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I’ve had a lot of really good rides this summer, but this past Friday might top the list. Through my job I had the opportunity to ride the last 52ish miles from Petosky, Michigan to Mackinaw City, Michigan (and then take the ferry onto Mackinac Island). Seriously- who gets to do this as part of their job?! There were about 90 of us from my place of employment, and we had a great ride.
We went in a bus on the way up there, and because the drive took so long, we didn’t get into the hotel until about 2 am. Breakfast was scheduled for 7 am, so I knew I wasn’t going to be getting much sleep. Friday started with Starbucks and a breakfast before we rallied the troops to start the ride. Most people aren’t bikers at all, so I knew it was going to be a slow day with lots of stops.
I started the ride with a group of girls, but ended up dropping them maybe 10 miles in because their pace per mile was much slower than I was accustomed to riding. I couldn’t do it anymore, so a group of guys invited me to join in on there ride, and our pace per mile picked up a solid couple of miles per hour. My legs finally felt like they loosened up a bit, and I was able to fly.
It was great to get to know so many people I didn’t know already know, and the conversations really helped the miles fly by quickly. It was a nice change of pace from my solo rides with books on tape (which I also love). The scenery in northern Michigan was also absolutely amazing, and really helped the miles fly by too. We spotted bald eagles, deer in the woods, and the roads we were on went by beaches, through quaint towns, and through beautiful forests. I wish I could’ve taken more pictures.
We stopped for lunch at a park near the water, and then rode another 5 miles before hitting the beach for a bit. There were lots of steep hills, which I don’t normally get a chance to ride, and I loved seeing how strong I was going up the hills.
The 52ish miles flew by quickly, and before we knew it we were in Mackinaw City! My fueling and hydration was 100% on point, and I felt really fantastic the entire time.
That night we slept on the cement floors of a building near the water (I was so tired I didn’t even care), and then continued the bike ride the next day on Mackinac Island (all our bikes were sent over on the ferry). The views there were absolutely unreal as well!
Here’s my nutrition and fueling:
- 1 granola bar
- 4 berry shot bloks eaten one at a time throughout the miles
- 1/2 an apple
- Lunch: 1 PB&J sandwich, 1 small bag of chips, 1 small bag of fruit snacks, a few pieces of salami
- 1 bag of skittles
- 40 ounces of gatorade and 25 ounces of water.
I also took a salt packet at lunch (we sat around for about 40 minutes in the sunshine). The weather was absolutely ideal- sunny, no wind but a slight breeze, and a starting temp of 40 degrees (with maybe a high of about 70 when we actually arrived).
This was my favorite weekend of all time in terms of biking, and I hope that I can do the trip next year as well!
Other great rides to read about: Metric Century Ride, Being Chased By Dogs, Take Me Home Country Roads,Cornfields and a 50 mile PDR, and A Muskrat and 21.5 miles
Sometimes when I run I see bald eagles and deer, but I know I’d enjoy also seeing beaches and towns like you did on the ride. What a fun job you have!
I think I have an awesome job 🙂 I don’t see eagles or deer when I run normally, so I think that’d be pretty cool!
[…] few weeks ago I posted about biking the last 50 miles into Mackinaw City, Michigan, and then taking the ferry onto the island. I mentioned that I got to bike around the circumference of the island (which I’ll talk a […]