The Grande Finale

I have good months, and then I have bad months.

October was a bad month for cycling, at least, in so far as I didn't get to very often.  Also, note the complete lack of posts for the entire month.  Let's just say that, well, work has not been kind.

The final event of the year for cycling was this last weekend.  The Tour de Tolerance (look it up on Facebook) was the first organized ride that Charla and I rode together three years ago.  We had purchased our first road bikes the year before and I had knocked out a couple 60 milers with some friends the summer before.  Since then, no dice.  I was on an extended vacation in the desert last year and missed out, while Charla was having a blast on her own.

After noodling my way through the 60 mile Oryx Challenge and then crushing the 100 mile Chili Pepper Challenge I was eager to see just how fast I could ride a 100 km.  This year's Tour de Tolerance would be my litmus test for all the cycling I've done since coming home in the spring.

The morning was crisp, almost frigid, but promised to warm up with the sun rising.  The dreaded wind from the east hadn't appeared yet (nor would it the remainer of the day).  I'd thown on my Death Ride kit, wanting to sport something unique for the last ride of the year.  The course was a rolling 10 miles to a single climb out of the Rio Grande Valley up to the mesa, then 16 miles out along a straight stretch of smooth pavement to the turnaround.  16 miles back, drop down the long hill, and cruise to the finish line.  Too easy.

I slid into the front half of the pack at the starting line hoping that I could find a group fast enough to challenge me, and not so slow that I felt like I was cheating myself.  What I ended up with was a group that would push my body well past my worst nightmares.

When the horn sounded the entire peloton took off and stuck together for the first 5 miles at a light 18-20 mph.  I was frustrated.  I thought we should be moving much faster at this point, but I held my line and my pace waiting for someone to start pushing away from the group. 

And push they did.

Just before the climb someone midway in the pack must have been sleeping, because about 15 riders suddenly surged away from us.  I realized it was too late to make the jump with them, I was too far inside the second half.  Coming around the turn that leads into the climb up to the mesa, I found myself riding away from my pack with ease.  I started thinking about what it would take to make the rest of the jump to the lead group.  Once I crested, though, I saw just how fast they were pulling away and realized I was going to need some help.  Soon enough, I was tag teaming with another rider and we tried for a solid mile to cover the distance but were steadily falling away from them.  I glanced at my heart rate monitor once to see that I was redlining against my maximum heart rate.  Just as I was thinking that there was no way to keep up this pace, a train of orange kits cruised along side and I jumped into their draft just as the last rider passed.

For the next 40 miles we worked together, never gaining on the lead group, but making good time anyways.  The pace setter would cruise comfortably at 23-24 mph, then suddenly surge up to 27 mph, leaving me behind so I had to fight to catch up.  We hit the turnaround point, slowing almost to a stop to make the tight u-turn in the middle of the closed highway, then someone stepped on the accelerator for the return trip.  They continued to surge randomly, throwing me off the back end, forcing me to scramble back into their draft.  I pulled twice, but otherwise struggled just to stay with them.  Every single time they dropped me was a heartwrenching, gut-churning moment.  I pushed so hard to catch back up that I thought I might pass out.  Each time I was sure that I wouldn't be able to catch them.  And when I did catch up, it was a struggle just to keep in their draft.  I was afraid of taking a drink of water, or grabbing a gel, afraid I would miss another surge and be left alone.  The last thing I wanted was to be left alone on this ride, 20 miles from the finish with no one to share the burden with.  I quit looking at my heart rate monitor, it was too depressing and was beginning to scare me.  At some point, I saw Charla riding the other direction.  She saw me and smiled and waved.  I tried to smile, lifted my hand and reached out towards her, my voice was gone and I couldn't cough out more than a whisper in her direction.  Less than a blink of an eye later, she was gone, and all that remained was the steady pumping of legs, the burning in my lungs, a dull ache in my thighs.

We made it all the way back to the turn leading to the descent when I fell off for the last time.  It was a half mile shy of the hill and I realized that they'd dropped me (and several others) for good.  I started to bridge the gap on the descent, but I just couldn't spin the gears fast enough.  My gears are great for climbing, but aren't so hot on the flats or the descents.  I couldn't get more than 35 mph out of them.  My heart began to sink as I watched them sail away down the hill without me.  10 miles to go. 

Someone fought up into my draft but fell off after only two miles.  I checked behind me to see if anyone was closing, hoping that I could pull together a little train, something big enough to make the last few miles a little easier and faster.  But every time I turned to look, there was nothing but empty pavement as far as I could see and I realized that I was truly on my own.

The finish lies on a short steep hill, no more than 200 meters in length.  When I hit the final turn I tried to stand up out of the saddle to get the little extra kick through the finish line.  There was nothing left in my legs though and I almost fell over.  I squeaked through the finish, rolled to a stop and stood straddling my bike and shaking for several minutes.

When I finally checked my Strava record, and then the posted results, I couldn't believe just how fast we were riding.  Then I remember my throbbing legs, shaking arms, gasping lungs, and it all makes sense.  For the final major ride of the year for me, I'd call this one a success.

19th out of 154 riders.  Not too shabby.

Check here for everyone's results, including Charla who rode like a mad demon girl, or a crazed honey badger.
 

Oryx Challenged

A week ago Char and I completed the Oryx Challenge Bike Tour.

The Challenge you think you will face is not always what you think it will be.

I think this time I learned a little patience and more about what it means to be a part of a team.

The Oryx Challenge is an annual non-competitive bicycle ride in El Paso with a maximum route that covers almost a full 100km (62 miles).  I've ridden it for the past 2 years and this would be my third and final opportunity.

It was also the main event for which our little bicycle club had been training for over 3 months.  (That would be the "Imperial Bicycle Club", aka "Biking with the Brigade Commander", aka "I don't wanna do regular PT and I own a bike")

The Imperial Biking Team ready to go!

When I came back from the Death Ride in June, this was the next adventure in cycling.  It's what our group had been focused on during our multiple weekly rides.  We'd been cycling together, practising our pace lines and talking about nutrition on the bike trying to prepare ourselves for a 60 mile, out and back, scorcher of a ride.  Some of us were new to cycling, some were very experienced and some were right in the middle.

The Oryx Challenge course is one of my favorites.  There's not much room to get lost on the 100km route.  Ride off the installation, go east until you hit the turn around, then ride back to the start.  Sherriffs are stationed at every intersection to try and keep you alive, water and peanut butter await you on top of the hill that marks the turn around point, and even the climb up to the turn around really isn't that daunting if you've been in the mountains before.  It might be a Cat 4 climb near the top. 

Maybe.


Ok, so it's a 10 mile long climb to the turnaround point.

I had been doubtful at first when Char told me that she wanted to ride the whole 100km.  I wasn't sure she could really keep up with the group we'd put together.  But over three months of riding, she'd become quite the beast on a bike.  She could hold a paceline at 16mph in equal headwinds, pull her fair share on the flats and not cry about the hills, and had just completed a 62 mile ride the previous weekend without too much complaining. 

60 miles in and things got out of control.

Good enough for me.

But what we hadn't taken into account was just how much another decision was going to affect her ability to ride.

Yom Kippur is the Jewish holiday of atonement.  It involves a 24 hour period of fasting.  And it was the day before the Oryx Challenge this year.  We'd talked about skipping one of the two, for safety reasons, but Char was feeling strong and decided she would be fine if we made sure to plan good meals, get lots of rest and focus on our pre- and mid-ride nutrition. 

And I'm just insane enough to agree with her.

We gorged Friday evening, just prior to sunset.  Then we prepared what we thought was an extremely nutritious and sensible meal after sunset on Saturday.  Baked chicken, quinoa and a fresh veggie salad.  We did splurge on a brownie and ice cream dessert.  But then, you don't want to accidentally die one ice cream short, now do you?

Sunday morning I fixed a simple power breakfast.  Leftover rice and hamburger, scrambled with eggs and some fruit on the side.  We had our pre-ride snacks and drinks at the course.  When the "gun" went off, I felt pretty confident in our group's fortunes for the ride.

For the first 10 miles, we managed a solid 18mph pace.  It was a little tricky with all the wheel suckers trying to break into our pace group, but we managed to stick together enough to keep our newer riders sheltered on the lee side and out of traffic.

At about 15 miles in, the machine started to break down.  That's about where you notice the definite rise in grade as the hill draws near.  Then it's a solid 10 miles of climbing with about a 1,000 foot gain.

First off the back was Chelsey, next was Char.  I decided not to leave them behind to fend for themselves, afterall, this was a group effort and we'd spent too many hours working together not to finish together.  Joe, the ride leader, came back to check and I asked him to take the lead group and I'd stick back with these two. 

I will admit, it was painful to make that 10 mile climb at a fraction of the pace I could have.  I've really learned to enjoy the struggle and pain involved in a solid climb like that.  Watching the other riders, many that I recognized,  descending while we were still plugging along was both a little humbling and frustrating.

10 miles of straight climbing definitely took its toll on the whole group.

We stuck it out all the way to the turn around where I took a much needed latrine break and grabbed a snack.  The girls recharged and we headed back down the hill together.  There were two fun-sized riders coming into the turn around point as we pulled out.  There was nobody behind them.  In fact, there was nobody left coming up the hill.  That's when I realized how close to last place we were.  I know it wasn't a competitive event, but I still feel the competitive edge that drives me to try and push myself faster than the riders around me.  And this was a sharp lesson in humility for me.

On the return trip, at first we were flying, and I was a little worried about dropping them on the descent, but they stuck right on my wheel the whole time.  I was impressed with the time we were making together, but as soon as we hit a few spots with a slight gradient, or the headwind picked up, I felt Char falling off the back end again.  I tried to keep her tucked into my draft, to keep them both out of the wind and spinning comfortably.  It became obviously painful for them just to keep moving.  Even I was becoming weary, struggling to keep them both moving, to keep the three of us together enough to draft and save energy. 

After 4 hours of riding we crossed the finish line together.  By then the raffle prizes were all handed out, there was no beer to be found and most riders had already taken off.  But we were still together.  We finished the same way we'd started that morning and that was my most important lesson of the day.  That no matter how fast I want to go,  it's more rewarding to stay with my team.

I had to ask myself, what if I'd been the one struggling to keep up with the group?  Who would have come back to pull me along?  Although it was a lot slower than I'd wanted to ride that day, I was happier for staying with my teammates (especially 'cause I'm married to one) and seeing the whole ordeal overcome with them.

Next up is the Iron Soldier Sprint Triathlon followed the very next day by the 100 mile Chile Pepper Challenge.  This time I might be the one falling off the back. 

The Junedoggle

I rode over 1,000 km in June.

I keep all my running and cycling activities recorded on my phone's Strava app so I can look back later on and use the lessons learned to improve my performance, brag about the workout and remember cool routes that I want to run or bike later.  

Every month Strava offers a variety of challenges to work towards.  In June, the Jundedoggle challenge was to ride as far as possible over the course of the month.  I rode 1,000 km in June.

My highest per month mileage ever.

I've never ridden that much in my entire life and was proud to see that number on my home dashboard.

Riding that much has left me retrospective about my cycling experiences.

This is the point where I could get all sentimental and over-analytical about my riding experiences and how much better of a person I am because of my personal accomplishment.

But really, I just want to find something soft to sit on and brag about how much more I can eat because I cycle so much.

(Seriously, I ate a lot in June.  Everyday during the Death Ride Tour, I burned almost 4,000 calories and spent the rest of the day with food in my face. It was awesome!)

I've discovered that I truly and emphatically enjoy being on the bike.  And that I really enjoy eating, too.

Like that was a surprise.

But I do realize that this little hobby that Charla and I picked up almost 3 years ago has become a huge part of my life.

Between the Death Ride Tour, obsessing over the Tour de France and all the group rides I've been in lately, you would think I'd have my fill of riding.  But instead, I'm already looking for more challenging future rides and planning my strategy for the upcoming fall rides around El Paso.

I thought I would start with another Strava challenge for July.  The Take on the Tour Challenge sounded almost possible after June's accomplishments.  But I realize that my real life just doesn't allow me the freedom to knock out 230 miles a week.  Though, to say I rode a 1,000 miles in a single month would be pretty cool.

Still gotta put food on the table somehow.

Instead I'll look forward to the cycling events coming up in the fall (Oryx Challenge, Chili Pepper Challenge, Tour de Tolerance) along with the Iron Soldier Sprint Triathlon.

And I'll keep focused on helping Charla with her own progression through the world of cycling, which reached a huge milestone yesterday when she rode her first 50-miler.

Only 20 more to go until the finish, and she's still smiling.

Guess the cycling bug is contagious.

Just A Little Road Rash

A little while back I started taking more notice of a couple local bicycling clubs and found one that really interested me.  The Team Army Fort Bliss club does quite a few weekend rides on the local post, where Char and I live.  I've been wanting to do more group rides, and get Char into them as well, but they mostly start way over on the west side of El Paso, and I don't always feel like driving so far just to ride my bike.

I've also been wanting to get Char into a group ride somewhere.  She's never ridden in a peloton or paceline before and it's a whole different experience.  I needed a group that she could try out and where I could help her out if needed.  She's not very fast yet, and get's very nervous when she's too close to other bikes.

Sunday, I grabbed Char and dragged her to our first ride with the Team Army guys.  They had promised a decent pace, about 16-18mph, and all on post so we were already comfortable with the neighborhood we'd be riding in.  I had hoped for a more divers crowd, there were no female riders this time, but they were all friendly and open to letting a couple newbies join their group.  They were very patient and accepting of Char's skill level.

We took off, and I was impressed with how Char kept up with our pace for most of the first 15 miles.  Once or twice she needed a push to catch up to the group (an actual push from a really strong rider, also named Jason) but otherwise she held her own.

We ran into a decent headwind after about 15 miles, and I stayed back with her to help her draft when possible.  It also didn't help that we had also ridden the day before so her legs were already pretty much toast.

Only one hiccup during the ride.

About two miles from the finish we pulled up to a stop sign.  The lead rider had come back to make sure we didn't take a wrong turn.  There were no cars coming at all in any direction and we were ready to slowly roll through the intersection (Sunday morning, no traffic to be seen anywhere).  The other rider and I saw the police car at the same time and immediately stopped at the stop sign.  Char was a little slower, hit her brakes, slipped while unclipping from her pedals, and went straight to the ground.  All I heard was her shouting "J" before I turned to see her underneath her bike.

So, brand new bike on it's second maiden voyage and Char's lying underneath it swearing.

Char was fine apart from a little road rash on her knee.  Luckily the bike (brand new carbon rig) got a little scratch on the brake/shifter handle and that was all.

A few hours later and you can't hardly see the road rash.

Nothing that a little white enamel paint can't take care of.

She picked herself up and we rode straight to Starbuck's without any more surprises.

Team ArmyFort Bliss at Starbuck's for a well deserved coffee break.

Overall, not a bad 25 mile ride at all.  Char got to try her first group ride, laid her bike down without too much pain or damage, and we both tried something new together.

Guess you gotta start somewhere.

Now we'll see how she's feeling by September for the Oryx Challenge.

What's Next?

So, the Death Ride Tour is over. Now what?

I thought I would feel empty after the Death Ride. I thought I would have to start looking for challenges right away, to find something to work towards. I expected to find something missing in my life after devoting so much time to one event.

After all, I do have my masochistic tendencies to satisfy.  Not to mention, an innate desire to drive my wife, Charla, completely insane with my constant self abuse through rigorous and slightly psychotic training.

Then I remembered, there are so many other things that I’d already planned on doing. Now, I just have the added confidence and experience of the Death Ride to add to them.

So, as early as this week, I have the Fort Bliss Team Aquathlon. It’s actually a duathlon (with a 5k run, 400m swim, and 5k run), but they give it a funky name to be different. It’s a team event, with three members, each completing a different event consecutively as a relay team. Since there were no real swimmers in my group I volunteered and am spending the rest of the week in the pool to get ready. And I am not a strong swimmer, so we’ll just have to see how this goes.

In July there’s the Fort Bliss Individual Aquathlon. That’ll be my preview for the sprint triathlon later on.  Plus, it’s a great way to torture myself in the pool and prove just how much I do not float.  (hint, I sink straight to the bottom when I stop kicking)

Next, the Oryx Challenge Bike Ride in September. I rode it the last two years with my cycling mentor, Alanna, and hope to really crush it this year. Not looking for an amazing time, but I want to feel stronger and less exhausted at the end of the ride.  It would also help if we could avoid the destructive headwind (in both directions) of two years ago.

Then there’s the Iron Soldier Sprint Triathlon in late September. That was my first triathlon last fall. I felt pretty strong on both the bike and the run, but my swim was the third slowest time for everyone competing. It took me over 15 minutes to clear 400m and I was 222 out of 224 swimmers. Yeah, need to work on that.

Because I’m such a masochist, I also want to do the Chili Pepper Challenge this year. It’s the day after the triathlon. But I really want that jersey when I leave El Paso, and want to say I did the whole Challenge, all 100 miles of it.

Finally, for the fall at least, I want to ride the Tour de Tolerance with Char.  That was our first major ride together two years ago, and we’ve both come a long ways since then. 

Some of my biggest challenges will be less personal and more about sharing and patience. Charla has been running for a few years now, started cycling with me and will also be joining me for some of the events. But, my big task will be helping her prepare for her first marathon.

Yeah, you heard that one right. Char is going to run a marathon.  (that’s 26.2 miles for the uninitiated, please stop asking)

She told me a while back that she wanted to do a marathon before the end of the year. We started looking around at different marathons with a list of criteria. Which would be the most fun and entertaining to make up for the suffering and pain of running 26.2 miles? It would have to have amazing scenery (sorry DukeCity/Albuquerque, I can only run along the ditch and interstate for so long). It would have to be reasonably accessible and occur within certain windows that coincided with my ability to take time off from work (sorry Marine CorpsMarathon, DC, I just can’t make it this year). It would also have to make for a great vacation, so we could also enjoy time before and after the marathon in the area.

We finally have tentatively settled on the Maui Oceanfront Marathon. 

Just imagine 26.2 solid miles of Hawaiian coastline while you run. And the time you spend before and after the race? Awesome.

There’s prime whale watching, trails to hike, beaches, snorkeling, various excursions in the water and the Haleakala Volcano to cycle up. Yeah, don’t think I won’t try it.

So, there you have it.  My summer pretty much tied up into one long session of pain and misery while I prepare myself and Charla for the fall.  I suppose that at least I won’t be bored.