We did it and had fun doing it! This is my longest ride ever. Next time I hope to be more ready, but finishing was the goal.
Everyone on our two relay teams finished their legs in good shape. The swimmers, my wife Emily and our friend Ashley (girlfriend of our marathoner, Wallace), are seriously hard core. The sea nettles were out in force in the Choptank River this year. They swam through the nettle goo for over an hour. You guys rock! After that performance, there was no way I was NOT going to finish my piddly little bike leg!
While they went off to shower, nap, lunch, nap, get lemonades, and wait some more Greg and I pedaled. He finished strong in 6hrs 20min despite taking a tumble at mile 52 that left his elbow and shoulder with less skin and more blood than when he started. (Who’s hard core?) I finished in 6hrs 55min and was ready to get off the bike. The wind was out in force, as usual in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, and I was very thankful the last ten miles were downwind. My legs and hips were tired, in fact I’ve never felt so fried, but the hardest part was the neck and shoulders. A lot of fidgeting kept me going most of the time, but the last twenty miles there was no such thing as any kind of comfortable position.
Wallace and Dan finished healthily despite running the last 90 minutes or more in the rain and the dark. You guys rock!
Greg already wants to do the full Ultra distance next year. I’m going to reserve judgement until I’m sure my decision isn’t endorphin-driven.