Nov-23: Quick Ride on Bahama Beach (103k Perm-Pop)

In the doldrums?
Go do a fast ride.
Sometimes it helps.

Didn't ride Wed. with Ricochet.
He wanted to start when it would still be cold, and
It turned out I just didn't care to get on the bike.

Could have ridden yesterday (Thanksgiving), but
I just didn't care to get on the the bike.

Today -- nearly "back against the wall".
But only because I have a distance goal for the year. 
Still, I was having trouble getting interested in throwing a leg-over this morning.

Finally got around to do a Noon start.
The stop-light at the corner of Creedmoor + Norwood (the start / finish of the ride)
Was NOT cooperative at the start!
Two minutes waiting for the light to change.

Then ... ... ... I had cadence into the wind on Norwood.
And I had cadence for the 5 creek valley climbs on Victory Ch / Kemp Rd.
And ... ... I kept the cadence almost every pedal-stroke of the ride.

• At approx. 14.9-miles, passing the Exxon on Red Mill Rd at I-85, official elapsed time  0h57 ( and the in-motion less than that). 
• At the Bahama Info Control, 24.7-miles (39.7-kms), elapsed time  1h32. 
• At the Stem Open Control, 37.3-miles (60.0-kms), elapsed time  2h17. 
• At the Grissom Info Control, 51.9-miles (83.5-kms), elapsed time  3h12. 
• At the finish, 64.5 miles (103.8-kms), elapsed time  4h00. 

Interestingly, by the time I got to Bahama, I knew that, if I could keep up the cadence, etc., I would be challenging a sub-4-hour time.  So, virtually the entire ride was an effort to keep the cadence up, stay in the right gear, stand-up just the right amount, trying to get some time-in-the-bank because I knew that from 12.6 miles to go (i.e., the Grissom Info Control) until 5.9-miles to go (i.e., the turn onto Ghoston), I would be bang-on into the wind.

Obviously, I did not get sub-4-hours, but I sure "gave it a scare", and I am stoked !!

Hope I have some legs for tomorrow's NC-rando-year-end-party-Populaire.
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Nov-23:   

--> Bahama Beach 103-km Perm-Pop -->; 74.1 m.; 4h29 in-motion; 16.5 mph; BB elapsed time:  4h00.

Q-1 tot: _22 rides; 1,610.3 m; 108h42; 14.8 mph; _1947 RUSA kms. 

Q-2 tot: _29 rides; 2,711.5 m; 182h48; 14.8 mph; _2700 RUSA kms. 

Q-3 tot: _32 rides; 2,958.9 m; 197h17; 15.0 mph; _2983 RUSA kms. 

Oct tot: _10 rides; __868.8 m; _58h45; 14.8 mph; _1089 RUSA kms. 

Nov tot: __6 rides; __592.4 m; _38h40; 15.3 mph; __765 RUSA kms.

YTD tot: _99 rides; 8,741.9 m; 586h13; 14.9 mph; _9484 RUSA kms.