Thursday, August 13, 2009

5 Day "Mancation"

At the end of the month I and going to do a five day solo ride up the C&O canal. My goal is to ride the whole trail to Cumberland MD and back, 190 miles each way. That works out to around 76 miles a day. This is probably not going to happen but it's fun to say. I haven't had time to do any training besides my daily commute. Tomorrow I am taking the day off to ride 7 hours on the trail and I'm sure that will be a big eye opener as to the possibility of my goal. The other challenge is that I will be doing it solo. Finding motivation on a solo ride can be a struggle, but the more I read Jill Homer's blog the better I feel about it. We'll see how this translates out on the trail.

This will also be the first tour I do on my LHT (yeah you know me) and I couldn't be happier. If you aren't familiar it's pristine canal tow path that runs from Washington DC to Cumberland Md along side the Potomac river. I did a smaller version of this ride a few years ago where a friend and I rode from Cumberland back to DC. It is quite an experience to watch the river change as you descend out of the mountains.


Very very excited...
at

5 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 13, 2009 at 6:49 PM

    What is the trail surface like beyond Harpers Ferry? I would prefer to ride my Smoothie ES commuter bike, but if its too rought I might use a mountain bike.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cycle JerkAugust 13, 2009 at 7:35 PM

    Most of the trail is hard pack with small gravel. There are some sections that are slightly rough but not enough to be a deterrent. It really depends on your tires. For a long ride, I wouldn't ride anything thinner than cyclocross tires.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 14, 2009 at 1:34 AM

    Thanks. Since I navigate the upper end of the CCT, which can be bad, I should be OK. Whether I can do the first 120mi to Harpers Ferry in one day, as I originally planned, is another thing.

    Have fun.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rat Trap PressAugust 17, 2009 at 11:56 PM

    That sounds like a great trip. The trail looks nice and shaded. Are you going to be camping or staying in motels?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cycle JerkAugust 18, 2009 at 4:49 PM

    I am going to be camping so I hope the evenings aren't too hot. There are great biker/hiker camping sites all along the trail. Most of them have water and an out house.

    ReplyDelete