The 2009 Prouty Ride

Carole and I started out together. Almost immediately there is a giant sweeping down slope that we knew was going to be our nemesis when it was our last very long uphill before the finish line. What goes down must go up and then came a very long not very steep climb back to the elevation we started at. That hill is much longer than anything we train on near Boston. Right then I knew that I was not ready for their 100 mile route and that I have a lot of work to do to get old left leg ready for the Pan-Mass which is 110 the first day and 82 the second. I lost Carole on that hill and would not re-unite with her until the first water stop in about 8 or 9 miles. Fairly soon after meeting back up with her we were crossing over the Connecticut River into Vermont and a woman came up on my left and said “You are my hero.” I hear that a fair amount and never get tired of it. But she asked me if I did. Then she said she had seen a one-legged guy do the PMC ride a few years back when she had done it. “That was me,” I said. And it was. Just then it was time for Carole to turn back south on her 20 mile route but we still had quite a ways to go. My new companion was Deb Nelson and was part of the organizing committee for the Prouty ride. She also happened to be a strong rider. She got into the spirit of no standing to peddle up hills if you are riding with me and she proclaimed that to complete strangers who would happen to be on a hill with us. She also realized that because I only have 3/5 of my lungs and have to work extra hard to get up a hill with one leg that asking me questions on hills just makes me seem rude when I can’t answer. She stopped trying to talk to me on the hills. And she very kindly let me draft off her when I needed a bit of a break (of course, other times she drafted off me so it balanced out).

Deb is excited about the book coming out and, being a school teacher of high schoolers, is also excited about having me come speak to her kids. And maybe they too will read the book which would be double bonus.

I am very tired now. The leg worked hard but it sent me a strong message that the PMC in 3 weeks will be very painful and unfun if I don’t kick things into a much higher gear and get some very long rides in between now and then. I have been warned.