Jul-04: Fourth of July on Bahama Beach perm-pop

 
After waking this morning, but before stirring about, I decided I'd do an easy Bahama Beach perm-pop this morning, with a pleasant variant or two ('free-route' status allows variation, even allows "wing-it" variations).  [Let me clarify -- I was committed to doing the BB perm-pop well before last night / this morning.  But, this morning, it came to me what kind of ride / what course variations I might undertake.  It is not that I woke up and thought, "hey, I'm gonna' do BB, today."  I could have woken up and decided -- the route owner (me) would have allowed that -- but I had actually decided a few days ago -- if the weather was okay.]

However, on the commute to the start, I realized I had great legs, and wondered if I could better my PR on the course.  Challenging my PR would require doing the standard route with no variations.  So, I changed my plan to:  no variations, and ride for all I was worth.

Last November, when I set my PR on this course, it was a cadence-cadence-cadence effort, and almost all, maybe all, the pedaling was done using the middle 39T chain-ring.  Today's ride turned out to be less about cadence, although that was important, as I ended up doing almost the entire route in the large 50T chain-ring.

I even did all of Victory Church / Kemp Rd in 50T.  Though I should note that the climbs when "northbound" on that road are easier than when "southbound."  I may have done Ellis Chapel Rd and Little Mtn Rd entirely in the 50T.  However, I was not so silly as to attempt Stagville Rd, nor the "Michie Wall" on Bahama Rd, nor the last two climbs on Robert's Chapel Rd in the 50T.  And the finish on Ghoston-Peed-MVC:  I did the inclines in the 39T and the declines in the 50T.

I did take a minute break from "pushing" when on the latter part of Horseshoe Rd -- I kept pedaling, probably keeping a fairly high pace (for me), but I wasn't "working it" for about a minute.  I also thought I took a bit of break for a minute or so on Bruce Garner Rd -- because I thought I was bogging down and in danger of "losing it" -- however, 7-minutes for the 2.3-miles from Grissom to the county line comes out to nearly 20-mph -- I've done that section, near the end of ride, at a faster pace, but nearly 20-mph when I thought I was bogging down ... I deem that pretty good (for me).  [I should mention that my wireless confuser needs a battery replacement -- the only feedback I got all day from the confuser was the time-of-day (and once I checked the supposed temperature -- confuser indicated 86F -- I suspect that was 4 or 5 degrees higher than the actual temp, as the confuser had been in direct, bright sunlight for several minutes before I checked the temp).] 

Anyway, I nearly flew through the only intermediate store control on the route (in Stem), and there was no-traffic today.  As a result, my in-motion time is nearly the same as my elapsed time.  I like that.

I have to admit that I didn't look around much to see the scenery, today.  I did look at the farmstead with the many gourd birdhouses and I did appreciate the view of the last meadow on the left before Cassam Rd.  Hmmn, I now recall the manure or silage smell from the NC State ag-farm midway on Cassam Rd. 

I also did appreciate the well-shaded climb back up from Butner Lake on Robert's Chapel Rd.  I did not appreciate the sun and heat blasting on the final, unshaded incline on Robert's Chapel Rd.

Some intermediate time checks:

• 0700 -- started on time; before 0701, anyway, 
• 0802 -- turned off Red Mill Rd onto Teknica Rd, 18.6 miles, 
• 0825 -- Bahama Info Control, 24.7 miles, 
• 0902 -- turned off Robert's Chapel Rd onto Range Rd, 34.8 miles, 
• 0911 -- Stem Open Control, 37.3 miles (60.0 kms), 
• 1009 -- Grissom Info Control, 51.9 miles, 
• 1031 -- turned off New Light Rd onto Ghoston Rd, 58.6 miles, 
• 1055 -- Bay Leaf Open Finish Control, 64.5 miles (103.8 kms). 

I was getting tired near the end.  After all, I haven't ridden this fast all year.
Oh, BTW, I did best my PR on this course, std route, by 5 minutes.
Tired, but I enjoyed the effort and the ride.

Given the weather we've been having, and are expecting again this afternoon and evening, I'll note that there were some damp roads, especially early, but no rain, until I was on Norwood Rd with less than half-a-mile to go, when I was suddenly on the receiving end of some LARGE rain-drops and a quick rain-shower from one particular cloud.  There were a lot of clouds in the sky, but while that short but heavy shower was occurring, I was in BRIGHT sunshine.  Yep, classic raining while the sun is shining moment.
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Jul-04: 

--> Bahama Beach 103-km Perm -->; 86.8 m.;  5h18 in-motion; 16.4 mph; BB elapsed time:  3h55.  
 ____ pre-ride commute: _ 9.0 m.; 0h31 in-motion; 17.4 mph. 
 ____ BB standard route:  64.6 m.; 3h52 in-motion; 16.7 mph. 
 ____ post-ride commute:  13.2 m.; 0h52 in-motion; 15.2 mph. 

Q-1 tot: _11 rides; __940.3 m; _64h42; 14.5 mph; _1275 RUSA kms.
Q-2 tot: _18 rides; _2293.9 m; 158h18; 14.5 mph; _3142 RUSA kms.
Jul tot: __1 rides; ___86.8 m; __5h18; 16.4 mph; __103 RUSA kms.
YTD tot: _30 rides; _3321.0 m; 228h19; 14.5 mph; _4520 RUSA kms.
    
RUSA P-19 in the books.