2021 - My Tour De Donuts, Troy, Ohio

 OK, so who wants to get up at 3:30 am to drive two hours to ride a bike for one hour and turn around and drive back?

That was me on Saturday.  Actually, I had signed up for a longer ride in the 2021 Tour De Donut, but as the days grew closer I realized I also wanted to ride in the Slow Roll in Mansfield at the Reformatory, which started at 4:00.  So I needed to be back in time to shower and change clothes and get to the starting point.  Which meant a four-hour ride in Troy would not get me back in time.  I decided to go on the shortest ride, the "Donut Hole" which is a 10-mile ride. 

I did get up when the alarm went off, got dressed, and stumbled to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and breakfast.  I gathered all my things and was out of the house by 5:15.

I signed up for this ride because my friend and mentor, Lori Linn, had mentioned what a fun ride it was.  The idea is that it is a race, and you get to reduce your time with every donut you eat and record at the rest stops. I wasn't sure it was such a good idea, because being on WW, I am trying to eat healthy, and donuts don't usually fit into my food plan.  

But I do enjoy riding in different places, so I signed up.  I took I-71 south to Columbus and turned right on I-270, then continued on I-70 almost to Dayton.  Troy is just north of I-70.  I found the designated parking area at the middle school, and I started to realize what a big ride this is, since there were literally thousands of cyclists getting ready to ride.  The parking lot was a quarter mile from the Rec Center where I picked up my registration packet, so I put on my helment and rode my bike.

 Oops! My sunglasses were on top of my head, so I put them on my face when I put on my helmet.  When I arrived at the rec center, there was nowhere to put my bike due to every available post and bike rack being already taken by multiple other bikes. I found an empty signpost and leaned my bike against it.   I got there in plenty of time before they locked the doors at 8:00 am sharp.  I took my sunglasses off as I walked into the dark interior of the building.  I had to stand in line for a few minutes, but the organizers were very efficient and had multiple lines roped off to handle the crowd.  Everything was computerized.  They handed me an RFID tag for my bike, a sticker for my helmet, and a bib tag for my jersey.  I made a last-minute decision to change my long ride to the 20-mile "Mini" ride. At the next table they handed me a T-shirt, and then I was registered!  I put the RFID tag on the seat post, the sticker on my helmet, attached the bib tag to the front of my jersey, and balled up the T-shirt and attached it to my rack with bungee cords. 

I had not spent a lot of time reading the multiple emails the organizers had sent me prior to the race.  I pulled up email on my phone to figure out where I had to go next.  The last email was all about installing an app on my phone to see the race results.  I have zero space left on my phone, so that was not going to happen.  I saw a friendly-looking woman a few years younger than me and I asked her if I had to install the app in order to participate.  She reassured me that all I had left to do is ride the ride, and introduced herself as Suzy and her husband Bernie.  

 The announcer mentioned that the kids' events were starting.  The kids were adorable.  I tried to get a photo but by the time I got my camera out and focused, they had already zoomed by. 

 

There was one mass start for the adult ride.  It took a while to get up to the starting line, as thousands of people were funnelled through a narrow gate.  While I waited, I chatted with Suzy and Bernie, who were waiting for their son and grandson to arrive.  There was an announcement that an accident had already occurred at the first turn, so take caution!   Bernie mentioned that cycling in Germany, where they had lived, was a lot different. It was not all recreation like it seems to be here, but also a primary mode of transportation.  They had also lived in Florida, and needed to be careful of the "blue-haired" drivers.  And I remarked that I usually ride on country roads, with little traffic, but occasionally a "redneck" pickup truck that doesn't like cyclists. 

For the race, all times were calculated by the time your RFID chip crossed the start and finish line, so there was no need to jockey for position.  The routes were designed so that the donut stops were shared by a couple of routes.  At the first stop, you got 5 minutes credit for each donut you eat.  I had already decided I would eat one donut.  It was a glazed donut.  My friend Suzy was waiting for her family to catch up with her, so we chatted again. 

I looked for a friend from high school, Denise, who said she was coming with some other friends.  It's been a long time since I saw her in person, so I wasn't sure I would recognize her. I did see this papier-mache guy who was fishing for a donut from the back of a bike. 

I continued on my way. I heard someone say that the ride back was slightly downhill, so that was encouraging.  I did seem to be riding a little faster.  As usual when passing someone, I said "Passing on your left" when I passed a young teenage girl and a couple on a tandem.  The girl looked back over her shoulder and started pedalling a lot harder, as if to say "No old lady is going to pass me!"  Well, that was a challenge to me so I attempted to overtake her again.  A couple of miles down the road I did pass her, but going up the next hill, she passed me again.  

There was a second donut stop about a mile from the finish line.  This was for cake donuts, and there was a maximum of one donut, which counted for 10 minutes against your score.  I knew I needed the extra minutes!  So against my better judgement, I ate one more donut.   

When I arrived back at the finish, I went through the gate, had my donut eating counted by the scorer, received a medal, and picked up a water bottle from the horse watering trough conveneniently located just past the finish line.  Well, that was anticlimatic! I didn't have the app installed to look at real-time scoring.  I rode back to my car through back streets and the farmer's market and against the flow of racers briefly.  When I got to my car, I realized my sunglasses were not in my jersey pocket. So I drove around the cordoned-off area, parked in front of the police station, and went back to the registration area.  It was closed, but there was a volunteer handing out T-shirts to those who hadn't gotten one.  He tried to help me by pointing out several areas where lost-and-found items might be.  I realized, as we talked, that an announcer was giving the results.  I didn't come in first, second or third in the Mini race, either before or after my time was adjusted for the donuts. 

There were a lot of people waiting for results.  

I noticed several clever costumes.  This group of women were dressed like bees, wings and all. 

The announcer didn't have my sunglasses. 

 

The volunteer at the finish line didn't have my sunglasses either.  But she did have a pair of green sunglasses almost exactly like mine.  I was trying to explain to her that mine were almost the same, only purple, when she pointed out that there was a pair of purple sunglasses in my fanny pack water bottle holder. Boy, did I feel dumb! 

 

I walked around the square a little more and stopped at a couple of the tents that were set up.  I noticed a crowd around one booth and realized that the Columbus Zoo was demonstrating with some of their animals.  I saw a tortoise and a tiny owl. 

There was a lot going on.  My conclusion for next year is a.) go the night before  b.) go  with friends  c.) ride faster  d.) plan to stay longer, have a beer and dinner and enjoy the party afterwards!

When I got home I realized that the times were available online on the registration page.  

I came in 181th overall, and 32nd in my division and age group. At least that is what I think this means.  I evidently became anonymous when I changed my course at the beginning of the race, but my bib number was 7166.  

North Central Ohio Women's Cycling - Mt Vernon to Danville Ride

 We decided to ride a different trail this week.  Usually we ride the Richland B&O trail from Lexington to Butler, but this week we rode from Mt. Vernon to Danville and returned, stopping in Gambier to eat at the Village Inn. 

Ruthie had invited along a couple of friends, Doris and Randy, from the MOB - Mid Ohio Bikers club.  They were in their 80's and were riding recumbent bikes with battery backups.  We met at the historic train station now serving as the Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center just south of the square, and headed off in an easterly direction to follow the Kokosing Gap Trail.  

This is a beautiful trail.  The shady trees along the sides of the trail most of the way provided relief from the summer heat.  

We stopped at the bridge at Howard at about 10 miles to take a brief rest break and a drink.  And a few photos. 

Hillary snapping a photo of Ruthie.

Doris in her recumbent.

Edie, anxious to get going!

Jodi, the hill climber.

Randy looking fierce.

We continued to Danville.  This section of the trail had fewer trees, but it was still shaded in places.  Unfortunately in Danville, Randy  discovered that Doris's bike had developed a flat in the back.  He tried pumping it up and it wouldn't hold air.  So he began the process of removing the wheel to change the tube, since he had a spare tube.   The rest of us rode on,  since Jody had to be back in time for some guests. 

We ate lunch in Gambier at the Village Inn.  Gambier is the home of  Kenyon College, and school was in session.  There was a hill from the bike trail to the downtown.  I managed to ride the whole hill, but I had to stop midway to let my heart rate return to normal.  

Edie got a text from Doris and Randy, they had changed the tire and made it as far as Howard when it went flat again.  So they were getting help from roadside assistance and would not be joining us for lunch.  

Lunch was delightful! There were several vegan and keto options.  I ordered a quesadilla with Portobello mushroom and chicken.  It hit the spot.  

The last five miles flew by back to Mt. Vernon. Hillary snapped a photo of me at the trailhead for the Kokosing Gap Trail.  

I tracked our trip in MapMyRide. 

100 Grand Tour - Casnovia, Michigan

 I felt a little silly, paying money to ride an organized ride on roads that I ride solo all the time. But, it was an opportunity to meet some new cyclists and make friends.  I didn't decide until the day of the ride which of the SEVEN routes that the Rapid Wheelmen had mapped out, but at the last minute I opted for the longest ride at 40 miles.  Coincidentally, that was the route that was closest to our farm just outside Kent City.  

The ride started at Grose Park.  There is a lake there, Crockery Lake.  I had visited the park earlier this year on a solo ride, so I already knew that dogs and bikes are not allowed on the beach.  As I was getting ready to start, I heard the people behind me talking about how remarkably quiet the roads in the area are, with little to no traffic.  I asked if they were from the city, and they said, yes, south of Grand Rapids.  I myself had come up the S-curves of Route 131 the afternoon before (Friday) and gotten stuck behind some traffic.  It is typical, all over Michigan, for people to head "Up North" on the weekends, and this is the last weekend before school starts for many students. 

The weather was fairly cool early in the morning as we started, but I knew it would get hot later in the day.  The route started north from the lake and continued for several miles.  I had been lollygagging earlier in the morning, since I knew the park was close to the farm, and I managed to not get on the road until almost 9:00.  I was surprised to find the Casnovia Township office so far away from the village of Casnovia, which is only a couple of miles from the farm.  

I kept pedalling north until I was on a parallel with the city (or village?) of Grant.  I passed many orchards along the way.  I find it so striking that in the old orchards, full-sized trees were planted 20 or 30 feet apart to allow room for them to spread.  Now, specially-developed trees that grow in a columnar fashion are spaced only a couple of feet apart and trellised on wires.  You can almost tell how old the orchard is by how far apart the trees are planted.  Someday I will research all the reasons for the new planting arrangement.  My guess is that it requires less labor to trim the trees and pick the fruit.  It's probably safer if the pickers don't have to climb up on ladders.  Then I passed this orchard.  I do not know what crop this is, I have never seen this type of trellis before.   Another research project! 

 

Heading into the city of Grant, I passed Gene's grocery store and thought about going in to use the restroom.  But the thought of my cleats clickety-clacking on their floor gave me pause.  The route turned south less than a mile later and took me to the library, where the official rest break was located. The library is a modern, new building.  I took a homemade cookie from the selection offered and refilled my water bottle.  I chatted with the volunteer.  It seems that before the pandemic, the club had several rides throughout the year, but they combined them due to the logistics.  Previously, the 100 Grand ride had started in the city of Grand Rapids and come north to Grant before circling back to Grand Rapids.  This year, those who want to ride a "century ride" had to combine some of the seven routes to get to the number of miles they wanted to ride. 

After the break, I resumed by riding down to Spruce Avenue.  This is familiar territoryfor me, as I have ridden several times on my own.  The day was heating up and it was in the 90's.  I decided to cut five miles off the route by heading down Tyrone Avenue instead of going further east to Red Pine Drive.  I stopped in the driveway at the farm.  My husband came out to greet me and held my bike while I refilled my water bottle again.   Then I cut across 18-mile Rd. to city of Casnovia. Turn south down Kenowa and ride several miles.  

I was 3 miles away from the park when the SAG wagon caught up with me and pulled up, to make sure I had enough water and no mechanical problems with my bike.  I was fine, but I got another refill on my water bottle.  Did I mention that it was over 90 degrees? 

Back at the park, the caterer was packing up the tacos, but they made me a plate.  I grabbed a diet Coke and sat down to chat.  I sat next to a guy in a yellow jersey.  His name was Mike Burden, and he was a kidney transplant survivor of 3 years. (His jersey even showed which kidney had been transplanted!)  He planned on completing a century ride, by riding the last 34 miles back to his home in Grand Rapids.  I was impressed, because I had been done in by my 35 miles in the heat.   He said he was almost back to the physical condition he had been in before his transplant.  He said his doctor had mentioned that due to his bicycling activity and healthy diet, he had survived longer than he otherwise would have before the transplant.  Mike said that his kidney condition was genetic,and he had always known that he had a 50-50 chance of having it, even before being diagnosed.  It was like the "sword of Damocles" hanging over his head his whole life, which gave him motivation to keep living a healthy lifestyle.  Very inspiring!

You can find the routes for this ride on RidewithGPS keyword 100 Grand.  Search within 50 miles of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Or check the Rapid Wheelmen web site for more information about the ride and the club. 

My experience on the Pan Ohio Hope Ride

 Four days of bicycling, with all the food you could eat, and friendly people! 

The event started on Wednesday night with a banquet under a tent.  The caterers did a fabulous job.  I bounced around a few tables and introduced myself to several riders and volunteers.  

I ran into Courtney and Michelle several times over the next few days. 

Monica was the only other person tent camping.  We both pitched our tents between the dorms, and shared the "lounge" area to watch TV in the evening.  

This couple was a rider/volunteer team.  He rides, she is a water stop volunteer.  She does ride her bike, but she felt that the distances in this ride were just too long. 

The regional ACS director spoke for a brief time to thank us for our efforts in behalf of the Cancer Society.  

  This year, the American Cancer Society Organizers had to really change things up from previous years, due to COVID precautions.   Since this is my first year to participate, I don't really have any opinion as to whether I like this year's format better or worse than a ride from Cincinnati to Cleveland or vice versa.  I understand that some people preferred not having to pack up their things every day to have them moved to the next site, since this year, each day's ride was a loop. 

There were two groups of volunteers that were very visible throughout the ride.  The water stop volunteers made sure we were hydrated and had enough calories to get us through to the next stop.  The water stops were about every 12-20 miles.  The other very visible group were the SAG (Support and Gear) drivers, who picked up riders with mechanical programs or those who were just "sagging".  This year, almost all of the SAG drivers were amateur radio operators, and several were also EMTs. 

Day 1's ride was 89 miles.  We started in Westerville, at Otterbein College, next to the Campus Center.  (Short aside, I've never been to the Otterbein campus before, but felt an affinity for the college since my junior year of college was completed through the auspices of their Junior Year Abroad program in cooperation with my college, Heidelberg.) We proceeded through Galena and up to Sunbury before heading east. I was pleased to notice that I was able to ride up a little hill at the beginning of the Brick Trail in Galena that had challenged me last year without having to get off and walk up. 

Lunch was at the Velvet Ice Cream Factory in Utica, on the grounds of Ye Olde Mille.  Still lunch was provided by the same caterer as the night  before, as were all the meals for the entire event. I experienced a scary moment when turning left into the grounds.  At the same time, several riders were leaving and proceeding back the same way I was coming from.  So, there were bicycle riders on both sides of the road.  I was turning left, so I was in the middle of my lane.  Around the corner up ahead came a heavy gravel truck at full speed.  He pulled into my lane to avoid the cyclists on his right.  I got out of his way fast.  I survived. 

After lunch, the "Sweep" was right behind me.  The sweep is the person who follows the last rider.  He was part of the SAG team. I put some pressure on myself to hurry up, because I was keeping him from dinner!  But there was a sharp, steep hill that did me in near Alexandria, Ohio.  My pulse was racing and I was panting.  He pulled up and asked if I wanted a ride.  So I agreed.  He ported me to a transfer point where the regular SAG drivers could pick me up so that he could follow the new "last riders".   I took a ride to the next water stop 10 miles away in Johnstown and then rode that last section on my bike, for a total of approximately  79 miles. 

The new "last riders" were a husband and wife team.  She had previously been a volunteer, and this was her first year riding.  At times during the earlier portions of the ride, they were ahead of me and at times, I pulled past them.  But they easily caught up with me and passed me again.  Once I was safely in the SAG van, the sweep started following them.  

I was kind of late arriving at dinner and Monica had already eaten.  She warned me that it was pasta! It was actually pretty good, and I was hungry.  Later that evening I had a leg cramp, and had to jump in the shower again for "hydrotherapy" to relax it. 

Day 2 was pretty much a repeat of Day 1!  I got up, ate breakfast in the Campus Center, and rolled out.  

I made sure to stop on the bridge in Galena to take a photo.  Even though there were some riders behind me, it wasn't long before I saw the sweep following me again.  I spent a lot of the day riding with the couple from the day before.  I rode from Otterbein to Sparta (29 mi), then picked up a ride with a SAG wagon to lunch in Mt Vernon at the Ariel Foundation Park, and from there to Centerburg, and rode the last 24 miles back to campus.  I made sure to drink pickle juice at lunch to help to avoid cramps. 

 

My bike was leaning against the fence at a water stop. 

Plethora of radios in the SAG van. 

Water stop again.  The ride's "mechanic" was on duty.  It had rained a light, refreshing rain earlier, and some fine gravel and other road debris was stuck to my wheel.  When I left this water stop, the sun was back out, but my bike was making strange noises.  I doubled back to the water stop and he agreed that it was the brake shoe picking up "stuff" from the rim.  He adjusted my brakes slightly and the noise went away.  I will need to clean my bike when I get home. 

Day 3.  Another start at the beginning of the day, from the same starting point.  

The "last rider" couple from yesterday had decided not to ride, so I met up with some new companions. They were on the "Mind Brain" team. 

I remembered to take a photo of the Emergency vehicle and the Communications vehicle that the SAG team was using. 

Dayton is one of the largest concentrations of ham radio operators.  I once attended the "Hamvention" in Dayton. 

Water stop from Day 3

 

Lunch stop Day 3 in Waldo, Ohio. 

It was hot and muggy.  I was not the last rider, but close to the back.  People kept dropping off behind me, though, and by the time I got to a water stop, I was again the last rider.  Except for one woman who took a wrong turn and rode a mile or two out of the way.  There was a team taking an extended break at the water stop.  They waited for everyone who wanted to ride on in, but several of us elected to sag back to the campus. 

When I got back to campus, looking at the weather forecast I realized that there were thunderstorms forecast for the area.  I dreaded sleeping in a tent in a thunderstorm, or packing up my tent in a thunderstorm or packing a wet tent and having to put it back up at home to let it dry.  So I decided to come home for the night.  I packed up everthing, showered, and headed to the Campus Center for dinner. 

Dinner in Campus Center.  There was a program at another building to recognize the fundraising efforts.  Dessert and drinks were served.  Several emotional speeches were made about what this ride and the ACS means to the families of cancer patients.  A book was promoted, "The Man in the Arena" by Jim Bond aka "007" for his randomly-assigned number for a clinical trial of a new treatment.  I have ordered a copy of the book.  

Day 4.  I returned to campus well after the riders had started.  I check out with the ACS desk, turning in my dorm key, and took a quick spin on the Alum Creek trail before heading to the "mustering" point before the end of the ride.  I took a victory lap around the track and claimed my medal!