Northern California - Davis Double Report

LIVE @ 8am: Temps already in the 60's. Expected to reach the low 100's. Ice socks will be on-hand.

I am trying to find a live TV coverage on the tube. Anybody knows the channel it is on? Phil Liggett where are you? Paul Sherwen where are you?

It's now 9:38 AM and I show 79 degrees. I'm supposed to assist tonight at the finish and wonder what the temp will be like. The news reported mid 80's for today. Either way, gonna be warm. Haven't seen anything about it on TV.

At 2:30 PM showing 97 degrees. WHEW! What a day for 200 miles with hills!
Still haven't seen any TV coverage.

It's now almost 10pm and we don't have any news.
Did anybody survive?
Pete, Curtis, Ron & Co. did you melt?

Man, I live here and I got the hell out!

Good luck with the survival, y'all!

I was serving dinner from 4-7pm. With over 600 riders (all showed up that registered), by the time I left, there had been maybe 25 or so that had gotten back and were trickling in. We were trying to find enough SAG to bring riders in from Guinda. It was hot and humid out there! :twitchy:

I had a nice surprise at the finish. My wife and kids were there to cheer me on and both kids drew pictures :love:

I had a great ride. Utilized rest stops a lot more than last year and got in later than last year but ride time was significantly improved. Didn't do an ice sock again. I think the shock of it would kill me.

Got lost at lower lake and added another 5.5 miles to the already 203.5... 209! Longest ride ever. :thumb:

It was great to see everybody out there today, meet Ron finally.

Everyone needs to give Pete some extra love. The guy went through H.E. double hockey stix today. But he was THERE at the end!!! Woo Pete!!!

Curtis is home, alive, enjoying a cold beer and headed to the hot jacuzzi. Too tired to type, you'll get his report tomorrow.

For my seventh and final Davis double, it was a very strange and very long ride...report later, but here's just a few teaser picts for the time being.
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1CurtisPete1.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1RonPete.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1CurtisRyChris.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1Chrisfamily.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1DansFamily.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/davis09007.jpg

Cramps, heat, granny gear, and not enough energy to turn the crank. That pretty much sums it up. Plus, sagging it in after only 135 miles. I'm tired now ... I'm going to sleep.

Cramps, heat, granny gear, and not enough energy to turn the crank. That pretty much sums it up. Plus, sagging it in after only 135 miles. I'm tired now ... I'm going to sleep.

You're a Gladiator, by any measure, Ron. It's not like you're getting paid to flagellate yourself like that. :thumb:

"only"?!?! Dude, you were riding in a freakin blast furnace!

Long, boring report later. I'm headed out to an eight-hour bicycle mechanics class.

But here's a preview!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3583/3539177844_c78dc78379.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/3539084888_bc740ef478.jpg

Cramps, heat, granny gear, and not enough energy to turn the crank. That pretty much sums it up. Plus, sagging it in after only 135 miles. I'm tired now ... I'm going to sleep.Keep in mind that extreme weather adds a multiplier to your score. You did good, sir!

In fact, all of you did, no matter how far you made it. :beer:

Let me get my SAG story out of the way first.

I felt like most of the day I was completely sapped. No energy and no wattage output. What little there was dwindled down to nothingness by the time I reached the base of Resurrection Hill. I couldn't even get the pedals to turn over. No idea what was happening. I started walking in pretty horrible heat. A SAG motorcycle convinced me to stand by while he went to get a SAG car and water with an ice sock. I started getting dizzy and nauseous. So began my 3 mile SAG ride to the next rest stop. I got out of the SAG car and immediately ran into Curtis who was disappointed that I'd be sagging it. At that point I decided to give it another chance. From there to the end was one long grueling grind. Thanks to Curtis for keeping me moving and I decided to make the firehouse chili my goal. It was well deserved by the time I got there.

I played so many mental games to get myself through it all. I've done the Davis a half dozen times and I've never felt this bad...not even in last years 110 degree heat.

The night before Curtis and I shared a Hotel room. We crashed about 8pm. I was surprised I could go to sleep that early! I met up with Dan, Ron and Curtis at the start and we left right at 4am. We had a pretty good pace going out, but comfortable. This was to be the best part of the ride. We arrived at the first rest stop as it was still being set up.

After we set off on a really strong pace line in which Dan seemed to be doing most of the work. There was a nasty pothole that Ron unfortunately hit pretty hard and flatted. I was torn whether to stay or keep up the pace. We decided we'd catch him later...maybe lunch.

As we hit the climbs we began to split up. At the second rest stop I was going to ride with Dan, but I couldn't find him, so I thought he had already split. Later I figured he was in the porta-toilet and just missed him.

Along Pope valley I started really loosing my energy rapidly. No matter what I ate or drank, I couldn't seem to stoke the fire. At this point I mentioned to Curtis that I didn't know if I could make it. At this point Cobb mountain was ahead of us. This was the worst part of the ride. I was through at that point. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I was just beat and barely made the climb. at the Cobb rest stop I met HuyTheSkiGod. He was busy serving up ice and food to everyone and introduced himself. The volunteers were great by the way! I got together with Curtis and we headed out. When we got to lunch I was really done! Curtis didn't want to wait around too long, so he left ahead of me. The ride to Resurrection was absolutely grueling. That's where I was ready to pack it in.

After my episode on Resurrection, I just basically limped through the rest of the ride and just focused on getting through the ride in 100 yard increments.

At Guinda I talked to a Nurse and she ended up giving me salt tablets and advil which really helped a great deal. It was so dry out, I think my main problem was I was dehydrated.

Through the whole ride I spent my time just chasing down Curtis who remained strong and steady during the whole ride. We came in to the finish right around 8pm (13:10) ride time.

I stayed and waited for Dan and Ron to come in.

It was really great meeting some of the other BF crew along with Dan and Chris's family who were there at the finish line patiently awaiting their arrival. That was the coolest part of the day for me to see the excitement when their Dads crossed the line!

Kind of a short run down here, but this morning I have to get my butt out the door to move stuff to our new place.
More later.

I finished my first double! 206 miles. I had a couple of missed turns here and there which added 3 miles to the 203 mile course. 14:10 ride time.

Thank you very much Pete for hanging out at the finish to greet me. You are a prince.

I got a room in Dixon last night with my family who surprised me at the finish. My wife called me when I was at the last rest stop (25 miles out) and let me know she was there. Boy did that bring the legs back to more than full strength. A woman at the hotel this morning told me her bike computer registered 127 degrees on road temperature yesterday.:eek:

The last 65 miles were some of the best times I have ever had on a bike. At the stop at the top of Resurrection grade, Britpower asked me to ride with her and make sure she finished.

We cooled down in the shade drank a bunch, forced some food down and set off with her on my wheel.
I would make a good domestique I think. I can't climb worth beans but the big diesel engine can pull a line all day. Once Britpower's legs came back I kept picking up the speed, being careful not to put her in difficulty or ride off without her.The line I was pulling grew and grew and we rolled into Davis with 10 or 12 riders shooting along in our slipstream. It felt pretty epic.

Britpower helped me more than I helped her I think. Having a mission gave me a higher calling than just limping to the finish and the objective of making sure such a strong rider as her finished in good shape gave me so much motivation it was incredible.

I feel great today, just tired. I used Perpetuom, Endurolytes, Nuun and drank constantly so not one cramp all day. I adjusted my pace to the conditions on Cobb Mountain and Resurrection Grade and I saved energy for a strong finish. I am very satisfied with my effort.

Congrats to Pete, Britpower and Curtis.

A very big :thumb: to each and every one of you. It was pretty darn warm out in West Marin where bigbossman and I rode - it had to be nasty-hot for you folks. All of you ought to be proud of your efforts.

Turst me, I'm a lawyer. :innocent:

Huge thumbs up for everyone. Heroic. Forgive my clumsy comments, but a few thoughts in response from the sidelines:

Pete - I suspect you have more mental reserves of motivation and grit than most of the rest of us put together. Never mind a suitcase of courage, you have a friggin' airstream-full. Yet, you still finished with a ride time of 13:10 - that's scary.

Curtis - it's impressive that last year Pete was teaching you the ropes, and here you are bringing him home in 2009.

Ron - I can only echo the others comments about "only" and "136miles" being put together like that - that's a heck of an effort in ridiculous conditions.

Dan - first up, it's been a while since I rode with you, but man you are looking TRIM! Congrats on getting the double, for my humble century efforts earlier in the year, I was pulling the perpetuem/HEED/endurolytes combo and felt really good. I think there's something to this nutrition stuff after all.

Congrats to Britpower and all the other BFrs who braved the ride yesterday.

Great ride!

My buddy and I started at 4:00. By the first climb past the dam I realized that my climbing would be very slow for the whole ride. Not fully recovered from WCC & GPC I guess. Who am I kidding? I'm just always slow on hills. Blame it on the heavy Trek 520, Caradice bag, four bottles of water, etc. :) Anyway the first half of Cobb Mountain was a real grind for me. My buddy hammered ahead and met me at the top. I made the worst mistake of the ride stopping to drench myself with a hose halfway up. Wet shorts = major chafing the rest of the ride. I was really feeling the heat on this climb. By the Cobb Mtn rest stop though I must have acclimated as the heat wasn't an issue the rest of the day for me. I even stayed hydrated without over hydrating which is great for me. I have trouble with that. My buddy was dying though. He started with a bad cold and that combined with the heat just wiped him out, dry retching, nausea, etc. At Guinada he put his name on the SAG list but ended up just grinding it on to the end instead. He was scary. I just got more and more energy as the day went by though. We hammered the last 20 miles at 24+ but by the parking lot at the finish I had used it all up. Left it all out there on the rode. 14 hours riding time but an hour at lunch, other rest stops, and 90 minutes at Guinada resulted in an 18:30 ride. (I say I get to deduct two hours for the heat :) )

Oh, and we missed the turn off to lunch and rode an additional 5.5 bonus miles.

An aside:

On the last curving descents before lunch a rider passed me doing 60+ in a very tight aero tuck. He took a corner too fast and braked too hard. The back tire rapidly skipped sideways throwing the whole bike into a wobble and he went off the edge, bounced off a grassy ledge and went another five or ten feet airborne before landing in a big patch of lavender. The only damage seemed to be a scrape on his forehead and crooked saddle. He was very shaky / disoriented but eventually rode on. He was way ahead of us when we all missed the lunch turn off so I have no idea how many bonus miles he did. We worried about him the rest of the day. I checked his number at the end and he had sagged.

In all a memorable ride. It was fun meeting lots of new people. I hadn't ridden the stretch between the construction and Guidana before. I was riding an endorphin high through there (I think my buddy wanted to just kill me since this was his absolute lowest point). That stretch was my all-time favorite for the ride. The geological formations were amazing.

For me the resident providing showers with the garden hose at the Mt. Cobb climb was such a wonderful help. When I did get there (later than most of you, I guess) everybody took an extensive break and shower there.
I did survive the resurrection climb only with about three stops somewhere in a little bit of shade.

Nice meeting some of you guys !!!

Eric from the Davis bike club has posted a video of his tandem ride yesterday here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1GhkmtGP4o

It was nice meeting some of the BF'ers out there. Tough conditions!

I got lost in all the excitment after the ride. Maybe it was from the sprint Redspoke threw down on 14th street! More to follow. I have to take the doggie for a swim....

My hats off to all you folks:thumb: I left Woodland to head to the Start/Finish to help for a few hours and at 5:30 PM when I left it was showing 100 degrees. From what I overheard at the HQ several folks got ill from the heat (Very understandable, that's the nausea, headaches, etc!) but sounds like everybody made it OK. Everybody was "Salt drenched" when they came in, with big ole sweat/salt lines on their black shorts. IT WAS HOT! Since I've just started I feel I'm doing great to ride over 25 miles in 2 hours, so you folks amaze me. Maybe in a year or two I'll be able to do something like the DDC, but for now it just amazes me that someone can ride 200+ miles, yet alone do it in 100 degree heat.

Congrats to all,
Dan'o :**

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILZ1DMupXGI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1GhkmtGP4o Directors cut

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176895@N03/sets/72157618254027955/

Curtis collection
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1CurtisTats.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1Curtisface.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1Curtisrides.jpg
HuyTheSkiGod
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1Huy.jpg
TAndem girl
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1Littlegirl.jpg
Ron collection
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1RonandChic.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1RonandDanride_edited-1.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1Ronpaceline.jpg

RyDaddy
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1RyDaddy.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1SandraDanCurtis.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1Tree-1.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/1chris.jpg
CrazyGuys
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/FunnyGuys.jpg
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa292/taxi777/davis09012.jpg

Wow. Sounds like an epic ride!

It's a good thing I didn't go. I went for a ride today, 76 miles, but I felt bonky the whole way. Drank lots of water, ate, etc. If I had gone yesterday, I would have been a disaster.

See ya'll next sat!

My day started with a disaster, I was loading the truck outside my hotel in Dixon and I locked my keys and cell phone in the truck. I was supposed to be meeting everyone for a 4am start, sorry everyone!
Luckily a good samaritian at the hotel gave me a lift to the start, so I was on the road by 5am.

I was doing ok managed to get in to a group, once we hit Cobb Mountain everyone just went their own pace, Climbed ok but once i hit Resurrection, the heat hit me and it became a struggle, i was hydrated I had eaten plenty, had electrolytes, but I couldn't focus. Stopped a few times but I reached the rest stop, by this time I was a bit shaky and considering the temperature I was cold!!!
I sat in the shade of the first aid tent with a lot of other people and I was thinking of quitting (which is something I never do), when Dan arrived, he said he was going to rest a while, so I thought if I feel better by the time he leaves I would ride to the finish with him.

We set off and I felt a lot better, good fast descent and we had a good pace going. Thanks Dan I appreciate all the encouragement and having company when you don't feel a 100% is always better than riding on your own.

A nice surprise for me was at the next stop when Mark (Rumbutter) turned up with a spare key for my truck, he was also helping out as a volunteer , bringing ice, etc, that certainly boosted my spirits.

The last 25 miles Dan really put the pace up, we just wanted to finish, we ended up with a group of riders so we had plenty of light on the dark rides. Friendly atmosphere made a hard ride end on a good note and although I went through a bad patch at 130 miles I'm glad I persevered and finished.

My riding time was 13hrs 30 mins, total time just over 15 hours

Got to Davis Friday night, around 6:30 pm, and registered (as the group is leaving at 4 am). It was really nice to have pre-ride dinner at the same place where registration took place. This meant not having to drive to a restaurant, wait to get seated, wait for food, then getting back to the hotel and possibly getting to bed by 10 or 11 pm. This had to have saved 2 hours in the preparation over night (especially if we are to get up at 2:30 am). Major kudos to Davis for just doing this little bit.

With temps expected to be in high 90's, and low 100's, heat and hydration would become an issue. With this in mind, I decided to bring my camelback. I could also stuff a lot of junk in there.

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801169_NhvgX-L.jpg

As promised, we all took off at 4 am. The goal was to finish the ride in daylight. We started out in pitch blackness, which was a challenge in itself. Since we took off before the supported start time, directions could be challenging. Normally, a yellow flashing light at an intersection would warn you about a turn, but the turn to the first rest stop was not there when we got there. This added an extra 1-2 miles to our ride. When we made the U-turn, we did see the flashing light, and the flagman. We all said "That wasn't there when we first approached it. Major failure on that course marshall!"

Probably the most famous rider in the double is this little girl, who rode stoker on the tandem with her dad. Someone asked her dad if she contributed any power during the ride, and he said no. That's quite impressive for him to pull the whole load, especially with all the climbs we did.

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801219_PNWvz-L.jpg

After a short stop, we continued, and got into a nice paceline. I was riding behind Pete, and didn't call out a big 6 inch pothole, that I couldn't avoid. Next thing ya know, 1 mile later, I flatted. The group went on ahead, while I fix my flat. I figure I should be able to catch up with them later ... NOT!!! Dang it ... if only the pothole was called out!

Sun came out as we do our first climb, up Monticello Dam. As always, fantastic view as we pass it.

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801369_TrCZe-L.jpg

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801265_nKawG-L.jpg

I eventually caught up with Dan (LanceOldStrong), my roommate at the second rest stop. Good ... I didn't want to ride the rest of the double solo, and neither did he.

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801400_6h7WD-L.jpg

We rode together, trading leads for the next 50 miles or so. Everything was going fine, until just before reaching the rest stop before the Cobb Mountain climb. Two things happened ... first, a tandem flatted on a really fast descent, and wound up in a ditch on the other side of the road. They eventually had to be airlifted. Hope they come out okay. Second, on the flat stretch coming into the 4th rest stop, I leg cramps up. This was the first time my leg cramps up like that ... oh, this is not good, especially with the toughest part of the ride coming up. I had to stop off to the side of the road, and Dan comes along to help out with some very useful stretching exercise, and e-caps.

After a bit of rest, and re-fueling, we're off to Cobb. Dan went up ahead, and that's the last I saw of him. I struggle up Cobb Mountain climb, and the heat at this point was just getting unbearable. Not only was I battling leg cramps, and heat, but Cobb is 17% at some stretches. It got so bad, that I had to abandon my pride and get off the bike, and yes, walk it for about 1000 yards. There were about 20 others who suffered the same fate. In fact, one of the SAG drivers saw so many suffering, she parked her car halfway up, with water, and to douse our heads with water. That felt great. Why is it that the end is a lot further along than you were anticipating it to be?

I finally caught up with Dan at the lunch stop, but he was ready to roll, so we bid goodbye at that point. I was really hurting bad, and I just needed to take a long rest here, and more importantly, eat. So I devoured a full bowl of pasta salad, plus a turkey and roast beef sandwich. I was hoping this would be enough to take me through Resurrection, but it was not in the cards. Resurrection is not that tough a hill, but it is long and more gradual. The heat was getting to its peak in the low 100's, and that was draining my energy. I was in my granny gear, and still couldn't get more than 3 mph. I ended up stopping a few more times on that climb, and it was not even in the shade.

It's strange, I know it's hot, and need to stay hydrated, but no matter what I did, after taking a swig, my mouth still had this cotton dry feeling. It's like no matter how much fluids I intake, it wouldn't go in. It was also a bad sign that I didn't have to pee. I know I was drinking, as I did have to keep filling up my camelback, but I was still not staying hydrated enough. I wasn't cramping anymore, but I still couldn't get any power into my legs. I just couldn't turn the crank at all. All the preparations I made ... Wine Country in the rain, Primavera in the heat, and it all didn't prepare me for this. I guess I didn't have enough heat training.

At the Resurrection rest stop, I decided I cannot go anymore. I know there is a little down, then a little up, then it's 60 miles downhill or tailwind all the way back to the finish, so the climbing for the most part was done. I normally would have just gone on ahead, but my leg was cramping so badly, and energy was so low, I just couldn't go. Major failure here ... first time I've ever DNF'd and SAGged in a ride. What's worse, I'm sagging in, wearing a Triple Crown jersey. Oh well, I guess it's better to save it for another day. This just means no triple crown this year. The exact same sentiments were heard from other riders, and they were wearing Death Ride and Terrible Two jerseys!

I did hook up with John (Dauphin) on the rest stops. Good to see him for a change. He was not suffering as bad as I was, but he was still willing to accept a spritz from the gal at the rest stop. I'm not sure who had more fun, the spritzer or John?

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801562_gNEPi-L.jpg

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801629_66uLy-L.jpg

It was a long day ... 136 miles and 7500 feet climbing, and my leg still under recovery, so no riding today.

More pics at http://spingineer.smugmug.com/gallery/8239833_LKzru#538801460_ziCMU

Great ride!

...In all a memorable ride. It was fun meeting lots of new people. I hadn't ridden the stretch between the construction and Guinda before. I was riding an endorphin high through there (I think my buddy wanted to just kill me since this was his absolute lowest point). That stretch was my all-time favorite for the ride. The geological formations were amazing.

Great job to all! I was at the CHP checkpoint early in the AM waving you all on where the road bends just outside of Davis. Didn't recognize anyone but that was probably because a) it was really dark, and b) many of you started at 4am, before the course was supposed to be open! Good call.

kjfitz-I lead a ride occasionally from the casino up 16 through the canyon to 20 and back. Next time will be in the fall. You're welcome to join us...

All of you guys are awesome or nuts, I'm not sure which.

You are all incredibly crazy!! Kudos to each and every one who climbed on a bike that day! I can't even comprehend doing 200 miles in one shot, and neither can my butt.:twitchy: You're all too 'htfu' for words in my mind. :D

As far as the tandem, at headquarters, we were told they hit a pothole, the handlebars twisted/ torqued sideways, and the stoker may have gone a bit airborne, and came down hard. Got a call from the hospital later that they were 'okay' but we didn't know if that meant after being patched up, and the extent of being patched up ~ but we were all relieved to hear they were 'ok'.

Thanks for the news overthere; sad to hear about the accident. The road immediately after the last rest stop had developed some very dramatic potholes. We too saw a victim there, already being attended to - hopefully only for technical problems. This little stoker wore the biggest smile all day long.
Thanks to all the volunteers !!!; many of them braved the heat all day long. We cyclists did at least have some air flow - when not climbing resurrection.

Thanks for the update, Overthere. I've been on a few rides with the couple on the tandem, and it's good to hear they are 'ok'.

Wow, congrats to everyone who rode yesterday! :thumb: :thumb:

kjfitz-I lead a ride occasionally from the casino up 16 through the canyon to 20 and back. Next time will be in the fall. You're welcome to join us...

That'd be great! Let me know.

Wow, congrats to everyone who rode yesterday! :thumb: :thumb:

+:thumb:

I finished my first double! 206 miles. I had a couple of missed turns here and there which added 3 miles to the 203 mile course. 14:10 ride time.

Thank you very much Pete for hanging out at the finish to greet me. You are a prince.

I got a room in Dixon last night with my family who surprised me at the finish. My wife called me when I was at the last rest stop (25 miles out) and let me know she was there. Boy did that bring the legs back to more than full strength. A woman at the hotel this morning told me her bike computer registered 127 degrees on road temperature yesterday.:eek:

The last 65 miles were some of the best times I have ever had on a bike. At the stop at the top of Resurrection grade, Britpower asked me to ride with her and make sure she finished.

We cooled down in the shade drank a bunch, forced some food down and set off with her on my wheel.
I would make a good domestique I think. I can't climb worth beans but the big diesel engine can pull a line all day. Once Britpower's legs came back I kept picking up the speed, being careful not to put her in difficulty or ride off without her.The line I was pulling grew and grew and we rolled into Davis with 10 or 12 riders shooting along in our slipstream. It felt pretty epic.

Britpower helped me more than I helped her I think. Having a mission gave me a higher calling than just limping to the finish and the objective of making sure such a strong rider as her finished in good shape gave me so much motivation it was incredible.

I feel great today, just tired. I used Perpetuom, Endurolytes, Nuun and drank constantly so not one cramp all day. I adjusted my pace to the conditions on Cobb Mountain and Resurrection Grade and I saved energy for a strong finish. I am very satisfied with my effort.

Congrats to Pete, Britpower and Curtis.

Daniel, your kidness and consideration after my crash in Solvang are admirable traits. I'm not at all surprised to read this -- you're that kind of guy. :thumb:

Congratulations to all!

Oh, and we missed the turn off to lunch and rode an additional 5.5 bonus miles.


Did some random guy tell you the lunch stop is 9/10th's of a mile ahead only to stop after about 2 miles beyond that and realize he also had missed the turn onto Lake St. ?? :innocent:

That'd be great! Let me know.

Keep your eyes open here. It'll be called "Capay Valley Cruise." Had 15 folks from NorCal Bike Forum this March.

Spingineer, everything you described sounds like heat exhaustion. Sometimes your body just can't cool down. If you didn't have to urinate that's because you were perspiring so fast it didn't collect (and with exercise, at least for short term the body stops having to urinate). Your electrolytes were depleted, so Gatorade or similar can help, but the biggest problem is that it can take up to two weeks to get acclimated to a new temperature. The fact that you were able to do what you did under these conditions tells of your good physical condition, so don't go beating yourself up. I rode a couple of hours the other day, and it was only in the 80's, and I stayed well hydrated, yet the heat still got to me, so riding hills in 90+ to 100 degree heat is going to be brutal!

Next time hydrate really well before the ride then make sure you sip water or a Gatorade type product, usually watered down 50%, for several hours after you're done. If you drink too much too fast you'll just pee it out.

Hopefully next year I'll be able to join you, but for this year I was too hot just volunteering for a couple of hours at the finish! My hats off to you and all participants.
Dan'o :** Formerly a Certified Athletic Trainer and EMT.

I'm back from my very good REI bike mechanics class. I've loved reading all the reports and I'll add mine, without being too redundant I hope.

I enjoyed dinner with BritPower, LanceOldStrong and Taxi777. The pasta was so much better than normal ride pasta we actually talked to the cook about it.

I was thrilled to have a chance to chat with the jersey designer. As you might know, the jersey and its high-quality design were major motivations for me doing this ride. I even got a copy of the poster using the design, so I'm double happy.

We met to leave 4 a.m., and I felt kinda bad that BritPower wasn't there with us, but I knew if I was going to survive I needed to launch on time. I figured she'd pass me at some point anyway...

I like riding in the dark with lights. It's magical seeing the sky lighten and eventually see the sunrise. We joked and laughed and rolled pretty well. I swear the corner marshal and sign weren't there when we rolled past the turn, even though both were on our return.

Then, well, I blame it all on LanceOldStrong, who set a blistering pace for many miles. As the sun got light enough to see my speedometer I saw we were well above 20 for an extended period. For several minutes we were running at 27. This is not a speed I ride on level ground. I eventually got smart enough to let them go before permanent damage was done, though I do think that later I paid dearly for the mornings speed run.

I caught them at rest stop 2 (or was it 3) afer the lake. I hate stopping, so I grabbed water and rode off alone.

I rode a smart Cobb (for me) I took it easy from the start. Last year I had to stop three times on the way up to let my heart rate settle. This year, no stopping. No speed, but no stopping.

I met Pete, and we descended together and hit lunch together.

Again, I'm afraid if I waited too long I'll stop moving, so I left quickly, figuring Pete would catch me like he always does.

The ride from lunch to the next rest stop was harder than last year. I've never hurt so badly, or for so long, on a bike. I'm pleased I didn't stop at all, but it was ride-ugly survival-style riding, barely turning the pedals. I'd miscalculated the distance to the rest stop and kept thinking--for five steep miles -- it was right around the next bend. I think that's why I made it, I kept thinking I was almost there.

I was almost ready to leave when Pete sagged in. I was amazed. But seeing me alive seemed to cure him. I think he likes me. He rested a moment, decided he didn't want to wait to be sagged in, and he took off. Even though he seemed beat moments before, I couldn't keep up with him going uphill the next half mile. Go figure.

We limped down the valley and into the next rest stop. Again, I left early and eventually Pete came by on a paceline. We hit the next rest stops together, and rolled in together for the second time in two years.

NOTES:
I'm amazed how hard it is to think when I'm that hot and tired. Just doing the tasks I'd dreamed about riding uphill: Get water, hit restroom, sunscreen up, adjust computer, record for podcast, make a photo were SO hard to remember, and I had trouble figuring out what to do first, second, and third.

I got through on Hammer products (HEED and Perpetium). I didn't eat real food at all until mile 140, where I had a half of peanut butter sandwich. All teh drinking that liquid and not having to deal with chew food worked for me.

Smarter this year: I didn't just fill my bottles at the rests. I drank more than 1 full bottle, then refilled and left.

I am still beat and find myself having odd mental lapses. Hope I'm better Monday!

More photos, in no order, without captions...



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3539085840_f7f07217dd.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3062/3539086138_ab1653959f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2351/3539086406_b0356f1f85.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/3538273951_679227a3d9.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2349/3539087210_8885b89cb6.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2308/3538272391_e46856e6c0.jpg

Did some random guy tell you the lunch stop is 9/10th's of a mile ahead only to stop after about 2 miles beyond that and realize he also had missed the turn onto Lake St. ?? :innocent:

LOL! Yes, that was me. Seems there was a sign down and lots of people were missing the turn. :p

I want to be like all y'all if I ever decide to grow up. :love:


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/3538273951_679227a3d9.jpgExcellent.

I did hook up with John (Dauphin) on the rest stops. Good to see him for a change. He was not suffering as bad as I was, but he was still willing to accept a spritz from the gal at the rest stop. I'm not sure who had more fun, the spritzer or John?

http://spingineer.smugmug.com/photos/538801562_gNEPi-L.jpg


More pics at http://spingineer.smugmug.com/gallery/8239833_LKzru#538801460_ziCMU

I had even more fun when the guy dumped his big watering can on my head!....just like last year...reaching that rest stop told me that I knew I could make it to the end....

Congrats, guys!

Congratulations to everyone who even started the double. I've been there when the temps have been over 100, it's not fun. With temps like that it just makes it a long miserable day.

Man was it busy. Congrats to all those that were out there. Didn't have much time to take pictures but managed to snap a couple. Here are the relevant ones.

http://i340.photobucket.com/albums/o333/huytheskigod/ddc2009/ddc1.jpg

http://i340.photobucket.com/albums/o333/huytheskigod/ddc2009/ddc2.jpg

http://i340.photobucket.com/albums/o333/huytheskigod/ddc2009/ddc3.jpg

http://i340.photobucket.com/albums/o333/huytheskigod/ddc2009/ddc4.jpg

http://i340.photobucket.com/albums/o333/huytheskigod/ddc2009/ddc5.jpg

Wow! Congrats to all. I never road longer than 125 miles so such a ride seems daunting even under clement conditions. Under such a heat I cannot even comprehend how you can go the full 200 miles.

BRAVO!

Nice photos. I'm thinking you caught my emotional states pretty darn well.

http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecccorlew/hosting/reality.jpg

Good job you all. That is some epic heat to ride through.