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'Big Mike' Smooth to Lost Ride
* Anyone wishing to join the bike tour or become a volunteer in the Greater North Jersey Chapter, give a call at (201) 967-5599 or head to www.ms100.org.
Sept. 20th . . . I woke up about 4:55 am and my mother ten minutes later. Dressed, eat, tv and stretch out. Pack up the car and rolled out about 6:15 am. We did not get lost looking for the place. Because my mom and her boyfriend looked for the place two weeks before the tour. Anyway, We reached the Lucent Technology place little after 7:00 am. Some low fog on grassy areas. Sign in and talking to old friends. I did video tape and take pictures along the entire 100 miles. Tour did not start on time. Had a ribon cutting ceremony to start the tour. I was right up in front. The cutting started the tour at 8:25 am. 25 minutes late that is. I was ahead of everyone for a few miles. I pretended to be Lance Armstrong. It felt great for awhile. Even had a smile on my face. Reach the first rest stop at 9:04 am. My glasses fogged up a bit from the muggy air. 70 degrees...average speed 16.7 mph...max speed 29 mph. No problem on my part. We are in Chathan Township. Reached the second rest stop 10:01am at 72 degrees. Glasses fogs a tiny bit. Average speed 16.2 mph...max speed is 31.7mph. Some of the houses around here is really nice. Reach the third rest stop at 10:55 am. It is lunch time at the Gladstone Railroad Station. No grass to sit on. I sat in the parking lot. Looking at a parked train. It was 79 degrees...average speed 15.8 mph and max speed 31.7 mph. Left 3rd stop that is lunch at 11:49 am. Reached the 4th rest stop at 12:40 pm at 82 degrees. Average speed 14.7 mph and max speed still 31.7 mph. This stop is in the Mendham Township area. Made it to the Parsippany Hilton at 2:17 pm at 83 degrees. Average speed was 14.6 mph and max speed was 32.4 mph. This ride was pretty nice. Big houses and nice farms. Security put my and all MS cyclist bikes in a secure place. Signed in. Got my room key. Call my mother and a few friends. Got dressed and into the pool and the hot tub. Back to my room to shower up and dressed up. Then to dinner. After dinner....I realized my tooth chipped. Who knew? Relaxed by a pond for awhile. Watch a video about MS and a comedy show that is awesome like always. The two comedians was Steve Shaffer and Billy Garen. Walked around for awhile. Then hit the pillow about 10:45pm. Sept. 21st Woke by my roommate wake up phone call at 6 am. Got dressed and stretches. Pack up and more stretches while watching TV. Breakfast at 7 am. Called my mother at 7:45 am. Tour started at 8:10 am. It is a cool morning. I did not get on the road till 8:25 am. Because a friend video taped me while I cycled on the road. She is a wonderful volunteer EMT. Thanks!! Reached the first rest stop at 9:20 am with average speed at 14.1 mph and max speed at 25.4 mph. My glasses was a bit fogged up. As the tour goes towards the 2nd rest stop. I noticed a couple of cyclist going the other way. Reached the second rest stop at 10:30 am with tempeature in the 60's. Glasses is not as foggy. Average speed 14.2 mph and max speed is 32.7 mph. A smooth ride so far. No problem and doing good. The second rest stop is Far Hills RR Station. Okay!! Left the station at 10:45 am. I thought I was going the right way. I wind up following the wrong part of the course and follow the wrong cyclist later on. Then wind up back at the Far Hills Station at 12:15 pm. Made a big one and a half hour loop. I became the last cyclist on the tour now. How did I do that? There is another bike tour going on. Crossing each other tour route. I wind up riding on a small part of there course I think. Got a van ride with my bike to lunch that is the 3rd stop of the day at 1:02 pm. So I can catch up. Left lunch at 1:30 pm. Reach the 4th rest stop at 2:20 pm at 80 degrees. Max speed is 32.9 mph. Then finally made it to the finish line at 3:41 pm. Called my mother so she can be on her way to pick me up. I ate food of course. The bad news again is that if your late. There is not much of certain food. They had a lot of drinks in huge buckets. Made calls on my cell phone. Took pictures and video taped of course. Chatting away till my mother came. BIG MIKE THOUGHTS!! I saw a lot of cool big houses. Awesome view and people are nice. Meeting old and new friends in the tour. The hills are not as big as past tours. But I rather cycle on Green Pond Road in Morris County. If another bike tour is going to cross path. Need a better sign or have someone there till the last cyclist pass by. The comedy show is awesome like always. The MS staff are wonderful like always. So are the volunteers. There was some debris on the road from Hurricane Isabel. Not bad! Just have to watch out for some branches and dirt pile. My tooth chipped at dinner time. (smile) Can not wait till the next MS-100 tour. Will it be the same or will there be another new 100 mile course?!?! ***Raised a total of $507.00 for the MS Greater North Jersey Chapter. (smile) >***To know more about riding or volunteering in the September 2004 bike tour for the MS Greater North Jersey Chapter. Then give a call to 201-967-5599 for more information. |
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