BOSTON-MONTREAL-BOSTON
1200KM RANDONEE
On Sunday August 21st at
12:25am
,
I completed 1200km Boston Montreal Boston with an elapsed time of 68hours and
25minutes. With the generous support
of the Hamilton Cycling Club and many others, my BMB ride raised more than $4000
for Parkinson Society
Canada
.
What an exciting, grueling and rewarding experience. Starting
alongside 91 other participants at
4am
on Thursday August 18, rode 440km from
Boston
to
Burlington
VT
by
11pm
scaling
multiple mountain climbs along the way. The last few hundred metres
over the climb at Middlebury Gap were torturous. Must have been
almost a 20% grade!
On Friday, I remounted my bike at
5am
, and rode from
Burlington
VT
to
Huntington
QC
. The ride from
Huntington
back to
Burlington
was a struggle against
strong headwinds and occasional raindrops. Before the day was done,
continued riding further 80km in the dark to Middlebury. Lost my directions in
the last few kilometres and took an extra 30 minutes before I reached my final
destination for the day at
12:30am
.
Saturday's ride started at
5am
in the dark with a fine
mist falling. Immediately began scaling 1500ft vertical feet on a long,
steep climb up and over the Middlebury Gap. Hard on the brakes all
the way down the other side being careful on slick wet roads. This
was a pattern to be repeated over the other major mountain climbs through the
Green Mountains
at Killington,
Ludlow
and the
Andover
Pass.
Riding
between the Middlebury Gap and Killington, the mist turned into a downpour. Heavy
driving rains accompanied by gusting winds continued for several hours. I
rode through to
Brattleboro
VT
by which time the rains
and winds had subsided. The hill
climbs on the next leg through
New Hampshire
to New Salem MA sapped
my energy as I resisted tiring to maintain my pace. I really felt
wasted when I sat down to eat something at the Bullard Farm in New Salem.
With
120 kilometres miles ahead of me to the finish, I left New Salem at
6:30pm
. It took me
10 or 15km to regain my rhythm on the hills of
Western Massachusetts
. By
7:30pm
, darkness enveloped the
road on a rough, unmarked stretch of pavement in a heavily wooded sector. Though
riding strongly again, I wondered if the unending series of hill climbs would
ever end. Finally, I reached some smooth pavement, flatter stretches
and the occasional town out about 60 kilometres from the end. I
stopped for a coffee and donut (i.e. caffeine and sugar pick-me-up) in the town
of
Clinton
about 40 kilometres out
before pressing on. Sensing the finish line was now within reach, I
increased my efforts - though checking out each and every nighttime course cue
carefully so I wouldn't get lost - and made it to the finishing line at
12:25am
.
Total riding time was 68hours and 25minutes, nearly a whole day ahead of the 90hour
cut-off time, and within 50+ age group qualifying time for Race Across America (RAAM).
I am ever so grateful to the
Hamilton Cycling Club for encouragement and very generous
support of Parkinson Society
Canada
.
Ken Jobba
Inspired?
Club was and donated $250. If you want to add your support for Parkinson's
research click on the link below.
SuperWalk
Pledges for Parkinson's .
