SIR 2007 200K Brevet

Ride #1 completed towards the quest to ride Paris Brest Paris. We completed the 200 kilometer 126 mile ride in about 12 hours. This ride is a challenge starting in Kent Washington going down towards Tacoma along the Browns Point area and then moving out towards Mt. Rainier National Park with a turnaround point at Greenwater before descending back down 410 Mud Mountain Dam, and Climbing out of the Valley back to Kent. We arrived at the start line about 15 minutes before the scheduled start we got the bags and wheels on the bike before going to sign our waivers at the sign up desk. Just as we were finishing registering the huge crowd of riders rolled out never to be seen again. We headed out about 10 minutes later and I quickly found out I was overdressed with my heart rate hitting 170 and my bike not dropping into the granny gear (since the bike had only been reassembled yesterday upon returning from Spain this wasn't a huge surprise) I got the front derailleur adjusted so the rest of the days climbs would be kinder to me and my heart. I didn't have a chance to shed my Craft wind stopper long sleeve craft undershirt until much later in the day would have been good to strip right there on the roadside (reminder to self - that shirt should only be worn in the coldest windiest of weather. A quick stop at the first control a grocery store in the Brown's Point area to get our cards signed and have a bio break - alas the bio break room was out of order? I went down the strip mall to the diner and wish I could have stayed for some hash browns and coffee. I almost did stay as I couldn't get out of the rest room - oh that sign next to the light switch says how to open the door - why not just fix the door knob for gawds sakes instead of giving me an apoplexy. We headed out towards the second control which is at the Black Diamond Bakery - a popular destination we got happy St. Pa tricks Day Cookies and Chocolate Milk and I shedded the dreaded Craft undershirt. We started catching up with familiar faces from past rides including one familiar face on a not familiar bike - one of the guys we had helped out on the Olympia 200k with tubes had a new Heron - it was very spiffy with lots of carefully chosen parts. I said Hi to him and reminded him who we were. He said thanks again and if the ride went well for him all tube debts would be re payed. Talking with another rider on the Greenwater climb made it go much quicker but I did take some time to observe the damage done by the windstorm last year there were lots of trees down in the forest and the river was sporting a new berm just before reaching Greenwater. I also stopped to put on my rain gear - I looked mighty fetching in my black and gray illumilite rain coat and my rainlegs. Patty Austed wanted to mug me for my rainlegs - they keep the top of your thighs from getting wet but because they are chaps they don't cause you to overheat. Sometimes I catch the straps on the saddle which can be annoying but the protection they give is well worth this minor hindrance. We scored at Greenwater - because the earlier hoards of riders had cleared out their packaged in plastic triangle sandwiches the staff at the Greenwater quickie mart had gone next door to the restaurant and bought some ready made sandwiches just an hour before we got there and they were yummy. The rain picked up which made the descent down to Enumclaw a bit treacherous but we made it to the Circle K control with time on the clock and time for a scary Boston creme pie cappachino from a machine - it hit the spot and we headed out for one more big climb out of the Valley and back to Kent. We arrived at the ride organizers house at 7:00 p.m - changed into dry clothes and enjoyed the chili feed and Guinness beer (It was St. Patty's day after all). I also got a chance to chat a bit more with the riders we rode with today and met Knox Gardner I had seen his blog before but hadn't met him. We were home around 9:00 pm and in bed by 10:00 pm. I'm feeling tired today in a good way but managed to get some stuff done around the house and will go to an early morning spin class tomorrow and need to get back to weight training my arms are also sore.