May-29: Creedmoor 'n back

Five of the crew set out to do a repeat of the Pizza in Stovall and a Mountain ride.  For reasons hinted at in the 600 km brevet write-up, I did not join them.  Instead, I decided to ride about 30 miles and test my healing situation.  Without me to drag down the pace, I estimated that BobH, Norris, the Mallet, Snapper and Smitty would average about 17 mph.  I timed getting to Creedmoor based on that estimate.

I arrived at the bench in front of the BP in Creedmoor just before 11:30, and tried to call the guys.
Snapper's phone rolled over to voice-mail.  I left a message.
I called Smitty, but it seemed his phone immediately rolled over to voice-mail.  I hung up.
I tried to call the Mallet.  Ended up calling the Iceman.
Wrong Paul.

So I just decided to ride around the block and head back.
As I topped the first roller on Dove Rd, I spied a group about 1/4 mile up the road.
I can recognize the guys from behind.
Norris is easy to spot because of his position on the bike, and his white jersey.
Snapper is easy to spot because of his position, and I recognized the baby blue jersey.
Clearly, if I hadn't ridden around the block, I would have been almost right with them.
Guys were lucky ... if I had been with them, they would have had to slow down.

I decided to give it all I had, and chase.
One of my better efforts ever on Dove Rd.
Did quite a bit of Dove in the big chain ring instead of the middle chain ring.
Into the breeze.
I got to within 0.15 miles.
Close enough to differentiate the stripes in the Mallet's Great Britain jersery.
Close enough to think that BobH was in his red jersey.
But I cannot "pop" the last climb on Dove Rd.  I lost some ground to the group.
Gasping for breath, I measured that I was about 0.2 miles behind when the group turned onto Whitt Rd.
I lost more distance on the climb on Whitt Rd.
I made up nothing on the flat crossing the lake.
I lost more ground climbing up to New Light Rd.
They were out of sight by the time I got to New Light.

I stopped for a good drink.  Had to wait for a succession of cars.
At least that helped the heart rate.
I rode at a screaming rate down New Light to the bottom of Ghoston.
I figured to lose at least 5 minutes on the climbs of Ghoston-Peed-MVC.
I had to stop "chase mode", but motored on as best this slow climber could.

I got to the MVC / Pleasant Union Ch Rd just as the Mallet got there.
He was headed home after a quick chat at PUE with the rest of the guys.
Paul and I chatted for a couple minutes.
Only thing I recall is that I told him that I had chased them all the way from Creedmoor.
Certainly it was a true chase on Dove Rd.

I pulled into PUE to chat with the others, 
and congratulate Smitty and Snapper on their Mt. Mitchell adventures from Monday.
Congrats all around. Cheers all around.

I learned that, despite two of the five having done the ride previously,
they had missed a turn in Oxford.
More like made a turn they shouldn't have.
And took US-15 all the way to Hester Rd.
They didn't take the turn onto Belltown Rd, which would have saved them many miles on 15,
because the name of the road at the corner with US-15 was something other than Belltown Rd.

They did NOT like being on US-15.
But if, instead of turning onto Hester Rd,
they had hammered just another mile-and-a-half on 15, they would have reached Creedmoor.
Gotta' love that, without their "human gps", the guys "got lost".  Again.

After a bit more chatting about ... who knows what,
They all headed directly for home.

I was more "done in" after 28 miles than I was after 300 miles last Saturday.
I headed to BJP to finish my ride at an easy pace.

I can recognize the guys from 1/4 mile back.
But they cannot recognize me from 1/4 mile ahead.

I am not completely healed from the failed 600 km brevet.
Tomorrow's ride may be zero miles.
Monday's ride will be only 30-ish miles.
No mini-Kerr Lake Loop (84 miles).

I did set a record for most miles in the month of May.
Which also means I set a record for most miles in any month, ever.
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May-29: 

BJP:  Creedmoor 'n back, G-P-MVC finish; 31.4 m.; 1hrs, 58min in-motion time; 16.0 mph. 

Q-1 tot: 16 rides; __938.2 m.; _60 hrs, 39 min; 15.5 mph.
Apr tot: 10 rides; __717.9 m.; _45 hrs, 27 min; 15.1 mph.
May tot: _9 rides; __807.5 m.: _56 hrs, 59 min; 14.2 mph.
YTD tot: 35 rides; 2,463.6 m.; 165 hrs, 03 min; 14.9 mph.