The fiddle concert performance in Lowell 
My support group
On Saturday, while Kasia volunteered her time at the OEVNA sale ticket table, I raced in the first of two Century bicycle races (100.5 miles) that took us from Newport, VT, through some of the most spectacular parts of the state. Admiring the beautiful vistas took the mind away from the grueling experience of climbing some of the most challenging mountains around. In the evening we joined Nancy and Delvin in attending a fundraising dinner/dance for the Orleans Essex VNA & Hospice. Despite, having just finished a 100+ mile race, where I came in 4th, I had no trouble spending most of the time on the parquet floor dancing the evening away to the tunes of the country music and the strong voice of Nolan Keeghan, an accomplished, young female vocalist. As I understand, in a couple of weeks, Nolan will be competing in this year’s edition of the “American Idol.”
Minutes before the start
And here it comes - start to Day-1
Sunday brought about an even more challenging day of riding. A 107-mile velo loop took the riders from Newport and over some of the highest mountain peaks in the state (Jay Peak and Lowell Mountain). I stayed on pace for the first 60 miles+, after which, somewhat challenging road conditions (the winter does not help to maintain roads in a good shape), and the constant shaking kept on loosening the rear wheel’s valve extender, thus causing the tire to leak air. Having to stop too many times to “fill up” the air, and eventually, having to replace the tire, assured me to secure the last place in this race.
Waiting in anticipation
And here it comes - start to Day-2
I considered the IROC Century races as part of my training regiment leading to my most important races of this season – Ironman Providence 70.3, Ironman United Kingdom, and Silverman Iron. Riding the back-to-back 100-milers+ gave me a lot of confidence in my conditioning and made me content with where I am on my training spectrum. In addition, doing it all on the 23-rear gear cassette brought a huge smile to my face every time I crested another mountain or a long climb.
We will be heading back to the North East Kingdom a few more times this summer for athletic and social events. In a couple of weeks for a fiddle-concert extravaganza, and later for a 3-mile swim race (July) and a Derby Sprint Triathlon (August). Of course, we also plan to return to repeat the Century races, and hope to see smoother road conditions.
