Training is a little behind the curve (and by a little, I mean it’s a lot behind the curve). I’m headed to Wasaga Beach to spend the weekend and train with Leslie and Christian. Finished work on Friday, headed home, packed, loaded up and ran smack into the teeth of some brutal traffic. Now I understand that on a Friday, but people were stopping for NO REASON. The ride turned into a two hour pain in the a$$.
Leslie and I went out for dinner once I got up there (Christian was late because of work) and while it wasn’t ‘healthy’, it could have been way worse. We split Irish Nachos (lots of veggies) and Garlic Bread with Cheese and Bacon (no veggies). That wasn’t the highlight, it was the 25 year old dude who is sleeping at the bar one minute and then making out with a cougar on the patio the next. It was some seriously crazy entertainment watching the local wildlife.
Saturday we had some pancakes and bacon and then realized we had to get a move on if we were going to get a ride in before the weather got nasty. As much as I wanted to do something flat, like go to Collingwood and back, but Christian made a great executive decision and decided that the Creemore loop (and all the hills that go with it) was the way to go. So 11 am, off we go (and with lots of cheering, there was no ‘negro down’ at the first traffic light like the last time we went out).
It was grey and a little warm, but overall the conditions were pretty good. We make the turn and start the ride towards the hills, taking it easy to make sure that the legs were good and warmed up. Last minute instructions from the Morton’s, ‘when you get to the top, you still aren’t at the top. Keep your head down and keep pedaling’. Good advice, because holy hell there was some serious elevation that we were headed towards. According to the GPS, total elevation change was 300+ meters. That’s right THREE HUNDRED METERS. We climbed for about 10 kilometers and then lost it all on the last hill coming down into Creemore. On the breaks the whole way, because you could hit 70 km/h, but there is a stop sign at the bottom of the hill.
We toured around Creemore for a bit and stopped off at the brewery for a quick sample…
Back on the road and on the way back. Lots of curves and a couple rollers to climb, but nothing like the way into town. We hit a stretch that was gravel and all of a sudden I was carrying 45 km/h+ through it (a bit scary because the bike was bouncing around everywhere). Then it was onto another nice stretch of hills and I was carrying almost 50 km/h for the next 4 km. Awesome. By now there is a bit of rain and there is a serious cross wind blowing from left to right. We make the turn home and while the wind should have been a tail wind, IT WASN’T. It just kept blowing from left to right. Hammer down time because the storm is hot on our heels.
I pull into the driveway just ahead of the Morton’s and literally 30 seconds before the heavens opened up for the rest of the weekend. Totals for the ride were 43KM and 2875+ calories burned on the 1hr 55min ride. We tried to go for a run/ride on Sunday, but no dice. Ended up just taking a watch down the beach.
Thanks to C and L for a great time,
Beez
