Ride Journal: Day Two July 20, 2001 Today's ride: New Haven CT to Norwich CT, approx. 85 miles NEW HAVEN (CT) - Well, I did better than survive the first night at camp -- thanks to my awesome tent mate who has been so accomodating and hospitable so far. I didn't even feel as grumpy as I expected to be, getting up at 5:30 AM amidst all the early morning rustling. What's more, David says I didn't snore at all last night (guess those ear plugs you got really worked, David -- my wife, Julienne would never believe this). I can't say the same of the guy in the tent behind us -- he was the buzzsaw that distracted me a while, but I got to sleep soon enough anyway, without the earplugs even (which only seemed to annoy the heck out of me). I was told I wouldn't need an alarm clock to wake up each morning and boy is that ever true. As hard a sleeper as I am, the cumulative activity in tent city and the early morning whispering (mind you, some people are simply incapable of whispering) are sure to wake you up by 5:15 AM or so. Best of all I discovered this morning, my worst fears associated with having a stranger for a tent mate are now completely overwritten with relief and thanks for having David around, himself confessing the same sort of anxiety leading up to Day Zero. Healthy serving of eggs and bacon breakfast in the tummy, I make my way out to bike parking, wipe off the incredible amount of dew accumulated overnight on my bike, check tires, drivetrain and brakes, then roll out of camp promptly at 6:30 AM. Like the first day, riders are anxious to get clear of the large packs and get some space to themselves, but the efforts prove to be sometimes chaotic as we completely take over the streets of downtown New Haven. Once back in the countryside, however, we're greeted with mile upon mile of smooth pavement, scenic meadows and lake views and hardly any traffic on the road, unlike yesterday, when we often shared the road with many cars and large trucks. Long before leaving for this journey, I told myself that I would ride to the limit on at least one day of the trip -- an unorthodox, driven way of sealing my dedication to my own personal causes: Thomas Louisville, Joelana Louisville, John D. Peterman and all AIDS victims in the Philippines whom I honor with the miniature Philippine flag hoisted on my helmet. Having seen the hilly terrain topographically charted on our "Daily Ride" newsletter, I decide today's the day. For most of the way, I ride silently and alone today, stopping at each pit stop for enough time to simply re-stock fluids, grab a Clif Shot for the road, snap a few pictures to appreciate the Pit themes (such as Disco Inferno at Pit Two and Glam Rock at Lunch Pit) and go. Even at lunch, where I politely refused a salami sandwich in lieu of pint-size helping of the garlicky rigatoni salad (which goes nasty with orange Gatorade, mind you), I decide to keep my leg muscles on edge and roll out as soon as the food settled in for a bit. I feel remarkably strong today -- perhaps fueled by inspiration and the favor of spirits for whom I'm jamming from one town to the next, up one residential hill and on to the next. I arrive at our destination in Norwich CT after a five and a half hours' ride time, the fifth rider into camp (dubbed "Camp Mula Hah Haha"). I briefly relish a strong performance today, hastily retrieve my gear, set up three tents, then help bike parking staff complete setting up the parking premises. It's not until about 6:30 PM or so that I realize just what kind of havoc today's route wreaked on many riders. I overheard that only a third of all the riders on the road had made it back in by this time. It's customary on AIDSRides for riders who arrive to camp early to come back out to cheer the rest on as they arrive -- this is what I did for over two hours until the last rider rolled in. Scores of riders passed under the camp banner, praised with fervent applause, many of whom had looks of disbelief at the challenge they overcame today. Many even arrived in tears and borderline despair, realizing tomorrow brings a full century (100+ mile) ride, albeit with less climbing than today. Even greater evidence of the route's hefty toll were the bus loads of riders swept from the course back to camp, some of whom looked slightly discouraged for not having finished every mile today, but whom I maintain have earned every right to pride of achievement as the rest of us. So were the climbs really all that bad? It suffices to say I'm very glad I trained hard -- okay, overtrained -- for them. Despite a better average speed I attained throughout the course than I've ever managed before in similar terrain, I feel the difficulty of today's succession of short, but sometimes horrendously steep climbs taking its toll on my legs. To add insult to injury for all riders, the headwinds that prevailed most of the day grew even stronger as the afternoon progressed. Today's camp is situated on the grounds of the now-defunct Norwich State Hospital, which I'm told used to be one of the largest mental hospitals and psychiatric research centers built in this country (and some claim it's haunted). The tents are pitched above lofty fields with high piles of dry grass, which -- we've been warned -- have possibly heavy infestations of spiders and ticks, let alone the pesky grasshoppers and crickets we're likely to pack up with our gear tomorrow morning. While the Avon Skin-so-Soft stuff (a highly reputed, coincidentally effective mosquito repellant) has proven worthy of its reputation up to now, it's time to break out the Deet substances as well. After dinner, I stick around to watch tonight's entertainment feature: karaoke night/gong show. Some brave folks out there singing on that big stage in the dining tent -- some of them not so good but full of spirit, others who simply rocked the house. We're not too far away from the Foxwoods Casino, so I kid around and ask when the shuttle buses to the casino will start showing up. Then again, cocktails would probably be a bad idea on the eve of our longest ride. Off to bed then. It's 9:30 PM, all light of day has gone. Another superb day of riding.
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