I don't think I have ever been so well prepared for an event before this one.
I was feeling better at the start than any other ultra-race I have done. My training was more on track than in the past too.
At the young age of 69, I was very conscious of my limits.
This year I was going to attempt doing the race in the self-supported Rondonneur Division.
For those that don't know, in this division, you have to be self-sufficient and will have no support crew. You have to be prepared on the bike and make sure that everything you may need to pick up along the way is put in drop bags to be left at the time stations. Rondonneur riding is how I usually train on all my long treks anyway.
In training, I was maintaining a pace that would easily have me finishing the race in under 45 hours without even working that hard. One of my training rides was The Tour of Two Forests Double Century, which I rode from home to the start. This was a very tough double with very tough climbing. 250 miles total with over 2/3 of the 508 climbing. I also did a 300-mile training ride fully loaded up to Lompoc and back, leaving at 9pm.
(My overall average speed on these training rides that were way tougher than the course at the 508 were a good indicator of my fitness going into the race)
All of this was good but left out one important factor....weather conditions on the course.
This year on the race I had to call it quits with just under 200 miles in my legs, and after mulling everything over, I think I know where I went wrong, very wrong.
I have to say this though.
If I had not made the mistake early on, I really don't think it would have made a difference in the final outcome. All of the self-supported division racers on this year's race did not finish and they were all much younger than me. Only 4 of the solo-supported racers completed the race.
Here is my story.
I left home a little early for Reno, Nevada where the race is located.
I decided to make the trip in 2 days to get acclimated to the higher altitude and dry air on the racecourse.
My buddy Victor let me stay at his condo in Mammoth Lakes for a night. His place is near the village and is at an altitude of just over 8,000 feet.
When I got up to Mammoth, the first thing I wanted to do was do go for a short bike ride. I wanted to do this for 2 reasons just so I could sleep well up there and to prime my legs a little at a higher altitude than I would be experiencing at the race.
I also was drinking Pedialyte Sport electrolyte drink as a pre-load. I have had a problem since getting older of getting dehydrated just traveling to these very dry climates. At the Eastern Sierra Double Century this year, when I got out of the car after the trip to Bishop, Ca., my hamstrings were cramped and I almost fell out onto the street.
 |
| Riding toward Lake Mary. The road was closed due to the forest closure as a result of the fires. No smoke on this day though. |
 |
| The Lake Mary bike path |
 |
| The Mammoth Lodge area. All downhill back to the village from here. |
I did a ride of about 12 miles with about 1,700 feet of elevation gain up at altitude. I just took it easy but I could really feel the altitude in my breathing. I climbed up to just under 9,000 feet at the Mammoth Lodge. That night, I slept like a baby. The first time I have slept that well at altitude in a long long time.
The next morning I left for Reno and arrived plenty early to get my bike inspected and get myself checked in for the race.
 |
| Getting my bike set-up approved by, race official, and none other than RAAM winner Cindi Staiger. |
 |
My mugshot
I saw many of my Adobo Velo clubmates at the inspection and check-in. It was great to see all of them. Many were doing the race and many were supporting racers.
|
Then came the pre-race meeting. The race director Robert Panzera did a great job and made it a fun meeting.
We all got together for a group photo of all the races before the meeting closed.
I had a great Italian dinner with friends, (Thanks Dee and Robert!), and then it was back to the hotel for early retirement. The solo race was to start at 5am.
We started on time. The temp was really nice. A cool 57 degrees requiring me to only start with a vest and arm warmers.
We did the neutral roll out a bit too fast and it took me a while, at my age, to get my second wind. Then the pace car made a wrong turn on a Hwy that you could not make a U-turn on so we all stopped and either jumped the center island or went backward on the same side of the road in the opposite way of traffic. Everyone was split up and already racing pretty hard for quite some time before the pace car caught up just before the start of actual racing at the turn toward the climb up Geiger Grade.
I was very prepared. I was probably carrying too much on the bike, but after last year, with the crazy storms we had, I was ready for anything.
I had my real cold-weather gear at the time station in Austin Nevada at mile 185. I was prepared for rain at any time just in case.
48.8 miles
Elevation gain: 2,996’
Maximum elevation: 6,710’
The climb up Geiger Grade was the easiest I have ever done. I was not particularly any faster because I was carrying everything but the kitchen sink on the bike, but my breathing was great and I just felt wonderful.
I followed one of my fellow Rondo riders up the entire climb. He was doing it on a fixed gear. I really admire those guys.
My much younger friend Robert was doing it on his fixed gear with a crew. He just flew up the mountain and disappeared.
Over the top, I went and as I descended into Virginia City, I was feeling great. I really had not even finished one bottle of water because it was so cool on the climb. I never really felt the need to drink.
In hindsight, this was the beginning of the problems which were to come in just over 100 miles.
I was carrying 3 bottles on the bike and my plan was to make sure I downed all 3 in the first 48 or so miles to the first time station in Silver Springs. I had my small Camel-back in my drop bag at Middlegate for the climb up Carroll Grade and into Austin. I was going to leave it there for the evening while I did the out and back to Eureka. Then I would pick it up in Austin on the way back.
Part of the problem was I was using the brand new bottles that I received with my entry at check-in. These were awesome bottles, but brand new, and the nipple on the bottle was not broken in yet. It was really hard for me to get a good flow of water. I should have brought the bottles I had planned to use. It was a bit too hard for me to squeeze the new bottles hard enough to get enough water in each squeeze. My bad.
I just flew down out of Virginia City on the 6-Mile Canyon descent to the turn on the Highway. After that, I kept a steady pace to the time station in Silver Springs. I rode some of it with a fellow Rondonneur who was from the San Francisco area.
When I got there, I had only drunk 1.5 bottles of Tailwind Endurance which I was using as my electrolyte/fluid source. I was feeling really good at this point just pacing myself. I was going a little harder than I had in training though and I could feel it a bit.
Stage 2: Silver Springs to Fallon
31.35 miles.
Total miles: 80.12
Elevation gain: 266 feet
Maximum elevation: 4,462
I did not stay too long at Silver Springs. I just filled my bottles, drank and Ensure Plus, and headed out.
I pushed pretty hard to Fallon, knowing that it is a pretty short stretch. One thing that was troubling me was that from the turn-off Six Mile Canyon to where I was now, there was a headwind. Not too strong but just enough to make it hard.
Most of the way, I would see my friends from my club, Adobo Velo, leapfrogging their solo riders. I was staying just ahead which surprised me because I was carrying so much weight. Maybe I was pushing too hard. The Rondo riders who I had gone over Geiger with, were still behind me. As far as I knew, there was one Rondo ahead of me. He was a very strong French guy who I talked to a little bit on the neutral section.
It was pretty smokey and ugly heading toward and into Fallon.
I rolled into time station 2 feeling very good. I had only taken down one more bottle. It was still pretty cool out.
I was treated to a really awesome air show by the US Navy as I approached the time station. I must have seen 30, F18 Super Hornets and F35s take off from the Top Gun School at NAS Fallon. They were turning and burning after takeoff right over the time station. Really cool.
I guzzled down another bottle, drank an Ensure again and some food, then filled my 3 bottles.
Stage three: Fallon to Austin. 106.4 miles
Total miles: 186.7
Elevation gain: 5,049’
Maximum altitude: 7,245’
This next stage is broken up into two sections for the Rondonneurs.
The self-supported riders get another stop about halfway to Austin, just past the town of Middlegate at the turn on to Hwy 722, where they can leave a drop bag with supplies.
This next section was pretty tough. It is not particularly hard but one of the long stretches that just seem never-ending. This is when the headwind started getting a little worse. It was fairly flat until getting to Sand Springs Pass but seemed way harder with the headwind. In years past doing the race, I always had no wind or a slight tailwind on this stretch. The weather seemed to be changing. The wind kept switching on this stretch.
 |
| Sand Springs Pass looking south. (This would be the return trip. Actually easier than north-bound) |
Over Sand Springs Pass I went and then a nice relaxing downhill to bank some energy. (the above picture is the north-bound descent.)
Then it was over Drum Summit before a long flat section to Middlegate. I then caught up with another Rondo whom I had forgotten about, just before the time station. There were 2 in front of me, not one.
This guy was an Italian Cyclist but he was currently living in the US. Really nice guy. We chatted for a bit at the Rondo stop.
The wind was howling at the Rondo stop. A sign of things to come? At its current direction, it would be a crossing headwind up and over Carroll Grade. Stuff was starting to blow over at the stop and I was getting a little concerned. I downed another Ensure Plus, some solid food, and a soda. Oh... did that soda taste good.
 |
Resting at the Middlegate Rondo Stop. Photo credit: Robert Panzera
|
I still felt pretty good when I left the stop into a pretty nasty headwind. It was not all that hot compared to other years. The wind seemed to cool me off a bit but it also had the effect of drying me out too.
My quads were starting to burn a bit so I backed off a little bit. I talked to my new Italian friend for a bit as we made the turn at the little ranch that signifies the start of Carroll Grade.
I now was carrying 3 bottles, two with Tailwind Endurance Fuel and one with just plain water. I now was wearing my Camel-back which I had half-full. I thought this would be enough fluid but I was wrong.
I was feeling really good right up until the first signs of trouble!
I was putting some distance on my new Italian friend and actually holding my own pretty well considering all the weight I was carrying. I saw a number of my club-mates who were on teams that were catching up with the solos now. They all started at 7 am and being on a relay team, are able to carry a much faster pace than solo riders.
The first sign of trouble was a very slight inner thigh cramp which I was able to work out. I guzzled down a bottle of my endurance fuel which is high in electrolytes. In the past when I had a slight tinge of a cramp, I could handle it by drinking down some electrolytes and it would go away.
Not this time!!
I was fine for a while. I got out of the saddle on a little kicker section feeling really good. When I sat down and started pedaling, both my quads started cramping. I dropped into a very low gear and that seemed to help. Now I started drinking down as much fluid as I could.
On this short stretch, I drank down 2 bottles of electrolyte fluid, one bottle of water, and my Camel-back. Now I started realizing that I had made a rookie mistake. I didn't drink enough when I felt it wasn't necessary.
My bad!!!
I was now running out of water and I was only about 2/3 of the way up Carroll Grade.
I stopped to stretch out the cramps and as soon as I tried to get off the bike, both my hamstrings cramped. I stopped for a while and stretched.
I re-mounted and spun my easiest gear up the hill.
The steeper, switchbacks were just up ahead and I knew I was not far from the summit.
In all my other 508's, this climb just did not seem all that tough compared to the things I ride in my local mountains. It is a whole different animal when you are dehydrated.
Nothing seemed to help.
The next time I clipped out my hamstrings and quads cramped. Then the arches in my feet cramped and I almost fell over because I couldn't get my cleats un-clipped. It was time to walk.
I wanted to keep moving forward. Having already lost, maybe 30 minutes, I was losing ground fast. None of the other Rondo's passed me though so that was encouraging. They must have been having trouble also or just took long breaks on the way up.
Some of my Adobo Velo brothers saw me and offered me some pickle juice. That big glass of pickle juice and the dill pickle in it tasted so good. I gave them a huge thanks and kept walking.
It really hurt my back to walk up that hill. I walked at about 2 mph to within a quarter-mile of the summit.
After 3 attempts to get back on and almost falling over with cramps, I was able to get back on when it leveled a little bit.
Over the summit, I went.
I was able to work out the cramps by just spinning and recovering on the long descent off of the grade. I was actually feeling pretty good, but I could not push very hard and had no power.
As the descent opened up to an iconic view, I had a crosswind from the south which was pretty hard. I knew I would have a tailwind now going into Austin and time station 3.
The road made a slight left turn at the big ranch and then I had a blazing tailwind that I could not take advantage of. I was not even pushing hard in a lower gear just spinning at 20 mph when I could be going 30 in this kind of wind.
I stopped for a minute to take in some food, thinking that maybe I needed some calories to bring my power back. At least I wasn't cramping anymore.
Note: I have had the next situation happen before and after countless tests, scans, halter monitors, and cardiologist visits, my cardiologist diagnosed it as being caused by dehydration and just doing this type of thing at my age. From my cardiologist's mouth. "You can get away with it when your younger, but your heart is a muscle and things change when you are older."
One of the reasons I take in more electrolytes just getting to the race.
I know when to recognize it now and know when I should stop and recover.
I have never had it happen at a race though. Only a couple times in training and on one double century event in the past 5 years.
Every time it has happened, it was after eating when stopped....every time!
 |
Just before my food break and it all hit the fan.
Photo credit: Robert Panzera |
Well, I took in some solid food hoping that I would recover some of my power. I was not having the feeling of bonking at all, I just felt I had not been eating enough.
My heart rate was down at about 118 when I stopped to eat and I felt fine while eating.
As soon as I came to the first little kicker of a hill and got out of the saddle to push a bit....again with no more cramps...my HR ramped up to 180 and I was not even working all that hard.
I have felt this before and knew exactly what was happening. My doctor explained it this way. When you are a dehydrated athlete, and eat too much solid food on a hot day, and you ask your heart, which is a muscle, to put in a hard effort, your heart has to work too hard to not only deal with the dehydration but deal with trying to digest the food you just ate at the same time. It can't handle it.
Well...long story short...I slowed way down and had a hard time just keeping my HR below 150. On the climb over Railroad Summit, I was in the lowest gear and just taking it easy at an HR of about 150. On descents, it would go down to 125 but as soon as I tried to push the pedals at all it would go up to 150 again.
I could have made up so much time on this section! There was a blazing fast tailwind but all I could do was push easy and coast. Sad!
At the top of Railroad Summit, one of the solo riders crew was there and they asked me how I was doing. I was totally out of water now and was just praying someone would show up.
They topped off my bottles and I was on my way.
 |
You could see the weather change starting as I rode into Austin. The smoke was clearing and clouds were forming. Bells were going off in my head.
|
I kept thinking about the climb to Austin and then the climb out of Austin to Austin Summit. One of the hardest climbs. My plan was to recover at the time station and re-hydrate. I would be riding into the night and the temps would be cooling way down. I knew if the winds improved, I could recover nicely on the bike. I do much better in the cold than other people. Must be my Swiss heritage.
Well...the climb to the time station after the right turn on Hwy 50 just took everything out of me. Lowest gear and I barely made it.
When I stopped and checked myself in, all that was going through my head was the forecast of 30-40 MPH winds for the following day coming out of the south, southwest.
I was about 1.5 hours later at the time station than when I did it solo with a crew back in 2016 and finished in 42 hours. I knew I could do it if the weather was as usual on this course, but was thinking that it would be virtually impossible if the forecast was correct, especially after my dehydration incident. The beautiful clouds that were forming as the sun was setting, some of them Lenticular Clouds, was a sign of the weather change!
I sat down and started putting some warmer clothes on. It was unusually warm and still in the '60s in Austin. It usually cools down much faster.
My heart rate was still at 150 and was not going down yet. I guzzled a bottle of electrolytes and it started to recover some but just not enough.
Not long before this, I noticed that my friend Robert, who was doing the race on his fixed gear, solo, was stopped and his crew was at the time station with him. I heard Dee, Robert's wife yell out to me.
Rob was having dehydration problems also and had cramped on Carroll Grade also. I cant imagine cramping and trying to climb on a fixed gear bike.
Knowing that if I decided to quit, I was on my own as far as finding a ride back to Reno, made my next decision much easier. There was also that thing about the weather too.
Also...I am almost 70 years young and if I left for the next time station in Eureka 70 miles away with nothing in between but a desolate desert in the dark, Remember, I was riding self-supported.
I usually just love riding all by myself out in the middle of nowhere but this was different.
I asked Dee if I decided to call it if they had room for me and my bike. I offered to join their crew and ride with them the rest of the race supporting Robert. They said absolutely.
Robert started up the hill as they moved things around to make room. Luckily they had a giant van but it was still tight.
I walked over to the official's table and gave them my GPS tracker. I told them I was calling it.
We drove up the hill and caught up to Robert just before the summit. The wind was howling in a headwind now as he went down off of Austin Summit to Bob Scott Summit. He was fighting the wind on his way down. It was still unusually warm.
We got about 20 or so miles out when Rob just stopped. The winds were killing him and he said he was overheated even though it was in the '50s outside.
He wanted to go down for a 45-minute nap.
We moved the bikes outside and down he went.
We all took a little nap, then the alarm went off.
Robert was still feeling pretty bad when he woke up. He didn't look very good either.
His crew would spend over 2 hours from the time we stopped trying to get him to recover but it just wasn't happening.
The crew was discussing all the time scenarios and how he had plenty of time to finish even if it took him till 5 am to get to Eureka. Then he would have 25 hours to do 250 miles on the return. Totally possible considering there is actually less climbing on the return.
This is when the same discussion came into play that I was having with myself in my head, about the weather forecast.
Long story short...after a very long discussion...it was decided that Robert would call it also and save himself for his upcoming 24 hour time trial race in a few weeks. Again the weather forecast was one of the main factors I believe.
As it turned out, we both made the correct decision!
There is no way we could have finished when we saw what came to pass the following day.
The wind was already starting to come up out of the south when we arrived back at the hotel in Reno at around 3-4am.
After the sun came up, it progressively started to get stronger...MUCH STRONGER!!
I still had to stay in Reno one more day to retrieve my drop bags on Sunday morning after the time stations close and they bring them to the finish. Robert and his crew were off Saturday morning for home.
After saying goodbye, I drove over to the finish to hang out the rest of the day.
Final words:
The wind started howling so bad at the finish line in Reno that the entire finish line needed to be taken down and things literally tied down. I helped Robert Panzera, the race director, attach the 508 banners to his van at the finish with Gorilla Tape but that didn't work. It almost blew away and he had to take it down.
Winds were gusting out of the south-southwest close to 40mph I would estimate. At one point the t-shirts and boxes of trophies started blowing across the street next to the finish line. It was crazy.
I really felt for the race director, Robert. This was all such a bummer.
The few solo racers who came in next reported very dangerous cross-winds descending Geiger Grade. This prompted Robert to put out an emergency text to all competitors and their crews that it would be allowable to shuttle riders down the grade in their support vehicle to the bottom.
Seeing how bad the wind was down in Reno, I could only imagine how bad the crosswinds must be up on that big mountain on that very fast descent. (I was very scared a couple of years ago doing that descent with just the normal winds in the afternoon.)
On my phone, I was watching the GPS tracker and seeing that people on their southbound trek were riding at a snail's pace. I could only imagine trying to do that self-supported. As it ended up, none of the Rondonneurs finished. I don't think any made even back to Middlegate before calling it quits.
Only 4 solo riders finished. (I had made the right call in quitting.)
11 solo riders did not finish, 7 of them Rondonneurs.
It was a tough year with conditions, in my opinion, tougher than the storms and weird conditions of last year. High winds can make it so tough to finish this type of race in the desert where you are totally exposed.
I will be back next year on a team to finally snag that Hall of Fame for the race which slipped by this year. This year was going to be my solo 500 swan song.
Not sure, at 70 if I will have another solo, non-stop RAAM qualifier in me, but who knows. Stranger things have happened.
Comments
Post a Comment