![]() We chatted and waited for the storm to pass. She was bruised and bloody, having gone down on the slippery railroad tracks a few miles before. Minutes later another rider named Judy pulled into the shelter. Shelter at last, listening to the deafening din on the tin roof, and hoping it would stop. I put my head down and raced as fast as my legs would carry me. Desperately looking for help or an overhead shelter, I saw one in the distance, about a 1/4 mile down the road. Now I’m getting really, really scared and getting pummeled by the hail is really starting to hurt. Seconds later the hailstones increased to the size of grapes. “On no,” I said to myself, “could this be a tornado? (Central MA had 7 of them ravage the state in early June.) What about hail?”īAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Hailstones the size of peas started falling by the zillions, pummeling my body, and littering the ground. First, a huge, huge gust of wind so strong it blew me across the road and back, followed in very rapid succession by a downpour and an enormous drop in temperature. Then, it happened in a few heartbeats later. This was no stage of the Tour de France but I would finish. At about mile 145 a sag wagon (emergency vehicle) drove by and a guy stuck out his hand with five outstretched fingers and screamed “Only 5 more miles! You can do it.” What? My computer read just 3 more miles and an extra 2 might do me in. I didn’t have a watch and resorted to looking at my bike computer, counting up to the magic number of 148 miles. Getting wet on a bike isn’t that bad when it’s warm. What did I do? I took off.Īs if to punish the stupidity of this decision, the skies opened up minutes later and it rained hard for 20 minutes, horizontally a good portion of the time. How was I ever going to cover 90% of that distance in 45 minutes? Simple answer: I wasn’t. Even on our fastest days in a team pace line on flat ground we average 26 mph. WHAT?!?! I quickly calculated the remaining distance…23 miles. “They told us 5:00,” she said, staring down at her clipboard. “When do we have to arrive at the brewery?” I knew I was in trouble when the sign reading “Last Rest Stop 1 Mile” was being marched toward the rest stop by a volunteer.Īfter refueling, rehydrating, and resting for the last time, I asked a volunteer: Approaching the last rest stop at mile 125, I got separated from my 3-man team. After that grueling grind, it’s only a half century (50 miles) to be done and dusted. Mile 90 brings on the Leviathan, the longest and hardest climb of the day to mile 98. We rode pretty much as a team for the first 90 miles, though in small groups of 4-3-3. Team photo at the foot of the Leviathan, a 7-mile climb in VT I was setting myself up for a brutal day. Hillpeats were the norm for the last 6 weeks prior to the B2B but they weren’t enough. Because of the extremely wet spring, I’d logged 100s of miles less than in 2010 and my longest ride of the season was a 56-miler in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. And, despite a day in the 90+F range with high humidity, I achieved the goal.Ģ011 was a lot different. I wanted to prove to myself that in my 50th year that I could take on and complete this ridiculous ride. I did this ride for the first time last year with 6 other members of Team Kermit, my Pan-Mass Challenge cycling team. So, it’s an opportunity for a physical challenge and giving back. More than just a one-day bike ride, the B2B is a fundraiser for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Team Psycho, Harpoon’s elite triathlon team. ![]() I hear you asking, “What, are you crazy?” “YES,” I’d reply, “AND TWICE OVER!” Guess they don’t want to scare people away. Oops, they forgot to mention the 6,500+ feet of elevation. This ride is for cyclists who enjoy great beer, are physically and mentally tough, take pleasure in the fellowship of others, don’t whine, excel in the face of challenges, play by the rules, and can ride 148 miles to the finish safely and without their hands being held.” “The Harpoon Brewery to Brewery Ride is one tough ride. To wit, here’s the opening paragraph on the official B2B website: Affectionately known to riders as the “B2B”, this ride is not for everyone. This past Saturday I completed my second consecutive Harpoon Brewery to Brewery Ride, the single-day, 148-mile bike ride from Boston, MA to Windsor, VT that Harpoon has sponsored since 2001. Valentina Rosa, TRA360 founder and CEO (l) with friend Kyle Bettigole at the B2B start line
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