by To the extent a century bike ride in the rain can start spontaneously, this was a spontaneous ride from house across Rhode Island and back. I had some obligations in the morning with indefinite ending times. I couldn’t make plans with anyone to join me since I didn’t when I could start riding. Then there was the rain. Lot’s of rain.
I figure that frogs like the water, so I put on the 2021 Team Kermit kit for the ride. I quickly cobbled together a route. In looking at the map it looks like I missed the western border of Rhode Island. So it wasn’t a pure Pan RI ride. I’m going to let riding in the rain give me credit for that extra little bit.
The first leg tracked a bit of the PMC route into Wrentham. I realized that I had failed to map out rest stops. I passed the PMC rest stop in Wrentham and thought using the port-a-potty would be a good use of time. The PMC clearly didn’t want any pre-use. They were all locked shut.
Then it was down to Sheldonville and Cherry Street. One of my Team Kinetic Karma fallen teammates, Danno, lived at the end of Cherry Street. His neighbors continue to put a banner up for the PMC to celebrate his life. The Team carries his name on the left shoulder of our team kits.
The Rhode Island border came up quickly after this. I had apparently created the route to follow a portion of the Blackstone River Bikeway. It was very industrial but got me through Woonsocket and into the more rural and exurban roads of northern Rhode Island.
Eventually I crossed the Rhode Island border into Connecticut and then back into Massachusetts. I missed the CT-RI border, but I found the the CT-MA border.
I was not doing well. I had a general sense of location, but was just watching my computer for directions. When I came across the ice cream store I thought I was hallucinating.
Sexy ice cream cone place?!?! I was confused. Sure that I was hallucinating. I had to take a picture to prove that sexy ice cream cone really existed. Shortly, thereafter I came through Whitinsville. This is an area I’ve only been to during the Pan Mass Challenge. I felt like the connection to the formal PMC was growing stronger.
Soon thereafter I turned onto roads that seemed vaguely familiar. I was borderline hypothermic at this point, dehydrated and in a calorie deficit. I had thoughts of quitting and calling for a ride to come get me.
I felt like home was getting close. Familiar rides are motivating to me when I’m coming home from a ride. Enough to keep me motivated to keep pedaling for those last 20 miles.
