Bring on the 100-mile challenge!
As I prepare for Ironman, there are weekly training challenges that I must meet in order to be prepared. Each week I must increased the number of miles I swim, bike, and run in order to reach at least 80% of the final mileage I am expected to do to successfully complete the Ironman in under seventeen hours.
In addition, I also set other milestones for myself. I had to complete my first triathlon, I had to finish a full marathon, and the final big hurdle was to prove to myself that I could ride a full century—100 miles. For some reason, this was the hurdle I was least worried about. Don’t get me wrong, I knew this was going to push me to my limits, it is just that for some reason, I never doubted I could do this. I am not really sure why I was so confident, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that I actually have previous experience with long distance cycling.
In addition, I also set other milestones for myself. I had to complete my first triathlon, I had to finish a full marathon, and the final big hurdle was to prove to myself that I could ride a full century—100 miles. For some reason, this was the hurdle I was least worried about. Don’t get me wrong, I knew this was going to push me to my limits, it is just that for some reason, I never doubted I could do this. I am not really sure why I was so confident, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that I actually have previous experience with long distance cycling.
This bike was state of the art in 1985.
When I was in my freshman year of college, I had a bad break up with a boyfriend, and instead of getting even by drinking and carousing…my revenge was getting stronger. I saved all my money and bought a $500 black Peugeot racing bike. That amount of money doesn’t sound like much, but it was a fortune for me in 1985. My very first ride with the bike shop took me 30 miles, and I never looked back. I lived in Pacific Beach at the time, and I would commute back and forth from my USCD campus to my apartment, which was not a flat route. I also challenged myself by doing the Pacific Beach to Del Mar route. Going up and down Torrey Pines is no easy feat. I was probably at my strongest and fittest point—up until now. Maybe this experience with biking is why I was not as nervous about my first century, even though I had technically only been able to train to 60 miles before yesterday's ride.
Yesterday morning Sean and I rose before the sun to tackle this latest challenge, the Spring Rush Palm Desert Century. We decided that instead of driving to the start line where we would need to worry about finding parking, we would instead just ride our bikes down there. What is another three miles when we were already going to need to complete 100? By the time Karrie and Leslie arrived, we left a little after 7 am for this next step in my Ironman journey.
Yesterday morning Sean and I rose before the sun to tackle this latest challenge, the Spring Rush Palm Desert Century. We decided that instead of driving to the start line where we would need to worry about finding parking, we would instead just ride our bikes down there. What is another three miles when we were already going to need to complete 100? By the time Karrie and Leslie arrived, we left a little after 7 am for this next step in my Ironman journey.
Ready to take on the 100-mile challenge!
It looked like the weather was going to cooperate. As we left the starting line it was a reasonable 65 degrees, and the forecast predicted that it would not get above 82. The first thirty-five miles were actually easy. Lots of flat terrain, cooler temperatures, and well stocked rest stops every 10-15 miles. I was attempting to take a different perspective with this race--I was going to enjoy every minute of this experience. Because one of my biggest fears is not training enough for Ironman, I attempt to do every workout suggested, every mile of bike, swim, and run in the plan, and in the process, I sometimes forget to just relax and be in the moment. I decided that one of my goals for this race was to push myself on the bike, but take time to enjoy the scenery, stay as much as possible with Sean, Karrie, and Leslie, and not worry about flying out of the rest stops in record time. So at each leg of the ride, I worked on keeping a good pace, but once I got to the rest stops I waited for everyone to arrive, get hydrated and fueled, and when everyone was ready, we took off together. I think because I took this perspective, I did not stress at all about finishing the race--that is until we hit Box Canyon.
This was not a huge uphill grade, but I think I captured how desolate it was.
Now, I am not afraid of hills. In fact, I love both running and biking up hills. I consider each hill a challenge that I need to conquer, and this is often where I decide to push myself the hardest. This hill was no exception, but fifteen miles of straight uphill even had me worried. And that was before the winds started to howl all around us. The head and side winds were honestly the most powerful I have ever experienced while biking or running. No matter how hard I pedaled, it was like I was barely moving forward. It felt like I must have gone at least ten miles when I came up on a southern California chemistry teacher we met at the rest stops. I asked her if we were finally near the top, and she told me we still had eight or nine miles left to go. Mentally, I was losing it. After what felt like an eternity, I finally got the sign I was waiting for. A very kind rider heading down yelled at me that I only had one more mile to go. That was enough to push me through to the top.
The ride down was amazing. There were very few motor vehicles, so for the first time I could race down a hill at top speeds without any worry that I would be hit by a car. The fifteen miles down was a completely different experience than the way up, and we were at the rest stop at the bottom in no time.
The ride down was amazing. There were very few motor vehicles, so for the first time I could race down a hill at top speeds without any worry that I would be hit by a car. The fifteen miles down was a completely different experience than the way up, and we were at the rest stop at the bottom in no time.
The amazing Canadian cyclists I met on our ride.
At the rest stop we met an incredible Canadian couple. Both were riding bicycles completely covered in bags with supplies. As you can see from the photo at the left, she has a bag on her handle bars, two connected to her front tire, and she has two on the back as well (about 50 kg of weight on each bike). This couple started their ride in Argentina 16 months ago, and have been riding and camping all the way through South America, Mexico, and now Southern California. They have ridden over 10,000 miles, and by the time they reach Alaska they will have logged nearly 20,000. Karrie, Leslie, and I were feeling silly for complaining about 15 difficult miles after talking to these two. It is funny how life sends people like this into your life to remind you to put challenges into perspective.
After the break with the downhill, and after meeting the two Canadian travelers, the rest of the race was relatively easy both mentally and physically. At mile 85 I realized I had gone twenty-five more miles than my longest training distance, and my body had not completely rebelled.
The last 25 miles, Karrie, Leslie, our new chemistry teacher friend Sharon, and I had ridden in a pace line straight to the finish, and it felt great to do so as a team. I am not sure why, but this century was so much easier on my body than my full marathon. Today, one day after riding 100 miles, I was a little bit sore, but I was still able to hike up a canyon with my family. Once I reached the top, I was able to run back down again with my daughter--so these sore legs were still able to pound out a little two-mile trail run, not bad. So while I know that adding a 2.4 mile run and a full marathon to yesterday's one hundred mile challenge will not be easy, I feel that if I continue pushing my limits, I will be as ready as I possibly can.
After the break with the downhill, and after meeting the two Canadian travelers, the rest of the race was relatively easy both mentally and physically. At mile 85 I realized I had gone twenty-five more miles than my longest training distance, and my body had not completely rebelled.
The last 25 miles, Karrie, Leslie, our new chemistry teacher friend Sharon, and I had ridden in a pace line straight to the finish, and it felt great to do so as a team. I am not sure why, but this century was so much easier on my body than my full marathon. Today, one day after riding 100 miles, I was a little bit sore, but I was still able to hike up a canyon with my family. Once I reached the top, I was able to run back down again with my daughter--so these sore legs were still able to pound out a little two-mile trail run, not bad. So while I know that adding a 2.4 mile run and a full marathon to yesterday's one hundred mile challenge will not be easy, I feel that if I continue pushing my limits, I will be as ready as I possibly can.
Post 100-mile ride-- evening hike with my family.
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