I am now in the midst of my seasonal and “event singular” dalliance with bike riding in the anticipation of bike trip later this year. Unlike last year when I did a multi-state ride from Northern Virginia (near Washington D.C.) to Pittsburgh, this year my ride spans across the state of North Carolina from the western tip in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the eastern shore.
Before we get to some details on this, let me digress a bit with a topic that connects to this experience and that has to do with the subject of a single word called “pain”. As human beings, we shudder at the thought of pain, we shy away from pain and on a general basis we make a good faith attempt at being sympathetic(empathy would be a more emotionally intelligent response) to others who suffer from pain. But there is an opportunity to look at pain from a different light. If we ever experience it and if somehow find the strength in ourselves, the strength and support of others, have some hope and a slice of luck (as the conditions warrant) then the experience can be transient. Pain and pleasure share a symbiotic relationship. Without one we cannot recognize or experience the other. Pain can be a cathartic experience while inordinate amount of pleasure can contaminate the soul.
And now after that brief diversion, here is the rest of the stuff…..
I plan to ride in the state of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast. My ride starts in a place called Jefferson, NC and ends in Swansboro (also a town in NC)
Here is the plan for the seven day bike trip:
Day 1- Oct 1st: Jefferson to Elkin - 64 miles (elev. +3,750 ft)
Day 2- Oct 2nd: Elkin to Oak Ridge - 65 miles (elev. +2,745 ft)
Day 3- Oct 3rd: Oak Ridge to Chapel Hill - 78 miles (elev. +2896 ft)
Day 4- Oct 4th: Chapel Hill to Knightdale - 69 miles (elev. +2,910 ft)
Day 5- Oct 5th: Knightdale to Wilson – 59 miles (elev. +1,398 ft)
Day 6- Oct 6th: Wilson to Kinston - 69 miles (elev. +918 ft)
Day 7- Oct 7th: Kinston to Swansboro - 68 miles (elev. +1012 ft)
The estimated cumulative mileage is 487(about the distance from London to Frankfurt) and the cumulative elevation climb is 15,629 feet (nearly the elevation of Mount Churchill in Alaska named after the great English statesmen Winston Churchill)
And so in order that I complete the ride without any SAG support, I have logged training miles indicated below:
Week Ending
|
Week #
|
Mon
|
Tue
|
Wed
|
Thu
|
Fri
|
Sat
|
Sun
|
Weekly Miles
|
Cum. Miles
| |
16-Apr
|
1
|
17.2
|
17.5
|
19.0
|
24.0
|
24.0
|
101.7
|
80
|
129
| ||
23-Apr
|
2
|
17.0
|
13.8
|
19
|
30.0
|
38.0
|
117.4
|
198
|
318
| ||
30-Apr
|
3
|
25.1
|
19.1
|
24.1
|
34.5
|
23.7
|
126.5
|
324
|
522
| ||
7-May
|
4
|
25.1
|
25.1
|
20.1
|
38.2
|
25.0
|
133.5
|
458
|
737
| ||
14-May
|
5
|
25.2
|
25.5
|
30.0
|
45.0
|
125.7
|
583
|
939
| |||
21-May
|
6
|
12.5
|
16.5
|
14.0
|
50.0
|
19.0
|
112.0
|
695
|
1,119
| ||
28-May
|
7
|
26.2
|
21.6
|
47.8
|
743
|
1,196
| |||||
4-Jun
|
8
|
16.2
|
10.5
|
12.0
|
16.5
|
56.0
|
41.2
|
152.4
|
895
|
1,442
| |
11-Jun
|
9
|
12.4
|
12.9
|
14.0
|
9.0
|
61.0
|
19.0
|
128.2
|
1024
|
1,648
| |
18-Jun
|
10
|
9.2
|
14.1
|
48.2
|
36.0
|
107.5
|
1131
|
1,821
| |||
25-Jun
|
11
|
18.0
|
16.0
|
34.0
|
1165
|
1,876
| |||||
2-Jul
|
12
|
16.1
|
14.1
|
41.0
|
71.2
|
1236
|
1,991
| ||||
9-Jul
|
13
|
14.1
|
16.2
|
14.2
|
21.3
|
41.1
|
106.9
|
1344
|
2,163
| ||
16-Jul
|
14
|
18.3
|
15.7
|
16.3
|
51.0
|
101.3
|
1445
|
2,326
| |||
23-Jul
|
15
|
17.3
|
15.7
|
15.7
|
56.5
|
15.1
|
120.3
|
1565
|
2,520
|
I am hoping to log 2,513 training miles (a few miles short of the distance between London and the city of Ganja in Azerbaijan). Most of the training will be on W&OD and on occasion I might ride on the Mount Vernon trial. In addition I hope to bike in the Skyline drive.
