Report by Corrine
Goldhill/Parks/Cripple Creek/Isberg/Chena
I was slightly behind as we made the turn onto Goldhill road on a beautiful evening. The WOW women started accelerating and I was just a bit too slow. They pulled ahead and were so fast that I couldn’t catch back on the pace line. I rode as hard as I could, but they just kept pulling further and further ahead. I got concerned that I may be doing this ride all alone.
Thus started WOW ride #3. Olivia is back in town from college, and she joined Jordan, Maria, Mallory and me for another fast-paced ride. It was warm enough for shorts and no jackets but there were a few mosquitoes out already. At the start, I reminded the others where to wait for me if I couldn’t keep up but told them if I was way behind, just ride on without me. After they turned on to the Parks Highway, they did stop and wait. (By then I was about 30 seconds back.) I came around the corner and decided to keep going as I knew they would pass me on the Parks Highway climb. They did, but I was only about 10 seconds back when we reached the top this time.
“This is a good strategy,” I thought to myself. “Don’t stop when they stop so by the time they catch back up, I’m most of the way up the next hill already.”
I had the chance to try this on the climb up Isberg. Olivia missed the left turn. The others waited for her but I didn’t. I just started charging up the hill. I stayed ahead for about half of the climb and when Mallory and Maria passed me, I only dropped a few seconds back and reached the top just moments after them. I might have to continue this strategy to not get dropped so badly on the hills.
We all bombed down Chena Ridge taking turns surging to the front then getting passed by somebody else. We all crossed Chena Pump together then leisurely (by WOW standards) rode through the neighborhood and on the bike path back to our cars.
After getting home, I checked my Strava stats. This was the fastest that we have done this WOW route. So maybe I’m not getting slower, WOW women are just getting faster!
STATS:
Distance: 20 miles
Avg speed: 18 mph (from Jordan’s Strava)
Fastest speed: 45.7 mph by Mallory coming down Chena
