Cross Florida Ride 2019 – Diana’s Story

Friday night I started packing up my gear. A friend volunteered to be my SAG. What a relief. That meant I didn’t have to have so much on my bike. Lighter bike, better ride. I had a list of all my gear to be sure I didn’t forget anything. Helmet, shoes, tire pump, Garmin, heart rate monitor, lights – Check! Extra socks, shorts & jersey – Check! Nutrition: Infinite nutrition, some PB&J sandwiches, rolled dates, oranges – Check! I packed my bags, pumped my tires, and loaded the car. Now to get to sleep for an early wakeup call.

Early Saturday morning, I got up at 4:00 am. Breakfast, hydration, coffee (lots of this), and off to meet the SAG driver.

I arrived in Shepard Park at 0-dark thirty. To get ready for the escorted start (thanks to Florida’s finest), the first thing to do was pick up my packet. That bib number is so important. I got my gear on, bib number on, and headed to the start line.

Anticipation was growing as the riders lined up. We all could feel the excitement. There were returning riders and first-timers (me) lining up. The morning was crisp with a light layer of fog. As the sun started to rise, the fog was quickly burning off. 7:00 am we all took off, escorted by the wonderful Sheriff’s department. It was so nice to be able to ride straight through the lights. There were so many riders. I couldn’t believe it! What an incredible sight.

Before long the riders settled into their pace. There was only 1 SAG station today, at mile 33. That’s where I connected up with my friend and met some new friends – we traveled the rest of the day together. The wind was definitely our partner that day. I was so glad to have some fellow riders to share the wealth with. We traded out pulling, though Bob took most of the brunt of the wind that day.

The day started to get hot. Ugh. Water was a definite must. I made sure to stay hydrated. Now, having my SAG help reminding me to drink was heavenly. After riding such a long way, I didn’t have to remember anything. My support crew refreshed my bottles at my stops so I could focus on getting snacks, taking care of bathroom breaks, and cooling off.

A surprise along the way was a cobblestone road. WHAT?!?!?! This road was awful. We had to slow down so we didn’t fall into potholes, broken cobblestones, or breaks in the road. Definitely the worst part of the ride.

At the end of day 1’s mileage (76 miles), I made it to the hotel. The hotel staff was amazing. We had finished much earlier than I ever expected. The hotel accommodated my early arrival and I had a room, as if by magic. A nice shower was in order. After my shower, I was lucky enough to get a massage to work out the lactic acid. oh yeah!

Dinner on Day 1: I met up with some friends for a highly anticipated burger! Ovation Bistro in Davenport had been recommended by the hotel. It did not disappoint. Our server, Kristina, was exceptional. She made recommendations, which helped. My dinner consisted of a hamburger (delicious) and mashed potatoes. After a sumptuous meal, I couldn’t pass up dessert. It was the owner’s grandmother’s recipe: brownie sundae.  The brownie was moist and warmed perfectly; the ice cream perfect consistency; and the chocolate syrup balanced the sweetness. Heaven! The manager, Oralis, visited with our party. She knew everyone that comes into the restaurant, and since we were new faces, she came by to introduce herself. We learned that this was one of 3 locations and the owners were brothers and veterans.

After a wonderful end to the first day, I made my way back to my room. I got my bike ready for the next morning. My group was planning to meet up early at 6:45 am for a 7 am wheels up to beat the heat. I didn’t want to be late. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Day 2: 6 am – sleep still filled my eyes.  Slowly I got up, got dressed, and grabbed my bike to meet up with my group and my SAG crew. There was Bob & Rhonda (his SAG help) along with my SAG. That was it for the early risers of my group. Bob & I got on our bikes and headed out. Today there were 4 SAG stops put on by the sponsor. More about that later.

This day was the long day, 90 miles. Not only was it a longer ride, but it was also going to be hilly from mile 120-150 (76 miles from day 1 + 42 from day 2). I knew I’d be ok, though. My training program gave me plenty of practice and strength for that.

Heading out of Davenport, FL, along country roads, we were met with a misty morning sunrise. The view looking down the road was stunning. I had not expected that. That sunrise and mist-covered landscape made getting up early worth it!  We passed a lot of cows, open fields, trees, and … potholes. The weather had not been kind to these roads. The cloud cover stayed with us for a few hours. Other riders had gotten an early start, too. Even though we knew we would miss the official SAG stop due to the early start, our own team would be ready for us.

Mile 20 (mile 98 cumulative) – stop 1. Our pit crew had found coffee and oatmeal. It was right on time! Bottles got refilled. Today was going to be a hot day, so I had to be sure to keep on top of the hydration. With 30 miles more before the hills, I welcomed the reminder from my crew.

More miles. The day was starting to warm up, quickly. I was drinking so much of my infinite.   The wind was picking up. The ride was getting tougher. At the official SAG stop, Bob recognized a friend of his, Rafa. Rafa helps veterans with their cycling goals at Project Hero Hub Cocoa. He was kind enough to join our little team of 2. Now we were 3. Rafa is a machine. He took the lead, giving Bob and me a break from the wind. Rafa had done this ride before, so he would let us know before we hit the hills.

Before too long, we reached the SAG station before the hills. VO2Max Cycles in San Antonio, FL. There was quite a spread here. Sandwiches, cookies, oranges, pickles, and drinks. I had to venture into the bike shop, against my better judgment. Luckily, we were only stopping for 10 minutes, so I was going to be safe from buying anything. Here there was shade! It was getting so hot now. Time’s up. Rafa made sure we got on the road. No slacking here.

Now we were getting into some inclines (yea…hills to me from flat land). Rolling roads were beautiful and fun! We kept a steady pace. Before I knew it, there were the hills. Going uphill wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought, thanks to all the training (thanks, Tracy Draper!) I had done to prepare. I went up the hills, with some effort, but I went up – that was the point. No walking up hills for me today! The downhills were so much fun!!

The scenery in this part of Florida was different in some respects – it was not flat. Trees lined the roadway and made for a beautiful ride through winding roads.

OK…30 miles of hills is a lot. I was ready to be done. Finally! Now we were in the home stretch…sort of. The day was so hot. As we got closer to the beach, it was getting hotter and windier.

In my head…” are we there yet”, “Are We There Yet”, ARE WE THERE YET?” Nope…not yet.

I had to stop. The heat just hit me out of nowhere. A beautiful lady named Carol came around in her little golf cart. We told her about the ride while I caught my breath. She asked if we needed any refills of our bottles. “No,” I said, “but I could use a bottle of water over my head.” She took off and came back with a pitcher of ice-cold water. Right over my head. Ahhhh. That made all the difference. Thanks, Carol! We got back on the road.

The finish line was in sight! I had made it. A ride across Florida!