Not The Fastest Ride

Note to readers: this will follow a loose format for posts on rides.

Sometimes when you ride, or do any other form of exercise, it comes easy. You have lots of energy. The weights feel light, your legs are like springs, the pedals glide like they’ve been buttered. You always feel good on days like that. Everyone likes those days. I was wishing for a day like that recently.

Summary of Ride: I started out on the Mingo Creek trail as usual and it felt good at first. After I reached the end of the trail heading toward the Neuse, my legs turned to jelly. The energy seemed to drain out of my legs and I felt myself slow. My original plan had been to try to ride the entire trail that day, which could be 70-75 miles. I’ve done 60 before and am confident I can make it that far. But I quickly realized that I wouldn’t make it that far that day. I turned south and rode up to Anderson Point Park and stopped at the restroom area. I had some water and caught my breath. Several bikers and a few walkers went by. I decided to go south and turn back when I felt like I couldn’t go any more. As I prepared to leave, an older couple pedaled by slowly. They waved and I waved back. A few minutes later I took off. I caught them quickly and announced myself as a I rode by. Again they smiled and waved.

At the end of the trail in Clayton on a hot day.

The first hill on southern leg of the Neuse trail is a tease because it’s downhill. You pick up some speed and cruise along through some woods then pop out into a neighborhood by the river. There’s a sharp turn and you’re climbing your first hill. This is where you usually confirm that you’re going to have a good ride (or in my case, the opposite). As I struggled up the hill I thought about heading home. But, I kept remembering a graphic posted on Facebook by a cycling organization. It says something like, “As slow as you’re going, you’re lapping the people who stayed on their couch.” It sounds silly, but it kept me going.

I stopped at Auburn Knightdale road for another break. That’s usually way too soon to stop, but the bridge offered shade. There was a family there taking a break from their ride. The dad asked me about the trail, and we had a nice chat. Turns out they live near where I lived as a child, so that gave us even more to talk about. Just as they were leaving the older couple pedaled up and stopped. The man asked me a question about the trail and we had a nice visit as well. It ended up being a longer break than I normally take, but it was nice. And I wouldn’t have met those other folks had I not stopped.

The Auburn Knightdale Road bridge is still being repaired.
It made a good place for a break, in the shade. 

There is a steady incline as you ride from Poole Road to Auburn Knightdale Road. It isn’t bad, but it’s perceptible. A little ways past Auburn Knightdale Road there is another good-sized hill. It’s not that long, but there are twists and turns that make it harder than most hills. The trail also veers away from the river. When you top that hill the trail goes through some farm fields with woods on one side. This lasts for a mile or so before you reach the biggest of the hills. That one is hard any day, but it was torture for me. I kept thinking I wouldn’t make it, but I was chugging away. It was really great to get to the top. After that it was almost anticlimactic making it to the end of the trail in Clayton, where I stopped for another break. I was guzzling water from my Camelbak when a guy rolled up beside me and said, “Can I park there right beside you, like I do every day?” It was the guy who literally parks beside me at work. We talked for a few minutes before I started back.

The Wake County sign welcomes you back on your way home
after you've ridden to Clayton.   

The return trip was hard and slow as well, especially the long twisting hill away from the river after you pass Mial Plantation Road. But it was interesting how meeting some new people and seeing a colleague seemed to provide a little spark. I took extra breaks again and the ride ended up being 41 miles, averaging only 13 miles per hour. Despite the speed, struggling through a tough ride actually made me appreciate it more than usual. I also have to acknowledge that I’m not the ideal size and shape for biking (short and stocky) and I’m 50 years old. The occasional bad day is going to happen. Like the personal trainers say, you just have to fight through it.

Wildlife Encounters: Geese and turtles are standard on any ride when the temperature is higher than 40. This ride also featured a beaver sighting. There are beaver dams all along the trail, but you rarely see the occupants. The one I saw bolted into the brush as I approached. That made two beavers I’ve seen in close to two years of riding the greenway. Interesting coincidence: several nights later I saw three during a short ride.

You hardly ever see beavers, but I saw one on this ride and
three several days later.

The other interesting sighting on that ride was big black snake. I saw him moving slowly across the trail as I was coming up the large hill where the trail veers away from the river on the way back. I’ve seen black snakes in that area before, so it was no surprise. As usual, I passed him on the far side of the trail and he didn’t bother me.

Nutrition Note: When you ride for more than hour, or 90 minutes or so, you really should take some kind of snack. There are energy wafers and gels available from REI or Dicks. They’re good and they work. I keep a supply of them. But fruit, peanut butter, cheese and crackers and granola bars are also good. Word to the wise: you should try some different things on rides to make sure what works for you. Some people have sensitive stomachs when exercising.

I had an apple with some peanut butter at my first break. This is a good snack because the apple gives you a quick boost and the protein in the peanut butter lasts longer. At the Clayton stop I had an orange, another quick boost. This has nothing to do with nutrition, but the sweetness of the fruit and the juice also give you a lift.

Shameless plug: The temperature was in the mid-80s, so I took my Camelbak hydration pack. It’s a backpack with a water reservoir and a tube for drinking. It’s great for longer rides when it’s hot. It holds a couple of quarts of water. The backpack even has pads that hold it away from your back so air gets in there.  I drank almost all of it that day.