I have been reading web pages such as the Iron Butt pages, and have been on the LDRiders (Long Distance Riders) e-mail list for a while now. The thought of doing a one day, 1000 mile rally intrigued me. Then in late October, early November, Ron Ayers came to the Washington, DC area for a business trip. Elsie Smith, a local rider who has ridden in the 11 day Iron Butt Rally, organized a get together at the local Chi-Chi's. While I was there meeting all the other riders, I wound up sitting across the table from none other than Larry Fears. Larry gave a great talk about a 24 hour rally he was organizing in the Capital area, to be called the Capitol 1000. (I asked about Capital vs. Capitol, but haven't received an answer yet) Anyhow, it sounded like a great way to get my feet wet, and eventually I signed up to try it.
Larry Fears: 
Just a note for those who may not be familiar with the concept of a Motorcycle Endurance Rally. This is a ride, in this case to specific locations, that must be completed in a specified amount of time. (24 hrs without penalties, 26 hours maximum) You get a specified number of points for finishing the ride on time. On top of that you can earn additional bonus points for going to locations that are identified in a bonus book. A rally is about maximizing your points. Some rallies tend to be run at high speeds. Larry made sure the Capitol 1000 did not require high speeds. It is important to note that a Rally is NOT a Road Race!
Thursday, June 4th: things were getting off to a bad start before the rally even began. Some kid decided he/she wanted to sit on my motorcycle. He tried to pull the cover off from the rear, but on my bike, you need to take the cover off the front wheel first. The net result was he bent my right mirror all the way in, causing it to crash against the clutch lever. When I found this after returning from work that afternoon, my heart sank. If I couldn't find a new mirror before the rally began, there was no way I'd pass the tech inspection. I quickly called all the Kawasaki dealerships I could think of. Finally I found the one dealer in the area that had it in stock, Coleman Powersports in Woodbridge. They have a huge inventory, and had this mirror in stock. So a heartfelt thanks to Coleman's (Woodbridge only!)
Friday, June 5th: In the morning I got my butt over to Coleman's and got the mirror replaced. Then after a few restless hours at the office, I was off to Hagerstown. Check-in was fun and Larry was obviously having a ball, greeting every rider as a long lost friend. Tech inspection was a breeze, and then it was off to see Bob Higdon for my odometer calibration. After that it was just rest until the meeting at 8 pm.
At the 8 pm meeting, the bonus books were passed out and some information was given.
(Larry discussing bonuses, that's me in the red flannel shirt)
Bob Higdon gave a stirring, emotional, powerful, and at times confusing speech about the new speed bonus. Basically it took into account your average speed, the number of bonus stops you make, and the number of miles you went. If your average speed was above 60 mph, then you lost some of the bonus points. If your average speed was 60 or below, then you got a full 1000 point bonus. So to sum it all up, "60 is Nifty!" Bob went on to talk about whether it's better to be late, or get hit more on the speed bonus. The lateness penalty was linear. In other words, for every minute you are late, you lose 2 points. That's it. The speed bonus was non-linear. The higher your speed, the worse your penalty. Bob said it was a parabola, and that riders needed to think about where the linear time penalty intersected the speed parabola. This caused much head scratching among the crowd. I was a math major back at RIT, so I understood the basics of what Bob was talking about. However, when riding in the wee hours of the morning in West Virginia, images of parabolas, slopes, Y-intersects, maximums, derivatives, area under the curve, etc. floated through my head. Thanks a lot Bob! :-) By the way, it seems the speed bonus is causing quite a stir. My opinion about it is at the end of this page. The only thing I disagreed with was the time spent at bonus locations. They figured 10 minutes per location. (Actually I heard 5 and 10, so this may be inaccurate). At some of the bonuses, I never even got off the bike. For example, we needed the number off a sign in Ocean City. I saw the number, pulled out the book, wrote it down along with the time and mileage, and was gone, all in 1 minute. The longest one for me was at Assuage Island, since it required a 1/4 mile hike in the sand.
Bob Higdon (with clipboard) going over the speed bonus.
After the meeting dispersed, we all went to analyze the bonus books and plan our routes. I have a friend who lives in Ocean City, MD, so I was familiar with the Eastern Shore, therefore I decided to take that route. I put in a few times in which if I was behind at those key times, I would drop all future bonuses. This way I wouldn't have to think too hard when on the ride itself. Then I grabbed all the sleep I could.
Saturday, June 6th: Another meeting at 6:30. Basically just covering points that may not have been clear the night before, and telling us not to sweat out the bonus points. (some folks were still getting foggy eyes when ever the phrase "Speed bonus" was mentioned) And then it was time to go. My rider number was #19, so I left at 7:19 am.
Since Baltimore wasn't too far off the path to Annapolis, I decided to grab that bonus. I followed another rider in, and we got our books stamped in a national park. Then it was on to Annapolis. I took the wrong exit, and had to back track. Then I remembered that there was a gas station right off of Rt. 50, so I shouldn't even really have to get off the highway. I still had plenty of gas, so rather than filling up, I ran in for a bag of Ritz Crackers. Checked out the receipt (needs city name, time and date) and everything was cool. Off to Ocean City.
Leg 2 (Annapolis, VA to Norfolk, VA):
Because of the bonus stops I had planned, I knew this would be the longest leg for me. But I figured it would be better to do them while it was still light, than some of the later bonuses when it was dark. The first stop was in Ocean City. Fortunately the weather was cool, that kept a lot of the beach goers home. However, I was familiar with Rt. 50 to OC, and knew that the local policed loved to use it as a source of revenue. Thus I took it easy, and passed the 3 speed traps with no problems. I was starting to get low on gas, but all the gas stations were on the other side of Rt. 50 (divided road). I didn't want to take the extra time to U-turn, so I carried on. Inside of OC, I jotted down the information on a specified sign that would verify I was there. Then I pulled into the next Exxon station and feed my baby 87 Octane. Much better.Next I headed down Rt. 113. This becomes a two lane road where everyone has to have their headlights on. They also paint arrows in the road to specify which lane you are supposed to be in. (as if it wasn't obvious enough). So while I was riding, I looked in the distance and thought I saw another arrow. No problem. Just as I was about on top of it though, I realized it wasn't an arrow. It was a white plastic bucket, and because of the angle, the white part of it looked like an arrow on the road. You know how they say in the motorcycle course "You go where you look" ?? Well, it's true. I saw the arrow turn into a bucket, then I hit the bucket, or more accurately, the bike hit the bucket. I now have a few white scrapes on the left front fairing of the bike. Needless to say I'm not thrilled, although I'm certainly happy nothing worse happened (to the bike or to myself!)
I then proceeded on Rt. 13 towards Assuage Island. We needed information off of a plaque on the lighthouse. Fortunately I took my "Golden Eagle" passport with me and could get into the park for free. But the bonehead park rangers need to work on their ability to give directions. It took me 20 minutes and two different rangers before I finally found the place. Then it was a 1/4 mile hike through the sand to get to the lighthouse. What a pain! But at least I got to see a few of the wild ponies in the distance.
Next it was back on Rt. 13 to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. This is a 17 mile system of bridges and tunnels that cross the Chesapeake Bay to the West, and the Atlantic Ocean to the East. Just before I arrived back on land it started to rain. Remembering my previous experience in doing a Saddle Sore 1000 [i.e. a few drops of rain, then massive downpours], I pulled over at the tourist stop, and put on my rainsuit. Turns out I shouldn't have bothered, it was just a small band of rain that went away, but better safe than sorry. After the bridge, I went to the "First Landing" Park to gather more bonus points. While at the park, there was another rider there. He was planning on going to Knott's Island next, which is the same thing I had planned. So we rode together... for a while. I never got the rider's name, but after watching him zig zag through traffic, and split a few lanes, I decided that I wouldn't be able to keep up and I didn't want to ride like that, so I pulled in for some gas, and let him get on ahead. No hard feelings. To get to Knott's Island, you need to pass through an animal refugee area. Larry warned us that morning that there could be anything on the road (he saw a peacock when he went to find a bonus location). I saw a few geese off to the side, but that was it fortunately.
When I left Knott's Island, I looked at my clock and realized I was running a little late. According to my plan from the night before, I could not get any more bonuses before Danville. So I hurried on to Norfolk to get some water for a receipt (and drinking).
Leg 3 (Norfolk, VA to Danville, VA):
To get from Norfolk to Danville, the best way (from the map) is Rt. 58. Rt. 58 between Norfolk and Danville is a boring road in my humble opinion. Sometimes it's a 4 lane highway, sometimes it's a rural road. There were several places where there was construction, and the road was one lane, no passing, for miles. But it was always boring. *YAWN* I stopped at a mega gas station/restaurant to fill up, both the bike, and to grab half a sub for myself. Then I pressed on to Danville, and the checkpoint.Leg 4 (Danville, VA to Charleston, WV):
At the checkpoint I met up with several other riders. It was amazing, because I felt like I was the only one on the road, but there was a group right ahead of me, and another right behind me. Paul Taylor (who it turns out was the winner) offered to let me ride with him so I could take advantage of his PIAA lights. But then he was talking to Larry on the phone, and I was starting to get a little impatient. I wanted to get one or two bonuses in West Virginia, and needed to leave then. So I went on ahead. But after a few miles on Rt. 58, I felt really tired. I pulled off into a parking lot and debated whether or not I should take a nap at the Iron Butt Hotel (i.e. on the bike). There was a coke machine next to me, so I grabbed a coke. That helped to wake me up. (I stopped drinking caffinated beverages a few days before the rally) As I was finishing up my coke, Paul pulled in and waved for me to follow. I jumped on the bike and did so. It's a good thing I did. Rt. 58 gets exciting in the Blue Ridge. Paul said he was going to take it slowly. I don't know what his normal speed is, but if going through those switchbacks and turns at 60 mph at 10:30 pm is his idea of taking it slowly, I don't want to know what normal speed would have been for him. But man, those PIAA lights really work well, I could see the road very clearly! There was a slow truck that Paul passed, but I didn't make it by the end of the passing zone. Then the truck driver flicked his cigarette out the window, and at me!! I stayed well back until the next passing zone. I may have exceeded the speed limit, but I wanted to get away from him ASAP!After we left the Ridge behind, Paul wanted to grab a bite to eat, and asked me to join him. Since he really helped me through those mountains, and when I was thinking of taking a nap or quitting, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to sit and talk to him for a while. While we talked he gave me some excellent advice about some riding suits I was considering.
After that we jumped on I-77 heading to Charleston, WV. Paul led at a pretty brisk pace. In fact after we went through a tunnel, I was surprised to see him slam on the brakes. I did the same, but wound up passing him. Then I saw the reason, on the left. A patrol car sitting there. The car's brake lights lit up, but he never came after us. Whew! But by that point I was freezing. There were record lows set in WV that night! I pulled into a rest stop to put on my rainsuit to help me keep warm (Widder electric vest was already at full blast). Paul continued on, and I wished him luck.
I soon caught up to another rider, the one from Canada (forgot his name). We rode on for a while before reaching the first toll booth. At the booth was Paul. So then the three of us rode on together. It was obvious who the more experienced people were. I don't know if they slowed down for me, or if I went faster for them, but we all made it to Charleston together. The first gas station we stopped at wasn't actually in Charleston, so we went on to another. At that station, an Exxon, there were already a group of riders filling up. I pulled up and filled my tank and got my receipt. I then needed to pee really bad. (I actually needed to go an hour before...) I went to the Exxon store, but the door was locked. The kid said he couldn't open it. I told him I really needed the bathroom. He just stood there and said "sorry" looking rather smug. I then said "Fine, can I use the back of the store??" He just shrugged. I thought "Piss on you, man" and went to the back to relive myself. Let's just say I really needed it, and by the time I came to the front, everyone had already left! Oh well, I'll ride at my own pace again. Looking at my watch, I saw there was no time for bonuses, because of stopping to eat with Paul. I didn't mind though, because as I would soon see, I wouldn't have stopped anyway.
Leg 5 (Charleston, WV to Morgantown, WV):
Almost as soon as I left Charleston, heading north on I-79, I rode into thick fog. Pea-soup thick fog. The kind where you can't use your high beams because it'll reflect into your face. So I eased up a tad on the throttle and just concentrated on getting through without hitting anyone. Even if I had time for bonuses, I wouldn't have gone for any because the fog was so thick I'd have trouble finding things. I started getting a little drowsy again, and pulled off for a Pepsi. I walked around and did some jumping jacks, and basically woke up. Back on the bike, I continued to Morgantown. Know how your body and mind don't always cooperate? Like, when I stopped for a Pepsi, that would have been a good time for a bathroom break. But my body didn't tell me until 10 minutes later that it wanted one. I rode on for another 30 minutes hoping for a rest stop to save time. Nope. Fine, so I pulled off the highway, and found an Exxon gas station. I made a small prayer "Please don't be a snot and leave me locked out!!!" Whew, the door was unlocked. I made a bee-line for the bathroom and did what I needed to do. I then bought some water. (for a refill I guess). There was some construction and gravel as I left the gas station, so I didn't want to stop, it might upset the balance of the bike. After I pulled out on the road, I saw two police cruisers, but they didn't bother me at all. Whew!Then it was straight to Morgantown. I pulled up at a gas station, and one of the other riders who was there told me to be sure I had the clerk correct the time and sign the receipt, because the clock on them was off. Glad he told me, as I wasn't thinking of checking everything at that point, I just wanted to get to Hagerstown. The clerk then told me it was 1 hour and 45 minutes to Hagerstown. Great, I only needed 2 hours.
Leg 6 (Morgantown, WV to Hagerstown, MD):
I wonder how fast the clerk drives when she goes to Hagerstown. 1 hr 45 min might have been correct at 90 mph, but not at more sane speeds. However, I figured I may just be able to squeak in without a time penalty. I rode on for a while before seeing a motorcycle ahead of me. I pulled up and saw it was a John Deere (picture below). Ah, that could only be Leon Begeman. We rode together for a while, but I thought he was going too slowly. I found out later that he thought he wouldn't make it to the finish on time, so was taking it easy. When some other bikes passed us, I decided I wanted to get there on time, so pressed on. Leon double checked his GPS and realized that he was closer than he thought to the finish, so he picked up the pace himself. The other bikes quickly pulled on ahead, but I didn't want to get a ticket when I was this close to finishing, so I kept it at moderate, as opposed to insane levels of speed.We turned from I-70 to I-81, and I saw Leon had about 10 minutes left (and 10 miles to the checkpoint) He would make it with no problems. I held back a little bit so I would make my checkpoint a little closer to the time. I finally pulled in at 7:12 am, 7 minutes before I would have started getting penalty points.
We riders went to sleep while the officals tallied up everything.
(Bob Higdon & Mike "Lord" Kneebone looking busy)
Party! Party! Party!
The banquet was a lot of fun. I almost missed it because my roommate accidentally kicked the plug out of my alarm clock. (I use a special vibrating alarm clock because I'm deaf). Fortunately he made sure I was awake a few minutes before the banquet started. The food was good, and there was plenty of it. (I only had a 1/2 sub, and a few granola bars the day before!) Larry then started presenting the people who succeeded in the rally, while Mike Kneebone, the president of the Iron Butt Association, and a really nice guy, handed out Saddle Sore 1000 certificates. They started somewhere in the upper 30's and worked their way down. My goal on the ride was to be in the top 10. Still, when they got to the 20's I started listening for my name. Nope, not yet. Then they were down to the teens. They still didn't call me! Egads, I actually made my goal! Then it was 10. At this point Larry started talking a little bit about each rider. They went down, 9, 8, 7. When he reached 7 he started talking about someone who sounded a lot like me. Yep, I made 7th place. I was very happy with that! I was also surprised. But in talking with some of the people later, I found out that some experienced riders took the Ashville, NC bonus. It was too many miles for too few points. Now I really understand what they mean when they say that winning a rally is based on analyzing bonus points, not just distance and or speed. Leon came in 4th place, and got a bottle of champagne. After that, the riders dispersed. I stuck around to listen to Bob Higdon and Paul Taylor and some others talk. While listening, I picked up a few pointers for the next time I try something like this.Special Thanks:
There are several people I'd like to thank:Larry Fears: The Capitol 1000 never would have happened without Larry's efforts. He first thought "Gee, it would be nice if there were another rally on the East Coast. Then rather than sit on his butt and complain, he did something about it. Way to go Larry!
Leon Begeman: Leon has done a few rallies like this in the past. So when he found out that I had signed up for the Capitol 1000, he was very free in giving me tips. He showed me his system for analyzing bonus points based on their location and value. He also sent me a list of gas stations along with their Lat/Long positions so I could plug them in my GPS. Finally he lead Dale Horstman and I on a Saddle Sore 1000 two weeks before the rally. I learned a lot during that time and used several of the lessons in the rally.
Leon and his John Deere motorcycle.
Paul Taylor: When I had stopped on the road drinking the coke, I was seriously thinking of going to sleep. I don't know when I would have woken up, or if I was giving up. Despite the fact that I didn't wait for him in Danville, he still pulled over and offered to let me ride with him. His PIAA lights made a big difference in the mountains. And his advice when we were stopped was also very useful.
Tom Mersch: Tom is a co-worker who also rides (but not long distance type things... yet). He generously let me borrow his Garmin III GPS for 4 weeks so I could become familiar with it, and use it in the rally. He also let me use his copy of Street Atlas so I could play around with some different routes based on where I thought Larry might send us.
Lessons Learned:
I ride better (at night) when I'm with other people. I tend to be more alert. Maybe during the next rally I should team up with someone. Then again, everyone rides their own ride. I'll have to think about this one.I take too many bathroom breaks. Maybe I should look into a catheter tube or something. The easy answer would be not to drink as much, but I've been dehydrated before, and it's not a good thing!
I should look into auxiliary lights for my bike. The right lights can cut through the night.
I can't wait until I get my Russell Saddle!! My butt needs more comfort!
The throttle rocker I used made a huge difference in my right hand. I wanted to get a throttle lock, but unfortunately they were back ordered and I couldn't get one in time. But the throttle rocker let me relax my right hand more than I normally would be able to. When I finished a Saddle Sore 1000 without the rocker, my right hand was tingling for 5 days. With the throttle rocker, it was only for a day or two. Hopefully with a throttle lock and rocker it'll be fine right away.
Reading the LDRider e-mail list lately, it seems that the speed bonus that Larry Fears,
Bob Higdon (and others?) came up with is causing quite a
stir. I won't say whether it is right or wrong, but I will say a few things. Larry (or was
it Bob?) pointed out that one of the reasons he is doing this is to attract newer
riders who may be hesitant to enter because they don't want to travel at excessive speeds.
I'm a perfect example of this. I ride my motorcycle for enjoyment. I don't believe in
excessive speeds and aggressive driving. (note, this is not a slam against those
who do ride fast and furious, this is me talking about myself) Anyhow, there is no way I'd
be able to compete at an even footing if most people were speeding excessively during the
whole rally. [note, I'm not talking about experience, just riding style] As it is, I
received the full 1000 speed bonus, only went to 6 bonus locations, and came in 7th place.
I'm very happy with that result. I definitely would consider other rallies that had some
variant of the speed bonus built in. Otherwise I'd just be riding for the fun of it, but
knowing I couldn't win against the others. As one person mentioned, not all rallies will
have the speed bonus in them, so hopefully everyone will find rallies they like. I'd
like to thank Larry, Bob and the others for coming up with this scheme to level the
playing field.
The images from this page were taken by Don Graling. These and all the other
images can be seen on the official Capitol 1000 page.
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Last modified: 10 Jun 98
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