We began Day 1 of our Parkway ride at milepost 0, just outside Waynesboro, VA. We stopped 45.3 miles later, near Lexington, VA where we had hotel reservations for the evening. We will return to this spot in the morning to resume our ride. Statistics of the day: 45.3 miles of cycling, 4,619 feet of climbing, 3:46 time in the saddle. I averaged 12.0 mph and offer no apologies for my speed. There were a total of 11 climbs of varying lengths and gradient. For me, the last climb, Bear Hill, just before the end, at 2.5 miles which we hit around noon, just as the heat was building, was the toughest.

I did not sleep well last night. I was nervous about today’s ride. Once we got going, I got into the symmetry of cycling and was fine. Back home in Asheville, I’ve been on countless rides of 45 miles or more and climbed 4,000 feet several times a season so there was no reason to be nervous but I was. Trying to figure out what caused this issue is fruitless so I’m hopeful of a better sleep this evening.

Mary Ann McCain did her usual outstanding job of shepherding us. She found convenient spots to park along the way. If we wanted to stop for refreshments, she was ready. Otherwise, Rusty and I flew by. We stayed together for parts of the ride and on occasion, Rusty pulled ahead. We’ve ridden together so many times, we know our styles and it is no big deal when one pulls ahead of the other.

The great news is the traffic was light. More motorcyclists passed us than cars which made it relatively stress-free. We saw just two other cyclists heading in the other direction. The other pleasant aspect was about half the ride was in the shade so despite the summer heat, until the very end, the ride was surprisingly pleasant.

Thoughts while on today’s ride:

• The Blue Ridge Parkway is a work of art. Hats off to the engineers of old who planned and built this American gem. If you have the opportunity, I urge you to get out and drive part of this historic highway. You will not be disappointed.

• Several times today, Rusty and I talked about how grateful we are to be able to do things like ride the parkway. We are both extraordinarily thankful for our health and the physical capability we have and do not take these gifts lightly.

• We are both grateful for our spouses. We could not do these adventures without the support of Rusty’s wife Mary Ann. While Pam may not accompany us on these trips, she is with us in spirit. I am so happy that she has bounced back from her terrible fall of 5 weeks ago which resulted in snapping the head of her femur. She’s done well, in large part due to her determination and grit to heal. Great job Pam!!

• Here are a couple of photos of today’s journey:

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Continue reading Blue Ridge Parkway ride Day 1

We departed Asheville late Monday, September 4. Spent the night in Abington, VA. Rusty and Mary Ann’s neighbor is from this part of Virginia and insisted we stop at an old restaurant in Draper, VA, and sample their French toast. Of course we did and it resulted in a late start. At Roanoke, we made our way to the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove our first three bike rides backward. In other words, we got on about Parkway mile marker 126 and drove to mile marker 0. This gave us an idea of what we’re facing on our first three rides, starting tomorrow. I commented that I wanted to return to our hotel in Abington and put my head under the covers.

However, we knew what we were getting into so the adventure begins first thing in the morning. Day 1 is a ride from mile 0 to mile 46. It appears we are facing about 4,500 feet of climbing. Mary Ann will meet us at the junction of mile marker 46 and VA highway 60 and shuttle us to Lexington, VA where we have hotel reservations.

I snapped this photo along the way. For those friends who reside in the Asheville area, this will look all too familiar. However, the peaks in the background are where we started near Roanoke and offer a glimpse of what’s ahead. We’re excited and eager to get on our bicycles. More to follow tomorrow evening from Lexington, VA. All the best to everyone.

I, along with my Blue Ridge Parkway co-rider Rusty McCain, participated in a Blue Ridge Bicycle Club (which we belong to) event today that served as our last training effort before we hit the Parkway on Wednesday. 15 of us tackled a challenging route out of Brevard, NC that was 43.4 miles in length with 3,400 feet of climbing. This was a fairly fast group. There were probably five of us in the last group, trailing the faster riders. I averaged 14.9 MPH which was about a half to a full mile per hour slower than the faster riders. However, my intent was to spend quite a bit of the ride cycling in my higher power zones.

Earlier this summer, Rusty and I were fortunate to have our VO2 max tested at the Furman University Performance Testing Lab in Greenville, SC. This lab has been closed to the public since COVID, but through persistence, they offered to test us if we agreed to participate in a research study two professors were conducting. We were required to be wired up, have our blood gas monitored among other tests while riding a stationary bike at increasingly difficult rates of exertion. In many ways, it was very similar to how they conducted our VO2 tests the next day.

VO₂ max is the maximum (max) rate (V) of oxygen (O₂) your body can use during exercise.

Oxygen is a critical ingredient in the respiratory process that’s involved in breathing. As you breathe in oxygen, your lungs absorb and turn it into energy called adenosine triphosphate (ATP)Trusted Source. ATP powers your cells and helps release the carbon dioxide (CO₂) that’s created during your respiratory process when you exhale. The greater your VO₂ max, the more oxygen your body can consume, and the more effectively your body can use that oxygen to generate the maximum amount of ATP energy. In other words, the greater your VO2 max, the harder you can work (in our case, ride a bicycle faster). Unfortunately, as we age, our VO2 max declines. This is particularly true once you hit the 70-year-old mark. The goal for an aging cyclist like myself is to develop a training protocol that will slow down the rate of decline.

Academics and sports physiologists have developed training zones based on an individual’s VO2 max. Zone 1 for example, is exceedingly easy. You could cycle all day long, maintain a conversation, and not feel stressed. There are zones for heart rate and watts of power you exert while cycling. I spent the majority of today’s ride in zone 4 and a bit in zone 5, difficult zones to work in. The benefit of doing so helps build my VO2 max, thus my endurance while riding, and more power to climb hills.

Today’s effort was difficult and other than a brief effort on Tuesday to loosen my legs after driving for two days, I will do no hard exercise before we start riding the Parkway on Wednesday. The exception is stretching. I’ve learned the hard way that as we age, the need to stretch is critical. A physical therapist I see off and on has helped me develop three different stretching routines.  Unfortunately, it seems that as I work to relieve tension, stress, or pain in one part of my body, another ache pops up somewhere else. The old saying “growing old is not for sissies” is true. However, I am tremendously grateful to be able to do the things I do, and do not take these gifts lightly. I am happy to work through the pain to be able to go on long rides such as we did today.

I hope to blog again Wednesday evening after Day 1 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We depart Asheville on Monday, September 4, Labor Day, for northern Virginia. We’re getting a late start due to a major cycling event in Asheville that day. We should arrive in Waynesboro, VA mid-day on Tuesday, the 5th. That gives Rusty and me time to settle in and take our bikes for a short ride to loosen our legs and be ready to start the serious ride on Wednesday, September 6.

Rusty and I will be by ourselves, supported once again by his wife, Mary Ann for about two-thirds of the ride. As we get closer to Asheville, we’re taking a rest day in Little Switzerland, NC. This spot on the highway is aptly named, The scenery, reminiscent of scenes in Switzerland, is stunning.

Pam will join us for the rest day. Two friends of Rusty and Mary Ann will also join us along with two, perhaps three of our friends from the Asheville Blue Ridge Bicycle Club. This group will complete the final three legs of this ride, arguably the most challenging. The good news is we will be close enough to Asheville to be able to sleep in our own beds.