Little Red Riding Hood Wellsville Utah 2008
Well first of all I did it. The ride turned out to be more difficult than I expected so just finishing was a major accomplishment.
Two weeks before the ride I had done my longest rides going between 30 and 40 miles a day. The distances were not quite as long as they should have been but I felt pretty good and was comfortable with those distances. (I have read that you can go 3 times what you are used to riding so I felt ok with that.) On Monday on the week of the ride I started having some bad knee pain. I still rode hard Monday and Tuesday but decided to rest it through Wednesday. Everyday I iced it and took ibuprofen to try to get the inflammation under control. Thursday I rode about 25 miles but I never pushed it. I rode a flat route and took it slowly so I wouldn’t hurt it. Friday I rode only 10 miles and again took it slow.
I had come to a nice place in my mind about things. First of all I decided early that I was probably going to make it, that I would just keep pedaling until I was done. I wasn’t worried about my time or proving anything. 2nd I decided if I did get into real trouble and couldn’t make it I would have Glenn pick me up and that would be fine too. I was mainly excited for the get away with Glenn and I figured I would just do my best on the ride and let things happen as they would. So I really wasn’t worried.
Friday things started going badly. This was the day I was supposed to be carbo-loading and hydrating but everything I ate or drank went right through me. I don’t know if it was nerves or what but it continued all day. On the drive up we had to stop several times. We made it to Wellsville and I checked in then we found our hotel and checked in there.
We got dinner, and stuff for the ride at Walmart and then went back to the hotel for the night.
I slept pretty good but was very worried about my stomach and my strength. Breakfast again went right through me and with a very upset stomach we packed up and headed out for the ride. I figured at this point that I just needed to get things under way and I would do as much of the ride as I could.
The weather was supposed to be cooler than normal with highs in the low 60’s. Since we were starting so early I wore a long sleeved jacket and full fingered gloves. I figured when it warmed up I would switch gloves and take the jacket off, and be in shorts and short sleeves.
The ride started a little after 8:00 am and we were off. All 2400 of us! The crowd was huge and the most difficult part in the beginning was just navigating through so many riders all at different skill levels. There were 36, 45, 60, 80 and 100 mile routes so I hoped that we would lose a lot of people as the routes split off. The first rest stop was 6 miles in but I skipped that one. I was planning to hit the 17 mile rest stop, mainly for a potty break, and then try to ride about 30 miles at a time. I packed lots of food so I didn’t really need to stop except for bathrooms.
At the 17 mile rest stop I stopped and switched gloves and took my first GU power gel packet. Then I crossed my fingers to see how things settled. Even though the bathroom lines were huge I decided I better go or potentially be sorry. The wait gave me a little time to assess my situation and things seemed to be settling ok. I also called Glenn and told him to go ahead and start his round of golf that I was holding steady.
The next rest stop was at 29 miles but I planned to skip that one and go to the next one which was at 36. During this leg we came down the steepest hill I have ever been on. I was riding the brakes the whole time and it still scared me to death. When we started to level out and I felt I could dare glance down I checked my speed and I was going 30 mph. I’m sure on the hill I was at least 40. I was able to skip the next stop and continue but little did I know I was approaching the first bad climb. For serious cyclist these hills were probably nothing but for me they were substantial especially when in my mind I was expecting the route to be flat. The website described the route as “mostly flat with gentle rollers, No Big Climbs” so I was expecting flat. Every time I came to a hill I started to grumble. On this first difficult hill I probably didn’t shift down enough and I was really sucking air to get up. I did pass a couple of people off their bikes so I know it was a pretty good hill. The rest stop was just at the top of the hill, which was something that would become a pattern on this course.
At this rest stop I ate a little more and called Glenn. We decided to meet at the next rest stop which was in Preston at the 48 mile mark. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stop there or go to the lunch stop at the 60 mile mark but since Glenn was ready to meet that became the plan and I set off again.
So far in the ride I hadn’t had any pain in my knee but I was having big time pain in my butt. This was something I really haven’t had trouble with so it was surprising. I found that the only relief from it was getting off the seat so when it became unbearable I would do a little stand stretch that I invented. Riders from behind probably thought I was performing some new cycling technique. I’ll have to see if the standing butt stretch becomes a new trend.
Anyway on this section of the ride I hit the real climb. This next climb was a sustained long climb. This is where I discovered what all those other gears are for on my bike. I also discovered what crawling is like on a bike. To even make it up this climb I got into my 2 inch zone. Which means my head was down and I can only see 2 inches between my helmet visor and the road. In reality it was probably about 10 feet of road but it looks like 2 inches from my vantage point. In the 2 inch zone I am doing nothing more than crawling along and concentrating on nothing more than what I can see. I literally crawled up this hill at 5 mph in my 2 inch zone until I was at the top.
Once at the top, there was the rest stop and a silver Honda was waiting for me. No I didn’t jump in and drive off, but just seeing Glenn gave me a huge lift. He came out and we chatted with a couple of guys at the rest stop. The first thing I said to the guy was “Is this what you locals call flat terrain?” He just laughed and assured me that this was the only climb of the whole ride. The only problem was that despite his cowboy hat, shirt and boots, he was a hard core cyclist. So a climb to him meant a mountain. In fact he pointed out the mountain that they ride over when they do the Logan to Jackson Hole ride. His buddy said that once I finished my first century, I would be hooked. To which I replied, “no way, I’m never doing this again.” He said, “that’s what you say during the ride but at the end you’ll be hooked.” Ha ha, they have some crazy people up there!
Glenn left and I started out for the next 12 miles which would bring me to the lunch stop. Normally 12 miles would be nothing for me but it seemed like 12-15 was becoming my limit before I needed to stop. Mainly because of the butt pain but also because my strength just was not there.
There had been a little rain throughout the morning but when I pulled up to lunch it was coming down harder. I parked my bike under a tree and went and got a sandwich. I wasn’t feeling hungry but knew I needed to get it down to give me some fuel. To this point I had eaten 2 GU’s, an apple, some sports beans, an oreo and half a pb and honey sandwich. I continued sipping at my Gatorade too. (I forgot to mention that my camelback hadn’t been used all year and to my disappointment my Gatorade tasted like hairspray. Yuck!)
At this point I was 60 miles in and I knew I was going to finish. 40 miles was just a normal ride for me so I was in a good place in my head. I switched back to my full fingered gloves because of the rain and cold and saddled back up.
One of my big worries for the next leg was the big steep hill that we came down earlier in the ride. I figured that was waiting for us to climb up on the way back in. Sure enough I saw it looming in the distance. There was a rest stop right before the hill but I decided to plow right through only thinking of not prolonging the inevitable. To my great surprise at the base of the hill the route turned and we were not going up it. “Thank you God” was all I could think. (Not sacreligiously, but totally literally.) I was so completely elated that I pledged that I would not complain about anything else this ride would dish out. Unfortunately that was short lived. Little did I know I was coming into the most difficult and challenging part of the whole day. As we turned away from that awful hill, (later I found out it was called “the wall”) we were riding into a full on headwind. The next 6 miles was ridden up hill with this headwind battering us relentlessly. This part of the ride almost became a joke to me. At one point a rider passed me calling out the usual “passing on your left”. I trailed her for a long time noticing her head was hanging down in what I assumed was the 2 inch zone. I was moving like a zombie but very very slowly I came up on her. The hill and the wind were so relentless that I did not know if I would be passing her or not. I had no energy for a passing spurt like I normally use. I just kind of hung off her back tire slightly to the left. When I inched forward and she became aware of me I said, “I might be passing you, but I’m really not sure.” She laughed and we talked for a minute. It was the first century for us both and we talked about how tough it was turning out to be. I eventually passed her and crested the hill. The road then turned and we had a short downhill portion where the wind was now coming from the side. I was riding diagonally just to keep from being knocked off my bike. It was totally crazy, but then I made it to the next rest stop.
I stopped, used the bathroom and stretched and quickly got back on the road. I knew at the lunch stop that I would finish the ride but at this point, with only 26 miles to go, my spirits were rising. I think I was starting to anticipate the end to my misery.
During the next leg we still had lots of wind but the road was flat. I was cruising along a busy city street when a car pulled up alongside me. It was a Silver Honda! Glenn had surprised me with a roadside visit. I stopped and talked to him for a few minutes and one of the support vehicles seeing me on the side of the road also pulled up to check on me. We chatted with them for a minute and they were so nice and encouraging! At this point I was smiling a lot more!
The next stop was 81 miles in and again I just stopped long enough to stretch and fill my pockets with some well earned chocolate. I was getting ready to ride when I told one of the volunteers thank you and he gave me a great little pep talk. The volunteers were so nice and at this point in the ride they seemed so genuinely happy for all of us.
At these last few stops I started to figure out that my odometer was off. The rest stop appeared before my odometer showed the appropriate mileage. This actually became quite helpful to me because the surprise of a rest stop when I was not expecting it was a big boost. (It also made me feel better about my struggles earlier in the ride when it seemed almost like my odometer was standing still. Come to find out it really was!)
I stopped at the last rest stop mainly because I had been riding with and talking to a lady and I wanted to “lose her” so to speak so I could just get it done. That doesn’t sound very nice but I only had six miles left and I didn’t want to prolong it by chatting. I also had the butt pain thing and needed to get off the bike for a minute.
It was almost 5:30 at this last rest stop. They were supposed to start clearing the course at 4:30 but I think they stayed longer because this was such a tough ride and there were still a lot of us out. I noticed that there were about 10-15 of the same riders with me through the last few rest stops. Some would come in before me and some after me but we were definitely the last ones out. I also noticed people taking the shuttles back to the start from many of the rest stops so I know a lot of people didn’t make it for one reason or another.
I conquered the last six miles like a champ and when I approached the finish line things were pretty quiet. The party was definitely over and most of the people were gone but I didn’t really care. I only needed to see one person and he was standing right on the nearest corner waiting for me! I did it. I really couldn’t believe it but I did it.
Glenn gave me a victory kiss, took my bike from me and loaded it, packed me into the car and took me away. I did it!
Since my odometer was off, it only showed 98 miles when I finished. The total mileage should have been between 102 and 104. When we got to the hotel and Glenn was bringing the bike inside the odometer rolled over to 100.00 exactly. We got out my cell phone and took a picture of it and sent it to Dylan and Garrett on their cell phones. This was my way of telling them that I had done it. Since we did not take a camera, this staged odometer picture was also the only one I have from the whole experience.
Little Red gets the last laugh. Back at the hotel I took a nice long shower and then got into sweats and crashed on the bed. I planned to lay there for the rest of the night without moving. Luckily there was a baseball game on to accommodate me. Since my toes were a little cold I wrapped up in a blanket and lay there for quite some time. When everything finally felt toasty and warm I started thinking that maybe I was a little too toasty and warm. I got up, pulled up my pant legs and sure enough my legs were totally sunburned! Wind, rain and sunburn, thanks for the memories.
Well first of all I did it. The ride turned out to be more difficult than I expected so just finishing was a major accomplishment.
Two weeks before the ride I had done my longest rides going between 30 and 40 miles a day. The distances were not quite as long as they should have been but I felt pretty good and was comfortable with those distances. (I have read that you can go 3 times what you are used to riding so I felt ok with that.) On Monday on the week of the ride I started having some bad knee pain. I still rode hard Monday and Tuesday but decided to rest it through Wednesday. Everyday I iced it and took ibuprofen to try to get the inflammation under control. Thursday I rode about 25 miles but I never pushed it. I rode a flat route and took it slowly so I wouldn’t hurt it. Friday I rode only 10 miles and again took it slow.
I had come to a nice place in my mind about things. First of all I decided early that I was probably going to make it, that I would just keep pedaling until I was done. I wasn’t worried about my time or proving anything. 2nd I decided if I did get into real trouble and couldn’t make it I would have Glenn pick me up and that would be fine too. I was mainly excited for the get away with Glenn and I figured I would just do my best on the ride and let things happen as they would. So I really wasn’t worried.
Friday things started going badly. This was the day I was supposed to be carbo-loading and hydrating but everything I ate or drank went right through me. I don’t know if it was nerves or what but it continued all day. On the drive up we had to stop several times. We made it to Wellsville and I checked in then we found our hotel and checked in there.
We got dinner, and stuff for the ride at Walmart and then went back to the hotel for the night.
I slept pretty good but was very worried about my stomach and my strength. Breakfast again went right through me and with a very upset stomach we packed up and headed out for the ride. I figured at this point that I just needed to get things under way and I would do as much of the ride as I could.
The weather was supposed to be cooler than normal with highs in the low 60’s. Since we were starting so early I wore a long sleeved jacket and full fingered gloves. I figured when it warmed up I would switch gloves and take the jacket off, and be in shorts and short sleeves.
The ride started a little after 8:00 am and we were off. All 2400 of us! The crowd was huge and the most difficult part in the beginning was just navigating through so many riders all at different skill levels. There were 36, 45, 60, 80 and 100 mile routes so I hoped that we would lose a lot of people as the routes split off. The first rest stop was 6 miles in but I skipped that one. I was planning to hit the 17 mile rest stop, mainly for a potty break, and then try to ride about 30 miles at a time. I packed lots of food so I didn’t really need to stop except for bathrooms.
At the 17 mile rest stop I stopped and switched gloves and took my first GU power gel packet. Then I crossed my fingers to see how things settled. Even though the bathroom lines were huge I decided I better go or potentially be sorry. The wait gave me a little time to assess my situation and things seemed to be settling ok. I also called Glenn and told him to go ahead and start his round of golf that I was holding steady.
The next rest stop was at 29 miles but I planned to skip that one and go to the next one which was at 36. During this leg we came down the steepest hill I have ever been on. I was riding the brakes the whole time and it still scared me to death. When we started to level out and I felt I could dare glance down I checked my speed and I was going 30 mph. I’m sure on the hill I was at least 40. I was able to skip the next stop and continue but little did I know I was approaching the first bad climb. For serious cyclist these hills were probably nothing but for me they were substantial especially when in my mind I was expecting the route to be flat. The website described the route as “mostly flat with gentle rollers, No Big Climbs” so I was expecting flat. Every time I came to a hill I started to grumble. On this first difficult hill I probably didn’t shift down enough and I was really sucking air to get up. I did pass a couple of people off their bikes so I know it was a pretty good hill. The rest stop was just at the top of the hill, which was something that would become a pattern on this course.
At this rest stop I ate a little more and called Glenn. We decided to meet at the next rest stop which was in Preston at the 48 mile mark. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stop there or go to the lunch stop at the 60 mile mark but since Glenn was ready to meet that became the plan and I set off again.
So far in the ride I hadn’t had any pain in my knee but I was having big time pain in my butt. This was something I really haven’t had trouble with so it was surprising. I found that the only relief from it was getting off the seat so when it became unbearable I would do a little stand stretch that I invented. Riders from behind probably thought I was performing some new cycling technique. I’ll have to see if the standing butt stretch becomes a new trend.
Anyway on this section of the ride I hit the real climb. This next climb was a sustained long climb. This is where I discovered what all those other gears are for on my bike. I also discovered what crawling is like on a bike. To even make it up this climb I got into my 2 inch zone. Which means my head was down and I can only see 2 inches between my helmet visor and the road. In reality it was probably about 10 feet of road but it looks like 2 inches from my vantage point. In the 2 inch zone I am doing nothing more than crawling along and concentrating on nothing more than what I can see. I literally crawled up this hill at 5 mph in my 2 inch zone until I was at the top.
Once at the top, there was the rest stop and a silver Honda was waiting for me. No I didn’t jump in and drive off, but just seeing Glenn gave me a huge lift. He came out and we chatted with a couple of guys at the rest stop. The first thing I said to the guy was “Is this what you locals call flat terrain?” He just laughed and assured me that this was the only climb of the whole ride. The only problem was that despite his cowboy hat, shirt and boots, he was a hard core cyclist. So a climb to him meant a mountain. In fact he pointed out the mountain that they ride over when they do the Logan to Jackson Hole ride. His buddy said that once I finished my first century, I would be hooked. To which I replied, “no way, I’m never doing this again.” He said, “that’s what you say during the ride but at the end you’ll be hooked.” Ha ha, they have some crazy people up there!
Glenn left and I started out for the next 12 miles which would bring me to the lunch stop. Normally 12 miles would be nothing for me but it seemed like 12-15 was becoming my limit before I needed to stop. Mainly because of the butt pain but also because my strength just was not there.
There had been a little rain throughout the morning but when I pulled up to lunch it was coming down harder. I parked my bike under a tree and went and got a sandwich. I wasn’t feeling hungry but knew I needed to get it down to give me some fuel. To this point I had eaten 2 GU’s, an apple, some sports beans, an oreo and half a pb and honey sandwich. I continued sipping at my Gatorade too. (I forgot to mention that my camelback hadn’t been used all year and to my disappointment my Gatorade tasted like hairspray. Yuck!)
At this point I was 60 miles in and I knew I was going to finish. 40 miles was just a normal ride for me so I was in a good place in my head. I switched back to my full fingered gloves because of the rain and cold and saddled back up.
One of my big worries for the next leg was the big steep hill that we came down earlier in the ride. I figured that was waiting for us to climb up on the way back in. Sure enough I saw it looming in the distance. There was a rest stop right before the hill but I decided to plow right through only thinking of not prolonging the inevitable. To my great surprise at the base of the hill the route turned and we were not going up it. “Thank you God” was all I could think. (Not sacreligiously, but totally literally.) I was so completely elated that I pledged that I would not complain about anything else this ride would dish out. Unfortunately that was short lived. Little did I know I was coming into the most difficult and challenging part of the whole day. As we turned away from that awful hill, (later I found out it was called “the wall”) we were riding into a full on headwind. The next 6 miles was ridden up hill with this headwind battering us relentlessly. This part of the ride almost became a joke to me. At one point a rider passed me calling out the usual “passing on your left”. I trailed her for a long time noticing her head was hanging down in what I assumed was the 2 inch zone. I was moving like a zombie but very very slowly I came up on her. The hill and the wind were so relentless that I did not know if I would be passing her or not. I had no energy for a passing spurt like I normally use. I just kind of hung off her back tire slightly to the left. When I inched forward and she became aware of me I said, “I might be passing you, but I’m really not sure.” She laughed and we talked for a minute. It was the first century for us both and we talked about how tough it was turning out to be. I eventually passed her and crested the hill. The road then turned and we had a short downhill portion where the wind was now coming from the side. I was riding diagonally just to keep from being knocked off my bike. It was totally crazy, but then I made it to the next rest stop.
I stopped, used the bathroom and stretched and quickly got back on the road. I knew at the lunch stop that I would finish the ride but at this point, with only 26 miles to go, my spirits were rising. I think I was starting to anticipate the end to my misery.
During the next leg we still had lots of wind but the road was flat. I was cruising along a busy city street when a car pulled up alongside me. It was a Silver Honda! Glenn had surprised me with a roadside visit. I stopped and talked to him for a few minutes and one of the support vehicles seeing me on the side of the road also pulled up to check on me. We chatted with them for a minute and they were so nice and encouraging! At this point I was smiling a lot more!
The next stop was 81 miles in and again I just stopped long enough to stretch and fill my pockets with some well earned chocolate. I was getting ready to ride when I told one of the volunteers thank you and he gave me a great little pep talk. The volunteers were so nice and at this point in the ride they seemed so genuinely happy for all of us.
At these last few stops I started to figure out that my odometer was off. The rest stop appeared before my odometer showed the appropriate mileage. This actually became quite helpful to me because the surprise of a rest stop when I was not expecting it was a big boost. (It also made me feel better about my struggles earlier in the ride when it seemed almost like my odometer was standing still. Come to find out it really was!)
I stopped at the last rest stop mainly because I had been riding with and talking to a lady and I wanted to “lose her” so to speak so I could just get it done. That doesn’t sound very nice but I only had six miles left and I didn’t want to prolong it by chatting. I also had the butt pain thing and needed to get off the bike for a minute.
It was almost 5:30 at this last rest stop. They were supposed to start clearing the course at 4:30 but I think they stayed longer because this was such a tough ride and there were still a lot of us out. I noticed that there were about 10-15 of the same riders with me through the last few rest stops. Some would come in before me and some after me but we were definitely the last ones out. I also noticed people taking the shuttles back to the start from many of the rest stops so I know a lot of people didn’t make it for one reason or another.
I conquered the last six miles like a champ and when I approached the finish line things were pretty quiet. The party was definitely over and most of the people were gone but I didn’t really care. I only needed to see one person and he was standing right on the nearest corner waiting for me! I did it. I really couldn’t believe it but I did it.
Glenn gave me a victory kiss, took my bike from me and loaded it, packed me into the car and took me away. I did it!
Since my odometer was off, it only showed 98 miles when I finished. The total mileage should have been between 102 and 104. When we got to the hotel and Glenn was bringing the bike inside the odometer rolled over to 100.00 exactly. We got out my cell phone and took a picture of it and sent it to Dylan and Garrett on their cell phones. This was my way of telling them that I had done it. Since we did not take a camera, this staged odometer picture was also the only one I have from the whole experience.
Little Red gets the last laugh. Back at the hotel I took a nice long shower and then got into sweats and crashed on the bed. I planned to lay there for the rest of the night without moving. Luckily there was a baseball game on to accommodate me. Since my toes were a little cold I wrapped up in a blanket and lay there for quite some time. When everything finally felt toasty and warm I started thinking that maybe I was a little too toasty and warm. I got up, pulled up my pant legs and sure enough my legs were totally sunburned! Wind, rain and sunburn, thanks for the memories.
2 comments:
good job on doing your ride! i am impressed!!!
i thought i left a comment before, but i am new to this blogger thing. Anyway I am so proud of you doing the century ride. You are made of some amazing stuff and I am so glad for my kindred spirit friendship with you that I will treasure forever.
Lee Ann
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