Quitting is easy….continuing through the WIND is hard

Another Biking Event

Is it possible you are tired of reading about my biking antics?  Are you worn out from the gazillion miles I have ridden and how every ride is harder than the last.  Yep…this is going to be more of the same.

Last weekend I attended the Great Pumpkin Metric in Evansville.  My companions and I drove to Evansville on Saturday morning (this might be considered afternoon to most people but you know how I like to sleep in on the weekends) past many cornfields and I got to see a gigantic peach out in the middle of nowhere.  We spent a pleasant evening with Em’s parents and went to bed early.

Sunday morning dawned quite early…um 6:30…yuck and I was showered, dressed and at the breakfast table by 7am.  Em’s mom made us a delightful Egg sandwich and on my second bite I managed to squeeze out yellow egg into my hair.  I knew that was going to be an indicator of my upcoming day.

When we initially decided to attend the event we were all excited to do the 100K, but we did have a choice to do either 25K, 50K or 100K.  Em kept talking about changing our minds and taking a shorter route but Z was determined to stay on course.  I think I could have been swayed to go the shorter route if that was the group opinion but Z never waffled/wavered so we stuck with the original plan of 100K.  BTW..100K is 62 miles.  That is right, 62miles on my bike.  Every time I even think about that distance it sounds slightly impossible.

The day was cold and windy and cold and windy.  I knew soon after we started that it was going to be a long and tough ride.  The temperature was 40 degrees when we departed and I heard that it warmed up but I never felt an increase in temperature.  There was some nice hills in the beginning and it helped my legs to get warmed up.  I arrived at the first SAG stop shortly after Em and Z and I was glad to see them again as I was worried they may have missed a turn.  The first stop was about 12 miles into the course and while I was snacking I took a look at the sheet and made a mental note of the upcoming stops.  One at 27 miles, 40 miles, 53 miles and then the end. 

We started the second stage and I quickly lost my companions.   The wind was pushing me back so I put my head down and I kept pedaling as I knew that it was going to take a ton of mental toughness to finish the event.  I wanted to finish.  I wasn’t interested in quitting.  Let me say this again I WASN’T GOING TO QUIT!  I just kept pushing up and down and during this stage my speed slowed down and I found what ended up being my consistent cadence for the next 50 miles.

When we hit the second stop at 27 miles I was exhausted.  There was a gigantic hill just before the stop that was .2 mile long.  I know that this doesn’t sound long but when you are almost climbing vertically it appeared to be never ending.  I think Z told me it was the equivalent to 3 football fields in length.  As I saw it I shook my head and I realized that I didn’t have enough strength to try and power it up to the top.  I gave a token effort and then I decided to walk the rest of the way.  Let me say that is was hard work to even walk to the top of the hill.  I was very out of breath and fatigued.  When I made it to the SAG stop I got my snack of trail mix and Gatorade and collapsed on the ground until I was told it was time to move again.

I kept up with my two friends for about half of the next section until we reached a hill and my legs told me that it was already too much for them to push through the hurricane like winds and they objected to a hill climb as well.  I didn’t walk up this hill but I stopped at the base and caught my breath and then about half way up I stopped again.  My legs just weren’t interested in moving.  I hadn’t realized that there was someone riding behind me when I stopped.  Oops my bad.  He got around me but it was a close call.  I made it to the top and I kept pedaling and pedaling and pedaling. 

It was about this time that I needed a distraction and I decided singing would help me.  The problem with singing is when I bike and I am working so hard that I close my mind to other things. It is in a blank gooey slate.  No talking, no daydreaming and no thinking.  Just existing.  So when I decided to sing I had a hard time thinking of songs.  The only song I could think of was “Darling Nikki” by Prince.  Seriously…I just kept singing it over and over.

As I was about to arrive at the next Sag stop at mile 40 I considered collapsing next to my bike until it was time to leave again.  I imagined that it was all I could do.  Since I was worried that my companions would insist that I take a van back to the start and not finish I chose to stay vertical and not give them any indication that I couldn’t continue.  So I arrived and pretended to be OK.  I wasn’t.  Then I had work to do.  They had a big banner set up that you could paint on.  I was only capable of writing my name as my brain was mush.  I pushed some food in my mouth and waited for my friends to tell me that rest time was over.  This sag stop only had people who were doing the 100K and I felt that there was some nice camaraderie while we were there.  Everyone looked extremely exhausted from the wind and grateful for a break.  I talked to a few people and then we pushed off.

As I was riding I kept looking at my odometer and wishing that it would move forward faster.  I wanted the miles to go by.  I was soooo tired.  My legs were only moving because my brain was yelling at them.  Do it..push…do it…push.  I was feeling miserable and tired and alone and about seven miles into this stage I saw a mirage.  It was my two friends on the side of the road waiting for me.  But it wasn’t a mirage they were really there.  I was so happy to see my people.  As soon as I arrived I told both of them I was so happy to see them and I wanted to give them great big hugs but I would refrain because I was dirty.  I guess I get a bit emotional when I am spent.  It really helped me have a change of attitude and increased my spirit to see them.  It gave me the drive to continue on to the next stop.  It was only 7 miles away.  Push…move my legs up and down…push the pedal.  Damn…it was hard but I was determined to finish.

Mile 53 eventually hit my odometer I arrived at the final SAG stop.  I saw the most beautiful thing as I was riding in.  CHAIRS!!!!  It was the best site ever.  I went to the food table and I loaded up.  I had cookies, chips, Gatorade, and some other stuff.  All I remember is I had a lap full of food to consume and I was starving.  I didn’t wear my heart rate monitor but I suspect that I burned about 3000 calories during the ride.  As usual the rest break was short and it was very hard to pick myself up from the chair.  Em looked at me and asked if I was was oK…I said yes…and then she said are you sure and then I said No.  But what could I do.  I was determined to finish and I wasn't going to wash out.  I DID NOT want to be driven back to the beginning at mile 53.  I would have hated that and I would have been a bear to live with.  I would have moaned about quitting and failing.  I am sure that would have put a damper on the weekend.

Soon the three of us reluctantly started the final portion of our long journey.  It took forever to finish.  The three of us stayed fairly close together for this last 10 miles and I think it helped push me forward.  Conversation was minimal and our only thoughts were of the finish line.  The best site all day was the sign for the Vanderburgh 4-H center.  I was so happy to be at the end and still on my bike.  When I got off my bike I jumped up and down with joy and gave everyone a high 5.  The day was a success.  Even though this was the most grueling ride to date the satisfaction I felt when we were done was surprising. I felt like I could do anything at that moment.  I finished the ride in 5 hours and 45 minutes for 66 miles. That was a long ass time to be on my bike.   

I got to wear this pinned to my back for the entire biking event.  On occasion someone would come by me and say my name and then I had to try and figure out if I knew them.  Nope...it was just friendliness.