I didn't go in without a plan. The plan was:
- A 3-hour bottle of Perpetuem and a baggie of mix to prepare another bottle half-way through the ride
- Water in my camelbak that I could refill at aid stations
- Three snacks in my camelbak (margarita Shot Bloks, a lemon Honey Stinger Waffle,and cheddar cheese Combos) to supplement Aid Station food if needed.
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| How can you not smile mountain biking in fall? |
There were warning signs early on. I tried eating an Egg McMuffin sandwich in the car on the way there. This is Greg's and my go-to pre-ride breakfast. Only 300 calories, lots of protein and salt, and tasty! But for some reason that morning, it wasn't going down. My stomach was a little upset and I could only get half of it in me.
We arrived in the dark, threw on our arm warmers and layers, and at first sign of light, off we went. It was brisk, but dry - perfect mountain biking weather. The Epic is not notably technical, so fitness is more critical than skill. The loop is about 80% singletrack strung together with some section of road. It connects 11 parks in the region. There are no extended, multi-mile climbs, but enough short very steep climbs, both on road and on trail, to keep you honest. Not an easy ride by any means.
It must be noted that Mark had not been on a mountain bike in 11 years. You might ask, who would sign up for a metric century on a mountain bike when he hasn't ridden one in over a decade? An Ironman, that's who! Mark, coming off an impressive performance at Ironman Canada in August, was equally impressive on the mountain bike. Fortunately, Mark has been on the same off-season training plan as Greg and me**, so he couldn't sandbag us.
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| Has Mark taken that jersey off since August? |
So we ticked off the miles. I sipped my Camelbak water but forgot how challenging it is to sip my Perpetuem bottle on tight twisty singletrack. I wasn't taking in as much as I anticipated, and at the half-way point wasn't finished with my bottle as planned. I didn't even bother refilling it, as planned. I should have noticed my Camelbak water was never depleted, as planned. And I wasn't snacking at every aid station, as planned. The aid stations for the most part were a weak spot in the ride. The MoCo was supposed to be the weekend before, but was rained out. I gather that when they postponed it they must have lost some aid station sponsors because there were a couple that could barely qualify. Anyway, you can't ask me to reach into a bag of pretzels after 300 men, who applied chamois cream that morning with the same hand, already have. Unfortunately the best aid stations came at the very beginning of the ride (when you don't need solid food yet) and the very end of the ride (when you just want to be done already!)
At about mile 30, Mark was starting to feel the fatigue and indicated he was going to cut the ride short. Whew, an excuse for me! The 65 mile ride had a bail out option that enables you to do the shorter 50 mile route. The split, which is about at the 40 mile mark, is where you have to make the call. The last 10 miles of the 50 mile route is the Seneca Ridge Trail, which is a great piece of singletrack. If you take the 65 mile route, it is a lot less interesting. This was another good reason to bail on the full, but it's more fun to blame the Ironman. When we got to AS 6, at mile 40, it was an easy decision. 50 mile route it would be.
At about mile 45, my "check engine light," as a fellow rider described it, came on. I was struggling on some of the steeper climbs; my quads were screaming. At mile 48, my entire dashboard was lit up. I needed the car and food and a beer and I needed it in a hurry. One pedal stroke at a time. Mark was right behind me in what I can only assume was a similar state. The only one making it look easy was climber-extraordinaire, Greg. I am convinced he is part mountain goat. Or maybe he ate his whole Egg McMuffin.
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| "Will you two pick it up please?" |
Finally, we rolled into the grassy parking lot and we were done. My legs were cramping so badly I couldn't even lift my leg to put dry socks on...even when seated...on the ground! After we got dressed we stumbled over to the festival and found the desert oasis - the beer tent. Festival sponsored by Dogfish Head, yahoo! We grabbed yummy grilled chicken sandwiches and sides, and because I did not want to wait in the super long line again, I went double fisted to the picnic table. I couldn't decide between the 60 Minute IPA and the Chicory Stout anyway. I tried to convince Greg to get two also, but he declined. With the line twice as long and twice as slow later on, I gave him half my second beer - if that isn't love, I don't know what is. We wrapped up the day having a lovely lunch in the sun with friends.
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| Islay, displaying how I felt post-ride. |
I wasn't 100% convinced my cramping and muscle fatigue was nutrition until the next day -- I wasn't sore...AT ALL. Now it is day two post-race and I still can't get enough fluids. I am drinking water constantly and still feel dehydrated. Glad I got a taste of a poor nutrition plan when it didn't really count, and late enough in the ride where I could still have a great day. Thanks to my trusty riding companions!
** Sample off-season
training week:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 1:30 1:00 Spin
Wednesday: CT3 Track workout, 4-6
x 1200 2-4 x 1200
Thursday: 2600 yard swim
Friday: Hour solo run Rest
Day
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