I was thinking of naming this post, “Elvis is evil” but instead I went with this quote from Coach Drew, “…that’s what you get for riding with the big boys.”

Our route for this ride was from the Pink hotel by the Peace Arch, along Zero avenue, through Langely, past Abbotsford, and all the way to Chilliwack. We zipped through Vedder, past the turn off to Cultas Lake, and up the Chilliwack river a ways before turning around. At the end of the day, we completed 160km.

I’m sure the route was a beautiful one, but I have to admit I spent most of my time with my eyes fixed on the wheel in front of me. This ride was a serious hammer. We spent 90% of the ride in a tight pace line with everyone riding in the aero position. That was the point, and instead of heeding the warnings, I jumped right in. True to form, it was a battle. We completed my first century ride of the season (and only my 2nd ever) in just over 5hr.

The night before, I felt some trepidation as I prepared wondering if I’d be able to keep up with Elvis. As the hammer fest began, I found the pace too tough and got dropped on the initial rollers. After about 20 minutes the group reassembled and Elvis gave a pep talk that went something like this, “It would be good if you tried to keep up.”

So I used my determination and fitness to do exactly that. I kept up. I spent the whole day hanging on. I ate right, and cycled well. In the end, I kept up without any major troubles but I can honestly say it was the hardest ride that I’ve ever completed. It was a character building experience.

Surprisingly, my legs felt remarkedly good on the short brick that we did afterwards. I was absolutely wrecked Saturday evening but it was an awesome day. I’ve even signed up for another Elvis adventure this coming weekend. I must be a sucker for punishment.

bike
5h:10:40, 160.6km
HR avg 145, Max 164
2898 Kcal (intake 800 gels + 350 gatorade)
Avg Sp 31.0km/h, Max 66.2
Avg Cd 93, Max 121
brick run
35 min