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08-24-08, 05:38 PM
Ok, I completed one of the goals I set for myself last year when I started riding again.
The York 38 special http://york38special.com/ benefits the local VFD, and is a pretty challenging MTB ride, over 3000' of elevation gain (and drop!) through some incredible scenery, mostly on dirt logging roads with some singletrack and a few miles of pavement at the very end. When I was telling my cousin about it last year, she said, "if you do it, I'll do it with you!", and she did.
I hydrated well on Friday, ate spaghetti for dinner, and stayed up late chatting with my cousin. Slept pretty well for me, had sourdough pancakes for breakfast, then drank a 750ml bottle of weak gatorade on the drive to the race. We checked in, used the bathroom - I was well hydrated at this point, and crossed the starting line at 8:27 a.m. The temperature was about 50 at the start and climbing.
Unfortunately for me, I've been doing a ton of work on our house for the last couple of weeks, and my riding has suffered for it. I only made it out for a couple of rides, although they were a good 15-20 miles each.
The ride starts out climbing a pretty steep hill for the first mile and a half. By the time I was almost to the top, my calves were cramping and I had to get off and walk. I got almost to the top of the hill and remounted. When I bore down, my thigh cramped up and over I went. I couldn't unclip fast enough and landed on my knee, scraping it up pretty good. I got myself and the bike up, and we finished walking up the hill. Nan (my cousin) was waiting for me and we continued on. Down the backside, up over 30 mph on a dirt road will focus and take your mind off your pain...
At the first aid station (hah, that works both ways!), I washed my knee off and determined it looked worse than it was, so I continued on after half a banana and a cookie and drinking some fluids. The next leg was a gradual climb and I did pretty well getting to the next aid station, but from then on the real climbing started. The third aid station was only three road miles from the second, but over 1000 feet higher. Again, cramps forced me to stop about 2/3 of the way up. I stretched out and continued, made it to the top in ok shape (I thought!). Nan had already gone when I got there, not a real surprise. She likes to climb.
Continuing on, the next couple of miles were not too bad, but I could really tell that my energy level was flagging. Hills, even little ones, were not easy to overcome, and then I got into one long grade that leads up to the top of the ride, almost 900 feet higher than the third aid station. I got to a couple of points where I had to get off and just walk, one time I waited too long and BOTH thighs cramped on me so hard that I couldn't move. I couldn't believe it, the only thing I could do was to squat down and sit. If I tried to stretch my thigh, the hamstring would cramp. After a bit, the cramps would ease up and I'd be able to walk a bit, then get back on and ride. I wasn't the only one walking, so my manhood wasn't insulted enough to cause me to do something stupid (other than continuing on!).
Finally I got to the top and when I tried to dismount my hamstring decided to sieze up, so I just kept the bike between my thighs and got my banana and cookie that way. It was pretty funny, ha ha.
Now began the downhill section of the ride, over the next five miles we dropped 1800 feet of elevation. The roads at this point deteriorated badly, there was lots of loose gravel, some washouts, wet spots, hairpin corners, sunlight dappling so you couldn't see hazards, unbelievable. People were FLYING down the road. I saw several spots where long skid marks went to the edge. Now, I love to go downhill fast, but I had handfulls of both brakes the whole way down. Crazy. And now my knees were hurting from absorbing some of the larger bumps. On a side note, I can't tell you how impressed I was by my bike during this section; I came into a washout pretty hot without seeing it in time to slow down. All I could do was get up on the pedals and stick my butt off the back of the seat. I was amazed when I was still upright afterwards. When I got to the end of the road I stopped to stretch and tighten up my camelbak for the singletrack.
The singletrack turned out to be quite technical to me, both wet and dry watercrossings, roots, loose rocks on steep downhills, sometimes the trail narrowed down to only 5-6 tire widths between rocks. Picking a line became my life. Someone asked if I liked the scenery in that portion and I was forced to admit I had been focusing on the trail so hard I never looked up. I still crashed twice, once when I tried to power up a little hill, lifting the front wheel off the ground as I spun the back wheel out - thank heaven that big rock caught me before I went over the edge! Ouch. Then I reached the top of a steep, loose incline just as another rider was walking down it. I stopped too quick and went down on my knee that I hurt at the beginning! Sigh.
After three miles of this nonsense, I reached the last aid station. Caught a drink, ate some banana bread and half a banana and headed out for the last 8 miles. Both knees were aching, and about 2.5 miles from the finish I cramped up again. Had to stop and stretch out, man I'm getting tired of that. About a mile later, Nan came riding back to find me and ride along into the finish. My GPS claimed 4:22 moving time, I'm going to say it was 5:15 from the time I started; official results haven't been posted yet. My goal was 4:30 overall which I'm thinking was a tad unrealistic.
I stayed hydrated with sportsdrinks and water through the ride, so I'm confused as to the cause of my cramping so early. Could it have been from getting out of training before the ride? The cramps stopped almost as soon as I got off the bike, leaving my sore knees as the only source of discomfort later in the evening and the next day - and those hurt less as I continue to move and stretch.
The York 38 special http://york38special.com/ benefits the local VFD, and is a pretty challenging MTB ride, over 3000' of elevation gain (and drop!) through some incredible scenery, mostly on dirt logging roads with some singletrack and a few miles of pavement at the very end. When I was telling my cousin about it last year, she said, "if you do it, I'll do it with you!", and she did.
I hydrated well on Friday, ate spaghetti for dinner, and stayed up late chatting with my cousin. Slept pretty well for me, had sourdough pancakes for breakfast, then drank a 750ml bottle of weak gatorade on the drive to the race. We checked in, used the bathroom - I was well hydrated at this point, and crossed the starting line at 8:27 a.m. The temperature was about 50 at the start and climbing.
Unfortunately for me, I've been doing a ton of work on our house for the last couple of weeks, and my riding has suffered for it. I only made it out for a couple of rides, although they were a good 15-20 miles each.
The ride starts out climbing a pretty steep hill for the first mile and a half. By the time I was almost to the top, my calves were cramping and I had to get off and walk. I got almost to the top of the hill and remounted. When I bore down, my thigh cramped up and over I went. I couldn't unclip fast enough and landed on my knee, scraping it up pretty good. I got myself and the bike up, and we finished walking up the hill. Nan (my cousin) was waiting for me and we continued on. Down the backside, up over 30 mph on a dirt road will focus and take your mind off your pain...
At the first aid station (hah, that works both ways!), I washed my knee off and determined it looked worse than it was, so I continued on after half a banana and a cookie and drinking some fluids. The next leg was a gradual climb and I did pretty well getting to the next aid station, but from then on the real climbing started. The third aid station was only three road miles from the second, but over 1000 feet higher. Again, cramps forced me to stop about 2/3 of the way up. I stretched out and continued, made it to the top in ok shape (I thought!). Nan had already gone when I got there, not a real surprise. She likes to climb.
Continuing on, the next couple of miles were not too bad, but I could really tell that my energy level was flagging. Hills, even little ones, were not easy to overcome, and then I got into one long grade that leads up to the top of the ride, almost 900 feet higher than the third aid station. I got to a couple of points where I had to get off and just walk, one time I waited too long and BOTH thighs cramped on me so hard that I couldn't move. I couldn't believe it, the only thing I could do was to squat down and sit. If I tried to stretch my thigh, the hamstring would cramp. After a bit, the cramps would ease up and I'd be able to walk a bit, then get back on and ride. I wasn't the only one walking, so my manhood wasn't insulted enough to cause me to do something stupid (other than continuing on!).
Finally I got to the top and when I tried to dismount my hamstring decided to sieze up, so I just kept the bike between my thighs and got my banana and cookie that way. It was pretty funny, ha ha.
Now began the downhill section of the ride, over the next five miles we dropped 1800 feet of elevation. The roads at this point deteriorated badly, there was lots of loose gravel, some washouts, wet spots, hairpin corners, sunlight dappling so you couldn't see hazards, unbelievable. People were FLYING down the road. I saw several spots where long skid marks went to the edge. Now, I love to go downhill fast, but I had handfulls of both brakes the whole way down. Crazy. And now my knees were hurting from absorbing some of the larger bumps. On a side note, I can't tell you how impressed I was by my bike during this section; I came into a washout pretty hot without seeing it in time to slow down. All I could do was get up on the pedals and stick my butt off the back of the seat. I was amazed when I was still upright afterwards. When I got to the end of the road I stopped to stretch and tighten up my camelbak for the singletrack.
The singletrack turned out to be quite technical to me, both wet and dry watercrossings, roots, loose rocks on steep downhills, sometimes the trail narrowed down to only 5-6 tire widths between rocks. Picking a line became my life. Someone asked if I liked the scenery in that portion and I was forced to admit I had been focusing on the trail so hard I never looked up. I still crashed twice, once when I tried to power up a little hill, lifting the front wheel off the ground as I spun the back wheel out - thank heaven that big rock caught me before I went over the edge! Ouch. Then I reached the top of a steep, loose incline just as another rider was walking down it. I stopped too quick and went down on my knee that I hurt at the beginning! Sigh.
After three miles of this nonsense, I reached the last aid station. Caught a drink, ate some banana bread and half a banana and headed out for the last 8 miles. Both knees were aching, and about 2.5 miles from the finish I cramped up again. Had to stop and stretch out, man I'm getting tired of that. About a mile later, Nan came riding back to find me and ride along into the finish. My GPS claimed 4:22 moving time, I'm going to say it was 5:15 from the time I started; official results haven't been posted yet. My goal was 4:30 overall which I'm thinking was a tad unrealistic.
I stayed hydrated with sportsdrinks and water through the ride, so I'm confused as to the cause of my cramping so early. Could it have been from getting out of training before the ride? The cramps stopped almost as soon as I got off the bike, leaving my sore knees as the only source of discomfort later in the evening and the next day - and those hurt less as I continue to move and stretch.