The older I get, the more I try and do things that scare me a little bit. My latest adventure was Reach the Beach presented by AAA. I’ve never participated in an organized ride and barely bike on the road- cars scare me. I think it’s probably mutual with me being such a novice rider. I need work on shifting, am not comfortable with my hand signals and I only recently learned how to change my tire. I’ve done duathlons and triathlons, where the bike portion was mostly on a closed course, but I’ve never gone a long distance sharing the road with motorists until Reach the Beach.
I figured Reach the Beach was the perfect opportunity to get me out of my comfort zone, give me a little cross training and increase my saddle time for an upcoming triathlon. I loved the idea of a supported ride, the course looked straightforward and my girlfriend was planning on it, so I figured I’d join in the fun. The week before the ride it consumed most of my thoughts. I was worried about chaffing, getting proper fuel along the way and whether or not the weather would cooperate. Often the case, it was a waste of time. I had nothing to worry about.
Reach the Beach presented by AAA is a fundraiser for the American Lung Association and there were some serious ROCKSTAR participants who raised thousands of dollars to fight lung cancer. Every participant has a minimum requirement to either pay or fundraise in order to ride, somewhat different from my usual race registration. I’m so used to running events, it was odd to not have a timing chip on my bib or line up at the starting line, waiting for the gun to go off. Instead, it’s a much more casual scene.
There were 4 different starting points for Reach the Beach, Portland (100 miles), Newberg (80 miles), Amity (55 miles) and Grand Ronde(28 miles). Race Directors stagger the starting times, and the stream of riders stays steady all the way to Pacific City. I started, with my girlfriend, in Portland (technically Beaverton) since the start was at Southridge High School. It was so strange to just pick up your packet and head out whenever you were ready, no National Anthem or air horn sending us off. There were still familiar sights like an arch of balloons and port-a-potties, but this event starts mellow, which was nice for this century virgin.
The course itself was easy to follow with yellow signs lining the route. There weren’t any super steep climbs and I didn’t hear ‘on your left’ nearly as many times as I was expecting. The downhill sections were my least favorite, first off because they were so cold from the wind and secondly, with wet pavement I was worried I’d crash. Every 15 miles there were rest stops with port-a-potties and an area to get off your bike and stretch a little bit. There were two lunch stops: one at Amity and another at Grand Ronde and I discovered it’s entirely possible to consume more calories than you expend on this ride.
I love running to take in the sights and discovered just how much more you can take in on a bike ride. There were fields of red clover, another covered in white flowers and one with blue buds – all reminded me how lucky I am to live in this beautiful country. I saw a Mater truck (from Cars), some picturesque creeks and even the Sheridan Prison. My dad worked on building the prison, so it was fun to get to finally see it. Taking in the sights, I almost ran off the road at least three times, fortunately just almost.
The closest I came a crash was at the last rest stop. There were maybe thirty people there, stretching and enjoying the chips and salsa or waiting in line at the port-a-potties. After our little break, I clipped in and started to tip over, I’m sure it was a sight. People could hear my tires skidding on the gravel and when I was finally able to clip out and balance, the group that was previously minding their own business started cheering and congratulating me for my recovery. I couldn’t leave that rest stop soon enough, but it was a reminder that this Reach the Beach group is a supportive one. Every time we stopped, whether it was to shed a layer or grab a bar, other riders checked in to make sure we were alright. Sure, there were plenty of riders with the medical team and bike mechanics along the course checking in too, but everyone was looking out for each other. I signed up for this ride because I thought it was a safe way for this newbie to get 100 miles in, but discovered there were a lot more reasons to love it.
I met a couple at lunch that drove all the way from Montana for this and were clearly giddy from the course. I met a father and son that had participated in all sorts of cycling events and told me Reach the Beach was the best one for someone new to this cycling thing. They were genuinely excited I was diving into this and noted it was better for me to go from a hard sport like running to an easier sport like cycling, clearly just trying to make me feel better. I chatted with one guy about my fingers being frozen early on and he passed by me later in the day and asked if they were better. If I could only use one word to describe Reach the Beach it would be supportive.
I had a blast riding out to the beach, never questioned the route and loved having all the company. I would prefer 80 degrees and no headwind, but it stayed pretty dry for most of it, so I can’t complain. There were so many nice, encouraging people along the way, the dad at lunch was right. This was the perfect century for me to start with, no timing chips or stressful expectations. My first text was to my brother-in-law, the serious cyclist of the family, to let him know that I’ve finally done a century. I only inhaled one bug, only stopped on one hill (to check on another cyclist) and only ALMOST crashed, but I finished and I loved it.
The best sight of the entire day was the big rock at Pacific City. Seeing that rock peek through the hills was so exciting, knowing the finish line was actually in view. It was good to have that motivation, since the last stretch included some decent headwind, but I didn’t care we were almost done. Another favorite sight was the finish line itself. I loved riding through with my girlfriend, hearing the announcer note we were finishing together with a high-five under the arch. It was a familiar race sight, with food and beverages. They offered a bike-check so you could drop your bike off, get dinner and dip your toes in the ocean. Reach the Beach was a perfect way to spend a Saturday, plus now I can say I’ve done a century. It was well-organized, incredibly supported and something I would definitely do again. If only I could get back the wasted time I worried about it…