First a brief update--I completely spaced last Tuesday and didn't even weigh myself that day. On Wednesday I was 143.6, so that'll have to be my official weight for the week. This week I was 144.2 on Tuesday. Wrong direction, but no great surprise given all the food I've been eating.
My exercise has been pretty good--last week was one run, one day on the elliptical. all the cycling around the marathon (29 miles) and then a five mile hike with the Scouts on Sunday. So far this week all I've done is a run on Monday (and I tried to take before and after pictures to show that unlike Emily I turn beet red and look awful after just 3.5 miles of running! It's like I stop and all of the heat in my body escapes out my head, making me red and sweaty and making my hair frizz. But the pictures didn't work--my cell phone can't catch subtleties like skin coloring.). I've got my stuff with me today for another trip to the gym.
Seagulls or geese is in regards to the century rides next year--there's the Seagull Century and the Wild Goose Chase. The Wild Goose Chase is sponsored by Terry Women's Cycling and is an all-women's ride that supports the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. The ride is in the refuge and in and around Cambridge, Maryland (so basically the Chesapeake Bay part of the Eastern Shore). There are other events surrounding the main ride--guided kayak tours in the wildlife refuge are among the most interesting. Oddly, while I've seen maps with the 100 mile route shown for this ride, the website only lists rides up to 62 miles (a metric century) so I don't know what's up with that. If they aren't doing a "real" century then I'm not sure I'm really that interested. Accommodations before and after the ride are in area hotels and B&B's.
The Seagull Century is based out of Salisbury University and generally rides out to Asateague Island and through the eastern/beach part of the Eastern Shore (this year there were two century routes--one to Asateague and one through Snow Hill). It's a larger event (8,100 riders this year). There's no one charity that it supports, although lots of the participants are raising money for other organizations (often the same people you see at other events, like Team Fight and Team in Training). Lots of accomodation options (because there are more people, so they are packing them in all the Salisbury hotels, sending them to Ocean City and other areas, and generally using up all the hotel rooms in the vicinity), including camping. Lots of family-friendly entertainment (many of the pictures included kids along for the ride).
The real questions--who has the best shirt, swag, and food--I can't find answers to!
Both are in October (a week apart), both are dead flat routes. I don't have any real preference for which one to do. They'd both be nice. I suspect the Wild Goose Chase has more of a supportive-estrogen-fest-Iron-Girly feel to it, while the Seagull Century is more energetic-madhouse-party. Both have their appeal.
Any ideas on which one to do?
3 comments:
From what I can tell, this year the official day for Wild Goose was Sunday and on that day they offered rides up to 62 miles. But on the Saturday they had an optional self-guided century ride (presumably that means without sag wagons), so they provide a map for that. That seems a little crazy -- you ride a hundred miles for fun, and then you're expected to show up the next day and go on the REAL ride. But I really like the idea of a women's ride. The whole site feels so much calmer than the Seagull site. Right now calm is very appealing.
I get plenty red when I run hard! In the marathon my speed was so low all the way through that my heart rate never went through the roof. Even on the first half I was running a 10- to 11-minute per mile pace. When I do my meagre 9-minute miles at the gym I'm beet red and wiped out. How do people get their speed down to 7-minute miles? Over extended distances?? That's incredible. And the female marathon winner this weekend was under SIX minutes per mile -- over all 26 miles!
They both look really cool. I'd be OK with a 62-miler on that one course then look for another century ride. I just like the sound of the whole Wild Goose Race.
I know my opinion doesn't count, but I like the name and sound of the Wild Goose Chase.
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