| Elevation Map |
|---|
|
|
I've enclosed a copy of the 100 mile cue sheet (in the form of two jpg
images) from 2006 (the latest I have--someone else does the route planning). I
expect the course will be nearly the same, subject to our check in the next
several weeks for any recently added construction projects or new safety
hazards. (Please note that if you use the cue sheet to ride all or part of the
course before the actual Gold Coast be aware that there may be new safety
risks that we have not yet checked and that it is more dangerous to ride
such a course without the moderating influence of an organized ride with
hundreds of riders on the day of the Gold Coast Tour itself. In other words, if you
use the attached cue sheet, you'll be using it at your own risk.) The website contains an accurate description of the 100 miler when it says
that even experienced century riders will find it a challenge. The course
finds most of the major hills that we all know and love in Nassau and Suffolk
counties. The hills just keep on coming, so to speak. Frankly, I
believe that the 70 miler is tougher than any other century that I've ever done in our
area (including the Tour of the Hamptons, the Montauk Century, and the
North Fork Century). Having said that, those that have completed it, and who I've spoken to
over the last several years, all express great satisfaction at their
accomplishment.
| 2006 Cue sheet 1 | 2006 Cue sheet 2 |
| 2009 Cue sheet 1 | 2009 Cue sheet 2 |
Started first thing 7am. Met this girl Christine and we went out together first. She's awesome. Ultra-marathoner. Done a few 100 mile running races and a few Centuries. She's won the L.I Marathon in the day.
First, the weather. It was supposed to be raining on saturday and it was supposed to end around dawn. I kept waiting for the rain to come and it didn't. We did the last walk of the night with the dog and nothing yet. But it got windy. I knew it was coming and I was afraid it was going to rain during the ride.
Woke up at 3am and looked outside. Puddles. Rain already. News said rain is over - AWESOME. Got ready, walked the dog and as I came back with the dog, my mom got there. Loaded up the car and drove off.
Got there early. Ain't nothing better than a porta-potty that hasn't been used. Didn't even smell.
So, Christine and I left. First few miles and there was a big downhill. Started flying down. At the bottom of the hill, there was a fork. We had to go left. So, I'm going down and suddenly the bike started fish tailing. I was all over the place. I was about to lay down on the road when I managed to correct. Caught the bike and straightened it out. OMG! I did it. OMG! the fork. Couldn't make the left or the right. Jumped the curb and now I am riding on the soil and grass and into the tree. No choice. Laid the bike down. No choice. It was either going down or crashing into the tree fast. The bull handles (is that what it's called) where the shifters are moved out of place. Lost a bottle. Little road rash on my left knee and left shoulder. Little blood and soil mix on the left knee. Knee swelling up. Later in I_have_no_idea_where my bottle flew off. Fun stuff.
I was actually very impressed with myself and my bike handling skills. Things could and should have been worse. Christine said the same thing. She was sure I went down when I suddenly managed to straighten myself out. She was impressed. First mile or two afterwards my feet where shaking as I was peddling. I mentioned it to her and she said she can see that. I was shook up. In the long run, it was the best thing for me. Later we went down snake hill. If I would not have crashed, I would not have slowed down. I also would have flown off the side.
Anyway, the description of the course said that the hills are saved for the last 30 miles. BS. Climbed up 25A in the first 2 miles. All over the place where hills, rollers etc. Everytime there was a down hill, there was a stop sign, a red light or a sharp turn on the bottom. There was no where to gain ground. The only problem with the crash was that I was tired afterward. Defintly screwed me up. Stopped drinking or eating. Took a little while to rethink things. Also, lost RPM counter until mile 50 where the mechanic at the rest stop fixed it up for me.
Christine left. Hoked up with Robbie who knows Christine. Rode together for a while until the split. Seacliff was horrible hills. Hooked up with this dude who knew what was coming up. Made it up the hills. Saw some people walking up the hills.
Got passed by the Jose Lopez gravy train. Joined them - they were flying. They almost crashed. There was a bad turn into debree on the course and they all started yelling. Then there was almost a missed turn and oncomig traffic and a lot of yelling there too. I'd like to say I lost them, meaning I dropped them but nope. I lost them, meaning they dropped me.
Stopped at 50 (Gerry Park in Rosyln) and at 65 (Gerry Park in Rosyln) again. Also stopped again before the big bad hills.
Managed to pee twice so I guess I got my hydration back under control. Knee was throbbing and legs were wobbly/rubbery. The good thing about doing all or most of the big bad hills was knowing what was coming up and the knowledge that I CAN do them. I saw some people walking up the hills in seacliff. Hell, I wasn't going to do that. Didn't do that at all.
OK, the big bad hills. First stop was a 0.4 mile up hill to Avery. Then Avery. I kept singing that line from the Kanye West song, "why you gotta be so Doctor Evil". Who would put Avery in the last 20 miles? What followed was hills. We went from hill to hill to hill. We visited Horse road. Don't remember the name of the actual street but it's a 1.9 mile long road that is a gradual hill. Not a steep hill but just a long and gradual. At the end, a stop sign, a left and a worse hill. Whenever there was no hill, we were going against the wind. At times it was the wind and the hill.
It seemed the last 20 miles was just hills.
Some complaints: Their cue sheet was off I think. I finished the 100 and my computer said 103 and change. The people who did the 70, finished at 73 and change. Also, there were some long stretches where there were no pink GC markings. I wasn't the only one who was convinced he was lost. Difference is I wasn't. Other people took wrong turns.
Finished. The end was a little bit of a downer. But then again it wasn't a race. There was no finish line. There was no finishers medal. Just a parking lot and free ice cream. Still, I did it. I know I could do it and now it's open road for me.
Reflections: Could I have run afterwards. Yes, I think so. Did I run? No. I was way late and had to go home.
As I said, I'm tired now. Not exhausted but tired. Gotta figure out what to do about fixing up the bike. Either Sunrise or Brickwell.
During the ride, someone actually rode up to me and asked me if I am the same guy from the Hurricane Biathlon 2 years ago. Jeez, am I that memorable?
During the ride I noticed a rider, with long sleeves, cages instead of clipless pedals and a single gear. OMG.
During the last 10-15 miles or so, I hooked up with this kid who looked like Brian from the pool - the new Masters coach. Single gear (different than the other single gear) but clipless pedals. We rode up and up and up and against the wind together, talking. Took turns pulling and sometimes just riding next to each other talking. We overtook 2 other riders and we each pulled for a while. The kid and I were definitly pulling harder and stronger. Last mile those 2 broke away and rode home. Whatever.
Was very happy missing the swim lastnight. Still went to sleep late like an Idiot tho.
| Elevation Map |
|---|
|
