The ride was advertised as 89 miles and scenic. I live about 7 miles from the start of the trail, so figured the ride would be just about 100 miles by the time I connected with the 205 bike path trail that leads into Vancouver, WA. I got a bit of a late start, considering the distance and that I didn't really know where I was going, and finally got going by about 11. I figured that I might have a hard time finishing the ride in the light, so grabbed a headlamp on my way out the door. It took me a long time to leave the city and find the bike path over the river into Vancouver and I asked several friendly bikers, about half of whom turned out to be fairly clueless, as I'd head off again in the wrong direction. Anyhow, I finally found the 205 bike trail which takes you down the middle of 205 and over the river. Kind of an odd little bike path, but it took me to where I wanted to go, the Evergreen Highway and eventually to the Washougal River Road. The Washougal River Road is a winding, climbing road, with minimal traffic that seems to keep gently climbing for miles along a beautiful little river.
I set a turn-around time of 2 p.m. in my head, thinking that if I were smart, I'd turn around 3 hours in, in order to be back at my house by 5 p.m. when the sun would go down. Sometime after 2 p.m. I had made it as far as a little store on Hwy 14 and asked the guy how far I was from the bridge, thinking I was probably a couple of miles. He said 5, so I figured it was more like 3, and decided to go ahead and go for the bridge, knowing that I had a headlamp because at this point I would need it for the return. It turned out to be more like 10, but who's counting. I made it to the bridge around 2:45, meaning I had been riding for about 3:45 minutes, and that I had 2:15 to make it home before dark (keeping in mind that the bridge should be the half-way point, more or less). I had several thoughts during the ride, several of them pretty good, but two that came up often were: 1) Amy, you need to learn how to fix a flat, because even though you carry the fancy little patch kit, you have no clue how to use it, and 2) Amy, you need to invest in some decent bright blinky lights, for those times when you're out riding in the dark alone on highways in the middle of nowhere (no worries, mom, I've since purchased some bright blinky lights).
Overall, a fantastic day and a really great loop. And a couple of firsts for me. My first century ride, and my first time in the lovely state of Washington. I hadn't done anything active over 3 hours in a few months, so the long ride felt great. Not exactly time on my feet, but it felt good to get out and go for several hours and to start feeling like I'm getting back into shape. On top of the ride, I put in another 35 miles biking and 20 miles running last week. I'm slowly working my way back into running in hopes of some spring ultras. My ankle feels OK. It's not 100%, but I keep getting graston done on it and keep doing stabilization and strengthening exercises and am hopeful the posterior tib tendon issues are behind me. Although it's fairly tender, I haven't had any of the sharp pain that had been plaguing me this fall/summer whenever I took an uneven step. I'm still running on roads to keep my foot stable, but hope to work back into trails in the coming weeks. I ran 6 miles today, which is my longest run to date, so I'm building up gradually, and working up to longer runs. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my bike, and am feeling much more comfortable and confident on it. I haven't fallen off of it since I've moved here (eeks, big jinx there), and the clipless pedals no longer petrify me. And I've been taking advantage every chance I can to get up into the mountains to snowshoe. I hope to work into a few longer snowshoe treks in the coming weeks, as well. This weekend I hope to get back on cross country skis for the first time in 15 years and do some snowshoeing, as well.
5 comments:
Wow, I'm jealous. You've inspired me - haven't gone for a long ride on my bike in too long.
Way to get some cross-training in AND enjoy a beautiful winter day. They are such gifts!
Glad you love Oregon. Still my favorite state that I've lived in.
What a ride! The Bridge of the Gods Century Ride was exactly what I needed—a challenging and exhilarating experience that pushed me to my limits while offering breathtaking views along the way. Cricbet99 club login
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What an amazing adventure! The Bridge of the Gods Century Ride sounds like a stunning route, especially with those views of the Columbia Gorge. 11xplay.online pro
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