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.

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.

252 mile ride

A long ride through my eyes

5-16-2009

252 miles (brevet) - longest distance I've done to this date

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.

------------------------------

Moral of the story:  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.

Don’t wish away the moments; even the painful ones.  Learn something valuable & insightful in every moment of life.

Just when you THINK you can’t go any further, keep going and you find that you can.

---------------------------

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.

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!

2:30 pm 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 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.  I was pretty sleepy at this point; drained of energy.

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 especially needed to stop (& I didn’t mind) and it was a fairly long one.  Jim was feeling sick and nodded off 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 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 on the trail 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.  “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

SKS Race Blade Fenders (carbon)

http://www.rei.com/product/737502?preferredSku=7375020018&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-7375020018&mr:trackingCode=BBB0DB8E-0419-DE11-B4E3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Detour bag

http://detours.us/product_info.php?products_id=117

brevet top tube bag

http://www.kgear.com/bgear/bags/Q095.html

Pearl Izumi rain jacket

http://www.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=105&product_id=1150912

lights

http://www.niterider.com/prod_minminiplus.shtml

http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/345

More LBL Photos

After 28 hrs of being on the course

Me feeling good early in the race.

Giving my back a break in the canoe!

Checkpoints we were looking for

Mike & Matt

187 miles of pure torture!

April 25, 2009 I participated in a 300k brevet, or an equiv. to 187 miles.  We started at 6:00am in Edwardsville IL and my goal was to finish in less than 12 hrs.

Riding those miles on a perfect day is still challenging, but what made this an epic and unforgettable ride (in a negative light) is the fact that we had near unprecedented wind this particular weekend.  We had high winds at the end of the week & right through the weekend.  Winds of 25-35 mph were reported on Saturday & Sunday.  What made this ride a torturefest is the fact that it takes place in rural Illinois where there are no trees to provide shade or wind shelter.  In most cases we had opportunity to stop at a gas station about every 25 miles but in one stretch we didn't have that for about 40 miles I think it was.

There were maybe 7 riders doing the 300k and a few more who did the 200k.  I had a cycling friend promise to ride with me.  He's completed the brevet series before and has a lot of miles on his legs.  So I planned on drafting behind him and maybe helping out by leading...if it really did him any good.  That whole plan changed when the winds gave us resistance from the start.  He thought they would die down, but I knew we were in for a windy day based on the previous few days of high winds.

We started off at 6:00am and right away about 4 guys pulled off the front and were obviously going to roll at a higher rate of speed than Jim C. and I planned.  So we just kept our own steady & comfortable pace.  As I recall, it seems that the first couple hours were ok.  It was overcast, but warm so conditions were tolerable.  The wind then became very noticeable.  Anytime we were traveling south we had headwind, but it also came at us from an angle.  This prevented me from getting much shelter from Jim's draft.  I felt like I was working just as hard behind him, which was discouraging and caused me to doubt how long I could keep this up.  When we traveled west we had crosswinds, which makes it hard to steer and stay in a straight line.  It's bad when a strong cyclist is working hard to maintain 12 mph on a flat road.  We endured this for hours, which was like riding up a hill for 80+ miles.  It was insane!

Saturday was not only windy, but it was sunny and got up to 85 degrees.  Most of us here in STL weren't conditioned to ride in this heat...just yet.  So we had to stop more in order to stay hydrated.  I've had bad luck with this in the past so dehydration was something I knew I needed to avoid for this ride.  At mile 75 or so we encountered an out-of-town participant who opted to ride the 200k vs. the 300k 'cause he was "spent."  We all know our limits & I guess he found his.  

Nutrition/Hydration:

On this day I had a plan to change my hydration plan a bit.  In the past I relied on Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem and it worked for me.  But since the 24-hr adv race I have been kind of sick of the thought to even drink it.  So on the bike for the 300k brevet I stuck with water and plenty of calories.  I've been eating the Little Debbie oatmeal pies.  I remember loving those as a kid and I think they still taste just as great.  Reading an article about John Stamstad gave me this idea.  The major change I made was to purchase drinks at the rest stops instead of food.  If I got my calories in fluids I'd also take care of the hydration needs at the same time.  In the past I'd refill my 2 bottles but fill up on crackers, Fig Newtons, etc.  Instead, this time I filled up on fluids besides filling up my bottles.  I purchased YooHoo, apple juice, low calorie Gatorade (regular Gatorade messes w/my stomach), Vitamin Waters, soda in one case, chocolate milk, etc.  

So Jim & I kept pushing on.  I'm a talker but the wind even stopped me from doing that much of the time. ;-)  All I heard for hours was the sssssshhhhhhwwwwwwhhhhh of the wind in my ears.  It was driving me crazy.

I'm not sure what mile it was but we reached a small store/restaurant in a very, very small town.  At this point, Jim C was not looking good at all.  I know he was dehydrated.  He's as tough as a rock so his look of exhaustion and confusion worried me a bit.  We entered an air-conditioned local restaurant to grab a burger.  I think we drank 2 gallons of water, sodas, and chocolate milks.  He only ate 1/2 his hamburger so that was a big sign he wasn't feeling well.  But after a nice long & refreshing stop we were both energized to finish this thing.  We still had several hours left to go but we knew we were heading more in the northern direction which meant a likely tailwind.  Finally, we did get to benefit from the the tailwind in short spurts, where we soared easily at 24 mph along smooth pavement.  We relished this!!  But it seems that the tailwind was maybe 20% of the ride & head or cross wind was about 80%.

7:00pm and we figured we had about an hour to go and that we'd arrive back to our cars just at dark.  This was true.  It was a 14-hr day that felt like double that.  

Today, 5/1/09 I saw on the news that Springfield, MO was 185 miles from STL.  That's when it occurred to me, "Wow, we rode our bikes THAT far?"

**REFLECTIONS**

On the ride while I was riding behind Jim, the strong one, it made me think about Jesus in my life.  In a way, Jim represented Jesus to me.

Jim lead the way, was in charge of the directions, watched traffic & warned me of cars.

Jesus guides my path, gives me direction in life, and cares for my well-being.

Jim endured more pain so that I could ride stronger and be helped along by his strength.

Jesus has paid for my sins on the cross. Even though I deserve death He died in my place.

Although Jim was in the front taking the brunt of the wind, I still felt the resistance & pain.

I'm not immune to disappointments in life and the pain of loss, but Jesus eases the anguish with his comfort and hope.

Another thing I reflected on was the issue of "patience."  I am no stranger to hardships, which have imparted an element of perseverance in my character.  But at the same time I've grown up with a slight temper and a lack of patience.  After my mom died I resorted to tantrums.  Adults can throw tantrums too ya know! ;-)  On a tough ride I've been known to yell out in exhaustion or complain about the conditions.  I've cursed at the wind, the heat, the bugs, and my own failure to perform.  My last episode was a 6-hr mountain bike race I competed in October 2008.  It was grueling.  I guess I'll have to post that experience here as well before I forget it.  

Anyway, I complained a lot less during this 300k.  I did more self-talk and tried to distract myself so I wouldn't focus on the misery.  I rode more "steady" in body and mind.  I was more at peace internally, basically just accepting the conditions as they were.  My marred nature is to complain incessantly about conditions that I can't change, which makes no sense.  All it does is infuriate me.  I've always believed that people can change, regardless of their age.  That's one of my goals as I take on these physical challenges.  I want to become physically AND mentally stronger.  I like to reflect on life during my rides/races/adventures, which makes it a meaningful journey.

Although I feared I wouldn't be able to walk the next day...I did attempt my first 5k race (on foot) since last summer and I did surprisingly well.  I maintained a 9 minute mile pace which shocked me.  I recall my thought during the race at about mile 2.  I was so tired and felt like quitting but I reminded myself I was tough enough to keep going because of what I had accomplished the day before.  It was a good feeling.

Training for LBL

Week of Feb. 15-21 was my first attempt to test my foot before deciding whether I could join the team in Kentucky or not.  My runs were going well so I accepted the invitation.  This was before even meeting ½ the team.  That wasn’t until March 8 when we got the chance to train together in the canoe, on the bike and on foot.  Since I had kept a good base all winter the only thing I was worried about was my foot.  My 1^st adventure race was an 8-hr in Dec. ’07 (see report at http://midriversadventure.com/cwood07.html), which was the onset of my plantar fasciitis.  I had to stop running for an entire year.  When I was approached by the team to do LBL, I had only recently returned to running and had good reason to hesitate.

Here was my training regiment with only 7 weeks to train for the longest duration of physical fitness I’d ever tried.

• Week 1: 8.5 mile run, 1 mile run & 30 min row, 5.5 lb bag while 30 min. on stairs & 30 min. on inclined treadmill & 15 min row, 5.5 mile hike & some jog w/pack, 10 mile run w/pack (1:53 hrs), 42 miles on mtn bike w/lots of hills (10-4:00)
  
• Week 2: 30 min. run & 10 min. row, 22 miles on road bike, 1.5 hr run/walk/hills, steps w/pack along with weight lifting
  
• Week 3: 1 hr bike & 1 hr row & 1.5 hr treadmill & .5 hr stairs plus weights, 3 miles on treadmill w/pack & 10 min. on stairs w/pack, 22 miles on road bike, 2 hrs on mtn bike and 30 min. run/walk, 70 miles on road bike
  
• Week 4: 1.5 hr canoe & 1.5 hr bike & 1 hr trek/run all w/pack, weights, 20 min row & 20 min upper body weights, 126 miles on road bike
  
• Week 5: 9 mile run (1:45) w/pack, 3 hr mtn bike, fast 24 miles on road bike, 20 min rowing & weights, 24 miles on mtn bike at Berryman (7pm-12am), 126 miles on road bike
  
• Week 6: 1 hr run w/light pack, 10 min row & 10 min treadmill & 20 min swim & weights + hot tub, 1 hr b-ball & 15 min hill run, 23 miles on road bike, 40 min run w/pack
  
• Week 7: 24 mile road bike ride in wind, 14 mile road bike & 20 min run, RACE DAY (24 miles on foot, 15 miles paddling, 58 miles on mtn bike = ~97 miles)
  

*December - January I worked out 25 of those days, which isn't great but not so bad during the holidays.

Preparation:  There was required gear I had to have.  A fellow female adv racer lent a bigger pack to me.  I trained with a pack but never weighed it or put all race gear in it.  Therefore, race day was a bit of a surprise.  The pack was heavier than I expected it would be even after putting some items in the guys’ packs.  I brought extra gear to KY because I was still deciding on clothing and food up until the night before.

Food:  This was by far the most fun prep since I’m quite fond of food.  ;-)  I asked advice from other athletes about # of calories I needed to consume.  I was surprised to learn adv racers eat junk food and solids – though everyone’s different.  I counted & labeled my food and put into bags w/ 6 hours of calories in each.  As calculated as I was in prep it didn’t work that easily on race day.  It was hard to focus on eating on a regular schedule.  I also made some last minute changes, thinking maybe I had too many calories.  Some food I thought I’d like became an unpleasant thought during the race.  All food items below I tested on rides or runs, and were my favorites.  Some were regulars in my training and racing that had been tried and true.

Items that worked for me the best!
homemade brownies w/walnuts
Powerbar gel blasts (lemon & cola w/caffeine @ night)
diced peaches in juice (plastic container)
beef jerky (small amount & shared w/teammates)
Perpetuem (only good for 12 hrs; didn’t want after that)
**someone told me Hammer Nutrition makes Sustained Energy that I should try
banana flavored Hammer gel
brown sugar Pop-Tarts

Items that were just ok – animal crackers, Girl Scout thin mints, Snickers, Skittles, Twizzlers

Items that were NOT good – Cheez Its & nut mix, my favorite chocolate Gu gel

 

 

 

LBL Challenge 24 hour race REPORT

LBL Challenge 24 hour race report..finally!
Grand Rivers, Kentucky
April 4-5

Friday night events:  Friday night we had dinner at Cracker Barrel, attended the pre-race meeting, and then I packed my bags & got my stuff ready while the guys plotted the coordinates for each checkpoint.  Lights were out finally by 1:45am.  I hit the hay on a 1-inch mat on the floor.

Saturday morning: I was awaked by the sound of a 12-hour team in the room below.  Their race started an hour earlier than ours so unfortunately I didn’t get to sleep in until 6am like the rest of my team.  So I got about 3 hours of sleep!

Breakfast:  I ate a delicious Bread Company pumpkin muffin and revved up my heart rate with a Starbuck’s Frappuccino mocha drink. 

Ready to race:  We were first instructed to drop our bikes and biking gear off at the North Welcome Station about a 5 minute drive away.  Then we drove to the start.  I was packed and ready to go so there really wasn’t anything to do except wait.  I looked around at the other teams, sizing up the women on the co-ed teams.  Some looked like elite athletes, but others looked just like me.  Many teams had matching race clothing and packs.  I was most surprised by the fact that many teams had very small packs.  I don’t even know how they were able to fit the required gear in them.  That was puzzling to me.  Our packs looked 4x their size.  Was this a good or bad thing?

START:  We started at 8:00am on Kentucky Lake Scenic Drive, near the Canal. 

RUN / TREK 1  (CP1 - CP2):  We started off with a conservative 2.5-3 mile jog to our bikes at the North Welcome Station.  We only had to locate one checkpoint along the way (CP1).  The North Welcome Station was CP2.  We got both checkpoints.

MOUNTAIN BIKING LEG 1 (CP2 – CP7):  At the North Welcome Station we got our bikes and started a 27-28 mile mountain biking leg on some sweet single track trails at Land Between the Lakes.  We started on the Canal Loop trail in a counter-clockwise direction.  The trails were smooth, hard-packed and very fast and fun.  It was a little congested because teams hadn’t spread out this early in the race.  We passed several teams on this leg of the race.  We also saw some gear spread out all over the course so someone must have forgotten to zip their pack.  We also saw leading teams coming directly toward us so it was apparent that the navigation would bring us right back on the same trail going clockwise.  After getting one checkpoint on the Canal Loop trail (CP3), we went back to Race Headquarters (CP4).  From Race H.Q., we rode a series of roads and trails (eventually getting on the North / South trail), to Star Camp Wayside Area (CP6).  From Star Camp, we continued on mostly gravel roads to the next Transition Area at Cravens Bay Lake Access.  This leg of the race was a lot of fun and fairly easy even though there were several hills along the gravel roads.  It was fun seeing the other teams (and passing several).  I was probably enjoying it so much that I forgot to stay hydrated.  We got all 5 checkpoints.

RUN / TREKKING LEG 2 (CP8 - CP12):  After dropping off our bikes and biking gear at Cravens Bay Access (CP8) we continued the race on foot.  This was approximately 7 miles.  I remember the terrain was pretty easy.  Unfortunately, this is when it came to light I hadn’t been drinking enough.  While the guys had stopped about 10 times to go to the bathroom I had only stopped twice.  I was all of the sudden out of energy and sick to my stomach.  I didn’t want to eat and nothing sounded good.  I spoke up and the guys let me stop to take care of my stomach problem.  Diarrhea, fun!  Bill urged me to drink one of his Ensure’s slowly to replenish my system and I drank water about every 5 mintues.  The guys carried my pack while I recovered.  I don’t remember it taking too long to feel better.  From there on out I drank water more frequently.  We looked for 3 checkpoints along the way (CPs 9-11).  These checkpoints looked easy on the map, but the terrain didn’t offer a lot of prominent features so we did head down the wrong road and had to retrace our steps to find the right road.  We did, however, find these 5 checkpoints.

PADDLING LEG (CP12 - CP15):  I think we arrived at Demumbers Access around 6:00pm or maybe sooner…where the canoes were waiting for us.  We knew it would get a little cooler on the lake so we added a layer.  Luckily, we still had good weather so I was able to endure sitting while having wet legs and feet the entire paddling leg.  We had to paddle a total of 15 miles on Lake Barkley, against a small current.  What complicated matters was the fact that we had a diagonal head wind that created 2-foot waves, which ended up crashing into the canoe and onto my legs.  This created more resistance and made it feel as if we’d tip.  That was quite stressful considering we had to paddle for 5 hrs.  ¾ of the paddle leg was in the dark, which added another element of challenge. 

At 7:01pm Mike and I both recognized that we both had beat our longest fitness endeavor.  My 200-mile bike race and his Ironman were both around 11 hours.

As much as possible, we stayed fairly close to the shore for safety reasons in case we tipped.  We did have to find a couple of checkpoints along the way.  One of the stops ended up being a gear check.  We had to rummage through our bags and find 4-5 items that I can’t recall anymore (emergency blanket, whistle, waterproof something, etc.).  We ended up taking an hour to transition, for some reason.  They had a campfire, but Bill and Matt instructed us not to go near it or we wouldn’t want to leave.  So at least twice on the course there was an inviting fire but we managed to ignore it.  The hardest part about this leg was sitting in a canoe with no back support.  I was in a lot of discomfort and pain and only found some relief when I leaned back on my pack against the metal rail.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t much help to Mike since I don’t have a lot of upper body power.  We got all the checkpoints that were required.

BIKING LEG 2 (CP15 - CP17): We made it back to Cravens Bay where we had dropped our bikes off earlier.  At this point I was shivering in my wet clothes so another gear change was required.  I think this was the 3^rd time I changed my socks but it didn’t seem to do me much good in any case.  We started a 10-mile biking leg on mostly gravel and jeep roads, heading towards Hematite Lake.  What I remember most about this section is riding through the creeks at night.  One particular crossing looked challenging because it was wide and seemed to have lots of loose rock on the bottom as I watched others cross.  I knew I had to power through & pick the right line, but unfortunately, half way through a rock stopped me so I had to put my foot down.  Wet again.  There were a couple guys waiting by the shore and didn’t seem to want to cross.  I think they finally did.  This biking leg was peaceful at night and easy enough.  But I did see the race take its toll on one team.  A 2-man team member came out of the woods after finding a checkpoint and he looked terrible.  He was staring ahead, losing his balance, and apparently out of energy.  I’m pretty sure they were a DNF.  Again, we successfully located the required checkpoints.

TREKKING LEG 3 (CP18 - CP33):  According to the race director, this was the bread and butter of the race.  They admitted this would be difficult for most teams.  It was a rogaine-style orienteering leg (which means you can get the checkpoints in any order you wish and as many as you want).  Matt started to feel bad on this leg.  His head was hot, but his body was chilled and most likely was dealing with dehydration.  Mike stopped to take care of some chafing issue so Matt took a break while Bill and I laid along the road looking up at the stars while chatting about the adventure.  It’s probably 4:00 in the morning and we’re all sprawled out on a highway.  Around the bend we could hear a truck coming our way…and FAST!  He didn’t even slow down.  We barely had enough time to kick our stuff into the grass.  The estimated distance on this leg was 13 - 14 miles.  The checkpoints we found on this section include:  20, 21, 23, 26, 29, 33.  We started this leg in the dark, but also got to see the sunrise during this time.  After the race we found out that many teams just skipped this section altogether or only tried to find a couple.  Giving ourselves only 30 minutes to spare, we finally returned to Hematite Lake before the 8:00am cutoff. 

BIKING LEG 3 (CP33 - FINISH):  With 4 hours left we thought we had enough time to find some checkpoint (I don’t even know what we were looking for actually).  But we weren’t sure how many miles we had to bike to the finish.  We had a flat, made some navigational errors and muddy trails to trudge through.  We knowingly & immediately admitted using a forbidden road to get to the finish before noon and should have been DQ’d but the Director still has us placing 10^th among 16 finishing 4-person teams.  5 additional teams DNF’d.

This was the most difficult leg of the race on an emotional level.  The long transitions, minor errors, and recent breakdown in team communication all came to a head during these critical moments.  It was disappointing, but I had to find the silver lining in it all.  It was bittersweet. I felt accomplished to have endured the time, distance, elements, and challenges with my team for 28 hours.

There were no teams at the finish and the scene was desolate.  There were some slightly warm baked potatoes left and a couple of smiling faces from the race organizers.  The clouds rolled in, bringing rain.

We went straight from the finish to a nearby campground for a shower.  Mike and I drove through Taco Bell drive-thru and continued west toward STL.  We ran into some traffic and soon both of us had heavy eyelids so we pulled over for a 30 minute cat nap.  I didn’t go to sleep until 11:00pm Sunday night so I was awake for a total of 42-1/2 hours.