Jake's First Prescott Loop Experience

Jordan and Jake have been getting along so well at the races, we've been trying to make arrangements for a sleep over. This week, we finally made it happen. Jake's Dad, Steve, dropped Jake off, and one of the first orders of business was a bike ride. Jordan and Jake wanted to do the Prescott Loop, and throw in the Afton Alps climb for good measure.

We headed out at about 5PM, and I knew daylight could be a challenge. The first climb was the backside of Afton Coulee. Jake was surprised how tough it was, but he made it just fine. Next was the climb between Coulee and Afton Alps, and then down into Afton Alps for the climb back out. This was a true test for Jake. I don't think he has ever climbed anything that steep before. He gutted it out, and was happy to conquer it. Jordan kidded, "One down, nine to go." Real funny Jordan.

We arrived at Prescott around 6:30. Snickers and Gatorade was on order. I could tell that Jake wasn't drinking enough, so I tried to encourage him to drink more. We finally got out of Prescott at about 6:50, with about 30 miles to go.

Jordan and Jake were having a great time, and chatting away. The only problem was they were doddling a bit, and we needed to go faster to beat sundown. I could also tell that Jake was bonking a little, and wasn't drinking hardly at all. After the super tough Kinnikinnic valley climb, Jake stated "This is one of the hardest training rides I've ever done."

One thing I noticed was that Jake tends to spin easy gears, even in the flats and downhills. I suggested he ride a couple gears larger in those cases, and his speed went up significantly. With Jordan, it's the opposite. I'm always asking him to ride an easier gear. Go figure.

We got home at about 8:45PM, just as it started to get dark out. Any later, and I was ready to call Carla to come get us. Carla was ready with burgers and potatoes. Life is good in Hudson, WI. Tomorrow, we intend to go check out the Birchwood RR course.