure it was quite tasty, but it seemed cloying during the ride. Everyone else said it was a hard ride too (harder than the first day of STP and about the same as the second said Todd), so I didn't feel quite as stupid. Some of the others cramped too (including Clint, who I heard screaming behind me as he jumped off his bike with locked legs.) Misery loves company, as he pointed out later.

There were a few highlights of course. Much of the ride through the Sammamish River Valley was lovely, and it was nice to enjoy it with my friends. I also love the new gloves and shorts I picked up this week. My hands and butt felt much better than last week, despite the longer distance. I also was amused by the turnout of stupid drivers who feel the need to yell obscenities and insults at cyclists as they drive by. Interestingly, they seemed to be centered in a five mile radius around Duvall, a rural town near Seattle. I've never had a problem with drivers before, but today at least four or five people decided it was important to share their views with us. I guess they're mad because their jetskis and dirt bikes were broken or something.

I also discovered how cool it is to break the speed limit on a bike. I hit 42 mph in a 35 zone going down a big hill. There was something a bit heady about the whole thing; of course, I was terrified I'd be road pizza if I hit even a pebble, but it was super fun.

Anyway, I haven't decided if today's ride gives me more or less confidence for STP. Glad to know it was as hard as it gets for STP, but I'm not really excited to repeat the experience soon. Guess I'll have to keep working out so STP is easiier.

The last few weeks have been bad for my exercise routine between my trip to New Zealand, family travel, Strategy Conference, and the Business Problems class. I did a few runs in there, but largely, I fell off the exercise wagon. With only four weeks or so until my crazy 200+ mile Seattle-to-Portland (STP) bike ride, I started to freak out a bit.

This weekend I decided it was time to get serious and get back on the bike. So, I went on a fifty mile ride Saturday with Bruce. Now, fifty miles is a good long ride for me, but this ride was especially tough. First, it's been four+ weeks since I've been on a bike. Second, the ride we took from Marymoor Park in Redmond to Carnation and back was pretty hilly (we did the Flying Wheels fifty mile loop). But most of all, I let my Ironman-finishing, somewhat sadistic friend Bruce dictate the pace of the ride. Instead of my typical 15-17 mph in the flats, we were doing 19-21. Even drafting behind Bruce, I was working hard. The hills were especially brutal, sapping my remaining energy. My back and neck were super sore and tired by the end of the ride, and my rear end wasn't super happy about sitting on a post for four hours.

Still, it was a fun ride. I'm happy that I felt pretty good the next day (and could walk). My gear feels pretty good now (although gloves with more pad would be welcome). I just need to put in a bunch more miles in the next few weeks.

Bruce Morgan, my friend, colleague, and exercise mentor, completed the Ironman Arizona this weekend, his first. He finished in 13:21, well under his goal time of fourteen hours. He also completed it with no major injuries -- his other goal. His blog entry describes his experience.

I, on the other hand, showed up to work today with my shirt inside out. QuornFlour had to point it out to me. I even argued with her for ten seconds before realizing it myself. Not a high competence moment for me.

Anyway, congratulations to Bruce on his huge accomplishment!

I did a 44 mile ride today solo, out the Cedar River Trail to Maple Valley. This is the same distance coincidentally as my longest ride, but I was on my own, and I didn't take any breaks. Even though a lot of the ride was flat, it was pretty windy, so I'm beat. As it turns out, it really does make a difference riding in a pace line with others. I worked a lot harder today than in my previous rides. Sucking down two Gu packs along the way seemed to help. 3:07 ride time.

I'm also still dialing in my gear. I've been trying out a new saddle; not sure if I like it yet, but it's definitely better than my old one. I also installed SKS Race Blade Fenders last week; good thing since it was raining for part of my ride. I'm not all muddy now (well, not as much).

Anyway, still lots more miles ahead and time in the saddle before I feel confident about successfully completing STP.

After my long ride today, I weighed in at 169.4 pounds. I haven't seen this side of 170 pounds for probably 10+ years. Undoubtedly, dehydration played a small role, but I'm still excited.

So far, since I started exercising and eating a little better, I've dropped about fifteen pounds and three inches from my waist. Just this weekend, I opened up a box with old pants that didn't fit anymore; I pulled out a bunch of great pants that fit well again (even a little loose!) It was like Christmas!

I still have a lot of fat to loose, but it's nice to see progress.

In the last two weekends (really today and last Sunday), I've ridden 77 miles, basically doubling the number of miles I've put on my bike since I got it in December.

Last weekend, I did the Chilly Hilly ride (one of the top rides in the country according to Bicycling Magazine.) This is a 33 mile loop around Bainbridge Island (click to see our route) and sort of formally kicks off the bicycling season. While it wasn't very chilly, it was, in fact, quite hilly. I rode with my esteemed colleagues Bruce, Clint (and his wife Whitney who kicked all our butts), and Todd (who rides for the Zoka bicycling team and is way out of my league). I did my best to keep up, but all these guys killed me climbing the hills. Still, it was a pretty ride and something of an accomplishment, even if I did have to walk halfway up one of the last hills. It took about 2:20 of elapsed riding time.

Today, I just came in from a 44 mile ride with Bruce and Todd around the north end of Lake Washington and back across the I-90 bridge (click here for a map of the area -- my GPS was out of battery today, so no ride map). As I rode to the meeting point, it was raining and very windy. The road was covered in fallen branches; I kept thinking "this is a bad idea". Fortunately, the rain stopped (the wind never did).

These guys were moving pretty fast (20-21 mph, which is fast for me) for the first part. We slowed down a bit as the path got bumpy and traffic picked up, but it was still a good tempo. A short break at the University Zoka coffee shop for a latte (still my favorite place for a latte) and a little pumpkin break helped pick me up. The hills at the end climbing toward the I-90 bridge, going over Mercer Island, and then coming back up Eastgate Way did me in. My legs were shot. I made it and feel proud, but I'm tired and sore now. 3:05 elapsed riding time.

Before Chilly Hilly, my longest ride had been a flat 20 miles, so these last two rides really increased my saddle time. I'm feeling pretty good on the bike, although I have a long way to go before I'm ready for STP. I need to look into different gloves and maybe a new saddle too; my hands and butt don't like the current set up.

More than anything, I'm grateful to have knowledgable friends to ride with. It's been a great help as I get started, and it's more fun and motivating to ride with others. (Drafting is nice too...)