So, let’s put a wrap on the weekend … day one was (for me, anyway) the best day of the trip… as day two was cut short, and day three didn’t really happen. The lessons learned were multiple; - Don’t under-estimate the conditioning requirement. The distance on the first day (64 miles) was a personal best for me, and while I did about 45 miles on day two, to think I was going to maintain that pace and distance over three days was pretty naive, given the training time I had allotted. - Know what you know, and learn what you need to know. Three flats in one day, and some mechanical issues, simply took the heart out of me. I “knew how” to deal with it, but I had never actually changed a flat in the field, and to think I would be able to readily do it when I had to with no previous experience (seriously, none) was pretty stupid. - Ride with good people. This is a trip that this group does once a year, and they’ve been doing it for about ten years. They’re close friends, and they take care of each other, and did they ever take care of me. - Be nice and appreciative. If you ever ride (or walk) the C&O, make the time to get know the people you meet. I met volunteer Trail volunteers who had a kind word, good advice, and a handy tool. The bike shops, sandwich shops, and innkeepers along the way are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. - Go to Barron’s in Sharpsburg, MD. … So, the last flat happened about two miles after the second one … I knew I was out of inner tubes, and so I was definitely done for the day. I happened to be at a boat ramp, and started looking around for an address, and for water. There were three people talking to one another … they said they didn’t know about water, but that there was an once cream shop about 100 yards from where we were standing. I walked up to the shop, knowing that I have no cash (used to purchase the inner tubes). I’m hoping they take credit cards, and of course, they don’t … but John (the proprietor) writes what I owe him on the back of his business card and tells me to send him a check, and let’s me hang out at his house until Julie shows to pick me up. The weekend wrapped in Georgetown … we had a couple of beers at Mr. Smith’s in Georgetown … I got to meet the group who only rode on the third day. I’m incredibly grateful for the companionship of the folks who put this together and invited me to come along, and I’m so happy I did it, despite the difficulties. I’ve already committed for next year, and I’ll be better prepared for having done it this time. That’s all.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 19:04:15 +0000
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