Tour de Cure: Mission (almost) Accomplished

Well, I tried my best, but I was completely unprepared for the terrain on this course (Tour de Cure, Baskin Ridge, NJ). Although it is described as moderate, there are a few steep hills and one very long ascent. The steep hills are all along the first 30 miles. I completed this portion at a fair pace (~15 miles/hr). At around mile 40, the course begins gaining elevation slowly but surely for a few miles. This is where I lost my company (an older gentleman who was kind enough to push me along the first half of the course). I was on first gear for a long while, before I reached the peak and began a quick - and therefore unsatisfyingly short - descent down to a rest stop where I caught up my buddy only to lose him again right after we started out from there.

I learned a lot about riding in a long-distance tour and toughing it out, but I cramped my right calf on the hill just before the 72-mile finish line turn-off and I felt I had done enough for my first bike tour, so I ducked out to the finish line, claimed my free lunch and collapsed into a chair for 15 minutes. This was 6 hours after starting out, and my final avg speed was ~13 miles/hr.

I managed to raise $250 from friends, family and co-workers (THANK YOU!!!). This was matched by Barclays and I received a nice gift from ADA for my troubles :)