Ride to Rougemont

I'll admit it: I'm behind with my blog posts.  Life gets in the way, and the blog, I'm realizing, suffers.  To that end, this particular post is in regards to a bike ride that Wes and I took two weekends ago.  THREE weekends ago, we'd gone for a 38 miler around Durham.  So TWO weekends ago, Wes suggested that we shoot for a 50 miler.  It sounded like a bit of a reach to me, but...okay, I agreed.  I can do 50 miles early in the season.

My friend, Candy, and her husband, Jeff, live north of Durham in a town called Rougemont.  Biking to Rougemont from Durham sounded impressive, I thought, after Wes suggested that we make this our 50 mile ride.  He'd mapped it out, and the distance looked perfect: 50 miles roundtrip.  I was a little worried about some of the hills we'd have to climb along the way, but with Louisville looming on the end-of-summer horizon, I agreed it would be great training.

We set out from our house and proceeded north to downtown Durham via the American Tobacco Trail, a former railroad track turned greenway that we love and use often; the ATT runs through our neighborhood.  The ATT is easy riding, but I was feeling sluggish that day.  We'd gotten a late start that afternoon, following a morning of volunteer activities related to the Tobacco Road Marathon that was to take place the next day.  We were somewhat conscious of the time, but surely we could make it to Rougemont and back before dark; we had about 5 or so hours to make this trek.  In previous years, when I'm on my game I can average 15mph without much difficulty.  This isn't fast enough (or at least isn't as fast as I want to be) for 112 miles in Louisville, but it will suffice for base training rides.  This ride would be a piece of cake.

Along the way during our ride through downtown Durham, we noticed the Durham bull had been dressed in a colorful frock.  When we would come back through downtown on our way home, the bull would be fully unfrocked.  Naked as a jay bird.  The previous week he'd been dressed in something different.  I decided this day I would start to keep a photojournal of the bull's attire throughout our summer and fall bike rides.

The ride to Rougemont was TOUGH for me.  We had to traverse Guess Road for a little while.  Guess Road is more heavily trafficked than we'd anticipated, and quite frankly many motorists are jerks to cyclists.  Wes superbly re-navigated our course to wind through some quieter, friendlier neighborhoods, which beat the heck out of riding on Guess Road.  We kept onward to the north.

And then...we came upon...Johnson Mill Road, which I now believe, is the hilliest, meanest road in the entire world.  I'm exaggerating.  A little.  It was super hilly (great training for Louisville, I tried to remember), and it felt never-ending.  I think the amount the we rode on it was something like 2 or 3 miles and honestly perhaps not even that far.  It felt like FOREVER.  What was even worse, though, was that I was fully cognizant of the fact that we would have to ride back over it to get home, unless we begged Candy to drive us back to Durham.  Hmmm, now there's an idea.  Except I don't think Ironmen-In-Training (IIT) beg their friends to give them rides home on bike rides.  DANG.

Now for a sentence of admission describing my mental state that afternoon on what felt like a tremendously difficult and long ride: Not far from Candy and Jeff's house in Rougemont, I had a mini mental breakdown, and there *may* have been a tear or two and there *may* have been a little (and I would like to emphasis a little) whining by yours truly.  We'd gone nearly 30 miles by that point (yep, do the math, and you'll start to see why yours truly, who had to agreed to 50 miles and not a pedal stroke more, was beginning to panic), and we still weren't quite there.  WE WEREN'T QUITE THERE.  I was not in a good place, quickly realizing our ride was turning into a 60 miler.  Looking back, I don't know why I was so freaked out by this.  On that particular day, panic and freaking out seemed totally appropriate.  IIT may not beg their friends for rides home so they don't have to bike, but I can tell you firsthand that IIT DO have moments of panic and freaking out when long bike rides that are tough to begin with turn longer to the tune of 20% longer.  It had been a slow slog of a first half to the ride, and I was tired, demoralized, and pretty worried about what such a slow training ride (and mini mental breakdown) might mean for my effort in Louisville in August.

We finally (FINALLY!) made it to Candy and Jeff's house.  They were very gracious hosts, presenting us with an array of cheese, crackers, fruit, and whatever beverages we might desire.  We settled on water, and had to keep our visit short, and the sun was threatening to set soonish, and I had decided I would not beg Candy for a ride home.  As it turns out, she offered.  But we declined, the way IIT do.

After about a 30-minute visit, we hit the road again, knowing full well what the road held for us.  I have just 4 things to say about the bike ride home:
1) Johnson Mill is as difficult going as it was coming (and a time or two (or three, dang it) Wes gave me a push by literally giving me a push as we slogged up those tremendous hills [picture both of us on our bikes, riding, Wes's right hand on my butt pushing me as I attempted to move my pedals while he continued to power us up the hills...not my proudest personal moment, but I have an awesome husband])
2) it is important to pay attention to the setting sun, because we finished this ride in the DARK;
3) I have an awesome husband; and
4) when pushed beyond the limits of what I think I am capable of, I can do more than I think I can do.

There's not a whole lot more to say about the ride home.  It was turning pretty dark by the time we hit downtown Durham, and it was very dark on the ATT.  Coincidentally, this was the same night of the so-called super moon that was supposed to be incredibly bright.  At 8pm in Durham, it did not light our way.  We'd brought our head lamps, and Wes had already installed lights on our bikes, so we had just enough light to see our way home.

I was surprised to learn that the ride home took about the same amount of time as the ride to Rougemont.  I was certain it would take 3000 hours to get home, given my level of fatigue and demoralization thanks to a real slog of a ride, but it actually only took just over two.  I hope I always remember that feeling of arriving home, safe and sound, albeit tired and a little sore.  There is no other word that comes to mind besides elated to describe how we both felt pulling into our driveway.  Which reminds me of the 5th thing I need to say about that bike ride home:

5) There's really no place like home.

I mustered just enough strength to smile for the homecoming photo.  What's in store for next week's ride...70 miles?