Escape to the Lake
Last weekend was my second century of the year and first Pittsburgh charity ride: the Bike MS Escape to the Lake, which goes from Moraine State Park an hour north of Pittsburgh to the shore of Lake Erie. Rather than do the whole route and deal with an overnight stay, I preferred to do the first day century route and quit there.
The forecast was unfavorable during the week leading up to the event, so I waited to register. But the calls for extreme humidity and thunderstorms abated at the last minute, convincing me to sign up at the starting line and personally fulfill my fundraising requirement.
Years as a PMC rider served me well in quickly registering, getting my bike ready, dropping my bag at the luggage truck, and lining up near the front of the staging area, directly behind the VIP riders. I chatted briefly with my randonneuse friend Stef before we were punctually sent off. I wore the green and black dazzle jersey that I’d worn with the Buildium team for last year’s Cape Cod Getaway.
The first third of the ride was pleasant and gentle, with temperatures in the 60s and only a couple notable hills. I skipped the first two rest stops (miles 12 & 21), and finally refreshed my bidon at mile 33, then proceeded to the lunch stop at mile 48. Halfway done by 10am, I had averaged 17 mph and over 165 watts for three hours.
After lunch, the ride became more challenging. The temp had cracked 80°, and three big hills came in the 16 miles preceding the rest stop at mile 64. My speed dropped to 14 mph and my power to 140 watts, though I still had enough in the tank to pass a couple Amish buggies… one towing a canoe!
The final third of the century was a horribly brutal slogfest. Seven major hills were packed into the final 32 miles, with a very long 22 miles between the final water stop and the finish. The course turned west, straight into a painful sustained 16 mph headwind gusting to 26. Temps peaked well above 95°, with the rolling Pennsylvania farmland offering zero respite from the relentless sun. Although I was only the second rider to arrive at the last rest stop, I was completely tapped out; my speed subsequently dropped to 10 mph and my power below 100 watts.
It was incredibly difficult to finish that long final segment, and I had to pull off by the roadside four times to recuperate enough to press on. At one stop I watched Stef ride past, too overheated to chase her or even call out. I was just about ready for medical assistance, but I only had seven miles left, and once I got over the final hill, the last couple miles were a long, welcome downhill to the finish.
I finally coasted into Allegheny College in Meadville at 2:30pm. 102 miles in 7 hours 25 minutes. More noteworthy than my time was the climbing; at 5,958 feet, this ride had more ascending than New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Century, and was only exceeded by the 200k I did two months ago. Strava would confirm this as probably the most difficult ride I’ve done in five years. The next morning my scale would report that I’d lost over three pounds, even after plenty of rehydrating.
At the finish I found lots of ice and cola, bag pickup in a blissfully air conditioned auditorium, and very welcome showers. After those things, there wasn’t a lot of time before the 4pm shuttle bus back to my car at the starting line. Volunteers loaded my bike onto a cargo truck and handed me my finisher’s medal, a detail I always wished the PMC had done.
I slowly recovered on the hour long bus ride. Although the rented school bus lacked air conditioning, we opened all the windows and I let my hair fly loose in the wind. After arriving back at Moraine State Park, I gathered my bike, dumped my bag in the car, and went for a refreshing wade in Lake Arthur.
After all the concern about thunderstorms leading up to the ride, we finally got some on-and-off showers during the hour drive home. The A/C felt absolutely wonderful!
It was a good ride, and I’m glad I did it, notching up my second century of the year, but I was also very glad not to have to saddle up and fight that headwind for the second day’s leg up to Lake Erie!