I have twice successfully completed the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (STP). That’s 200 miles in 2 days, folks. Not for the faint of heart.
One clear memory I have of the first one I tackled is of the last hill into Portland. By that point I was over 190 miles down, with only a few to go. My whole body hurt. It must have been around 20 hours in the saddle over the past two days by then. Not to mention I had a bad knee. Not to mention I was riding with a couple guys who hadn’t trained so we were drafting with me in front, fighting the wind resistance.
I could see the skyline. It was torturous that the mostly-flat route would turn on us at this point. I suddenly felt like my legs were made of lead. I had to stop. It was stupid, I knew. Nobody stops in the middle of an incline, and especially not when you’re only 15 minutes from the finish line! All the bikers around me were catching a second wind, their adrenaline propelling them up that hill. But I had to stop and take big gulps of air. The guys I was with groaned.
» Read the rest of the entry..
