At Last, A Long Ride

While there are certainly lots of stresses in the life of a K-12 educator, summer vacation is unquestionably one of the greatest benefits, especially if you have young children. Our summer vacation is starting off on a great note, with lots of parties, special events, camps and trips to Taughannock park to look forward to.

I just returned from Taughannock with the boys, where we enjoyed a refreshing afternoon swim, and this morning I was able to at last go on my first longer ride of the year, a 78 mile trek that took me through Lansing, Locke and Moravia, then along gorgeous Owasco Lake to Auburn and back. This was only my second time on this route, and I forgot how spectacular the lake views are. The road conditions on Rt. 38 heading north to Auburn left something to be desired, but the weekday traffic was light enough not to really matter.

I was deep into my velotrance as I passed through the town of Scipio. For a minute I forgot how to pronounce the name of this small town, so I started playing word association, thinking about the gritty movie Serpico, then when I remembered that it was pronounced "skippy-o," I started imagining a fictional goofy Skippy peanut butter TV commercial. Ah, the mental ramblings of and endorphin-fueled mind! Serpico, Skippy-o, let's work the whole thing out.

My pace ware really good today, and I was averaging around 20 mph when I hit Auburn, just after 9 am. The return trip was a little challenging, with some unexpected climbs on Rockefeller Rd. (did they name it that in hopes of getting some money from his estate for road improvement?), and then one hell of a climb up Lamphier Rd., heading east out of Locke. That sucker was around a 14% grade at the steepest section, and I knew it was coming up, though it didn't make it any easier, especially considering the fact that this came along at the 60 mile point of the ride. This detail from Ride With GPS shows the 14% grade wall, which is the equivalent of eating a big bowl of wasabi.

This was my longest ride without stopping, though I did have to get off the bike for a few minutes because the thoughtless person living at this house on Sharpsteen Rd. in Lansing didn't see the importance of having her dog on a leash or behind a fence. Let's just say that we exchanged some sharp words (no, no obscenities, but some very direct and forceful statements and gesticulations), as she failed to recognize the importance of corralling her barking, chasing dog (not to mention her goats). Get a clue, lady! After chasing me, her dog then chased a car, so I had to wait until all traffic was out of the picture. Finally a neighbor helped out, but by this point I was fully enraged and adrenalized, which did help boost my speed in the final miles!

In spite of the dreaded doggy incident, this was a strong and memorable ride. Now I know that all of my training translates to riding strong for a long stretch without stopping, which means I'm ready for longer races if I so choose. And thanks to the overcast skies and cooler temps, I came home with water left in my bottles!

Stats:
Distance: 77.76 miles
Average Speed: 19.7 mph
Vertical Ascent: 3530 ft.
Top Speed: 37.7 mph
Calories burned: 5607 kcal
Time: 3 hrs., 56 min., 42 sec.
Conditions: overcast then sunny, low humidity, upper 60s and lower 70s