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Taking Advantage of the Longest Day of the Year
This time of year, I love that it’s already daylight as I make my way out of our bedroom well before 6 AM and I don’t need to use my phone’s flashlight to guide the way. I’m not sure why, but this year I was determined to celebrate the summer solstice in a big way while outside marveling at how early the sun rises.
When my friend Chuck mentioned that he planned to ride the full length of the 44.5-mile-long W&OD Trail in a loop (a bucket list item for me) and add 11 miles to make it an even 100 to celebrate his birthday, I jumped at the chance to join him. When he said he planned to do it on June 21st, the longest day of the year, I was downright giddy.
Summer Solstice Century
Summer Solstice Century immediately popped into my head as the perfect name for our upcoming ride celebrating my friend’s birthday and the summer solstice. Checking a bucket list item off my list, completing my second century, and spending the better part of the day with a good friend sounded like a lot of fun to me!
Stalking the Weather
I crossed my fingers that the weather would cooperate and using my finely honed weather stalking skills from years of running races, I regularly checked the Dark Sky app in the days leading up to the ride. The weather looked perfect, until it didn’t (rain was forecast from 7-11 AM), until it did again. Upon waking on the morning of the ride, the temperature was 62° and the forecast showed the day to be mostly cloudy with a high of 82° at 4 PM. Cool and without a drop of rain in the forecast, that’s near perfection for late June in Virginia!
Getting Started
Bill and I rolled from our home at 5:09 AM as dawn started to break. Our friend Chuck, who lives a few towns east of us, left his house riding west at about the same time and we meet halfway between our houses. Once the three of us had joined forces, we traveled east toward the trail head in Shirlington. Bill continued to ride with us until we hit 22 miles when he had to turn and rush back home for work.
Not the Most Scenic Route
As fabulous as it is to have the W&OD Trail practically in our back yard, it’s not the most scenic cycling route, especially when compared to the gravel roads we ride in western Loudoun County. Following the trail from the trail head in Shirlington to its terminus in Purcellville takes you from a slightly urban feel, to suburbia, to the country; spanning 6 to 50 miles from our nation’s capital. The eastern end has many intersections and there’s a short segment that feels a little sketchy that I won’t ride on alone, but as the trail goes westward, the intersections are fewer and the trees lining the trail are denser. I’ve run and cycled thousands of miles on the W&OD Trail and will never grow old of my trusted friend.
Ride Overview
- • Ride With GPS Name: W&OD Trail (90 Mile)
- • Ride with GPS: Link to turn-by-turn navigation cue sheet
- • Location: Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties
- • Start Time: 5:09 AM
- • Start/Finish: Ashburn, VA
- • Course Type: Straight line loop
- • Course Surface: Paved
- • Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
- • Distance: 100.36 miles
- • Time: 7:01:26
- • Average Speed: 14.3 MPH
- • Maximum Speed: 27.9 MPH
- • Elevation Gain: 3,035 feet
- • Elevation Range: 22 to 605 feet
- • Temperature Range: 62° to 82°
- • Course Map:
Fun Pictures From Along the Way
The following pictures were taken with my iPhone (affiliate link); however, I wish I’d stopped to take more. I originally had no intention of writing a recap so I didn’t take as many pictures as I should have… for example, the Vienna mural, three LOVE signs, horses, giant blueberry muffin, etc.
Notes from along the ride and the pictures I took…
Mile 3
I noticed something small and brown dart onto the trail in front of me and felt a bump and then another bump as my front and rear tires rode over the poor little creature. Luckily I didn’t wreck and can only hope that the little bunny or chipmunk was only stunned and not seriously hurt.
Mile 8
We saw Chuck heading toward us and stopped to give him a chance to turn around…
Mile 23
Once in Falls Church, Bill had to turn around to get back home for work. He hit it hard and even earned some Strava PR’s on his way back…
Mile 29
Chuck and I took a little break when we got to the trail head at mile 0 in Shirlington. We were surprised that there was no mile marker 0, nor a sign saying 44.5 miles to Purcellville…
The W&OD Trail conveniently connects to other trails in the area…
I was quite surprised that weeds were out of control in the middle of the concrete loop at the beginning of the trail. The last time we were there, a weed-free mulched area had flowers planted under and around the signs…
Ready to roll again…
Mile 34
This was my first time on the new and improved segment of the trail where pedestrians and cyclist are separated. What a joy for everyone involved to not have to worry about passing or being passed!
Mile 38
Stopped at the I-495 overpass…
Mile 50
We stopped at the Green Lizard in Herndon for a blueberry muffin and sports drink refill…
Mile 64
Chuck’s friend Bonnie was waiting for us with plans to join us to Purcellville and back, about 21 miles roundtrip…
Mile 68
We noticed the sky getting very dark with black clouds ahead so I checked Dark Sky again. Wait, what? Where did that rain cloud come from?
Mile 70
Out of nowhere, a beautiful blue bird egg fell from the sky and cracked open on the trail right in front of my bike…
Mile 71
Just as we arrived in Hamilton at my favorite porta potty and turning point for most of my weekday rides, it started to rain. Luckily, the tree canopy was thick enough that we were pretty well protected from the light rain. Even though the rain made the trail a little messy, it only lasted about 15 minutes and felt quite refreshing as it cooled us off.
Mile 75
Chuck and Bonnie at the W&OD Trail terminus in Purcellville, VA…
Posing with the birthday boy…
Mile 85
Text and picture I sent to my hubby from a porta potty stop, “Sun’s out, guns out”…
Mile 86
We said our goodbyes to Bonnie and thanked her for joining us…
Mile 91
With the sun out and the temperature at 82° and with only about 8 miles to go, we stopped for a well deserved rest and to calculate how much we needed to backtrack on the trail so that we would each hit 100 miles as we cruised into our driveways…
Mile 96
I said goodbye to Chuck as I turned to head back to my exit point from the trail and to jump on the road to ride home…
Mile 100
My Garmin hit 100 miles just before I turned onto our street and 100.36 as I pulled onto our driveway…
Garmin Stats
Post-ride Garmin (affiliate link) picture…
Garmin map and elevation graph…
Final Thoughts on the Ride
Chuck and I had a lot of fun on our little adventure and it was great to have Bill and Bonnie join us for parts of the ride. Worth noting, Chuck felt great and tacked on a few more miles and finished at 112 miles. I’m so glad Chuck mentioned that he was planning to complete the ride for his birthday and that I wasn’t shy about asking if he minded if I joined him. I would absolutely do this again!
Questions:
- • What’s on your fitness related bucket list?
- • Have you run or biked the distance of a favorite trail? ~ The Cruisers and I ran the entire W&OD Trail in segments over a few Saturdays many years ago.
- • Do you stop and relax occasionally to fuel or take pictures, or barrel on through when on a long run or ride? ~ Both for me depending on the circumstances…
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wow what an accomplishment for you both and a fun way to celebrate a birthday! That new part of the trail you mentioned is where I log a lot of run miles. The new signage is super confusing and dangerous for both pedestrians and cyclists. They are apparently going to tweak the signs again. Nice job you all!
Thanks, Deborah! We had no problem understanding the signage and loved the “wheels and heels” reference – so clever. I thought it was more confusing when we had to merge together at intersections; otherwise, it seemed fine. It will be interesting to see how they change it.
What an amazing feat. Even more impressive are the pictures.
I think you are lucky to enjoy biking and have a partner that shares your sport.
Yes yes I always stop and take pics during my runs.
Bucket list? Maybe a new half. Maybe marathon #2?
And you?
Thanks, Darlene! I am lucky to have regular cycling buddies in both my husband and friend Chuck.
Ragbrai in Iowa is on my cycling bucket list (Kim rode the first leg last year).
Amazing, Debbie!! I could never ride 100 miles in one go! Or I’d need a million little breaks and blueberry muffin stops to get me through. Well done!
Here in Switzerland, there’s a big effort to allow weeds and wildflowers to grow for the sake of the bees and other insects. Even the grass in the cemetery is allowed to grow wild. I quite like it!
Thanks, Catrina! It really was a fun day and that blueberry muffin was huge enough to propel me for miles! 😀
This sounds so fun! I love how you had various people join you along the way. Great way for Chuck to spend his birthday!
These days I’ll definitely stop to take pictures on a long run. It’s not like i’m training for anything- i’m just out there for my own enjoyment. But I think it’s a little easier to take pictures while running than while you’re cycling. The pictures you do have are good though!
I see other cyclist taking pictures while riding (my husband for example); however, I’m pretty I’d not only crash, but break my phone in the process. LOL
Well done!!! This looks like such a fun adventure, and a perfect way to celebrate a birthday. As you know, we’re planning a century ride, hopefully in the next month or so…gotta capitalize on those early pre-dawn hours and late sunsets. We always make stops along the way when we “ride long.” It helps to break up the day, as well as serves us well for potty stops. refueling (ahem, LOL) and a chance to stretch out the legs.
Thanks, Kim! Can’t wait to hear all about your century plans.
Sounds like a marvelous ride! Aside from the brief rain looks like beautiful weather too.
Poor little creature — I hope it was okay! And how odd to have a robin’s egg drop down. Maybe some bird of prey dropped it? Weird!
I will stop to take photos on my long runs, but otherwise I don’t usually stop. There’s no stopping in races! Well, I supposed there could be, LOL!
There were trees overhead so maybe the bird egg fell from a nest while another animal was messing with it. Speaking of birds of prey carrying things, I saw a hawk fly across our back yard with a very long snake in its talons. I know, I was very sad about hitting the little animal that ran out in front of me.
Awesome job! It sounds like it was a fantastic ride and how fun that you were able to do it on the longest day of the year.
Thanks, Kim!
Looks like a fun day! Glad you and others were able to celebrate with Chuck. Also, congrats on another Century Ride!
Thanks, Zenaida!