Aug. 26, 2007 – Portland Century

I have this friend, one of my many girl friends as my guy friends seem to think. She said, “I want to do a Century, and you are the only person I know who can ride a Century.” Oh joy!

So Audrey got me into training. I have been keeping up on my training while she is working on her family. A little boy is keeping her from riding but some day he too will be on a bike.

The day started out at 5:00 a.m., shower, pump tires up, fill water bottles, fill air horn, and all of the other things that go along with a long ride. Ilene drove me over to Gerri Sue’s. I can ride over there but with the truck I could not find it. After driving around I found it and I rang the door bell, knocked on the screen door, banged on the door, and low and behold there was Gerri Sue in her PJ’s. I was thinking, “This day is going to be fun.” She was ready in about 5 minutes because she had done everything the night before, not like me.

Off to Portland State, Gerri Sue giving Ilene directions. We were there in plenty of time.

We were riding down the Spring Water Corridor. I was thinking that it was hard to peddle on this slight incline when I noticed the rim was hitting the ground on my back tire. Oh boy, a flat, not more than 10 miles into the ride. I told Gerri Sue to see how long it took to fix. New tire, new tube, and 20 minutes. Boy, the bike peddled a lot easier after that.

We soon arrived at the first rest stop – 17 miles. It was real good riding until we reached Eagle Fern Park, the second rest stop – 35 miles. The ride then got to be a lot of up and down, but we kept going. It was warm and we almost ran out of water. We reached Roslyn Lake. There was not much water there but we were able to get some food and fill up. After that it got a lot more hilly and I was back into the shift up and shift down mode again. There was one real exciting time when I came around the corner and there was a full size pick up on my side of the road coming up the hill. There was one other time when someone made a right turn in front of Gerri Sue and I.

As everyone knows I stop for a lot of things – blackberries, licorice root, huckleberries, but I did pass apple trees and wheel weights. I picked up a thing-a-ma-bob that I don’t know what it is, but it has something to do with electricity.

Arriving at Blue Lake Park, there was pizza and badly needed water. I ate lots of pizza, apples and cookies. During Marine Drive that goes along the Columbia River, the wind was blowing around 20 mph and we were going about 10 mph. Do the math and you will know why every mile or two I laid in the grass and rested. Finally getting to Smith and Bybee Lakes we got more water and more cookies, and I ate an apple. The person there said they quit serving salmon dinner at 6:00 p.m. It was 5:30 p.m. and 10 miles to go. I am thinking “no way will I have salmon dinner tonight.”

We did get to the finish line at 6:30. There was still some salad and beer left. I got my goody bag – two beers, coffee, power drink, and a bunch of coupons. I then decided it was too hard for Ilene to find us at Portland State, so we rode to OMSI. Machu Woman wants to ride home. Mr. B has sat on his B too long so after 104.4 miles, top speed 41.5 , 9 hrs 17 minutes of ride time, he says “enough is enough.”

It was a great day. I had a lot of fun but it will take a LOT to talk me into doing another century until my feeble mind forgets what I have just done. Well it took a month and we did the A peach of a century a lot faster.