On Sunday I achieved a goal that I’ve been working towards for several years: I rode 100 miles in a day. It’s the cycling equivalent of running a marathon, and it felt like the epic event that it really is.
I’m amazed that I’m not in too much pain in my quads this morning – but I’m not complaining!
I was joined on my epic ride by two intrepid Oregon Symphony musicians – Assistant concertmaster Erin Furbee and bass trombone Charley Reneau. Aside from the fact that the event was a fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, the best part about this ride was the amazing roads and the scenery through which they wended. In particular, the Historic Columbia River Highway up to Rowena Crest was just spectacular, as well as the 8 Mile Road from The Dalles to Hwy 197. We’re so lucky to have such amazing and scenic roads to ride in Oregon!
I’m sure that the Cat 1 climb (2nd hardest in difficulty on the UCI rating scale) was also scenic and beautiful, but I was so busy slogging my way up the beast that I had trouble noticing.
In the end (and it was the end – we finished as they were dismantling the finish area!) it was a great ride, and a tough one (perhaps not the best choice for one’s first century attempt), and actually a bit of fun, too.
