Lanceoldstrong

Thanks 200miler and all you Quacks. What a great group.

maillotpois

Lee Mitchell, the angel who stopped me at the bottom of Sierra when I did DMD in 2007 and duct taped a better rear light to my bike and told me (when I asked) that I wasn't last. He might have been lying, but I didn't care. I didn't want to keep the SAG stops open any longer than they had to and was feeling bad about being a little slow (though I easily made all the cut offs, later in the day it got slow....). Anyway, I've been lurking on this forum for a bit, but the reference to the hallowed two red bike vans was enough to make me pop my head up.

See you all on about 11 days....

Sarah

200miler

Oh you bet! There are quite a few of us to look for a bit of the Dew late in the day! You might even find in on a SAG once you're past lunch.
YMMV
-dg

200miler

Another very good point! Lights! It's a must to have adequate headlights, especially when descending roads like Felter, Calavaras, and Palomares. BUT, it's even more important to have a more than adequate taillight! Large, and aimed straight back, not angled up in the air, or off to a side, or where ever. It should be the single biggest safety concern a cyclists riding at night should have. Personally I use a Cateye LD-610; 5-LEDs with a flexible mount which I attach to the seat post and it can be set parallel to the ground. Even in pitch black Death Valley it can bee seen for miles!
YMMV
-dg

ahmose

Thanks for all those great pieces of information. I'm glad i don't have to worry about carrying Endurolytes pills etc..
What about Chamois cream ? Or is that perhaps asking too much ?
I've heard nothing but great feedback about the Quackcyclists.

What's everybody ride plans for the last weekend before the DMD ?

200miler

Well "Vee", your choice of buttbutter is usually very personal! I wouldn't expect to find anything other than some petroleum jelly at some of the CP's. It's a first aid item usually; road rash ya' know.... );-0

Thanks to all for the kind comments. Be safe out there!
YMMV
-dg

ahmose

Yeah, i was really just kidding with that comment. Like you said, it's a very personal choice.

Lanceoldstrong

As you approach a black hole, there is a point of no return called the Event Horizon.
Once you reach this point there is no escaping the gravitational pull of the dark heart of the anomaly.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have encountered the DMD Event Horizon.

We intercepted this message that appears to be coming from the center of the black hole.

[intercepted radio message] "I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream; that's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor... and surviving."

You now have 7 days to prepare for the inevitable.
I suggest you use them wisely.

gpelpel

Umm... Didn't you loose any trace of wisdom the day you signed in?

Seriously, I have been impressed with your preparation in the last few months. Just short of amazing. Now I wish you a safe and DRY black hole journey.

colinmcnamara

Great analogy about crossing the event horizon. Seven days to go. And I think back to the base season that started in mid November. I remember riding to Sacramento in 5 hour thunderstorm and using both palms to drink water because my hands were so numb. I remember doing 200k/300k/400k brevets at an ungodly early point in the season turning my nice bike into my rain bike.

All of this preparation and still I wish I had more hills to climb, more hours in the saddle this year. All I can do now is focus on a proper taper, do a thorough check of my bike and hope for the best.

--Colin

spingineer

I think Lanceoldstrong just went Supernova

cccorlew

I'm going to bed now to do the Volunteers DMD-lite ride (Diablo, Morgan, Back to the start) Saturday morning. Why I'm getting up at 3:30 to ride 75 miles I haven't figured out yet. I'll at least have the whole day in front of me when I finish....

Red Rider

Thanks for the shot of esoteric humor! I admire your work to get to this point, and have no doubt that you will prevail. I'll be chasing women half my age and twice my ability up and down Patterson Pass at the Wente Road Race, and when I start feeling sorry for myself I'll think of you. Thanks in advance for the inspiration.

Now go drink a carb or 3 and enjoy some rest.

Lanceoldstrong

The phases of DMD prep are the "3 T's
Training
Tapering
Trippin'

I have arrived at trippin'. Trippin' on the bike set up, the clothes choices, lighting choices.
Trippin' on did I train enough?, Too much?
Did I taper right? Am I getting too much rest this week?
Just trippin' for the sake of trippin'. All part of the fun

gpelpel

At least the current weather forecast should simplify your clothing choices: Full sun, 72 F.
Perfect conditions for a great ride.

Well... you need to think about sunscreen now!

cccorlew

Did someone say sunscreen?


Getting ready to ride with war paint by ccorlew, on Flickr

MetinUz

I mailed in my registration, then left for a 12-day vacation, missing 2 weekends of training. I was sick couple of weeks earlier, so all I could get in was a few 6-hour rides with about 9000 ft climbing. Did the last one last Saturday, after 12 days off the bike, except for a few stationary bike rides. I am doing my daily 10-mile each way commute, and won't do any running, so there's my taper plan. I figure I can make it up Mt Hamilton, and who knows after that. In case I make it all the way to Sierra Rd, I also installed a 11-34 mountain cassette and an XT derailleur.

I hope to be inspired by the endurance running legend Marshall Ulrich's Ten Commandments of Endurance:

1. Expect a journey and a battle.
2. Focus on the present and set intermediate goals.
3. Don't dwell on the negative.
4. Transcend the physical.
5. Accept your fate.
6. Have confidence that you will succeed.
7. Know that there will be an end.
8. Suffering is okay.
9. Be kind to yourself.
10. Quitting is not an option.

Ygduf

I like the list, but as someone who has believed that quitting was not an option, quitting should totally be an option. Laying in the road unable to get up due to dehydration is not a place you really need to find yourself. Be smart! Drink more than you think you need!

MetinUz

I think the rules are meant to be holistic, otherwise it's hard to resolve conflicts. For example, commandments 9 and 10 may be hard to satisfy at the same time. For me quitting would be skipping Carson Pass when you are tempted by the sight of your car as you ascend Woodfords Canyon in the Death Ride. So it's more of a mental thing. If you're dehydrated and unable to take in fluids, then you need to be kind to yourself.

milliron

I've done one DMD training ride. This should be interesting.

motorider

If you ride 400 hilly miles a week, I'm sure DMD won't be too much a hurdle :-)

motorider

I'm with you. I have to say my preparation for DMD is not too good. Only rode one century (a DMD training ride) this season and within recent two weeks I developed a saddle rash that prevent me from commuting by bike, my only source of any kind of training. Rode 10 mile around home last weekend and felt terrible.

As a double century rookie, I'm realistic. I'll go as far as I can. Second Ygduf, the good thing about a supported ride is that there is a quit option.

Ygduf

Don't count on SAG if you want to stop. Call a friend/family to pick you up at the base of Hamilton or whatever!

PrincessZippy

Or think of some of your options for being able to ride back. Once you are off Morgan Territory, it's an easy bailout back to the hotel. You could also skip Hamilton and Sierra and ride straight to Sunol and pick up the route from there. It can be a really long day if you wait for SAG to take you back.

If you decide to not finish the ride make sure you let someone know. We do keep track of you at every rest stop. I'll be the really cute chick taking your number at the bottom of Hamilton.

Veronica

PS Mountain Dew is on my list of supplies.

milliron

I ride almost every day and can do 100 miles w/ 10k, no problem. This is a whole different monster though. ~15 hours ride time is really going to test my nutrition and bike fit.

Alternating excitement and dread here.