We have completed the first leg! The official numbers aren’t in yet (because I haven’t checked the Garmin) but it was about 42 miles in about 3 hours of riding.
Our families gave us a fantastic early-morning send-off from Long Branch, NJ, where we dipped our back tires in the Atlantic. I also dipped my toes in the Atlantic, inadvertently. The wet socks and sandy shoes were just a small taste of the difficulties we might face along the way. Didn’t want to make the first day too easy.
Coach Berube joined us for the ride, and even set the pace towards the end. Those Peloton workouts have obviously done her well - she was cruising. Helen, the women’s team’s director of operations, played paparazzi, driving ahead of us and snapping some cool action shots! Plus she took our panniers to lighten the load, so shoutout Helen.
The ride was pretty uneventful. Mostly flat, with a few climbs and a few descents. A mix of suburban towns and horses and one flock of sheep. It’s the first time I’ve ridden on roads for over 10 miles, so I had to get used to the cars roaring past, but most of the time they thankfully gave us a wide berth. My helmet mirror may become my favorite gadget on the trip.
Our teams gave us a raucous greeting as we came racing up the Washington hill at about 8mph. Coach Henderson brought the guys straight from practice, most of them still wearing practice jerseys and shorts. What an awesome way to finish up Day 1. We then sealed the ride with a descent down Elm, Maddie’s favorite. We are now spending time with friends in the area and will be taking a well-deserved rest day tomorrow. We’ve heard great things about this Princeton, NJ so we want to explore all it has to offer.
- Charlie