At 6:30 pm I'm getting off the bike at my car at mile 180. I'm wasted, The
pain behind my big toe is intense and I can't stand with my bike shoes on. I
have to sit on the ground and take them off. Time to see a foot doctor,
gout/arthritis is getting worse through the year. He'll just say, stay off the
bike and give up recovery drinks. I already know the treatment. Anyway,
concerned people start bringing me food and stuff thinking cramps have taken
hold of me. I climb into my chair for an extended dinner break. Knocked down
24 ozs of V8 juice that Maria gave me. My body wanted more of that but it's
all they had. Not a V8 fan, but its excellent endurance food.
My ride started at 8:00am. 13 of us lined up for the 24 hr. tt. Again I'm
the only fat guy there. I'm cool with my 1200K stickers on my car but these
guys have RAAM stickers and alpha dog has a double iron-man sticker on his car.
You know, swims 7 miles, 220 miles on a bike, then runs 52 miles because he
can. Four guys, all sporting disk wheels bullet out of the parking lot. I
should have let them go but noooooooo. We're spaced about 100 feet apart
cruising 22/23. Third guy falls back a bit, I go around. 10 miles in I start
to drift back as well. Alex from Washington passes my back in the headwind
section and we chat a bit. He is the reason this race is being held. Big dog
lives here. I pace a couple hundred feet behind him and on the front stretch
of lap two I pass him again, he returns favor on the back stretch. I'm having
a blast. I know things will change soon when the front bearing stronger winds
reaches us late morning, and that train was right on time. I'm on lap three 65
miles into the ride averaging 20 and change when the 15mph winds arrive. It
was like I hit a wall. Alex rode away. I should have chilled and just rode
for fun but I wanted at least a 600K out of this ride so I pushed a little too
hard. Round and round, slower and slower. I was taking pain pills every lap
to ease the pain in my feet. Short lunch break, more laps, 180 miles by 6:30
when I stopped for dinner. Flags were still at full salute. My goal was
fading away unless the wind stopped soon.
Hooked up my lights for at least one more loop. I was going to get at
least a double century, my tenth of the year. If the winds would die I'd
continue to chase my goal. I'm halfway around the loop when a jeep rides
behind me for a quarter mile or so. I don't remember seeing any crew members
driving a jeep. Finally he pulls up beside me. "You want me to follow you
back to Washington" he ask. "No thanks, I'm good" I reply. "Well I don't want
to scare you or anything, but damn man there are bears out here". I finally
convince him to continue on. Back at base the wind still has the flag at full
salute and I had another slow lap and no chance of reaching my goal, and with
the thought of bears being on the course I decide to go home. I go around and
thanked all the crew members and packed up. Ended up with only 206 miles, but
got to experience a more competitive side of endurance cycling. I need to drop
20 lbs and try it again.
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