Getting Started

This is my first update to my blog and it comes with my apology. Technical problems have meant that there has been no internet connection since Tuesday and the first two days I was so overwhelmed with the routine and work that I didn’t have time. Hopefully the technical problems will be resolved within the next few days and then we will make daily update. Today is Saturday and our first week is complete. It is amazing the changes not just physically but as a group. We have really grown together in this week. The update is a summary of the first two days. I am using a friend’s cell phone to upload this to my blog, which is an emergency measure, but it works


Stats: Day one Seattle to Sultan
Total Distance 83.27 Km
Time in the Saddle: 3:57:46
Maximum Speed: 53.3
Average Speed: 21



We’re on our way! Finally!
After four send off services the time of waiting and preparation is finally over. We dipped our tires about 9:30 and were underway about 9:45
The first 30 K was a ride through the Park. The dedicated Bike path was wonderful, shady and because it is an abandoned RR track very gentle in slopes with very little elevation change.
We rode assigned groups a good chance to chat with some of the riders. By the time we had to take to the highway the temperature was up and heat drained our energy. Our first test came at about Km 35: a hill that rose about 350 ft in about 0ne km, then after a partial drop we went up to about 400 ft. The ride down was exhilarating. Simply coasting I reached my maximum for the day of 53.3. K/h




Day 2 July 1, 2008 Sultan to Leavenworth WA

Stats:
Total distance 129.63
Time in the saddle 6:36:02
Maximum speed 65.5
Average speed 19.6
From Sultan to the top of Steven’s Pass at 4062 ft, nearly 4000 feet elevation gain with a few humps between and even on the way down so that our total elevation gain was nearly 6000 feet.

What a day! Not just in terms of length, but in terms of difficulty. The last 12 km to the top of Stevens Pass was 6% incline. Real Tough and it was hot! I lost count of the number of bottles of water I drank.
Last night I announced that my retirement would start on the top of the pass and I would do a little dance to celebrate which I did. I composed some words to Clementine which went like this:

I’m retired, but I’m tired
And my legs they feel like mush
But I made it,
Yes I made it.
It was really quite a rush

I got on the road late this morning, nearly 8:00 AM and when we got to that point of serious climbing, about 17km worth I calculated it would take me till 1:00 Pm to get to the top, in fact it was nearly two. Lots of stops including two where I splashed cold water on my face and head. The funny part was that perhaps the most difficult part of the ride was on the way down. We knew that there were several fairly short hills to climb, but I just wasn’t ready to work that hard again. Physically, emotionally and psychologically I was done. However it did pass. I finally got to camp about 4:45. Certainly not among the first who got here before I got to the top of the pass but certainly not last either.

When I got into camp, Bert and Diane Slofstra presented me with a cap that read:
Warning!
Retiree,
knows it all
has plenty of time to tell you all about it.
I heard later that my nieces in Abbotsford had asked them to buy and present this cap to me.