* 252 miles
* 16.7 mph average (saddle time)
* 15 hrs of riding; 4 hrs off the saddle @ gas stations, etc. (19 hr day; awake 23 hrs)
* No flats or mechanicals
Life lessons learned:
When life is hard, take care of yourself!
During this extremely difficult ride I had to take care of myself in order to endure as comfortably as I could. Stretch, rest, hydrate, fuel, save a turtle, slow down the pace, change positions on the bike, massage, ice, self-talk, talk/distract, appreciate the surroundings, draft.
In life when you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, troubled, hurting, challenged, and frustrated don’t neglect to take care of yourself. Exercise, get proper sleep, drink water, eat healthy, help others, relax, make a change, get a massage, have a cold one (but not too many ;-), focus on the positive, pray, be w/friends, find a distraction, focus on what you’re thankful for, ask for help.
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Don’t wish away the moments; even the painful ones. Learn something valuable & insightful in every moment of life.
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Just when you THINK you can’t go any further, spin your legs another turn and you'll find the strength and learn that you CAN go further than you THOUGHT.
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Now for the boring details......
3:00am wake
5:00am start in Edwardsville
Jim C wasn’t quite ready to go when the pack took off. And I was messing with my front fender that was rubbing on my wheel. A few minutes later we took off and caught up to the lead group, which consisted of Jim A & 2 out-of-town guys.
Advice: Try to have everything ready the night before so you’re not scrambling in the morning. ;-)
Thanks to the peleton & favorable wind conditions we averaged 20 mph for 130 miles. I think we had 2 short stops in this time. I was trying to work on being more deliberate & efficient at the stops.
Overnight rain and wet pavement = worm gutts on my bike and body - yuck!!
Advice: Use fenders with wet pavement & in rain.
Knees hurt until I raised my seat a bit.
Quads hurt intensely, but can’t pinpoint why. I tried a few things to relieve the pain but nothing worked. Dealt with it from mile 70 until 252. Nothing helped so I had no other choice but to block it out mentally & tough it out.
Advice: Riding really long distances will make you mentally tougher so try it.
At mile 130 we reached Pickeneyville which was about the only opportunity for a real meal. Jim C wanted a hot meal & my legs needed a break so we stopped @ McDonald’s. We didn’t know where the other 3 guys were going but at this point we realized we were on our own for the rest of the ride.
Advice: Hang w/ a group for as long as you can if it feels reasonable, but realize when you just have to ride your own pace or take more or longer rests than the “group” is.
Next 100 miles: increase in hills, smoother roads, little better scenery, WIND!
2:30pm we began the last 100 miles. At that time it’s like, “Ok, let’s do it.” Didn’t feel too bad & was in good spirits. I remember Jim C telling me we had 75 left to go and I broke it down in my mind as three 25 mile rides which still seemed doable.
Neck & shoulders became unbearably painful - muscles tight and fatigued. Just about brought me to tears.
Advice: Stretch your neck, relax the shoulders, look down when you can
At sunset we put more layers on, got lights set up, almost fell asleep on pile of wood outside QT, & grabbed some hot chocolate. Sleepy, drained of energy, but still motivated.
Advice: Have good equipment & the proper attire - you’ll be happy you did
9:00pm we left thinking we could finish by 11:00pm if we averaged at least 12 mph. 11:00pm was the goal to finish.
Wind did decrease at sunset. Jim C was feeling sick & tired - asked if we could stop. I certainly didn't mind - & this was a fairly long one. Jim nodded off sitting up at the stop. I was shivering and feeling very discouraged. We still had 15 miles to go. I was not happy at this point, but as Jim C said, “How do you propose we get home then?” The last 15 were the hardest by far. Exhaustion, mentally and physically.
We somehow managed to pedal those last 15 miles. Near the end of the ride on the trail (around midnight) a big dog jumped out barking then chased us. Don’t know where I found it...but I sprinted reaching 22 mph, leaving Jim behind to scream at the dog. “I don’t hear his paws anymore. I think he’s gone,” I hear Jim say. I slowed down a little, but my heart was beating a mile a minute. What an eventful ending to a loooong ride.
Food I remember eating:
Burned 10,000 calories possibly?
Pop-Tart, 2 bags Powerbar blasts, Little Debbie nutty bar, Little Debbie oatmeal pie, Kit Kat, 2 O.J., apple juice, 2 sugar free Red Bull, vitamin water, Starbuck’s frappuccino, milk, pack of chocolate donuts, pastachio nuts, Hershey’s chocolate bar w/almonds, 1/2 Powerbar bar, 2 chocolate milks, hot chocolate, 2 hamburgers, cherry pie
Equipment I used and recommend:
SKS Race Blade Fenders (carbon)
http://www.rei.com/
Detour bag
http://detours.us/
brevet top tube bag
http://www.kgear.com/
Pearl Izumi rain jacket
lights
http://www.niterider.com/
http://www.cateye.com/
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