Boston-Montreal-Boston 2006

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Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

Boston-Montreal-Boston is a 1200-km (750-mile) randonneur-style event patterned on the more famous Paris-Brest-Paris, which is held every fourth year. BMB is held every year that PBP is not (PBP will be run again in 2007). There's a time limit of 90 hours -- the clock keeps ticking no matter if you're riding, eating, or sleeping. In order to qualify to take part in the BMB 1200, a rider has to complete 200, 300, 400, and 600 km brevets. So while finishing BMB is a great accomplishment, just being at the start line is no small thing. BMB is run on a very difficult course, with lots of climbing (over 35,000 ft), Middlebury Gap being one of the notorious ascents.

Two NYCC members, Lisa Force and Katie Sayers, finished all four qualifying brevets this year, and both of them rode BMB, which began last Thursday and ended Sunday. Lisa finished in 85:29. She didn't care about her finishing time, she said, she just wanted to make sure she got enough sleep -- she got almost 5 hours each night. Congratulations, Lisa!

Katie had to drop out after Brattleboro, because of very painful Achilles tendinitis. She had done her qualifying 600 in Montreal -- a truly epic ride. She rode the whole 375 miles solo (there were no other riders!), within 40 hours, in completely unfamiliar territory.

Andrea Tosolini from Bolzano, Italy, who now runs an Italian import food business in Gainesville, FL, was the first finisher, in 49:40. As great a ride as his was, I admire even more that of the last finisher, NJ Randonneurs' own Janice Chernekoff of Lyon Station, PA, in 89:28. She only managed about 4 hours of sleep over the whole ride!

Anonymous's picture
Ellen (not verified)


Lisa, Katie ......you rule!


PS .....how was the weather for those 4 days?

Anonymous's picture
lisa (not verified)
thank you!

the weather was beautiful thursday, baking sun on friday (no shade on this part), rain from middle of day saturday through sunday mid morning, and then beautiful to end the ride......the rain wasn't bad though because it wasnt cold out. and they guaranteed us rain so i was ready for it.....

Anonymous's picture
Mordecai Silver (not verified)
Weather on BMB

"Emily O'Brien, who finished BMB on a fixed-gear, wrote, ""It started raining shortly before I got back to Middlebury, and I rode the entire distance from Middlebury to Ludlow to Brattleboro in what might have been the most torrential downpour I have ever seen.""

"

Anonymous's picture
lisa (not verified)
wow

that just goes to show what pain can do to distract one from the elements. i guess my knee pains were worse than the rain.....i guess that was good then...

Anonymous's picture
Katie (not verified)

the funny part is for me all the rides are exactly the same except for the distances.... I really have a difficult time remembering what ride was what.

All the hills are way too hard and it always rains so I'm always wet.

(At least on this ride I didn't have to sleep on a park bench.....)

Anonymous's picture
Rosario (not verified)
saw the signs on the pavement

I was racing a 1/2 Ironman near Middlebury VT on Sunday and saw the signs on the pavement for the BMB ... I was wondering when that was happening.

And yes, the rain ... it poured for the whole 56 miles (and the following 13.1 miles of the run)

Congrats to the finishers! I hope I'll do that one day!

R

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