[Sportsandrec] Tandeming, Blind Stokers, Captains/Pilots, and Blind Cycling

[Fred C]

Thanks Everett, and all!

How is your Summer sizzling?

Ya, I think I'll get an iPhone for their GPS and cycling apps.  I'm  
with T-Mobile, and iPhones work on our network.  I'll wait until a  
few million more people buy the new iPhone, and pick up a gently used  
version of the previous model.

The Blind Stokers Club (BSC) rides as a group twice a month, and it's  
hella fun.  I'm not as fit as I was when my wife and #1 captain  was  
alive.  After she died, I didn't need to make healthy Organic meals.   
I've been saving a  bit of money by eating crappy foods, but it also  
made me gain weight.  Part of that weight gain is from not running or  
cycling as many errands with her or for her, as well as more beer  
drinking!

The BSC did a 60-70-mile ride up the coast and back, Saturday.  I'm  
not as sore as I thought I'd be.  It's the longest ride I've done in  
my life.

Two things:
1 -- Riders who want to do the big 200-mile ride (Cycling for Sight)  
at the end of this month were required to go.  I wanted to do the  
ride, but so many of the other teams seemed so fit and fast, so  
Saturday was the decision day.  I was seriously having second  
thoughts.  My captain and I stayed with the whole group for the  
first  10-miles.  I really didn't think I could do it, but I kept  
hammering away on my pedals.  My captain kept telling me to take it  
easy, since I was pushing us close to the rear of the tandem ahead of  
us.  After a bit, the group began to string out, and break into  
clumps.  That's when he told me to "Put on the juice!"

We started passing  the tandems and other single bikes.  Soon, we  
were in front.  I don't like being in front because we get lost.  My  
captain is a bad map reader, or something, but when you're in front,  
you've got no one to follow.  We seemed too fast to comfortably ride  
behind any of our teams.  So, we lead the way.  Get lost, find the  
group, and lead the way again.

When we finally found the group again, near our Dana Point Harbor  
turnaround point, about half had arrived.  I felt pretty good, but  
was very thirsty.  I mingled with the other riders, drank 2 sport  
drinks, and ate almost nothing.  Soon, it was time to head out.  The  
plan for the ride home was for everyone to go at their own pace.  We  
were the last team to leave the park where we had lunch.  After we  
hit the restroom, my captain asked if I wanted to hang out for 15 or  
20 minutes.  "We've got time," he said.  I wanted to get moving  
before my muscles started to cramp or cool down any more.  (Looking  
back on it, he probably wanted to stay at this beach park so he could  
admire the women.)  Anyway, off we went.  he knew the way now, so  
that helped.

After a few miles, he spotted one of our tandem teams.  We wanted to  
catch and ride with them, so we reeled them in.  Once we were on  
their wheel, we realized that their pace was a bit slow for us.  We  
bid them farewall, and went hunting for the next tandem team.  We had  
about a half-dozen similar experiences, and kinda gave up on the  
slipstream/echelon/peleton idea.  Then my captain spotted the "Stoker  
of the Year," and we had been kidding, sparring, and joking with her  
team since the start.  We figured that they'd be a good team to  
partner with.  We were on a gentle 2-mile climb, and slowly reeled  
them in.  A's we approached and rode paralell, they seemed to be  
slowing.  We tried to lead for them, but they kept sliding back.  We  
crested the rise, and took it easy down the other side.  We hoped  
they'd catch us, but no.  Even going downhill, they kept slipping  
back.  She was our only hope, so we spun up and were off.  In the  
next  6-miles or so, we reeled everyone else in.

In front again, and soon back in my familiar biking territory, my  
captain missed a turn  that I warned him about 3 times, and added a  
little more miles to our trip.  We were the first team back to the  
starting point.  I felt pretty good, and just had to rehydrate while  
we waited for the other teams.

2 -- The other thing is that these riders have been meeting and  
riding twice a month long before I showed-up.  Some of them have been  
riding for 6-years with this Blind Stokers Club!  My captain assured  
me that we were both doing the same amount of work.  He wasn't  
pedaling for me.  We both like to keep a fast tempo on the pedals,  
and I don't know if that played into it.

My captain and I had only ridden with this group once before.  I was  
really hurting on that ride.  The leaders of the club had doubts  
about my ability to ride 100-miles in a reasonable amount of time.   
So did I.  Since we lead most of the way, up the coast and back, we  
are expected to ride in this big 3-day ride.  We did the 70-miles in  
about 4-hours, subtracting our lunch and restroom break.

That means I gotta get on with fundraising!  I'm still about $1,500- 
in the hole!  With less than 2-weeks to go, I've gotta bring in $200  
a day!  Yikes!

See ya out there,
Fred