Significant Modifications
Brent and his crew have really been working things out. As a result, the official word is "GO". What it means is a change in the overall starting and opening time between groups. Normally the earliest start time is 06:00, with a new group every 3 minutes, putting the last group out at roughly 07:30. That's 90 minutes at the opening. This year they are starting at 04:50, with 5 minutes between groups. The last group will still clear at 07:30, but this puts the total open time at 170 minutes. There are other modifications to feed zones, finish line(s) (yes that was plural) and award/post event stuff. All things said, it will be different - for sure. I mean, starting anytime before 06:30 on a clear day that time of year will require lights (and patience). Start talking about the race volunteers, radio crews, services and so on, their day has become considerably more difficult - on several fronts. Feed zones will have to open earlier, traffic direction will be out longer..........you get the picture. Then consider the race dynamic. Likely smaller groups, longer periods between trains and bigger gaps in "no mans land". There is a lot to consider.
Training
This year has been a struggle. Road miles have just not been good. Stacking miles is not efficient, but you need a solid base from which to build. Looking at purely hours, I have a lot on the dirt, and even on the spin-bike. These are no substitute for time on the road bike. Add to that just flat out poor quality road miles, and well...........this is a problem. At this point the 3 -4 hour "empty tank" endurance should be established. Two road rides this week proved otherwise. Sure, conditions weren't the best - in fact pretty crappy, but still...... It's hard not to get nervous, like literally panic at times, but I have enough experience to know what to do. And again, lets not forget about the mental part of this thing. It is important to get strong rides, that instill confidence as well as the physical aspects. We'll figure it out.
Monday night was hell climbing Trappers. Strong, gusting blasts all the way up. So hard it was hard to stay on the road. Too dangerous to go back down, so I had to finish the climb for safety reasons. From there, I had to call for a bailout - AGAIN!
Tuesday was on the dirt, followed by a session of weight bearing. Wednesday was a 50 mile tempo ride that started a little fast. Around the 100 minute mark I was feeling gassed. Then, it got into my head. Needless to say confidence was lost. I whimpered into the garage like I'd been beat. It was pretty dark, I felt sick (the bonk) and pretty much demoralized.
Last night I hit the dirt again. I was smart enough to wait until the sun was behind the mountain, and riding with a specific tempo. It was the usual, up to the overlook, starting in Cutler. I felt pretty good about the overall climb. It was starting to get dark when I snapped this pic and sent it out . Taking the north trail down, like I've done a million times this year, I was getting a little ahead of myself when I crashed. Yup, picking gravel out of my knees and scrubbing dirt out of my legs and arms. Wasn't too bad, but it was a stupid mistake. By the time I got in the garage I was feeling a little stiff, but more so angry. Having a 03:30 alarm set, I did the customary wound fix and parked it for the night. Early morning on a job site I felt like I'd taken a few hits. 12 hours in the extreme heat of the day, on a very stressful project, made things more noticeable. The job went well, but I'm severely dehydrated. Cramping in my hands and other obvious effects are not what I need to finish the week. I know better than to "crow" about what I have planned, as that seems to doom the effort before it begins.
Fundraising
Talking to my contacts at Huntsman, they've seen a huge lag in fundraising overall. The feeling is everyone is holding back to see if it's a go. Yes, I know that feeling as well. Okay, we're going, so I guess we need to get moving on the "Porpoise". If you've made it this far, please refer a friend. Enough page views seems to get us over the top every year.
Whatever your reason for stopping by - thanks. Stick around. There is a lot coming. And who doesn't need a worthy distraction right now?
Click here - The Late and Great Peter Green leading the Bluesbreakers
Ride HARD!
