Vermont is spelled with a capital “V”, surely no coincidence. With the loads of mountains and climbs available, it had to start with a “V”. I mean, if it was mountainous enough to draw a runaway “loose” nun who left the church for a sailor, it must be good, right? (Great nordic skiing there””Trapp Family Lodge, if you are there in the winter months as well).
Anyways, being a seventh generation “V”ermonter myself, who was raised on a family farm on Rogers’ Hill in West Newbury, VT (which was hand cleared and settled in 1763 by my G-G-G-G-G-Grandfather and still owned by my father) I have a deep love and feel for VT, liberal politics notwithstanding. So when I heard about the 200 on 100 “Dumptruck of Awesome” that was available, I just knew that I had to do it. And not only that, I knew that I had to share this beautiful “Ode to the V in Vermont” with all of my best cyber-cycling-soul mates. Okay, soul mates might be going a bit far there, but you get my meaning.
So, enough with the intro.
Break out the rollers, get on the trainers, find your winter gear; lay off the seconds, nurse that one glass of booze, hold the toasting to one drink, dodge Cupid’s chocolates and shoot the Easter Bunny because training for this bastard started yesterday and you’ll be paying for it on the 28th of June, 2012 in spades!
See you in the pre-dawn hours on the Canadian border with our eyes firmly fixed on the prize of the Massachusetts border. Let’s drive this dump truck like Mel Gibson leaving the compound in a post-apocalyptic world, baby!
Route and location details on the Cogal Event Page.
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Ok, let me see if I have this straight? 10 to 15 intense OCD strangers who have only met on the interweb are spending the night together on the Far Canadian border in a dormitory like Bed and Breakfast, where the "nice" couple running it won't mind getting up at 0400 to feed us a huge meal of fried Moose and winter cured Beaver. Then we start at first light, on the longest day of the year, on a mind altering journey of unimaginable grim suffering that may or may not be enhanced by inclement weather... This has all the ingredients of a sequel to The Shinning - I can't wait!
Roger and King, you guys are nailing this down, thank you for the genius and I am in on $'s for the sag/support.
@all Your training sounds on track so that we all will be able to pull this off. The only question is what will be the pace? Right now I'd guess I could do 25-27 kph but in June is 35 kph possible? With Rule #9 guiding us and a disciplined pace line (I can suck wheel all day so I was thinking a rotating double line if the road allows) I'd like to think that at least until the 300 k mark that is possible... But then I have not done over 160k faster than 30 kph in 30 years... Perhaps it is too early to have this conversation and the first hour of the ride is the place where it will sort its self out and we will see each others strengths and sizes - which tall guy will do monster pulls until sundown - Xyxax??
@Rob
Good thing nobody's talking about rain dates, right Rob? I think I'm in the same boat as you: could happily do 25-27 pretty comfortably solo all day, and think we should be trying to shoot for something a little closer to 29-33kph--faster if fitness and coordination on the road allow. Keep in mind that the second half of the Too Much is hillier than the first. Finding a suitable rhythm for one or two groups on the road will be key.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift plodding completion of their appointed rounds.
@Rob
Fucking hilarious. My wife, who I woke up this morning laughing at this. is less enthused. Wake TFU.
@Steampunk
I've seen graphic (literally) evidence of how you are able to ramp up. I just hope you get your knees and fit sorted so that you can do it injury-free.
All thinking that breaking the ride up in 100k segments with food stops would be wise. Not too long, since it will only extend the day, and not designed to bring the group back together necessarily, but it might make the ride more manageable; non bars and gels are always more palatable...
"All" = "Also"
@roger
I've got 1770 k's in this year to date and am rebounding nicely from my almost month of injury/travel time. I should be able to hold a wheel for at leats a while! Also will be doing a bunch more the next 7 weeks and then 210 K on the Paris Roubaix cyclo on June 10th. then a major taper and I should be good. That is unless I get hit by another SUV!
@Steampunk
Sounds VERY sensible. Might want to make it 110K segments as it is more like 330 K's for the full distance (yeah, my OCD-ness is showing. And is it just me or does even typing 330 k seem frick'in crazy!)
@Rob
Okay, this killed me this morning. Post of the day for me!
HEEEEERE'S Johnny!!!
How do we ensure that V-Pint for this Cogal is in the works? It's currently not available at http://www.velominati.com/cogals/
@Buck Rogers
Need to start logging some k's. I'm the slacker so far. Form is good, but I'm at the low end of the kinds of numbers being posted. Will try to fit in some more time for riding in the coming weeks. By May, I'd like to be riding 300km/week on a regular basis, mainly just to have the distance in my legs...