My 1st Door County Century Ride

Not all of my adventures happen a long way from home; Wisconsin has an incredible variety of things to do, and when the weather is nice, Sconnies take advantage of it by planning countless outdoor activities, races, and challenges to attempt.

As part of my New Year's resolution to complete four endurance events, I looked for ideas beyond my regular marathon and triathlon endeavors. Long distance bike rides have been a part of my training plans for several years, and I really enjoy cycling as both a workout and an enjoyable way to be outside! Several years ago, I rode in the Tour de Cure in NW Arkansas with friends from work, completing the metric century (100k) distance not long after I completed my first half iron distance triathlon. Googling endurance events in Wisconsin, I found the Door County Century Ride, a long standing event in the beautiful thumb of Wisconsin. I signed up well in advance, as 2018 was the 40th anniversary and it sounded like something I definitely wanted to be a part of!

As I was already training for a half iron triathlon in August, I felt like I would have a good base of miles for attempting a century ride - and one of the lovely things about this particular ride was you didn't have to commit to a distance. It wasn't a race, there were no medals; you simply showed up and rode the distance you felt like you wanted to attempt, making the decision the morning of the race. There was no downside! With options of 30, 50, 70 and 100 miles, I would shoot for the longest distance but if it didn't work out, it would still be a wonderful opportunity to see more of my newest home state and get a great workout at the same time.

The morning of the race I got up super early so that I could make the hour and a half drive, arriving in time to pick up my packet and get going. What a new experience for me; a ride without a competitive bent, no timing chip, and no formal start line. They simply gave a window in which riders could start, making it a really chill, laid back morning! Turns out I loved that approach, though naturally, I had my Garmin prepped and planned to challenge myself to do more than take a leisurely ride that morning.

Ready or not, it was time to go - an early September morning can be a little bit cool, with a start temperature of 57*, but I figured it would warm up later, so I chose to dress for mid- to late-race rather than the start. As I shivered a little bit at the start line and saw others in jackets I did question my decision, but it was too late now. Time to get going!

I was there alone and happy to ride solo, but it was a pretty good crowd starting out early for the 100 miler, and I found that the riders were very friendly and social as we passed each other on the roads! I leap frogged a couple on a tandem bike for a while, which I thought was totally adorable. Not too many miles into the ride, I fell in with a few guys who were riding smoothly (if a little more quickly than me), and I joined their small peloton. It had been ages since I'd ridden with a group, and it was exhilarating to pull on the wheel of another rider, catch their draft, and glide along at a nice speed without nearly as much effort as riding alone! Of course, that meant I was also riding faster than I had planned; I didn't stop at the first rest station as I wanted to stay with the group; and I eventually had to hop out in front and pull the others along. While I enjoyed the challenge and the camaraderie, I eventually dropped back and out of the pack, because I knew my legs wouldn't make it if I tried to keep up the whole time!

goofball smile at rest stop #1

As I had expected, the scenery was spectacular; this was my first time to Door County, and in the waning days of summer, it was still vibrant with the greens of summer and sparkling blue water as I rode along the west side of the thumb. Even in the chill of the shade among the trees, I could tell there was a warmer sun working to break through and later in the day I'd enjoy the sunshine and warmth. Inside of Peninsula State Park I came to rest stop #2 where I got my first taste of how well organized and planned this race was. The support was terrific! Sandwiches, drinks, fuel bars, Gatorade, and plenty of space to hop off my bike and rest for a bit. What a completely different - and delightful! - experience than a race for time! I also felt pretty lucky to be there; I and a couple of other riders had missed the sign for the turn on the route going through town, and I had added a couple of miles as I veered off course. Thank goodness for the other cyclists; I almost hooked up with a local group out for their Sunday ride, and they were definitely not headed to the rest stop!

I didn't stay too long, as I was feeling good, the weather was amazing, and I still had 69 miles to go! From here, it was on to Sister Bay, riding along the coast with Green Bay to my left through the trees along the way. What a spectacular day it was turning into, too! The sun was out, the sky was blue, the wind was mild and the water was sparkling. I could see boats in their slips and seaside cottages, affirming that this was a summertime vacation we needed to put on our Wisconsin Bucket List for a family weekend.

As I rolled into Sister Bay, it was another opportunity for a rest stop. The course had stops placed at about 45-60 minute intervals for the speed I was moving, which made it a great way to break up the miles and the time in the saddle. At this point, I was about as far north as I would go, and there were trees here and there already showing signs of autumn. Door County seems to be the place to be, all four seasons of the year! I was getting a feeling for its potential as a summer playground, and I had heard that the fall leaves were as stunning as anything in New England. Add to that the cross country skiing that is available in the state parks up that way, and it isn't too much of a leap to believe that spring likely brings wildflowers, crisp mornings and gentle afternoons that hint at the coming summertime fun.

I took my time at the Waterfront Park rest stop, fueling up again on the PB&J sandwiches, refilling my water bottle, speaking briefly to a couple of other riders I had seen several times, and enjoying the view.

From here, it was time to head east across the peninsula, and cover about 20 miles to get to the next rest stop. The wind had begun to pick up just a little bit, coming out of the east. This became the most challenging part of the ride yet; I passed the halfway point, had a headwind, and continued to climb up and down the limestone bluffs that are the hallmark of the Wisconsin thumb. When I did finally see the water ahead of me, I felt incredible relief. Who knew I'd ever be so happy to see Lake Michigan!

the beautiful blue waters of Lake Michigan

I took my time at this rest stop; with just about a third of the course still in front of me, I refueled, stretched a bit, and simply relaxed with the crowd of other riders doing the same thing. And boy was there plenty of fuel! Again, the rest stop was well-stocked, with volunteers who were happy to be there and to help the riders along the way.

I was definitely starting to feel fatigue in my legs at this point; I was beyond the mileage for which I had trained for my triathlon, but still under the longest ride I'd done during my training cycle. I felt confident I would make it, of course; barring an injury, I couldn't imagine anything that would keep me from gutting it out. The last of the steep climbing was almost done, and once I got to the next rest stop, it would level out the rest of the way to the finish line. This last rest stop, though, was the most crowded of them all! I had gotten to the part of the course where it rejoined the shorter mileage options, and everyone seemed to be taking a break at the same time as me! Even the bike "parking" was at a premium. I found a spot for my bike, grabbed just a couple of quick snacks, took a few more pictures, and got back in the saddle to finish the ride.

Seventy-eight miles down, twenty-two miles to go, and I was beginning to really feel all that time in the saddle! I was grateful now to have company along the way; it was motivating to see so many people out for the ride, and while I wasn't able to keep up with the peloton from Wheel & Sprocket (they had long outdistanced me) I did enjoy the company of the many other cyclists on the road with me. We continued to follow the shoreline, though there were fewer opportunities to see the water. Still, the scenery didn't disappoint, and it was so much fun to see Door County from behind my handlebars.

Finally, the finish line was at hand, and I was both happy and relieved to know I had made it! I crossed the finish line with many other riders, giving me the chance to get a non-selfie photo to commemorate my achievement.

The terrific support along the course didn't end at the finish line; there was music and food waiting for all of the riders who'd made it back, and I got to have my very first piece of Door County Cherry Pie. Now THAT was a great reward for the hard work of the day!

Of the many endurance events I've attempted and completed over the years, this was one of the most fun I'd ever done. It was a nice surprise to find that I didn't have to compete with the clock to feel like I'd achieved something big, though I did enjoy looking at the stats on my watch when I was done!

That is a long way, a lot of climbing, a ton of calories burned, and a long time to be in the saddle, but look at that speed! I had aimed for somewhere in the 15mph range, but with the help of the peloton early on, the many downhills after struggles up the climbs, and the simple joy of riding as hard as my body felt it could for that distance, I was so happy with my performance. It is always worth it to me to try and do the hard things, because when I'm done, I've built yet more confidence that I can take on any challenge I put my mind to!