Harriman State Park Revisited

Today I had some company for my 100 mile jaunt through the Harriman Hills. I was joined by Walter and Lowell, both fellow members of the Asphalt Green Triathlon Club. I picked up Lowell on the way and we met Walter at the Park.

Our plans changed a bit, as the parking lot I wanted to base out of, Lake Welch, was still closed. We went instead to Lake Tiorati, which turned out to be a better location. Water and bathrooms were located right next to the parking lot and it also offered a convenient 5 mile out and back run for our latter running pleasure.

It was a bit cool when we first started out and I kind of regretted leaving my long sleeve shirt back at the car. All I was wearing was a Hammer Gel Tri top and Pearl Izumi Tri shorts. Every time we picked up some speed, I could feel my entire upper body getting very cold. I knew the cold morning air would feel intense when we hit the downhill from Lake Welch to the Lake Tiorati turn around. My biceps were aching from the cold.

Other than the morning chill, it was a perfect day in the park. The day presented clear skies, mild breezes and plenty of wild life sightings. We saw deer, chipmunks, groundhogs and geese walking their offspring. At one point I had a too close for comfort encounter with a deer darting across the road while I was moving at about 30 mph. The sound of the deer’s paws scratching against the asphalt as it sprinted across the rode is indelibly etched into my mind.

Each time I approached the above referenced downhill section, I set out to set a speed record. I peaked at 48.2 mph. It was not possible to go any faster as I pretty much reached terminal velocity or had to start slowing down to avoid wiping out on the 180 degree turn at the bottom. In fact, on my first trip down, I did slightly overshoot the turn which caused me to go onto the grass on the side of the road.

On my first loop, during the climb to Lake Tiorati, I was momentarily overcome with feelings of fatigue, doubt and self loathing. I was having trouble dealing with my decision to commit to a seven hour training day and sacrificing time with my family, foregoing an invitation by a friend to see the previous night’s Yankee/Red Sox game, and generally feeling miserable over my current predicament – climbing a 4 mile hill with a nights worth of the eye crud was still fresh upon my eyelids. Fortunately, I knew recognized what was happening so I forced myself to eat something. The rush of carbohydrates soon made me feel better.

I never rode with Walter or Lowell before. I think it is fair to say that we all kept at each other so that we never let our pace slack. It was by unspoken word that when someone felt fresh, they would dart ahead, leaving the two behind in a game of pursuit. It made for some very interesting riding.

We all started to feel the fatigue of the 7 loops through the park and I think we were all ready to get off the bike and start running when we hit the 100 mile mark. Lowell set out at a crisp pace with Walter staying with him for a while. I hung behind, waiting for my running legs to wake up and for my HR to pick up. Soon Lowell and Walter had a quarter mile and eighth of a mile on me.

Just over the 1 mile mark, I managed to catch Walter and closed the gap on Lowell. By the turn around he was only about 40 yards in front of me. At about 1 mile to go, I closed the gap and we ran it back to the start together. Walter joined us a couple of minutes later. Overall, it was a fantastic day of training.

Workout Stats:
Ride Time: 5:46:53
Elapsed Time: 5:58:00
Distance: 100.2
HR: 139/159
Speed: 17.1/48.2
Ascent: 8370
Calories: 4228
Calories Consumed: 1500

Run Time: 39:18
HR: 152/162
Distance 5.1
Ascent: 240
Calories: 554

Lowell, Beast and Walter looking fresh before the start of the day.


Harriman State Park Loop Elevations