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Rocky
Mountain Cycling Club |
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The Club for People who Love to Ride
!! |
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LASTING IMPRESSIONS ...
by Tom Knoblauch |
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To be sure I
now better understand why fenders are sometimes referred to as mud
guards. I lay in my tent early Monday morning listening to the
rain fall as I have for three of the previous four nights and I ponder
what it may be like to cycle PBP in these conditions. This is not
simply idle thoughts but rather anxious trepidation. It only
rained hard for four hours this night and again it subsided around
daybreak. Not to say ' sunrise ' - as that never
happened for me the entire time I was in France. I am relieved
that the rain has stopped as it will be much easier and more pleasant to
prepare myself for PBP. Once again I find that the campground has
swelled with more cyclists here for PBP. My neighbor for the past
two days a Brit from the North of Whales has given me the weather
forecast for the event and it is not encouraging. What you see is
what you get more or less. He has also informed me that he is
moving to the campground in St Quentin-En-Yvelines where he has found
many of his compatriots are staying. Today I must cycle back up to
the main retail center to try and find suitable replacement items for
things I forgot to bring from home. Most notably a skull cap but also
shell gloves and perhaps a rear fender as these are some of the items
that came to mind as I lay awake in my tent this morning as the rain
fell. Unfortunately it's not the right time of year to find cold
weather clothing to be on store shelves, but with persistence I was able
to find a wool stocking cap and shell mittens in the golf department.
I also purchased an SKS rear fender that even with hours of modification
was not going to work with my seat bag and lighting system. This
last minute shopping spree has put me behind schedule and I have more to
do. Next is a department store where I shop for a large mixing
bowl and whisk so I may prepare Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem. It
really looked as if I was going to prepare a souffle`. On the way
back to Versailles and my campsight I made a wrong turn or two and spent
even more precious time cycling! The rest of my day was spent
readying myself and my bike for the event. Under normal
circumstances all of this would have been completed a day or two in
advance and I would not have normally been out cycling what would in all
be 50km after not having slept much. I have to break camp and will
be stowing all my gear at the campground office garage thus freeing up
my pitch for others to use whilst I am out cycling. I will repeat
this this process when I return but in reverse.
PBP represents my third 1200km randonee in as many years, all of them
different. I have two Colorado Last Chance tours under my belt and
have learned much as a result. One of the items I felt I needed to
do differently than I had done last year was that after finishing the
event to continue with the mindset that the event was not over and that
I must continue to accomplish tasks. Last year after the event I
slipped into the rest and recovery mode immediately, leaving chores
until later. Something I regretted. This year even though I
sorely wished to do the same I knew better. My return flight to
the States would be departing midday on Friday with or without me and
that fact alone kept me focused and on track.
I completed my ride midday on Thursday. I had become ill with a
chest cold and a very sore throat. And seemingly without a doctors
prescription you can't be given throat lozenges. After I had my
control card stamped for the final time I received a free drink coupon
redeemable at the exit of the area where with some difficulty I ordered
a chocolate milk - further complicated by the fact that I did not want
it hot. Have you ever had cold cocoa? This was yet another
example of my steep learning curve of everything foreign. Next I
was off to recover my drop bag at the Holiday Inn where I was told it
would be on Thursday afternoon. I had seen a road sign advertising
the Holiday Inn on the ride route coming into town so I simply headed
back out onto the course going in the opposite direction of eveyone
else. This led to some humorous moments. I arrived at the
Holiday Inn before my drop bag and much to my delight I was able to
order a lunch even though the restaurant was not open. It had to
be kept simple. I could only order what they had on hand and a
vegetable lasagna was what they served me. Sitting at the bar
eating lunch when the restaurant is closed while wearing cycling
clothing will get you noticed. Many PBPers had chosen Holiday Inn
as their lodging and I met a contingent of Aussies who all congratulated
me and were very warm and friendly. Unfortunately for them they were not
as successful in their ride. One of them noticed I was wearing a
backpack with a reservoir and commented that they had all taken ill with
gastro-intestinal problems that they suspect were caused by manure which
was sprayed up onto their water bottles off the road and that perhaps a
backpack may have
prevented that. They further explained that many cyclists suffered the
same problems and the train they took from Brest to Paris was
affectionately named the DNF Express. You know no one DNF's
easily. Not from a ride like PBP. I think that may be more
difficult than finishing. There should be a ribbon or something
awarded to honor their efforts. I had a scare outside the control
village of Tinteniac where I had to come to grips with the realization
that
this may be all she wrote. I can assure you that is tuff.
The van carrying the drop bags did not arrive until 4:45 and here again
I had luck on my side because they had other plans and would be
proceeding to another hotel with another van full of bags which they
would be unloading first. I convinced them to at least let me try
and find my bag and surprisingly the third bag I touched that was RUSA
yellow was mine. Now I am off and what a sight I am. I have
my drop bag tied with my do-rag to my backpack as I cycle
down the road to the train station. Before I could purchase a
train ticket I must visit an ATM so I wheeled into the Carrefour and
without dismounting I rolled up to the ATM. Even here I have
complete strangers approach me and ask if I have just done Paris-Brest
and congratulate me and point me out to others. The train ride
back to Versailles is not so eventful but still being rush hour there
are many smiles and comments. After leaving the train station I
must make a bus connection and this is awkward. It is rush hour
and there is standing room only, yet people are tolerant of this
foreigner. Once back to the campground it's all work as I wash the
bike and box it back up and ready everything for my return flight
tomorrow. It is dark before I finish setting up my tent and I only
just make it to dinner before the restaurant at the campground stops
serving food, then finally a shower. I have been awake now for 90
of the past 92 hours and now lay down to sleep only to be made to rise
by painful leg cramps. My chest cold has grown worse and overall I
am in bad shape. I am forced to ask the campground staff for help.
With some searching they find some Alka-Seltzer cold medicine that
allows me to get some sleep along with a couple tablespoons of table
salt and and some ice cream bars for my leg cramps. The next
morning I arose at 8:00 and had to rush in order to meet my 9:00 taxi to
the airport. Though no one said anything I feel my appearance must
have frightened people a little. I felt I looked bad and I know I
felt bad. The long flight would cause my legs and feet to swell
terribly. Cough suppressant and pain relievers would be the norm
for the next few days.
This has been a powerful experience for me and for almost two weeks my
dreams have been dominated by it. The event for me was full of
missteps and mistakes, enough so that I am forced to relegate it as a
learning experience. There was simply more to this event than any
experience I have had. In hindsight even if I would have made
fewer mistakes this event could have been nothing more than a learning
experience.
If you would like to view my ride please use this
link to do so. I
was unable to download the first 300 miles or so. I had recorded the
event as being 784 miles completed in 64hrs32min at an average speed of
15mph with 37,457 ft of elevation gain. I wish to thank all the
people who have helped me to this point. I had a great time. |
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