The 'Teddy' ride is short for Teddy Roosevelt, and is what we call the 80-mile, 6000-foot of elevation ride 'around the block' from North Creek to Blue Mountain Lake to Long Lake and back through Newcomb and Minerva - four right-hand turns, two roads. TR made the trip when he was VP and then had to high-tail it back to Washington DC when McKinney was shot. The first 13 miles are all up hill, followed by Adirondack rollers, and the 8 miles from the last stop in Minerva are all down hill. It was good to get back to doing a ride that would challenge me in length and intensity. While the Teddy ride is listed as 'tour-paced' it is really done more quickly than that. This year we averaged a little over 18 MPH. I have seriously bonked on this ride in the past having eaten bad Combos (pretzel/cheese snacks that I now avoid like the plaque) at the Long Lake Stewart's. I have also seen other good riders bonk on the ride, and this year was no exception. It is easy to start off hard thinking all the climbing is in the beginning and then not have enough in the tank to finish off the ride. That is the case especially for me. I always start fast and hard and then hang on to finish. But, I have learned to overcome this natural tendency, especially on the Teddy Ride.
We had a good group of 16 riders at the start. Two decided to turn back at Blue Mountain Lake, which is the last chance to go back without going all the way. We spread out pretty thin as everyone finds their own pace on the long climb to Indian Lake. After a quick re-group at the Stewart's, it is off to Blue Mountain Lake where we are supposed to regroup again and then climb up the shoulder of Blue Mountain and ride the rollers to Long Lake. The weather is perfect with little wind and crystal clear blue skies. I stopped at Blue Mountain Lake, but only Bruce and Skip and a couple of others did, the riders ahead went through and the riders behind were way behind.
Bruce and I stayed together and worked together all the way to Long Lake. I like this stretch of the road the best. The rest stop at Long Lake is an extended lunch stop. I now eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a cup of coffee instead of the dreaded combos. The protein and fat and caffeine get me through to the end as long as I take in some GU around an hour after we start again. Another traditional stop is at the Newcomb gazebo overlooking many high peaks. I could see Algonquin and it is fun to know that I hiked to that high peak. I try not to think about the knee pain associated with the hike. One last stop at a shade tree along the road
in Minerva and we wait for the ones that are struggling. The one bonker this year is a young rider just starting out, same as last year. Both are in excellent shape, just need to learn the art of fueling and portioning out their energy, which comes with experience. The last stretch from Minerva to North Creek is a blast. All the rollers have longer downhills than uphills and the momentum carries you over the rise each time. I wind up leading the pack home again on this stretch with a good pace - not too fast so we stay all together and not too slow to enjoy the roller coaster effect. We get into the park and chow down on Hand melons I brought thanks to Alix and other goodies. Another great Teddy Ride!Donna and I took vacation time but did not plan any trips. With dogs and Alix it is a chore to get away. So, we just planned to ride from home or take short trips and then ride. We did both. Our short trip was to Schroon Lake where we rode the 26-mile road around the lake -- the same route they run a marathon on in the fall. Starting at the southern boat ramp we worked our way clockwise around the lake. The start up the west side was on busy Route 9, so it was not that great. But when we made the turn over the top of the lake, the road became very interesting. Sharp steep hills and curves were the order of the day as we made our way all the way back to the start. Lots of steep driveways down to interesting waterfront homes. Donna and I were both getting pretty tired on this short ride, so we knew the hills were taking a toll. Also, I looked at my thermometer on my bike computer and it read 98-degrees! So, that was certainly a factor as well. We drove to the Country Store in the village of Adirondack and bought and inhaled some turkey sandwiches and then drove to a state park and swam and slept - a great day!
The time off was good to do these rides and to rest. However, work had to start again too soon. And the schedule and miles made it hard to get in good riding during the work week. This week was so bad that the riding I had planned for Saturday, a Bruce ride or the Mountain Biking Festival at Grafton, both were left unattended as I rested and caught up on paper work. During the week I did manage to get in a road ride with Donna after working out in central NY on Wednesday and a night ride on the home trails after a long day in Connecticut, so it was not a total flop of an August good weather week. Tomorrow we have a ride planned where we meet the steamship Mohican in Lake George, drop of a change of clothes and lunch on the boat and then ride the 40 miles up to Ticonderoga where we will board the boat and cruise home. Should be fun.
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