Stage 1: Au
Grey to Gladwin (55.8 miles)
I hope I’m
not the last one here
The
waiting was cold with the wind coming in right off the lake, but once we got
rolling it was mostly comfortable. It was a big group start, and we rolled out
together for the first mile or so before the actual racing started and everyone
began to string out.
I have
a mantra for every race or ride I participate in—“Run your own race.” In other
words, don’t let someone else set my pace and burn out early. There’s a lot of
race, and I couldn’t afford to waste any energy.
My game
plan for the ride, developed and tested on my training rides, was to keep my
average heart rate between 140-145 (about my lactate threshold level) and stop around
every twenty-five miles for an extended rest break to eat and refill my water
bottle. I kept to that plan, and people were slowly passing me. That was okay
with me, I figured I was one of the slower riders, but I had no perspective on
how many riders were ahead or behind me.
Breakfast
that morning had been two pieces of delicious cold pizza, but a little earlier
than I expected on the ride I got hungry. I broke out one of my Clif “Nut
Butter Filled” bars, and kept going. I would eat my second one an hour or so
later, but that was okay. I had plenty. My plan for eating during the ride was
simple—I had three different snacks for munching anytime I wanted (Goldfish
crackers, Swedish Fish candies, and beef jerky) and Clif bars for something
more substantial. I had one water bottle on my frame (which started the race
filled with home-made cold brew coffee), and a hydration bladder I could use to
refill it when I finished the bottle. I’ve long been a fan of Hammer Electrolyte
Fizz tablets, and I brought a pack of them to add to my water whenever I filled
the bottle. At the three checkpoint stops, I planned to eat more pizza (high in
calories, salt, fats, and sugars) and drink an ice-cold Gatorade from the
cooler. I also had cans of Coke if I wanted them, and snacks & Clif bars to
refill my supply before each stage.
My plan
worked just fine for the first 40 or so miles. I rode along comfortably around
the pace I was expecting and felt good. Rain the night before had left the roads
damp, but not too muddy or troublesome. There was a gentle North-Northeast wind
that was pushing a little from behind as we travelled generally East, but
mostly staying out of our way.
Then
the route turned North and the slope began to point gradually upwards.
Suddenly, the wind, though not too strong, provided resistance. The damp dirt
roads provided more—which I hadn’t noticed with the wind at my back. My
heartrate went up, but it was manageable. My pace went down, but it wasn’t
debilitating.
I hadn’t
seen anyone for a while, either in front of me or behind me, and the thought
began to cross my mind, “What if I’m last? I don’t think so, but what if I am?”
This is where the bad thoughts, the negative story began, and I didn’t
recognize it. I just wanted to be done with the stage, gather myself, and get
back on track with the second stage.
One of
the mistakes I made with this race was failing to study the course well enough.
I knew the first checkpoint was at roughly 50 miles, but I didn’t know exactly
where it was (55.8). I spent the last 6 miles of the stage hoping the
checkpoint was just around the corner and being disappointed to discover that
it wasn’t.
Until,
thank God, it was. I pulled in to the checkpoint and the volunteers checked me
in without stopping. I rolled past the checkpoint and into the parking lot
where Sarah was waiting for me, chair set up and everything ready to resupply.
I’d
wanted to finish each 50 mile segment in 4 hours. I was at mile 55.8, and it
was 4:14:31. I was on schedule, but in the back of my mind was a single
thought, “What if I’m last?” I kept looking towards the check-in station to see
if anyone else was arriving.
No one
did.
Checkpoint 1
Split/Total Time: 4:14:31
Read Part 4 Here
No comments:
Post a Comment