Originally Posted by Hermes

This type of event is not a puke fest although I guess it is possible with poor eating. This climb is about pacing the first two climbs hard but slightly below threshold and killing it on the third. After completing the first two climbs and descending, I crossed a bridge and there is a sign that says "7 miles to the top". At this point, I was tired and needed a strong mental focus to keep the power / level of effort up.
The climb was hard but we enjoyed it. At the end, I was tired and there was not much left in my legs.
I am committed to competing at Masters Nationals and Worlds this year so my motivation and commitment has never been higher. The ride down is as challenging as the climb. The road is technical and very long. I was getting tired of descending and braking. And there are the two climbs totaling 3 miles. When I hit the first climb on the way back down, my legs felt like concrete and the feeling like they were flooded with lactate. It took a few minutes before they felt sort of okay but really tired.