Week 17

Date
April 27th, 2013

Distance
152 Miles

Time
10:13:58

Route Map/Profile

Weather

Picture

Diablo sunrise

Ride Report
This is an embarrassing post to write, but I have to do it. I didn't finish DMD. I quit at the Crothers rest stop after struggling up and down Mt. Hamilton.

Before I went to bed on Friday night, I decided to air up my tires. As I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, my rear tube began leaking from the valve. I wasn't sure if it was a bad omen or if I was lucky that it was happening before the ride instead of during the ride. I guess it turned out to be a bad omen.

The ride started off well enough. It was relatively warm (great news for the Diablo descent) and I made my way towards the front of the group. I felt good towards the bottom of Diablo, but as the climb went on I felt more average. I wasn't concerned at the time-- it was still early. After a decent descent I found myself in a strong group, so things were working out well.

My legs still didn't seem great, but this was a flatter section of the ride, which isn't my strength. Again, I didn't think much of it. I figured I'd feel better on the climbs. I was OK on Morgan Territory and stuck with the group, but after the rest stop the group seemed to break up a little bit and I found myself in a smaller group. Eventually I made it to Patterson Pass where I remember feeling strong back in 2011. Once again, my legs felt OK, but I was missing a little something.

After that it was on to Mines Rd., which was probably my least favorite part of the route in 2011. It's just a long, gradual uphill that never seems to end. This is where the 6:00 riders passed me back in 2011, and it happened again this year, albeit slightly later than last time. After I finally made it to the Junction I noticed some strong 6:00 guys from last year. I shamelessly sucked one guy's wheel until the base of Mt. Hamilton.

Mt. Hamilton is tough. Sierra Rd. gets a lot of talk, but in 2011 I felt like Mt. Hamilton was the most difficult portion of the ride. I rode well up Hamilton in 2011 and passed a lot of people. I had to take a little extra time at the Crothers rest stop because of that, so I was focused on doing a steady ride up Hamilton this year.

Once I hit the bottom of Mt. Hamilton there was no more denying it. I simply didn't have good legs. I couldn't find a rhythm and my easiest gear didn't feel easy enough. I tried not to force the issue. I took it extra easy on the flatter sections and eventually made it to the top. I stopped there for a few minutes to catch my breath, because I knew the descent was tricky and I wanted to be focused on that.

My breath was like a greased pig- not so easy to catch. Once I started the descent my body began to shut down. I thought I was going to puke, so I pulled over. Nothing was coming out, so I got back on to ride some more. I still felt out of breath, so I pulled over again. I had this irresistible urge to lie there in the grass, so that's what I did. After a while I felt good, so I got back up. As soon as I got back up I felt like crap again. Then my legs started cramping. Each time I tried to stand up, I'd cramp. After about 4 tries I made it back on my feet and on the bike. I tried to spin my legs a little on the descent to get them loose, but it wasn't working. When I reached the bottom of the descent and made it on the flat roads, my legs were empty. I was in my easiest gear going 6mph on a flat road. The bad news was that I was still about 5 miles away from the rest stop. I took it easy hoping my legs would loosen up, but it wasn't happening.

The SAG wagon was there are the rest stop, so I bailed out. I have a history of mood swings when I'm struggling on a long ride, and today was no different. I question why I ride so much, why I take it so seriously, and whether cycling is a healthy hobby for me or a dangerous addiction. I convince myself that I'm going to stop riding so much and just relax and have fun. No more doubles, no more long winter training rides, and no more pushing my limits. I'll ride 100 miles at the most and take long breaks along the way to eat and soak up the sun.

Those desires never last for long. By the end of the SAG ride back to the hotel I was already angry at myself for failing and trying to figure out why I had a bad day. After all, I had a good month of training in April. Did I ride too much in training? I had a similar buildup last year and seemed to ride just fine. Did I not ride enough the week before DMD? Again, I've used a similar approach in the past. What about nutrition and hydration? I drank plenty and was eating the same stuff I normally eat. Did I ride too hard on the flatter sections? Seems possible, but the warning signs were there on Mt. Diablo before any difficult riding took place. I had a little bit of a cold for two days after my 160-mile ride. Was that the problem? It wasn't much and I've felt fine for over a week. I don't really have a good answer. The most likely problem is a combination of riding too hard and not eating enough, but I can't point to any specific examples and I feel like this should have happened to me last year because nothing much has changed. It's frustrating.

Terrible Two is June 15th. On Saturday I swore to myself that I'd never ride another double again, but now I feel like I need to finish Terrible Two to prove something to myself. I may not take it super easy and take long breaks and eat ice cream at all the rest stops, but I do want to relax a little bit, let the fast guys ride up the road, ride my own pace, and finish strong. We'll see how it goes.