5-16-09 400k brevet

    * 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/

March 14, 2009 200k brevet

My Timex watch reading:

Ride start: 7:00am

My ride finish w/riding companions: 2:52pm

My Cateye reading:

Total miles accumulated: 126.83

On-the-bike riding time: 7:09:02

Max speed: 29.3

Avg. speed on-the-bike: 17.7

Someone's Polar reading:

Burned ~5,000 calories

Description: Good road surfaces, flat w/rollers, little wind (we got lucky), only couple stupid drivers, chased by dogs ~3 times & almost chased by a groundhog (just ask me)

Short version lessons learned or reinforced:

Drink more than you think you need.

Eat even if you don't feel like it. Don't go 50 miles w/out eating.

Conserve energy even when you're feeling good - you'll pay later.

Brevet riders don't like you riding in their group w/aerobars (I listened).

Brevet riders don't like you riding in their group w/ipods, even in one ear (I didn't do this, but I know a lot of people who do). They prefer you ride alone or w/ external speakers like my x-mini.

Prepare earlier in the week; not the night before.

You must plan. It's a big loop. No returning to car 1/2 way; no support.

Don't think Illinois is an "easy" ride.

Don't think 124 miles is "easy" - just slightly beyond the 100 we do on any given weekend.

Brevet riders are courteous & safe riders in a group - many of the meetup members could take a lesson, seriously.

Put brevet card in plastic like map, dummy.

You need to be mentally tough on these rides & especially the longer ones.

Don't wear heavy Camelbak road biking this long distance!

My personal long-version report:

Day/night before...Do I have a cold? Did my students give me their cooties? Downing pills for few days to ward off sickness. Lower s.i. joint in back killing me. Lay on heating pad all night to loosen it up. Putting on new shoe cleats 9:30pm. Prepared?

What to wear? Temps 30's to start, 50's to finish. How will I carry shed layers? Camelbak is the solution, plus good for my adventure race training, right?

1. Wake 4:45am (thought: go back to sleep)

2. Thought of a lot of excuses to NOT follow through & go (won't bore you w/that)

3. Look out window (thought: at least there's no frost on the car windshields)

4. Driving to the start (thought: Doh! I have my Camelbak, but not my water bladder)

5. Pre-ride meeting. "Make sure you get your brevet card signed." Uh, where's mine? Didn't get one until 1 minute before take-off so I stuff it in my jersey pocket. No time to take off Camelbak.

6. Can't help it. Join riders in the front. They know where they're going. Pace seems comfy. Louie (some guy I met on ride) has been riding these since the 80's. Honor to ride w/him.

7. Early on there are only 4 of us breaking away...1)Louie, 2)some guy from Indiana, 3)Rod from O'Fallon, IL and then 4) me. Need to establish that in a brevet you just go your pace. Enduring & pacing is most important. There's no 1st, 2nd place. There are just "finishers!" One difference: brevet/radonneurs spend more time on bike & less time at rest stops.

8. Starting pace was my comfort level any other day. Today, I was out of breath tooooo early on; gave it little thought. For 40 miles we rotated leading up front & I felt decent. Mile 40 something changed: energy zapped & dizzy!! Dehydrated?

9. I drink 1 bottle of water/Perpetuem mix & no food for 50 miles. Why? Well, we didn't stop or really slow down. It was all in my Camelbak, which I couldn't get to w/out taking it off. I was cold & lazy. Not convenient. Was neglectful.

10. Reach "control" ~mile 50. Drink Starbuck's & eat a donut. I think Louie ate 3. ;-) Louie tells me to eat up, drink up. Doh, my brevet card is soaked - but she signs it ok.

11. Not too cold in the a.m. actually until after we stopped & started again. Took 5 miles to warm up each time.

12. Above left knee starts to hurt after our stop. Now what's wrong? Never felt this pain & wouldn't go away. Guys back off speed to help me stick it out. They stop to give me Aleve. Louie continues to coach me on. I'm pretty discouraged & frustrated.

13. 25 miles or so later to 2nd "control" I tell the guys to go w/out me, but they wouldn't. I didn't want to slow their avg but Louie said, "Not all rides are about that. We're doing fine. Let's just keep moving." Ate King size Snickers; not enough but didn't want to eat anything. Nothing sounded good; felt sick to stomach; no appetite (unusual).

14. They buffered me from the wind, slowed the pace down, gave me pointers. I'm pedaling w/one leg, changing my pedal stroke, holding my knee, standing to get different position, stretching, still in pain - dull, not sharp. What caused it? Don't know. Could be many factors.

15. Throughout ride I hit the wall multiple times, almost coming to a stop once. All layers of clothing soaked. Dehydrated for sure. Louie warned, "Don't get cranky on us." ;-) He was right.

16. Mile 80: (Thought: Doh, I forgot my cool Brevet bag for top tube that I got for b-day. Could have helped to keep food & card in there, which is what it's for. Shoot.)

17. Mile 100: Pitstop at gas station. Louie was feeling dehydrated. I finally took a pee for 1st time. Louie bought me & him a Coke. Really nice guy.

17-1/2. Somewhere along the line Jim joined in on the fun & brought the camcorder. I felt like crap & probably looked it. :(

18. Louie talked to me about mental toughness, positive thoughts, staying focused, & how to manage my frustrations & aches. He really got me through this & was a great teacher. He kept me tough & wouldn't let me give up but also he talked "straight."

19. Last 15 miles were tough. Louie wanted me to smile, but all I could do was grimace. Not one of my best experiences. (Thought: I'm sick of wearing this heavy Camelbak - I don't know...8+ lbs? I want to throw it in the river!!!!!)

20. Edwardsville: never been so happy to see that sign. Turned in brevet card @ police station. Got email, congrats, kiss, hug, & slap on the butt from Louie. Probably 25 yrs my elder, but I didn't mind. He was a rockin' cool & nice guy whom I'll never forget & hope to ride w/ again when I'm performing better.

21. Sunning on my tailgate while few riders rolled in later & congratulated them. Still could hardly eat. Charlie horses in hamstring. Glad it was over.

Finished 1st brevet, which was a goal I set many months ago. Braved chilly start. Learned some lessons. Found weaknesses in my "mental game." But no flats or mechanicals. No rain. Sun came out & warmed us up later in the ride. Knee felt better @ end. Super nice guys to ride with!!

That's all folks!

Dirt Sweat Gears - Mud Sweat & No Gears

May 9, 2009
12 hr. mountain bike race called Dirt Sweat & Gears
Location: TN

A couple weeks prior to the race I found a local female mountain biker willing to team up with me for this race. I felt I was in over my head doing the 12-hr race solo & it’s much more fun traveling with someone. We waited until just a few days prior to the race to actually register. Our eyes were glued to the forecast and we finally bit the bullet and took the risk, knowing there’s no refund once we commit.

This would have been a fantastic venue and event if it weren’t for the weather. The race started with a 2-hr pour down, which was enough to ruin the single track for the rest of the event (considering there had been ongoing rain for months beforehand). We were hoping to complete each lap within 1-1/2 to 2 hrs. My race partner was going to tackle the first lap. After 3 hours I was concerned. Then out of nowhere she walked up without her bike and informed me of a mechanical problem. Her rear derailleur broke off and didn’t plan on returning to the course.
I knew I had to finish a lap in order to at least earn us 3rd place. There were only 2 other female duo teams so it was worth it for me to finish a lap. I drove all this way and invested money – never wanted to leave with a DNF.

I began around 12:00. The first mile was a loop on the flat field. The single track was so sloppy I opted to ride in the grass instead. Once I reached the opening to the challenging single track I immediately had to get off the bike because the mud was so thick the wheels wouldn’t move. I had never seen anything like it.

After walking for 30 minutes I wondered if I’d ever find a section of the trail to actually "ride." There were a handful of men I caught up to and one by one they dropped out of the race. They were pushing or carrying their bikes just like me. An hour later I wondered if I was the only person left out on the 10-mile trail. Once in awhile a pro would pass me & I was amazed at their ability.

I was pushing my bike in the grass as much as I could to eliminate the mud build-up, but unfortunately I must have rolled over thorns. I ended up with a rear and front flat. At this point riding wasn’t even an option so I was determined to walk a near ½ marathon with my bike.
I ran into some women walking their bikes. One was a pro and the other was an amateur competing as a solo rider. She said she wasn’t giving up no matter what. She had competed in 90 hr adventure races so “this was nothing” she said. A couple hours into the walk my feet began to hurt in the biking shoes. This became my biggest concern…how long I could endure the discomfort.

I made it to some containers of water and was told that this was the ½-way point. Those words were very disheartening. I thought I was further along. For a second I considered taking the shortcut down and calling it quits, but that was short lived. I filled up my water and forged ahead. The second half went much quicker than the first. I think there was more downhill. Still it was tough because I only took a few hundred calories with me, not expecting to be out there so long. So it was hot and I became plenty tired and weak. But my will and mind were strong.

I finally made it down to where the spectators were, but still had over a mile to go. Someone offered me food, but I thought I’d get DQ’d. My teammate came over to say, “You’re bad ass.” She asked if I needed anything and I turned her down. I obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. I had been out there for 4 hrs and only had a little water and maybe 200 calories the whole time. I went a little further and decided to stop at the bike wash and a guy was really nice to wash my bike off for me. He also handed me a beer and PBJ.

I was feeling a 2nd wind to finish the last section of this race, which circled around the spectators and through the finish line. I wasn’t nearly as dirty as everyone else since I only rode for 1 mile, but I had 2 flats and looked pretty exhausted. I got lots of cheers for not giving up. A guy came up to me afterwards and said he was inspired by me because I didn’t give up. It was a good feeling. We earned 3rd place and got some free glasses & other stuff.

Again, this would have been the coolest venue and event if it weren’t for the horrible trail conditions. Of 400 racers 90% had dropped out by 2:00pm and the race wasn’t officially over until 9:00pm. The rain lasted only for a short time at the beginning and the sun came out and warmed things up quite a bit. After finishing we got some free bbq and beer. We hung out and did some “people watching.” We collapsed the tent and packed the car up. As the sun set they called everyone to the finish line and proceeded to wrap up the event. They gave away more prizes than I’ve ever seen…and good quality items including NiteRider lights, sunglasses, socks, helmets, frames, and much more. It was a fun time.

Reflections:

This event reminded me keenly of my experience as a single female; a picky single Christian female. Dirt Sweat and Gears was a lot like my single life.

The trail was a lonely route less traveled. It was hard so many turned back and gave up.
Being a Christian woman on the narrow path God has paved is often a lonely road because it is also less traveled. It is not always easy because there are plenty of shortcut to take, points to turn back, reasons to give up...but I'm unwavering in my quest to do this His way and not my own. Many women settle in order to avoid being alone. Being with "someone" isn't enough in my opinion. I never thought I'd be 37 and single with no kids, but I won't give up just in case there is a special someone out there looking for someone just like me & recognizes my specialness.

The men didn't realize the bigger picture by "finishing" the race. They said things like, "I'm not getting paid to do this. This isn't worth it." Instead, they left the trail, gave up, and preferred drinking beer to enduring the adventure with or without me.
Too many men I have encountered through my lifetime don't:
look deeper,
value character,
want to follow the Author of Love,
show perseverance - patience - determination in life,
want to learn and grow themselves.
I just can't respect that & respect is the first thing I must have before love can even possibly follow.