MS Bike Tour 2007

With the anticipation of the 2007 MS Bike Tour within a month away, I enrolled my buddy Joe Chan to train with me 3x's a week for 4 weeks straight.  Here are my 2007 Tour results:

Started at 7:40am at front of pack.
Rest Stop #1: 8:45am rested for est. 20~30mins
Rest Stop #2:10:00am rested for est. 10~20 mins
Rest Stop #3: 11:45am rested for est 30 mins

Finished at 1:30pm
Got home at 3:15pm.

Total time from start to finish: 6 hours 10 minutes = 370 minutes.
Total time on bike via PC: 4 hours 44 mins and 32 seconds = 284 minutes.
Difference in time = total time rested = 86 minutes = 1 hour 26 minutes.

Trip Distance:
6.6 miles from home to Tour registration
66.79 miles not including rest stops.
6.6 miles from Tour Finish to home
Total bike ride for day stop to finish: 79.99

Avg Speed start to end: 14.08mph
Avg Cadence: 67
Max Speed: 36.07

Web album here.

Training:
I've never been so focused as to train for a physical activity on purpose so this was big news for myself. And since experience taught me a great lesson in disappointment through lack of planning and preparation of the 2006 MS Bike Tour, I knew I had to train for the 60 mile route if I intend to complete it. To add flavor into the Tour, I decided to complete it within 4 hours.

To complete my goal for a 4 hour Tour, I planned a training regiment consisting of getting geared up by 6:30AM Tuesdays, Thursdays and either one of the 2 weekend days for a 30 mile run, 15 mile round trip.

This consisted biking from my apartment waterside to the George Washington Bridge and back along the Route 9A otherwise known as the West Side Highway). We made great strides as Joe became a great sport with not only meeting me for 95%-98% training arrangements but also by pushing his own personal best by trying to keep up with the younger me.

There were times where I questioned the value of having to wake up at these hours just to train hard for 2 whole hours on a consistent basis and when most would agree that staying in bed would be a better choice, I had a greater mission to accomplish. And that mission was to plan my work and work my plan. As simple as this may sound, it wa a personal obstacle I must overcome.  So in a sense, the MS Bike Tour was in itself more for personal development than anything else. At least what I was presently aware of.

To ensure my progress was measured, I replaced my piece of crap Topeak Panomara bicycle computer with a really kool and thus so far reliable Sigma 1606L DTS. The first day of training was tough. not so much in physical sense but in terms of a mental challenge. Rather than testing our limits on the bicycle, we tested our limits in what kinds of new places we had yet to encounter.  The training run became more of a site-seeing trip. We concluded the first day of training at 4 hours with a side trip to McD's for breakfast, hehe.

After that day, we got serious. Joe dropped his knobs for a pair of slicks on his hardcore Mountain Bike and we gunned it pushing 10 minutes better each time. I reached a round trip of 28 miles at 1 hour and 40 minutes (against head wind one way) with an average cadence of 67 and average speed of 15.17mph. I am poised to complete the tour in 4 hours given an average speed of 15mph which is realistically attainable given the training.

The Route:
We started at Pier 94 (56 Street and 12 Ave) and made our way downtown until we connected to the FDR drive North (both closed to traffic in their respective directions) where we rode way up until a park at Inwood, 214 Street which was literally the peak of Manhattan, NYC. That happened to be our first rest stop which was mandatory. For folks who wanted to ride on, needed to walk their bikes past the park about a good 5 minutes before mounting and riding off.

The route continued on heading South along the West Side Highway back down to Pier 94 which appeared to be the last quarter of the 30 mile route. For the 60 mile riders, we proceeded to past Pier 94 and head right into the Lincoln Tunnel where it begins to filter the men from the boys.

The Big day:
Joe and I arranged to meet at 4:30Am sharp at the day of the tour. Weather forecast indicated a high of 65 and a low of 62 that day so we expected a chilly ride. I must applaud the Tour organizers this year as they did not require everyone to have to stand in line to drop off their envelopes. Instead, they had drop boxes at various points where registered participants can place their donations into and only those without their riding 'bibs' needed to stand in line for.  This sped the entire process up big time and made me wish I had more sleep instead (I slept for only half an hour the day prior).

As a reward in getting up early for the Tour, we positioned ourselves at the very start of the yellow ribbon dead center.  This not only allowed us nearly no time to waste at startup but also gave us an opportune time for vanity with the cameras snapping away at the front of the pack.

The Start:
At the start of the Tour, we dashed downtown where shortly after, was joined by Tak.  Tak participated in the Tour alone and he planned to complete the 30 mile run but later decided to give the 60 mile route a try.  I asked Joe to keep a pace at 15mph but we could not resist to ride 18-22 as everyone around us sped fast past us.  And because Tak was also gunning it at the 20's I made great time and averaged 17+ mph at Rest Stop #1 (22-25 miles into the Tour).  Headwind were light and the weather was ideal.  Riding with such anticipation and speeds loosened my rear blinker light but that wasn't the only thing I lost. It appears Joe was also not in sight when I looked behind.  As much as I would have loved to chase Tak on his sweet Bianchi equipment, I made a conscious decision to drop back in an attempt to pace myself from the lessons I learned hard in 2006.

 

Rest Stop #1:
About 18 to 20 miles into the Tour, we arrived at the mandatory Rest Stop #1 (Inwood Hill Park).  I was only minutes behind Tak as well as Joe, who trailed minutes behind me.  We rested some and took advantage of the free drinks and snacks to fuel ourselves for the rest of the trip.  I found the Propel drink mixes to be refreshingly good (I had a salty Pelligrino in my CamelBak, hehe).  They also had lots of cereal/protein bars and fresh Bananas.  We used this opportunity to take a group photo. Tak also made the decision to stay in the 30 mile tour.

Onward to Rest Stop #2:
Heading back down Riverside Drive and connecting onto the Henry Hudson Parkway, Tak caught up to me and nearly blew past me.  I struggled a bit at reacquainting myself to the physical endurance.  After resting a bit, I noticed that getting back on the bike posed more of a threat than a treat as it seems to have 'reseted' my ability to be broken in for the ride at this point.  I had trouble maintaining speeds at 16mph at points this early in the Tour.  Slowly, I biked past Tak and made my way past the 30 mile larker at Pier 94 and onto the Lincoln Tunnel.

Rest Stop #2:
Riding into the Lincoln Tunnel was a BLAST!  I reached speeds never before imaginable on my bike.  At 37 mph in open air on my bicycle, I could not have felt more free.  This feeling quickly lessened as I began teh same trek back uphill into Jersey.  This took much of my reserved energy away as the people that i left in the dust now returned the favor.

This was where I felt the fleece should come off but I did not want to stop.  The increase in body heat was a result of my enduring pain of fighting gravity uphill and the enclosed tunnel preventing the cool air and wind ouside to deregulate my current body temperature.

About 3-5 miles into Jersey, we reach Rest Stop #2 where I planned to meet Joe at the entrance.  I fueled up with some more bars and a bag of chips (my body hungered for sweets and salt!).  Instead of waiting I realized that I was not making time and resulted in heading back on route.

Onwards to Rest Stop #3:
The 30 mile ride in Manhattan was pretty well controlled and organized in that there was no worries of riding with or against traffic.  In Jersey, this was not the case.  There were much less moderating and we rode alongside traffic which caused you to expend more energy to ensure you do not get hit by consistently looking over your shoulders and the stop and go from traffic and traffic lights.  I had not anticipated this and certainly did not anticipate a grueling uphill battle consisting of a steep and very long asphalt road around Edgewater Commons Mall.  Sadly, I had to walk half of it up.

At the peak of the uphill battle, we arrive at the entrance to the Palisades Interstate Park.  We are 40 miles into the tour.  After resting with a powerbar and some hydration, I entered the park.  The Park welcomed me with an immediate downhill ride quickly allowing me to forget the past uphill experience.  The Palisades Interstate Park consisted of another 8-10 miles of wooded and cliff side terrain and gorgeous view of Manhattan onto our right.  .What made this ride even more remarkable was the seasonal foliage that added much to the ambiance. 

And as if the previous uphill battle was thought to be the only unwelcomed obstacle to the Tour, I was presented with many more of these challenges when the trails in the Palisades Intereste Park posed more uphill battles than expected.  And it gradually seemed more and more difficult.  Although Joe and I trained for the event, we did not train uphill and this was a complete suprise given my experience with the 30 mile tour on relatively flat grounds. 

There were times where I biked so slow in an attempt to conquer the hills that the person walking aside me were walking faster than I.  And at times where I pushed my thighs so hard that when I finally give up and step foot on ground, my legs cramp up immediately.  I had to walk up some of these hills at points where my legs give out.  I simply had to admit defeat although there was still a war to win.

Rest Stop #3:
After fighting the hills of the Palisades Interstate Park, we leave the park for asphalt again and bike at a subtle incline towards a relatively long and straight road towards Alpine-Kiku Restaurant which was stationed as Rest Stop #3.  I watch the other riders that had already left the next rest area bike on the opposite side of the road fast.  As I biked exhausted on and on, I could not help but to complain at just how much longer of this path is there before we reach the rest stop. It appeared to be miles of asphalt.

Finally arriving at Rest Stop #3, my body tired for sleep.  This was the 50 mile marker and I really felt like lying on the ground for a nap.  In addition to the same snacks and drinks we also had fresh apples which I found to be an amazing treat at this point.  I witnessed many bikers going off track for a piss and this time, I needed to go myself and I chose to do it at the portable outhouses before heading out. 

Leaving Rest Stop #3:
Asking a fellow biker, I was assured that there was another 16 miles left. Not realizing that the Tour was 66.8 miles and NOT 60 miles, I had thought that I was making terrible time and that Rest Stop #3 was only 44 miles into the Tour and not 50 miles completely threw me off in my expectations again.

By now, resting did not do much in terms of having to re-acquaint myself to the Tour as much as it did in Rest Stop #1 since I believe I am past my breaking-in point.  Something remarkable happened to me however.  At times, I would witness bursts of energy allowing me to past riders along the way at this length of the ride.  This burst of energy was only achieved until I hit the next uphill where the octane in my fuel would simply wear out.  I found this fascinating and perhaps should read up on nutrition more to gain a firmer understanding of how carbs play a role here.  I wonder if it had something to do with consuming a carb gel that was found at Rest Stop #3.

Onward towards Manhattan:
Five miles into the ride from Rest Stop #3, we ride into a luxurious neighborhood which I am still trying to find out its name.  I saw houses on large plots which were beautifully designed and constructed and well landscaped.  I'm defintely coming back to take photos for inspiration.  Most of the trip after Rest Stop #3 was flat grounds which helped me ride comfortably towards Manhattan.  My legs were tense by now and I just wanted the Tour to end.

I nearly missed the George Washington Bridge simply because there was no signage on it.  Had it not been for the group of bikers standing at the bridge's entrance, I would have definitely missed it.  No marshalls, no signage, simply unorganized at this particular part of the Tour.  The entrance to the bridge marked 60 miles.  I took some time to take photos of the breathtaking views here.

Surprisingly, the ride over the bridge were delightfully easy.  The George Washington Bridge actually stood leveled on the New Jersey side which made for the ride to be completely downhill towards NYC.  Sweet and what a well deserved treat!  At this point, I realize that there was still much biking back to Pier 94 which I estimated to be another 6 miles or 124 blocks of city streets to past.  The Bridge at the NYC side was on 178 Street and Pier 94 was at 54 Street.  

Biking in Manhattan was no easy task as there were also shares of uphills as well but not nearly on the capacity witnessed in Jersey.  I did not need to walk my bike up and remained on my saddle fighting the pain incurred to my thighs at this length of the trip.  Slowly, I made it back to Pier 94.  Look at my expression!

I learned a few new things during this ride.  Although I did not make goal in finishing the Tour within 4 hours, I still felt a great sense of accomplishment as I found myself knowing a little more about the capacities of my body.  I did not limp towards the finish line as I have in my 2006 MS Bike Tour which led me to believe that the 100 mile Tour may be within range; and only if I upgrade my bike.  I also learned a new understanding of how to utilize certain gear ratios for purposes of making the hills easier to accomplish.  My iPod kept me company throughout the trip and it made it much more pleasing to have the right tunes keep you on track.  It was a great ride and I enjoyed participating it with friends.  Next year, I desire to build a team so that we can all ride in cohesion all pushing one another to new heights.

For more photos, click here.

Comments

[Doria]

People should read this.