Balltown 200 Road Race (Pain is a Teacher - Glory is Not)

Balltown Classic 200 Bike Race: Stephanie's Full Race Report
May 29, 2010 - 10,000 feet of elevation, 200 miles, reaching 90 degrees, 2nd century had 15 mph headwind, 17.5 average (on the bike), over 45 minutes off the bike, 6th place overall among men, only woman on the 200 mile course (broke overall womenʼs record), finishing in 12 hrs 3 minutes.

Background Info:
Up to this point I have competed in 3 double-century races; my first one in August 2008. However, they were all pretty flat so Balltown was the first HILLY attempt at a double. Last year I wanted to seriously improve on the hills, but it didn't quite turn into action. I was going to
attempt Balltown 200 in 2009 & I even registered, but backed out due to a lack of confidence. In 2010 I turned the "talk" about improving on the hills into “action.” I lost weight, which makes hills less effort to get up and I also trained in the hills more than in the past. I stopped making excuses & avoiding my weakness. I saw a marked improvement so in 2010 I was determined to compete at Balltown instead of make excuses and fear failure. I knew I had to prove to myself I could do it. The womenʼs overall course record was set last year by Randy Love who was 60 years old at the time. I have ridden with her before and sheʼs amazing. In fact, her fit body was a big part of my determination to lose more weight.
I felt that this year I was physically capable of finishing under 12 hrs...if everything went
according to plan and it was a “good” day. I was at a disadvantage not having my own personal sag support, which several people do.

Days leading up to race:
Iʼve only done 3 centuries in 2010...and some 60+ that were hilly. I ran into Randy Love at the
end of the winter & she told me how sheʼd already logged like over 1,000 solo miles. I had no clue what my road mileage in 2010 was & didnʼt really care either. Iʼve had several 3-6 hr mtn bike training rides/races and stayed fit all winter, while losing weight. I was feeling strong on all of my rides so thatʼs all I needed to know. I don't train for double centuries in any sort of intentional manner - no training plan. Thatʼs just me. When I did triʼs I loosely followed a training plan & when I raced my first ½ marathon I followed a plan to the T. With biking, I just bike. Iʼm not trying to be “the best” - just MY best, doing it MY way. ;-) The week leading up to the race was the last week of school so stress was higher, trying to finish end-of-year stuff. Sleep-not so great. Nutrition-even worse. I at least made sure to give the legs a rest for 3 days prior to the race.

Day Before Race Day
Side note: While grooving to the 80's on the drive to Iowa I learned Gary Coleman died.
Reminded me of when I was driving to Tour de Corn last summer and heard the announcement of Michael Jackson dying. Got to hotel/race check-in & had group dinner at Happy Joe's with organizers & some fellow ultracyclists. I saw a few familiar faces. Salad & personal size veggie pizza was my order, along w/a Michelob Ultra & water.
I learned that there was only one other woman racing. Her name was Laurel, a 34-year old who
lived in the area and has a triathlon & running background. This would be her first double century. She talked a lot about her Ironman experiences, then I learned she had completed multiple marathons & even some 50 mile endurance runs. She was a massage therapist who also wrote articles for a website. She wrote about the Balltown experience on May 29 & 30th at http://www.qconline.com/bloggers/sports/
Laurel was super outgoing, energetic, funny, and really nice. She was going to have her own personal sag and she talked about if we rode together that they'd take care of anything I needed. I thought that was super sweet. Then I asked her about her goal so once she said she
hoped to just finish in about 15 hrs it was apparent to us both that we wouldn't be riding together. ;-) My goal was 11 hrs 30 min. Back at the hotel I realized I accidently left my sports bra at home 'cause it was drying. That meant I'd have to wear my regular bra with underwire, which I've never ridden in. Was hoping it wouldn't be an issue (chafing or underwire digging in, etc.) I couldn't visually figure out how to re-install my aerobars with the brake cable being in the way so it looked like I was going to have to do a long ride without aerobars for the first time - not good but oh well. I only had one tube & hoped that would be enough. I heard last year one guy had 4 flats & a woman had 2. I hadnʼt kept track of the wear on my tires so I checked for any slashes and figured they looked ok. You just never know. I brought an extra tire but decided it wasnʼt needed. Got all my stuff organized-drop off bag, food, water bottles, coolers, extra water bottle cages installed, cleaned chain & all that misc stuff but didn't get into bed until after 10pm. Slept fine. Set 3 alarms for 4:00am.

Race Day
One nice thing is that the start was right at the hotel where I stayed so no driving & extra stress to the start.
• 4:00am wake up & pack up
• Breakfast: Wheaties, banana, waffle, Red Bull
• 5:00am: A guy I rode with back in August at Metamora remembered me & refreshed my memory of riding with him. He (Tom) said, "You aren't riding with aerobars?" He got me to thinking I should install them even if I had to push brake cables out of the way. I couldn't easily dig my hex tool out so asked a guy nearby and he came to my rescue. His name is Wendall. He saw me struggling with it and came over to hold the aerobars while I tightened them up.
I was so grateful. He was an orthopedic surgeon if I recall correctly. I had just enough time to hand over my drop-off bag/cooler, go to the bathroom once more...and had about 5 minutes to spare. I was hurried to the point I didn't get to put sunscreen on even though I had it sitting out to remember.
5:30am: START with only 15 cyclists total. It was a very low turnout for whatever reason this year.

First 50 miles
For the first 15 miles or so...the only thing to watch out for were the long cracks in the road you
could easily get your wheel caught in. In fact, one guy ended up in one and damaged both rims beyond repair so at mile 10 his race came to an end - bummer. I found out that was Tom who encouraged me to install my aerobars. We rode through a couple lights in town and then out to the low-traffic roads of Iowa. Once we started getting into the rolling hills I didn't pay attention to how many were in the peleton. A lot of the really fast guys who typically come to these events did not show this time. The dude leading us out was a pretty buff triathlete who sported a mohawk. He pulled quite a bit and I pulled 5 times in the first hour.
1 or 2 other guys pulled a little. Then I realized we had a group of about 10 but most were conserving energy in the back. I got smart and went to the back, but it wasn't long before the triathlete forged ahead & only about 6 of us followed - the rest stayed behind. Among our group was a guy who had only ridden 110 miles max & his friend. Also there was Paul Carpenter who is going to attempt RAAM as a solo rider next month, and a RAAM solo finisher who also says he beat Lemond in Tour de Florida back in the day. Two other guys I rode with were Dave & Don. I had ridden with Dave during two other races so it was nice to see him again. He is super nice and helpful. He said, “Don and I are riding together if you want to ride with us. In the end 3 are better than 1 or 2. Weʼll stay together.” Dave is good about pacing & I always learn something riding with him.
We were riding along through the rolling hills, chatting, and enjoying the gorgeous sky. At one point someone talked about the upcoming rest stop. I said it was in about 15 miles. That's what my computer told me. They were all saying it was just in a few miles. Come to find out my computer was on max speed of 35 instead of distance. That was pretty funny since I had lost track of time. I was all intense suggesting we stop for 2 min top but the rest of the group
thought a little longer so I went along with them. We stopped for about 5+ minutes at mile 50 and someone let me use their RV to pee. Off we go. At this point it did not feel like we were in a race.

Mile 50-105
I noticed my aerobars were uneven. Right side was lower than the left, but it was nothing significant enough to really impact my race. We were averaging about 20 mph. We lost 2 guys somewhere around mile 85-90. The guy who was doing a double for the first time cramped, caught up, but then dropped for good with his pal. None of the hills at this point were too strenuous or steep, but became longer as we approached Balltown. We came to a really nice view of the valley below. As we completed 100 miles Dave announced we did it in 5 hrs 11 minutes and recalled, "That's pretty good considering the terrain." We reached the next rest stop at mile 105 and took about 10 minutes to replenish. I drank a Red Bull and replaced my bottles (one was chocolate milk), grabbed more food from my drop off bag, etc. I had to pee again but there were only some thin wooded area. I was concerned about poison ivy but instead I stepped
into thorns and scratched my legs all up. Ouch. Itʼs strange riding for 12 hrs drinking the whole time & only going to the bathroom 2 times, but thatʼs pretty typical from the other races Iʼve done.

Mile 105-150
Back on the bike - Up to this point we were all feeling strong and like there was plenty of time to finish under 12 hrs. Heart good, legs good, upbeat. We expected the wind would be 5 mph as forecasted and blowing in the direction it usually does when it's cooler, which would be in our favor on the way back.
Unfortunately, temps rose to 90 degrees and the sun was relentless. Thereʼs NO shade on the entire course and there wasnʼt a cloud in the sky. From mile 110-115+ there were some tough, long hills. One I had to zig zag up to keep from walking, due to fatigue. At this point itʼs just me, Dave, Don, & Paul. We got into some town and while reaching for my banana in my jersey pocket my PBJ fell out and had to go back to pick it up. I was irritated, tired, and hot so I was glad that soon after we stopped at Subway for ice/water refills. It was great, but within minutes back on the bike the ice is melted and water is hot. Around mile 130ish Dave said he was
fading. I was doing the math in my head and quickly became concerned that I wouldnʼt even make the 12 hr cutoff with all the stopping. Furthermore, the wind was significant enough at a steady 12 mph (Iʼm guessing) to add to the challenge. Heat, hills, moderate but steady wind started to take its toll. A few miles before the last rest stop (150) I realized that I had to do my own thing and not work with a group since I was shooting for a particular goal. I was
actually kicking myself that I hadnʼt taken my destiny into my own hands before this
point. Itʼs a fine line, knowing when youʼre better off riding with a group and when you
just have to go at it alone. Itʼs ideal if you can ride with others so you can take shifts
pulling and resting. I rushed into the rest stop and there was Laurel and several other sag supporters.
Laurel had stopped at mile 100 and was being driven back to the start, but stopped to cheer us on. She was so helpful; taking my bottles from me and asking what I wanted. I know I didnʼt look or sound too good. I was talking negative about not making the record and I was so frustrated with myself. I canʼt remember her exact words, but she was trying to offset my negative attitude with positive ones. I wasnʼt thinking about food so I donʼt think I grabbed anything. I grabbed a Coke. Off I went...alone & uncertain what the outcome would be.

Mile 150-200
I came upon a couple hills I thought would never end. They werenʼt steep, but long. For the first time I looked at my arms and realized I was sunburned. To me, it looked pretty bad and I knew I still had a couple hours or more. The radiating sun intensified the burn in my arms. Up ahead I noticed another rider I was catching up to. I was hoping maybe he had sunscreen with him but as I got closer he looked back and just sped up. Nice. He did that about 3 times and I have to admit that the last time he pulled away I was brought to tears because I needed help. The misery I was feeling stemmed from being overheated. I had experienced this once before but more severely so I knew what was going on. I wasnʼt dehydrated. My body just needed to be cooled down & was beginning to shut down. Nausea overcame me starting around mile 150 until the end. Result = didnʼt feel like eating or drinking. I forced myself to eat a little even if just a
few jelly beans. The hot water in my bottles wasnʼt quenching my thirst. I just craved ice!!
I was momentarily distracted from the misery I was feeling. As I climbed out of the valley I noticed over 40 horses running free in this huge property. They were beautiful. Their manes were waving beautifully and they were playfully brushing each other with their necks like puppies. It was obvious that a group of about 15 were sprinting toward something. Then I realized there was a woman on a horse standing there alongside the road. The “sorta wild” horses were so curious. They ran up to the fence and just stared. It was so cool. The woman walked her horse forward about 15 feet and the group of horses trotted forward, almost shadowing. For a moment I wasnʼt on my bike feeling tired or sick. As I passed by I
said to the woman, “Looks like theyʼre curious about you...they look so free. Beautiful.” I was wishing I had a video of this moment in time. I imagine youʼd see something this gorgeous maybe out in Wyoming or something, but it was a first for me even considering Iʼve been around a lot of horses and even had my own when I was a young girl.

Every car that passed me...I considered flagging them down to ask for sunscreen or ice water. Who in the world would have ice water in their car? But I wasnʼt thinking real clearly. Many times I contemplating just pulling over to the side and quitting. I begged God to help me; to change the wind or for Laurel to be stopped along the way in her car with some ice. More crying. Iʼm emotional; what can I say. I saw an upcoming right turn on the course, but up ahead about 50 yards there was a gas station. Do I just pass it up and keep pushing for the record or stop? I was desperate. I had to get some ice. I filled up 2 bottles with ice water, but have no clue why I didnʼt take the 3rd as well. I had no money so no chance of buying anything. So this was my 5th stop. I quickly returned to the course through a residential area. I saw a tri bike leaned up against a tree on the right side and a guy on the porch. Come to find out Laurel was running out of the house yelling at me to just keep going. In a mile or so she caught up to me and explained she was using the restroom at some strangerʼs house, waiting for me to come along. She had her sag support drop her off so she could simply support me in reaching my goal. She said I looked pretty bad at mile 150. I think she came along around mile 180.
She said something like this: “Iʼm going to help you reach your goal. Iʼm here for you, whatever you need. Iʼll be quiet. Just tell me what you need. Cry if you need to...whatever.” I had a hard time getting words out. Exhaustion, overheating, and mentally whipped. I had zero confidence. I asked Laurel to let me ride behind her and I had to keep asking her to slow down. She would periodically ask me what I needed and the problem is that I didnʼt know except that I needed ice. Having her with me eased my anxiety about me having heat stroke or something. It was just comforting to have her there. I thanked her at the moment, but probably not enough. I was so grateful, but I felt so bad I wasnʼt good company. Laurel continued to be encouraging, telling me I could do it and that I was strong. At times I got real quiet and she said, “Talk to me. Are you ok, thinking clearly?” She was worried about my safety. I said, ”Iʼm overheated and the only
thing that can help is ice. If I could just stop at someoneʼs house.” She saw a house in the distance and took a bottle and told me to keep going. She sprinted up ahead, knocked on the door and as I passed I didnʼt think anyone would answer because there was no car. But then on the left side another 100 yards down there was a house with a family in the backyard playing with a hose. I got off my bike and they allowed me to hose myself down head to toe and drink from the hose. I got back on the bike and was dry in like 2 minutes, no lie. Laurel arrived with a bottle full of ice water and I couldnʼt believe it. Back on the bike. For five minutes I felt much better with the ice water and became a little more talkative and upbeat. So I think all this happened with Laurel between mile 180-190 Iʼm guessing. I continued to do the math to figure out how close I was to the record. I knew I just had to keep the avg speed above 15, which I
couldnʼt believe was a challenge. I started to whimper. Laurel noticed another gas station up ahead and asked if I wanted more ice water and a Coke. I agreed. I kept going, but unfortunately got too much of a lead on her since she stopped. I kept looking back and saw that she was pretty far back there but I had to keep going forward. I couldnʼt stop. I knew she was riding as hard as she could and how tired she had to of been. I couldnʼt believe she was doing this for me, a stranger. I still was entertaining the idea of just giving up, but then I had an incentive. That incentive was to not waste all of Laurelʼs effort to help me.
Thereʼs no way I could give up when she went through all the trouble to support me...and she believed in me. So I forged ahead. I saw a sign for Dewitt and I thought, “Oh, I hope itʼs a left turn (with the wind)” but instead it was a right turn with 6 miles to go straight into the headwind and rolling hills. I kept looking at the distance on my computer but the numbers seemed to move in slow motion. I would look back and see Laurel. Then I saw 3 bikers and I figured it had to be Dave and Don - it was. With 2 miles left I saw them getting closer to me and I saw a sliver of shade so I decided to stop, knowing I had enough time. I started walking my bike. I wasnʼt
making a lot of sense at this point. Soon enough the guys passed me and asked if my bike was ok. So if I would have just stayed with them back at the mile 150 point I would have arrived at the same time as I did yet I would have likely felt better. Not sure if I made the best decision, but at the time there was no way of knowing.
Laurel arrived with some ice water and a hot Coke. ;-) I took a few swigs and I think Dave even drank some of it. She was apologizing, but certainly had no reason to be. I knew how hard she tried to catch up to me. Back on the bike. I led us out and within minutes I saw the Dewitt water tower. I pointed in relief. Last right turn and I knew it was a straight stretch to the hotel. I kicked it in high gear and basically sprinted down the street to the finish. Amazing how mental this sport is. Again, I was boohooing. I was still feeling sick but I was also elated that I had persevered and finished. Joe, the organizer, was really sweet and took my bike for me and got me a Sprite. Finish time: 12 hrs 3 min. I narrowly beat the womenʼs overall record.
Mission accomplished with the help of friends, & couple lessons learned. I was the 6th overall finisher.

Post-race observations
Said goodbye to Laurel. I referred to her as my Angel because she most certainly had my back. Iʼm really moved by her unselfish act. She said others have helped her in her journey so sheʼs giving back. She told me to pass it on so......my friends need to hold me accountable. Iʼm looking for an opportunity to help someone achieve a personal goal.
The tri guy whose goal was to finish in under 10 hours in order to beat the menʼs record had the same issues as I did. The heat got to him and instead he finished in 11 hrs. After a few snacks and a shower I hung around to see other cyclists arrive. Joeʼs wife, Rosemary, was the only one around, waiting for cyclists to arrive so she could record their times. So I hung out with her and we talked about all sorts of things. Rosemary has stitches on her right eye from a fall while she
was running her usual 5 mile route. Sheʼs 66 years old and runs about 30 miles a week. These are the folks who inspire me. Joe went to pick up 2 guys who DNFʼd. As I was finally ready to get in the car and leave I saw a rider come in, then another and another. I love chatting so I couldnʼt pull myself away even though I had a 5 hr drive home. Steve was one of them. Heʼs new to ultracycling and is writing a book about it. He took notes from many cyclists all weekend & interviewed me on the phone the other day. He agreed it was a very tough day. Wendall said with every turn of the legs he felt like a rotisserie chicken in the oven out there. Well put! Most
of the guys said they were experiencing the nausea so the heat got to most of us. Luckily, several guys had their own personal sag (wives) to meet their needs. I learned that if temps are 85+ I need to have my own sag, especially if I have a specific goal time to finish. Itʼs crucial!

Well, my 4th double century race is completed. Afterwards I know I emphatically said, “Iʼm never doing this again.” I doubt that. Iʼm considering the 24 hr challenge again so weʼll see whatʼs next. Finally, Iʼm thankful to all the people at Balltown that I talked with and who helped me in small and big ways. See you in Metamora. I want to beat my previous record.