Final Thoughts - It's the Journey not the Destination

See the happy good looking guys above who look very refreshed after 23 hours in the saddles in 4 days. The smiles on our faces after reaching Georgetown were the result of good preparation. We met all our goals. I was able to raise a decent amount of money for a good cause: the Walker Scholarship Fund. I proved to myself that there are more benefits to turning 50 than an AARP membership. We made it to DC, traveling over 340 miles, painfree, happy and on schedule. We aren't great athletes, simply middle aged, slightly overweight desk jockeys, who were up for an adventure.

Here are some thoughts for anyone trying the trip:

Train properly

research your trip

don't believe everything you read on the internet

pack just right

have the right equipment

have reasonable daily goals and destinations

TRAINING

Proper training depends on who you are. For Jeff, who is 12 years younger than me it didn't take as much. He has a general good fitness level by playing hockey year round. His longest training ride was 50 or 60 miles. This may have caught up to him a bit the first day when we went way beyond his longest ride, but after that he was perfectly prepared.

For me, at two months shy of 50, I had to put a little more in specifically for the ride. I started in January. During bad weather I rode for 45 minutes a day on a bike trainer. In good weather I tried to commute as much as possible to work, and I did progressively longer rides each weekend, topping out at 90 miles. I also tried to do back to back long rides on the weekends as I got closer to the ride. Also I lifted some light weights with lots of reps and crunches on a balance ball. Although one thinks you need just strong legs, it's important to build up your core, arms, back and neck. Normally I used to get neck and back cramps and fatigue on long rides. I didn't have any problems on this ride. I was comfortable for the whole journey. Building up your arms is particularly important for this trip. You will be getting out of your saddle a lot on the C&O to ride over roots, potholes and rocks. Your arms and legs will be your shock absorbers. The training was good for me as I was able to drop about 20 pounds between January and June.

RESEARCH

The trip becomes a lot easier if you know where you are staying each night and what is a reasonable distance. There is a great book called the Trailbook. It gives you a mile by mile description of the trails from Georgetown to McKessport with an excellent pull out map. Most of the local businesses have advertisements in the book as well. A guy from DC has also made a very good DVD that is for sale all along the C&O. You follow his ride from Georgetown to Cumberland. Check out the weather forcasts, but remember there are small pockets that are a lot colder than most reporting weather stations. For example, the Laurel Highlands tend to be 10 degrees cooler than the lower areas in PA, and valley pockets like Little Orleans trap cold air over night. Also it's good to know things like: where are the convenience stores and bike shops, is there a laundry in my accomodations, where can I get a good lunch, will I have a climb into town etc.

DON"T BELIEVE IT ALL

We relied on an internet account of a trip taken a couple of years ago by some guys who made the trip from Boston. The problem is you don't know anything about the author's experience as a bike rider or their fitness level. After reading their account it made the C&O seem much tougher and the trek muck slower than it really was. The reality was that instead of averaging 11 mph as they did, we were able to maintain a steady 15 mph. The C&O was actually a bit faster than the GAP. Of course we both had a little mountain bike experience, so what were problems for the other author was fun to us.

PACK RIGHT

If you take too much the bike will be too heavy. If you take too little you will be uncomfortable. For us, knowing we could do laundry the first two nights meant we could cut down on clothes. On the other hand having a windbreaker and full finger gloves was very nice. I may have taken a bit too much, but it's important to have first aid for anticipated problems. I never did need the Prep H. As far as food and energy bars, just take enough for one day, as you will be able to buy stuff along the trails.

EQUIPMENT

Having the correct bike is essential. We both rode drop handle bar bikes. Jeff had a Cannondale Tourer and I had a Motobecane Cyclocross. Road style bikes go faster and have more hand positions. This means your hands don't get numb and you spend less time each day in the saddle. We did have knobby tires on the bikes which allowed the bikes to grip the surface and feel stable through mud and gravel. We only had one true flat in almost 700 miles combined of riding. Another important piece of equipment was the seat. I put a Specialized Body Geometry Gel seat on my bike. It is specially designed to prevent saddle sores and numb privates. Believe me at my age I don't need numb privates. People are amazed when I say that I never had a sore butt. Another secret was applying Body Glide every morning. Also having good bike shorts that transfer moisture and have good padding eliminates biker's butt.

Hydration is another key issue. You can go long distances in hot weather between water. I took a 100 oz. Camelback which was actually very comfortable. When I got off the bike I always had my cell phone and wallet with me, so I didn't have to worry about leaving them on the bike. I would also recommend a rack and bags that work for you. I used two pannier bags that attached to the rack and hung over the back wheel. Jeff used just an oversized trunk bag. Having a cell phone and charger is also necessary for emergencies. Just remember to turn the phone off unless you are using it. Otherwise it will constantly be searching for a signal, which are intermittent, and burn out the battery.

REALISTIC GOALS

Be honest with yourself and only set mileage goals that you are able to reach. This is supposed to be challenge, but more importantly a fun adventure. Don't really simply on mileage indicated on maps. You will do more every day. It's about the journey, so you will add miles off the trail doing a little exploring. You also don't want to race. Ride at a comfortable pace and try to ride with people who ride at your pace. Jeff and I were lucky in that respect. There are lot's of people who are comfortable doing 11 mph. We were comfortable at about 15 mph. If you go too fast you will burn out and bonk, if you go too slow you will spend too much time in the saddle. It's good to change speeds for variety. Early in the morning we would warm up doing 13 or 14. When we were on the paved surfaces we were going over 20. In the afternoons when we were getting in a good rythm we would do long stretches on the trails at 16 or 17. When you get off the bike, you still want to have something in the tank so you have energy to explore. We really enjoyed going for a long walk in Harper's Ferry. As far as where you stay, be honest with yourself. I don't do great sleeping on the ground. It's important to get plenty of rest and feel good in the morning, so I found it necessary to stay at inns. Other people find it better to camp out. If you camp out free sites are all along the trail and you never have to go out of your way to find where you are going to sleep.

Most importantly, enjoy the ride. Learn about the local culture (or lack their of - see Bill's Place), talk to people along the way. Be appreciative and supportive of the businesses in the small trail towns and they will treat you right. Take plenty of pictures so that you can remind yourself of an awesome biking adventure.

Last Day - Harper's Ferry WV to Washington DC - 70 miles

Since there was no breakfast to be had at the Hilltop House, we got an early start after I changed my flat. Although the facilities were disappointing, there is no denying the magnificent view offered. We were treated to a perfect sunrise over the Potomac and the Maryland hillsides. We rode down the steep long hill, clutching our brakes, to the walking bridge. The bridge is actually a functioning railroad bridge with a protected sidewalk. Unlike yesterday, it was relatively cool out, we were fresh and no one else was out. Carrying the loaded bikes up and over the bridge, and down the dreaded metal spiral stairs was a snap.

We had heard about a great coffee house in Brunswick, MD, which was a few miles down the trail. It was early Sunday morning, and the only thing opened in town was the bait shop. After splitting a wrapped muffin that Steve gave us we headed back down the trail. Before too long we met up with Jogi from Towson, MD. He was riding by himself and had started from Perryopolis, PA on Friday. We slowed down to talk. He was riding his wife's straight bar hybrid, as he couldn't get wider tires on his bike. He told us how the day before he rode over 120 miles from Frostburg to Shepardstown. He couldn't feel his fingers and he felt like he was getting delirious. Jogi said he actually caught himself crying on his bike. His bike computer broke, so he had no idea of his pace. We had slowed down considerable to ride with him as he obviously needed some company, but he commented that he had to pick up his pace to ride with us. Our guess was that he had to spend around 10 hours pedaling the day before to cover the distance from Frostburg to Shepardstown.



After reaching White's Ferry we parted ways with Jogi. It was about 9:30 and we were hungry for breakfast. We invited him to have breakfast with us, but he was anxious to finish the home stretch of the ride. After thanking us for the company that made it "the best part of his ride" we wished each other luck and parted ways. White's Ferry is the last operating ferry on the Potomac. It leads to Leesburg, VA. There was a small store with a lunch/breakfast counter at the ferry station. After a decent breakfast we were ready to finish up the last half of the day's ride.

It was Father's Day. Jeff has a 1 year old. We were both anxious to get home in time for dinner. After arriving in DC we would have to follow a trail to the airport where we renting a minivan to drive home. The drive is about 4 hours. So we had a goal to get to the airport by early afternoon. Although the scenery was still beautiful, we stopped less frequently and tried to keep a good pace. Jeff lived in the DC area for a while and had ridden on some of these sections of the trail. He warned me that things would bog down the closer we got to DC. This was true when we hit the Great Falls area, about 15 miles from Georgetown.

We had become spoiled by the slow pace of small towns, and enriched by the genuinely nice people we met along the trail. They respected what we were trying to do, and selflessly tried to help with friendly advice, an extra muffin or a ride down a hill an a muggy day. The last 15 miles the residents inside the beltway had a different approach. The treated the C&O as if they were on the beltway at rush hour: pushy, selfish and rude. The rules require that you have a bell. This is so you can warn slower moving riders that you are approaching. Groups are supposed to ride single file, but they don't. So when they hear a bell they are to move over and let you by. One of the more obnoxious phenomena we saw multiple times were fathers out for a Sunday Father's Day ride with their kids. Instead of talking with their families, they were yapping on cell phones while riding. The Great Falls area is beautiful, with waterfalls, restored old buildings and a working replica of a canal boat. It was ashamed that the clowns with the cell phones were missing it. In one stretch of several miles we say repeating piles of horse poop. This was in an area that was heavily used. We finally saw two ladies on horses in front of us. So not to startle the riders or horses we rang the bells slowed down and let them know that we were approaching. Instead of a friendly hello, they starting yelling at us, telling us to slow down. We passed at 12 mph. It was as if they thought that the C&O Towpath was solely for them and their horses and all other users were trespassers.




As we got close to Georgetown we dropped over to a parallel paved trail. This allowed us to complete the last few miles quicker. At the end we ran into a rider who had been in front of us. We asked for directions and he told us to follow him. He led us to the Key Bridge and pointed us to the trail on the Virginia side that lead to the airport. When we told him we had ridden from Pittsburgh, he told us that he was a transplanted Pittsburgher. That probably explained his friendly and helpful demeanor.

The trail system in and around DC is great, but heavily used. They actually had a radar speed trap on the trail leading to the airport. We made it to the airport without any problems. As is typical, it took awhile to navigate the terminal, and we were kept waiting a long time for the rental car. Ironically we were waiting because they had to wash it off site, for two stinky sweaty passengers with muddy, dirty gear and bikes. It seemed like it took us longer to get the car than to ride to DC. We were on the road by 3:00. We stopped for some food and cold drinks. After pulling up at a motel, we sweet-talked the manager into letting us use a shower. Changed, clean and refreshed, I made it home for a Father's Day Dinner with my family.

Day 3 Little Orleans MD to Harper's Ferry WV - 90 miles

After Steve whipped up a fantastic and never ending breakfast we said goodbye and moved on for the third day of riding. We thought we were going to do 80 miles, but we added about 10 miles as a result of some exploring and the one detour in the trail that takes you on roads. Prior to this trip a 90 mile ride seemed like a major undertaking. Today, it seemed like a leisurely ride. When we woke up the temperature was 45 degrees in Little Orleans. By day's end we were riding in mid-80's weather. After 5 fairly muddy, rutted miles on the C&O we were able to switch over to the smoothly paved Western Maryland Rail Trail. It was a nice change to ride on a smooth, flat surface. Where we were doing around 16 mph on the C&O we were able to do about 20 mph on the paved trail. The other nice feature was that we were riding parallel to the C&O and could look over at it from a different perspective. The mid-point of the paved trail was the town of Hancock. We stopped there for a few minutes at a bike shop in town to load up on Gatorade and water. This is also a very nice little town that we often see on route 70 between Pittsburgh and DC. The trail runs next to the highway for a few miles.
There are several nice bike shops along the trails. We tried to make a point to stop in, say hello and buy something. These shops in small towns perform a valuable service to riders. The owner of this shop won the right to operate it in an essay contest.

After the Western Maryland Trail ended we reentered the C&O. After riding for a little while we reached Ft. Fredrick. This was a beautiful park and a nice place for a rest. They also had excellent clean bathrooms which were most welcome after Steve's massive breakfast and strong coffee. This also allowed us to take the obligatory tacky pictures of each other in the stockade. Yes, they caught up to Stritty for riding through the Paw Paw Tunnel.

Going forward we rode past the Little Pool and Big Pool sections of the Potomac. We met up and rode for awhile with a group of riders from Erie PA. They had started from Boston PA the day before us. We also met some filmmakers who were shooting a documentary about a group of kids walking from Boston Mass. to Washington DC. We stopped for lunch in the small town of Williamsport, MD. We rode into town and noticed the grand opening of a leathers store, which was a giveaway that this town might be a little shady. We found a deli/grocery and had good hoagies. After lunch we reached the detour, which became a longer detour for us because the detour wasn't so well marked. It was kind of nice riding rolling hills and winding roads for about 7 or 8 miles. I noticed how much more comfortable I was riding with the loaded pannier bags. Coming down the home stretch of the ride we passed Sheperdstown WV, which is supposed to be a nice town with good restaurants and accommodations. We also decided to bypass the Antietam battle field, as it would have taken us several miles off course and we wanted to save time to wander around and enjoy Harper's Ferry.


We reached the part of the trail directly across from Harper's Ferry. We could see our hotel, sitting way up on the hillside looking majestic. To get across the river to Harper's Ferry we had to cross a hiker's bridge that was part of the Appalachian Trail. The trail intersects Harper's Ferry, crosses the bridge and follows the C&O. The headquarters for the Appalachian Trail is in Harper's Ferry as it is near the half way point from Georgia to Maine. Crossing the bridge after biking all day was no easy task. We had to carry our fully loaded bikes up a metal spiral staircase and then cross a narrow, busy path while pushing the bikes. When we got to Harper's Ferry it was impressively restored in authentic fashion as it is a National Park - a Civil War era version of Williamsburg. Our hotel was in the upper part of town. To get there we had to climb a long, steep hill. About half way up I noticed my rear tire was extremely low. I stopped to pump it up. As Jeff came by I waved him on. As I was pumping I was rushing and broke the tube valve. Not wanting to change the tube there, I pushed the bike up the hill the rest of the way in the sweltering humidity. All the while up I was thinking of taking a shower, and relaxing with a cold drink and nice meal at the hotel. When I actually made it to the hotel I was sorely disappointed. From a bit of a distance the Hilltop House Hotel looks like a quaint and historic hotel, but there is a thin line between "quaint and historic" and "old and tired". The Hilltop House has seen better days. At check in I was informed that the restaurant and tavern were closed for two weeks. That meant we had to hoof it back down the hill for dinner and then back up after. A nice couple from Nebraska offered to wait while we showered and changed and give us a ride back down the hill. They were just another example of wonderful, friendly people we met in the small towns along the trail. We had dinner in a nice tavern and then walked all over the historic section of town as well as the upper part of the town. We saw the Jefferson Rock, an historic hilltop cemetery, what was once the nation's first Black college and the Appalachian Trail headquarters. It was a very interesting several mile walk. Who would have thought it would have been fun to go for such a long and steep walk after biking 90 miles.

Day 2 Meyersdale PA to Little Orleans MD - 80 miles

The second day was my favorite day of riding on the trip. We passed through long rail and canal tunnels. Passed the Continental Divide, rode from Pennsylvania into Maryland, had an over 20 mile high speed downhill, saw historic Cumberland and began riding on the C&O Towpath.
The day started with an awesome breakfast at the GI Day Room with a stack of hubcap sized pancakes masterfully prepared by Floyd. This place is not to be missed. It's true Americana. The small town diner where everyone stops to get coffee in the morning and solve the world's problems. We were minor celebrities, as the town is very cyclist friendly. People piped up about their own experiences on the trail. I'm sure none of them had been on a bike since childhood until the trail came through town a few years ago. Think of Mayberry with a bike trail and you have Meyersdale.

After carbo loading a la Floyd we were totally fueled for a full day of riding. We continued riding up another 8 miles or so to Deal. About a mile or so out of town they are putting in a very cool cast iron bridge that was preserved and moved to Meyersdale.

After reaching Deal we started descending. This is the Eastern Continental Divide. A couple of miles down the trail we reached the Savage Tunnel. This is a real highlight of the Pennsylvania side of the ride. The tunnel was opened just about a year ago and was the major impediment to connecting the GAP and the C&O. It took years and about $15 million dollars to complete the project. The tunnel is almost a mile long and lit. As you approach it is quite imposing.

Shortly after getting through the tunnel we reach the PA/MD border, which is also the Mason Dixon Line. For the next 200 or so miles each revolution would open our eyes to American history and Civil War era. These revolutions were coming much swifter as we headed down hill. Although it was only a 2% grade at most it made it very easy to ride fast. Of course we slowed down when we reached the unlit Bordon Tunnel. Stupidly, I didn't bother putting my light on my handlebar. As I reached the tunnel I could see the light at the other end. This was a bit deceptive. When I reached the middle of the tunnel it was pitch black and very eerie. I was engulfed in darkness, unable to make out either end. I had to pedal blindly until I could see the opening on the other end.


We passed through the outskirts of Frostburg and started riding along the Western Maryland Railroad, which still operates a steam engine between Frostburg and Cumberland. The trail crosses the tracks several times as we approached Cumberland. The town of Cumberland was very nice. It is where the GAP rail trail ends and the C&O Canal Towpath begins. They have restored and built up the area by the old rail station where the towpath begins. There are shops along the trail near the rail tracks. We stopped for coffee. It was cold when we started out, probably the low 50's and we were moving for over an hour at over 20 mph, so the wind chill whipped through us. A nice big latte was a great treat.
After the break we started on the C&O. The surface is very different. Instead of smooth crushed limestone, the C&O is like a narrow dirt farm road. There are mud holes, roots and rocks. You need to think more like a mountain biker than a road rider. As long as you are aware of what is ahead of you on the trail and you are prepared to get out of your seat to ride over or through the impediment it's easy to ride. We never had an issue. On the other hand we got muddy and the bikes slid a bit. We passed Confederate grave sites and canal locks. In parts the canal has still green water, in other areas the canal was dewatered and overgrown with trees.

Hunger set in, but towns were few and far between. We came to Old Town, which was very small. We asked a local if there was a restaurant. She suggested that we go to the old school house. We were expecting an old one room school house, or a big old brick building that was converted to shops. In fact we almost rode by the "old school house". It was a one story 1960's style brick school. The cafeteria was turned into a deli. It was as if nothing was changed. The pictures of the senior classes were on the walls and the sports trophies were in a glass case. The furniture was the school tables and chairs. The class rooms and offices were converted into a body shop filled with cars from the 50's and 60's in various stages of restoration.

After lunch we rode toward the Paw Paw Tunnel. This tunnel was designed to cut off miles from the canal trip so that the canal could is lo compete with the railroads. In fact the tunnel did the canal in. It took way too long and too much money to complete and caused the canal company to go bankrupt. This tunnel is long, but not as long as the Savage Tunnel. The towpath becomes very narrow as it hugs next to the dark waters of the canal below. The surface is very uneven with puddles. Signs warn riders to walk their bikes through. I dismounted, but Stritty pedaled on. As I awkwardly walked, pushing the bike I watched as Jeff disappeared ahead. I no longer could make out the faint light of his head light. Since he was making it, I figured I could do the same. I got on the bike and rode slowly, careful not to out ride the beam of my light. It was an interesting challenge and something I probably would not have tried if I was riding alone.
Eventually we reached our destination for the night: Little Orleans (with the emphasis on Little). We were as far from big city civilization as one could imagine. As soon as you get off of the trail and go through the overpass tunnel you are greeted by the village's only industry, the Bill monopoly of booze, bait and bites. From a couple of ramshackle buildings 81 year old Bill operates a combination bar, restaurant, grocery, beer store and canoe rental. The facilities were upgraded after a fire consumed the original Bill's shack a few years back. Bill has the only legal firewater sales for 20 miles. That makes Bill a popular guy. Sundays are especially good for Bill. Under Maryland law, you can only buy alcohol on Sundays if it is purchased with a meal. On Sundays Bill sells lots of food.

After getting off the trail we had a cold one at Bill's and then headed for our accommodations: the Little Orleans Lodge. It is a rambling white wood building that once was the the local school house. It has been converted into a very comfortable B&B. I would bet it's the most manly B&B around. The owner, Steve is a great innkeeper. Steve is 71 and living alone. He seems to like the company. We were the only guests that night. He gave us the upstairs which consisted of two nicely appointed large bedrooms, a bath and a sweet balcony off of Stritty's room. After we cleaned up the bikes and then ourselves we came downstairs. No doilies and crumpets here. Steve yelled out from the other room, "grab some beers or whatever from the fridge and there's some chips and cheese dip by the TV for you." After showing us a very well done video of the C&O trail. , he took us on a tour of the area. First he drove to the lookout shown above where we had a commanding view of West Virginia. This spot was used as a spot for soldiers to shoot cannons at the enemy during the civil war. Steve then drove us around pointing things out of local interest: the trailer where he found the fat dead guy on Thanksgiving, the campground where they have a motorcycle rally complete with a motorcycle demolition derby and the woods that were turned into a goat farm. At the end of the tour he dropped us off at Bill's for dinner with the advice to stick to the chicken or fish, as he wasn't going to be responsible if we had the seafood. Remembering the bean burrito incident we followed his advice. After sampling the local flavor of Bill's complete with the wandering dog, crying kids and loud mouth local drunks, we were ready to call it a day.

Day 1 Boston to Meyersdale 102 miles

Our journey started at about 7:30 in the morning after getting a little lost on the way to Boston PA. We were wearing out matching Weber Gallagher bike jersey that the firm had made for an MS ride a few years ago. It was cool and overcast for June - perfect biking weather. This portion of the trip follows the Youghiogheny River to the town of Confluence almost 70 miles away. For the first 40 miles we go went through little towns like Suttersville, West Newton and Connellsville. Connellsville did a particularly nice job of incorporating the trail into the town. The trail goes right through the middle of town, past the businesses and a nice bike store where we stopped. There we met two guys who were traveling west from DC. They gave us some pointers. The pushed on for their last few hours until Pittsburgh, while we had another 300 miles to go.


After Connellsville the ride got more beautiful and remote. We met up with a big flock of Canadian Geese who didn't seem to want to share the trail. Jeff did a great job of herding them away amid a cacophony of honking and hissing. Connellsville leads to Ohiopyle State Park. This area is renown for white water rafting. The rough was rugged and rocky. The views were awesome. Leading into Ohiopyle is a
bridge that has won engineering design awards. It's really a neat bridge and leads right to the little town and former train station. From Ohiopyle we rode 12 miles to Confluence. This was the first part of the trail completed 25 years ago. Confluence is a nice little town and home of the River's Edge Restaurant and B & B. This is where we had an excellent lunch and a nice rest after 70 miles. Jeff made an unfortunate selection for his meal. Although the black bean wrap was tasty it apparently did not sit so well for the last 30 miles. We were now beyond Jeff's longest training ride and he was navigating uncharted waters.

After lunch we pushed on to the town of Rockwood. The trail was now following the Casselman River, we passed a bridge where our law clerk, Tim got engaged to his fiance. We were slowly and gradually climbing into the mountains of the Laurel Highlands, home to ski resorts such as Seven Springs and Hidden Valley. During these 19 miles, as we were climbing and the bean burrito was causing a bit of a revolution, Jeff started to struggle. The temperature also dropped considerably, probably into the low 50's. At Rockwood we stopped at a little bike shop. There was also an information booth there. The booth was manned by a 98 year old named Maynard who hadn't missed a day since the booth opened. The townspeople named the booth after Maynard and he now rides a golf cart there everyday. I had a nice chat with him. He is as sharp as a tack. He gladly posed for a picture when I told him he was famous. When I told him we were going all the way to DC he gave us bracelets that commemorated the recent opening of the Savage Tunnel.

After a rest Jeff and I saddled up for the last leg to Meyersdale. Jeff was really struggling and freezing. Somehow he gathered the strength to keep a decent pace despite the fact that this was the steepest part of the climb. We crossed a long imposing viaduct shortly before reaching the Meyersdale Train Station. We made our way through town and found our accommodations, the Maple City Loft. It was in an alley in an industrial building downtown. The loft was a very nice two level apartment that could sleep 12 people. It had several bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a laundry. We couldn't ask for more. Just as the owner of the loft was greeting us Jeff sauntered across the alley just in time for the black bean wrap to make a hasty escape exiting the same way it entered. Needless to say, Jeff was not in good shape. He was tired, cold and probably dehydrated, but after a ginger ale, a hot shower and some veg time he made a comeback. We went out to dinner. Jeff seemed fully recovered and ready for Day 2.

Training Ride on the Trail

Less than two weeks to go until the ride. I've been making up my own training program, but since the weather broke I've been trying to ride 5 to 6 times per week, with at least one long ride on the weekends. Last weekend was a holiday weekend, I did 4 fairly long rides in a row, with the longest being 62 miles. I also have been commuting to work by bike, schedule permitting. Some days I extend the ride home, but almost always try to ride at least part of the ride home hard.
This weekend my goal was to do my longest ride yet. Today I went to the trail head in Boston, PA. This is where we will start our ride. I rode 35 miles out and turned around for a total of 70 miles. Then I drove home and did a loop that included the Pittsburgh part of the trail. There is a 9 mile gap in the trail, so the part closer to my house isn't connected to the rest of the trail. I added another 20 miles for a total of 90. It was really hot and humid, so I expect that today's ride will be at least as tough as the last three days. The truth was it really wasn't too bad. I didn't feel sore and I didn't get biker's butt. The heat got to me a little bit at the end. It was tough to stay properly hydrated. You can only drink so much water. I had about 200 oz. of liquids and my weight was still down about 6 pounds after the ride.
On the last loop I rode past R.E.I. where Laurel works. They built a store last year that is right on the trail. Today Laurel, her co-workers and volunteers were doing trail clean-up. I rode the portion of the trail that they cleaned. They did a nice job, but I got there too late to see them in action.
I've included a few pictures of the the trail going east from Boston. Throughout the trail communities have done a nice job restoring old rail stations. Below is the station in West Newton that is almost done. This section went through a nice park called Cedar Creek Park that is in Westmoreland County. They use the old station in the park as a snack bar, store and bike rental facility.
From this point forward, I'm going to start to taper. I feel I'm as ready as I'm going to be. This past week I rode 245 miles. That's the most I've ever done in a week.

Home Stretch

We have less than four weeks until the bike trip. Things are starting to come together. People are being very generous with their donations. Since this is the 35th year of the Trial Academy I am challenging each of the 35 faculties to pledge at least $1000. The Campbell's Souperstars (my faculty) has reached the goal, as has Bruce Parker's faculty.

The training is coming along too. This weekend I tried doing long rides both days. On Saturday I did 46 miles on a rail trail similar to what we will be riding. Sunday I did a local event called Pedal Pittsburgh. I did a 60 mile ride. It's a very neat event that goes by architecturally significant buildings in the city. It is also a very challenging ride. Pittsburgh is a very hilly city. There were many big climbs. The last 10 miles had the toughest climbs up to a neighborhood called Mt. Washington. Stritty got back on his bike after the tree disaster. He breezed through the 50 mile ride. Sam Foreman, who is also planning on joining us for the ride, did the 50 as well.

We met up with many different local characters. One was Dan Oshop. Dan rode a bike around the world a few years back. He has also done most of the trails that we will be doing in the trip. Dan gave us some good advice.

We will have another couple weeks of trained, do some anti-rain dances and be ready for the ride.