Gran Fondo NY Race Report

The day started at 4:15.  I didn't get to bed til around 11 and was restless until about 12.  Finally got to sleep and Mel go up to pee and woke me at around 3.  Got back to sleep for that extra hour.  Had all my stuff packed and laid out, got ready after coffee, yogurt and a PB & Nutella sandwich and was on my way around 5:15.  Decided to drive to Fort Lee, right near the finish area instead of to midtown Manhattan.  Didn't want to deal with the extra mileage at the end of the day.  Got out there before 6, got everything together, rolled out and over the GWB and into Manhattan for the start.  Flatted before the race even started.  Damn city streets.  A kind shop owner whose business is right around the corner helped me do a quick change and all was good as new.  Broke in my CO2!  Was riding up to the staging area and , boom there's George Hincapie with his crew getting ready.  Sweet.  Stop by the Mavic van to dump the CO2 and refill with air and then over to the start we went.

Started on the lower level of the GWB and rode back into Fort Lee.  After winding our way through there, we headed down into the riverside park.  Rolling hills and some crappy asphalt.  Got back onto the main roads and things were going well.  Before I knew it we were 20 miles in.  Lotsa rolling terrain and a different route for the first 20 miles than previously planned due to logistics.  

First timed climb came up at 33 miles or so.  A REAL nasty hill.  Steep.  Double digits all the way with a max of 16%.  Ouch.  And there's still 3 more.  I passed and got passed.  There were a pair of chicks that were going ovaries out on the hills and I got chicked. First aid station was right after.  Stopped in, refilled water grabbed a banana and some pita chips and went back out.

Second timed climb, which is the only one I had previously done, was much harder this time around.  Again those 2 fems chicked me.  I passed more people here than passed me.  A longer hill with a little less grade but still maxing out at 14%.

3 timed climb was Bear Mountain.  The big boy.  The timed part if just under 4 miles...that's not counting the whole mile that precedes it.  I put it into the lowest gear and went to work.  I passed a large number of people and got passed by maybe 5 or 6.  I just kept picking them off.  I knew the top would be 50 miles so I kept looking at my watch and saying just XX more minutes.  Got to the top and took a breather and enjoyed the view.  Shot down the hill and stopped at the aid station at the bottom.  Grabbed a bagel, refilled my gatorade and water, ate half of non-ripe banana and had a smidgen of coke.  Headed out for the 20 miles to the next rest stop.  

I got to around 63 or 65 and my left hamstring started to cramp.  A momentary pause in my peddling caused it.  Then my left quad lit up.  I stopped, got off the bike, stretched and downed some fluids.  It cleared up and I continued on.  I pretty much stayed in the easiest few gears.  This was a tough section of the course.  3 big climbs had passed and they were assaulting us with another 3 mile climb.  I was questioning if I could finish the ride at this point.  My muscles around my knees started to cramp shortly after.  Luckily I made it to the 3rd aid station and was able to take an extended breather and really down some fluids.  I managed to pee and it looked ok but there wasn't a lot of volume.  I stretched out and massaged my legs and let the feet out of the shoes for a while (welcome back big toes).

I'd finally got my butt going and as I start out I see a guy wearing a BMC kit standing next to a black suburban in a cul de sac off the route.  GEORGE HINCAPIE.  Next thing I know there he is, next to me, for about 90 seconds.  Then he stood up and that was that.  Bye George.  Awesome.  Watching him ride was sick.  He attacked the timed climb like it wasn't even there.  I attacked it like I'd already been bent over a few times on Friday night.  We got to the top and then the 2nd most fun part of the ride...the decent of climb 1.  WOW.  That was fun.  Closed to traffic, just booking.  Down in the drops, as aero as I can get.  Those are the photos I want to see...like right now.

After blowing past the turn at the bottom doing about 40 I turned around and the rest of the ride was just an exercise in determination to finish.  most of it was downhill with small climbs and a few longer less steep climbs within the last 10 or so miles.  The finish brought us back to the same road we started on, which along with shitty pavement, brought us 2 way traffic on a road barely wide enough for 2 cars and the additional complication of pedestrians.  I guess that road closed sign was optional.

The finish was lack luster.  My finisher photos likely show me with my head turned trying to tell the official what my race number was since he apparently couldn't read the race bib.  No water, no snacks, no nothing for the riders.  Oops.  To add insult to injury it was a nice climb out of the riverside park to get to my car.

All in all I enjoyed myself.  I have some mixed feelings.  I know I could have trained better and for Philly that's exactly what I will do...a less hectic schedule will greatly help that.  I cursed the race directors for all the extra climbing, but I guess to keep with the true nature of Gran Fondos from Italy they chose to put on a tough event.  I hope though that for next years iteration they work out a few kinks, ditch the riverside park road or try to get it repaved and find a venue that's not a pain to get to. Oh and make sure they provide some kind of refreshments at the finish.

The getup

 View form Bear Mountain

 View from GWB on my way to the start.