Cow Creek Country Classic - CycleTour

My goal for this ride was to stay on top of my nutrition and keep the best average I could.

I had a 60 mile ride scheduled for this day, but the bike rally only had route from 20-46 and then 75 and 100 miles. The group I was with wanted to do 75 miles. Fine, I will do it.

We started rolling at 7:40 AM. I made sure to look at the time so I could get in 200 calories an hour.

The first hour I took in 3 shot blocks, 100 calories. That was all I could stomach. The second hour was the same. Breakfast was holding with me.

The third hour I took in 100 calories of shot blocks and 1 banana. For the last 45 minutes I had a 200 calorie Mojo bar. Overall the nutrition was good. Although, I think I might shoot for 200 calories starting the second hour.

Now... how about I talk about the RIDING?

My group was hard to keep up. Basically I didn't want to blow out early and I wasn't willing to be aggressive in the crowds. So, I would catch them and then drop back again. At some point this guy Bryan and I got ahead. We stopped at the first rest stop to find them, but the cruised on by.

We kept riding, and I was doing a good job. Nothing too interesting to speak of. I was eating and riding. I've never eaten so much on a bike before! It was buffet time. HA!

Stopped at the 2nd rest stop. I was hurting at this point. The chip seal was BEATING ME UP! The constant shaking was miserable. My feet were numb and it was so hard for me to keep my cadence without watching my computer the whole time. I would think I was doing good, and then I looked down and I was doing a 110 cadence. Ugh. Did I mention that I HATE CHIP SEAL!

After the 2nd stop I felt better and we pressed on. I barely hung on till the 3rd rest stop. Seriously. The chip seal was beating me down more and more. They were pulling way ahead and I couldn' catch them.

We take off again... and I am DONE with the CHIP SEAL. DONE!

I look at my computer... hey, I only wanted to do 60 miles... and I am almost there. I see the event photographers, and pull over to ask them to call a SAG wagon. I have no clue where the next rest stop is.

They were wonderful! Pulled out a chair for me, gave me a drink even offered to feed me! So, I sat there until the SAG showed up. Then I got driven in the last 18 miles. Let me tell you, the last 18 miles were ALL CHIP SEAL. NO THANKS!

Overall, this ride sucked because of the fact that 75% of the roads were chip seal. I don't like paying to ride on miserable roads, or driving a total of 1.5 hours to do it. I could have stayed in town, and ridden with my club for free on nice roads. Lesson learned. Never doing this rally again.

I would not go to this rally.

CHIP SEAL! I HATE IT! Can't keep my average up and I hate my body going numb.


The volunteers were very nice and helpful. The shirt they gave out for the ride is so cute! It's a cow on bike! HA! It's not their fault that Texas DOT has decided to lay down chip seal for all our country roads. It's a good rally if you don't mind riding on chip seal.