White Mountain Double and a Succussful California Triple Crown

It was mid July when my wife indicated that if I wanted to attempt the California Triple Crown (3 doubles in a year), that she need to make the selection. Having more to do with her own training regiment and when she would have a ‘rest’ week, she would need to be able to give our son undivided attention while I was away. So September 11th became the date for the White Mountain Double, an event and place I had never heard of.

http://web.mac.com/ndzone/NdZONE/White_Mountain.html

Being a little superstitious, I was hoping that the date and place wasn’t ominous. I had 6 weeks to peak which allowed for a 125 mile solo ride and back to back 100’s (one in Arnold to Ebbetts Pass at 7,800-feet and the next day at home out to Livermore/Calaveras/Milpitas and then home).

As I learned, the White Mountains border the Nevada side of the Sierras in the high plain dessert of the Inyo National Forrest east of Yosemite. Seeing the Bishop weather forecast for 90s, the high elevation, and low humidity, my apprehension rose in recalling having been to the hospital more than once for heat stroke/dehydration. I started my hydration routine a week early with Nuun’s (www.nuun.com) and soup (“one large Pho Ga please”) daily for lunch…

The 6 hour drive from the east bay to Bishop was a new experience, since it was my first time through stunning Tuolumne Meadow, Tioga Pass, and Mono Lake.

At 5:00 am I arrived at the start with a roll call and mass ‘late’ start (the early start left at 4:00 am). The first 20 miles consisted of a single paceline of cyclists trying to stay warm and off the highway shoulder rumble strip. As we made a left turn and begin to ascend up the valley floor, the pack severed. Knowing that 20 miles and 6,000 vertical feet of climbing were ahead, I decided to ride my own comfortable pace.

The valley plain narrowed into a stream-less draw. While it appeared flat, my Garmin indicated an 8-percent steady climb. With a steady headwind, it would be a long haul to the summit. After 10 miles, I reach the crest of the mountains saddle and headed north for the out and back section to Schulman’s Grove (elevation 10,100) with switchbacks and steeper Diablo-esk climbs, some of the oldest pine trees in the world (and the last of the trees we would see all day!).

After a fast decent, I decided to find a group to share both the experience and the work. For the next 140 miles our group swelled to as many as eight, but remained steady at 4 till the end. Entering Nevada, we felt the wind on are backs and the pace quickened to average 30 miles per hour for the hour before lunch. At Dyer we stopped for a cold one (coke in a glass bottle!) and quick lunch, and then off towards Highway 6 looking for signs the Lunar Landing (yes it was starting to get hot and we didn’t want to discuss politics) in the desert plains.

At mile 135 we began the final 15 mile assent to a 7,000-foot pass in the mountain. With the work seemingly over, we all felt strong and ready for the 50 mile descent back to Bishop. Ten miles later, the major descending was over and we discovered that the final 40 mile approach to the finish would be against a 30 mile an hour headwind. Our 25 mph pace slowed to 18 then 17 then 16. We were down to two of us taking pulls with a couple of passengers hanging on.

Finally we were caught by a small group who pulled for about 10 miles until we saw the Bishop sign and the road bent west leaving the headwind behind. We were elated at the finish at both completing the ride, our place results (3rd to 6th place finishers of 110 starters) and the good fortune of the day.

My body felt tired but less depleted than I had expected. My goal was to be hydrated enough to take a natural break (sans restroom) at every stop (which worked well for the first 150 miles). The ride was well organized with a good amount of aide stations and encouragement!

With a sleepless post ride night (still pedaling), I left early Sunday morning for the scenic return trip to the Bay Area. With the results finalized, I was pleased at joining the elite California Triple Crown and meet my 2010 athlete goals (including over 7,000 miles, 400 hours, and over 380,000 vertical feet of climbing on the bike since Christmas). Now to meet those family, work, and friend goals…who’s first?

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p.s. Special thanks to my wife and son for putting up with my 'time out' this year, to the Eden Cycling Race Team for their support and companionship, Chris P and Eden Bicycles in Castro Valley, Dr. Elkind at Integro Sports in Walnut Creek for the Active Release Technique, and Tyrone Williams at HST for the massage work. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this dream without your support! Thank You!

Committing to the Davis Double

Unlike the structured buildup and peaking effort for the Solvang Double, preparing for Davis was more a test of will. Since the Solvang ride, my legs, body, and spirit were all pedaling square…lacking the discipline and motivation to commit to Davis. My legs were tired. My mind wanted to press. My body wanted to rest.

The weekend of the Devil Mountain Double was my supposed ‘go/no go’ decision ride. I pedaled out Mines Road to the junction and back, just catching of glimpse of Kevin Comerford as he crested the initial climb on the way to his impressive finish of a truly grueling day. I, on the other hand, finished my 108 mile trek bonking, overheated, and ready to become a fly fisher full time – a no-go decision.

Wildflower changed that notion. There is something to be said in watching people suffer and overcome. Noah and I enjoyed the weekend spectating. He was very interested in the Challenged Athletics with missing legs and limbs. We stopped by the Challenged Athletes Foundation (www.callengedathletes.org) booth, saw pictures and talked with athletes. We helped at an aide station for a bit and cheered Kim on. How can you not be inspired?

So with two weeks to the event I registered. I reinforced my commitment to soft pedal and spin rather than power and pressing. I took time out of training to visit both Tyrone Williams of HST, my massage therapist, and Dr. Lauren Elkind of Integro Sports my ART specialist. I also got new ‘sexy’ Reynolds Wheels with Powertap from Eden Bicycles that Kim had ordered for my birthday (Wow!).

And then it was Saturday. The ride from and to Davis (first and last 50 miles) is rather flat, circumventing the orchards and vineyards west of town. The only real peloton (bike train) developed around mile 10 to the first aide station with average speeds over 25 mph. At Putah Creek the route climbs to Lake Berryessa and then up Cardiac Hill into Napa County. From Berryessa, the route through rural Pope Valley (reminiscent of my first Road Race in 1990 in a less than stellar Cat 4 career), to Middletown and then climbing Highway 110 to Lower Lake near Clear Lake.

Although Davis had twice the riders (1000) as Solvang, I found few working groups to share the pace making. From the feed station at mile 100 to the finish I rode with one or two others, and passed only a handful of riders. As the downward grade from Clear Lake leveled, we entered the most stressful course section: Cache Creek at 4 pm, mile 170. I had no idea that the casino was 1) in the middle of nowhere, 2) was served by a 2-lane rural highway with no shoulders, 3) allowed both tour buses ,and 4) most concerting…served alcohol. With thoughts of riding Niles Canyon Road during rush hour, we upped the pace in a desperate move to avoid confrontation. Only one angry motorist honking and yelling ‘get out of the road.’ (In its 41st year, the Davis Double has used this road before there was a casino)

At mile 185 I began to feel the effects of the temperature (my computer says it was 100 degrees, but I’m guessing It was only 85…but I’ve always had difficulty with heat on long rides). I could hold 175 watts (19 mph) on the flats but had nothing more. Dejay, a Western States Ultra Runner by preferred sport and my compatriot for the final 40 miles, waited more than once for me to tag back onto his wheel. With 8 miles to go we stopped at the final rest stop…I downed 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (best food of the day) and a handful of ice for inside my helmet and down my shirt.

All in all it was a successful day. I didn’t try to press for time but road a pace suited for my current conditioning and desires. I also tried not to lag at any of the feed stations…it always hurts me more to stop, get stiff, and start than to just go and eat on the road. My base training from Solvang carried over to Davis. I learned that during the past couple of months, my mind was playing more games than my body was hurting: it was/is more a mental game to commit. Once I could relax (with massage, ART therapy, and mental resolve) and then spin rather than press, the riding was easy and the spirit fulfilled.

The Camaron Burrito in Vacaville hit the spot after a hard but satisfying day in the saddle.

Davis Double Statistics

• May 15, 2010
• Distance = 201 miles
• Ride Time = 11:15 Total Time = 12:17
• Elevation Gain/Lost = 8,425 feet
• Average Speed = 17.9 mph Maximum = 49.8 mph
• Average Heart Rate = 140 bpm Maximum = 163 bpm
• Average Power = 156 watts Maximum = 737 watts
• Average Cadence = 90 rpm
• Start Temp = 48.2 degrees at 5:32 am Max = 98.6

WILDFLOWER LONG COURSE

Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13 mile run)

May 1, 2010 Lake San Antonio, CA

By Kim Schaefer

2010 got off to a rocky start, with January and February consisting of (besides buckets of rain! And cold!), getting past having the metal pin taken out of my tibia in December, unexpected dental work, including a tooth pulled, and not one, but two colds (thank you Noah)! Struggling to regroup during March and April was tough, as our wet and cold weather continued…

Now, mind you, this is going to be a looooong year, with Barb’s Race at the end of July and the Big One, Ironman Florida alllll the way in November, so I know will be a price to be paid for getting too excited too soon into the year. But I was nervous, anxiety-ridden, even, going into Wildflower. Kona last October was pretty much a once in a lifetime experiment in calculated stupidity, and finishing was absolutely the ONLY goal. Which, on some small level, was a little demoralizing, after finally feeling the least bit competitive with anyone other than myself in 2008. Don’t get me wrong, I savored every minute of it. It was just weird in that way. Wildflower was going to be the test of truth….how much was actually lost last year, strength and speed wise? Would I ever be able to “race”, even in the loose sense I use that word? Only the clock would tell…..and it wasn’t gonna lie.

Having an 85 cat Tri-Valley Fix our Ferals clinic the weekend before was both good and bad. Added stress, yes, but also a place to channel all that ridiculous energy of taper week; there are 85 fewer breeding cats in the world AND my CD’s are alphabetized! Excellent! Taper week was tough this go around. Turned out none of my friends were able to make it to the race this year, so we decided to turn it into a camping adventure and Dan and Noah would accompany me. Knowing the logistics of Wildflower, we reluctantly decided to leave Lance at Club K-9 in an attempt to all make it home alive, unharmed and still married. So Friday, after the traditional pre-race brick workout and tucking in the masses of animals for a 2 day stint of self-management, we picked Noah up from preschool and headed out. We arrived about 5pm, and the campground was looking pretty full. We found a bitty spot right next to where I had camped with Lori and Ray 2 years ago, and set up camp. Beggars can’t be choosers, so our site had a definite, shall we say, “slope” towards the lake, and Dan tried to do some relandscaping to prevent any of us from taking an unscheduled swim. The best part for Noah (and ultimately for us) was that there was a kids play structure about 500 feet from our site. The best part for me was a bathroom at about the same distance. Tents were pupped and off we headed to registration/check in. Bike set up, clothes and transition bags set out and off to bed….

Knowing the Wildflower madness I was at the shuttle boat launch with my bike and bags 2 full hours before my start wave. Good move. Set up my transition area and had lots of leisure time to stretch and listen to my Ipod and contemplate the port o potties before squeezing myself into that wetsuit. Being old now, and a girl, my start wave was the very last one before the Relays—9:25 am. The water was cold when we got in, but not troublesome once the horn went off and we were into the open water. My swim is…well, my swim. I survive it as best as I can and hope against hope to balance bettering my last time with having enough energy to do the rest of the race. Did my darndest…my swim has been the bain of my existence as of late—turned in a time of 48 minutes and change (5 minutes slower than my 2008 time—what are ya gonna do?). Ran up the ramp, saw Dan and Noah, had a very good T1 (faster than 2008) and onto the bike. That Lynch hill right out of the gate is simply an insult to all things good and right in the world. And before you get there, you have to navigate, no!, survive, getting around all the people heading onto the mountain bike course. Made it onto the top of Lynch hill and off we went. The bike course was, and this is my favorite way for it to be: fairly uneventful. Worried that I have had no barometer of my returning (or not returning—you be the judge) cycling strength/speed, I just wanted to keep steady, stay absolutely focused throughout, and give it what I felt to be my 100% while not trashing myself. Some sort of karmic balance between pushing and spinning (thank you computrainer for your faithfulness and tempo workout feedback these last months!). One bathroom stop—darn aging process!—2 minutes lost—I TIMED my bathroom stop as I STILL can’t pee on the bike! And it’s just not something you want to, well…practice. Being in the last wave, and being a really BAD swimmer and relatively strong cyclist, I had LOTS of people to pass. And pass them I did, which was the first time THAT had happened in awhile (like about 18 months, to be exact) and I started feeling like a rockstar with the ensuing optimism. Time: 3.26.28. 2008….3.18.19. I’ll take it! As will I take a faster T2, by 6 whole seconds, thank you very much.

And now for the test of truth…the “run”. I didn’t really have a plan, per se, for the run, beyond eating a gu every 3 miles. My usual best case scenario/personal rule is run as much as you can, but any time you have a paper cup in your hand you are allowed to walk. So I headed out in my newfound shuffle-pace and thought I’d just see what happened. Pretty soon my obsessive thought pattern turned to the last year…more specifically how much WALKING I had had to do in the past year. I had to train for the whole flipping Kona Ironman marathon at a walk….on a flat bike trail….in Danville…in the summer. I decided that I never, ever wanted to walk again as long as I could run, and by mile 2 I decided as long as I was alive and breathing, I’d be running. By the massive hill about mile 4, I kept thinking about the first doctor I saw after breaking my leg who told me I’d never run again. Well, then I HAD to keep running. Mind you, my run was little more or less like a jog at best, but I kept it going….with or without the paper cup!! At WILDFLOWER! Toughest half run I know of. I just kept plodding along, thinking I was just happy not to be walking….like the at least 3 MEN I passed by---with M-DOT TATOOS ON THEIR CALVES!!! HA! Take THAT ya stupid horse, and you, even stupider doctor! Not knowing what to expect from this race at all, I knew deep down in my overtaxed heart that I’d be thrilled with anything under 7 hours. My 2008 time was 6.41.54. I always wished to beat it, but I was realistic. I saw the magic time come and go…but I was about half a mile away from the finish. I mean that in an “ONLY” half a mile kind of way! I was indeed going to make it in under 7 hours: 6.50.06 to be exact! As I ran down the finish chute, so thrilled with myself, about 500 feet from the finish line, Dan heaved Noah under the snow fence barrier like a torpedo and he scooted out, took my hand and ran to the finish line with me. It was indeed a very sweet victory, personally. I checked my actual times on the website Monday morning to write up my race report and looked at my run splits. 2.26.45 on Sunday. 2008: 2.32.44. Oh, my gosh, I’m the six million dollar woman! Is it possible that they put it back together STRONGER and FASTER?!?!? I have to go send another thank you note to my orthopedic surgeon now.

Solvang Double 2010 - A View from My Ride

Being my first true fore into ultra distance cycling, I was a bit nervous about what to expect and how my body would react. I based my training preparation loosely on ultra run training and on last year’s Death Ride with 3 week building blocks and one week of rest/testing beginning in late December. As a final preparation, I rode solo from Arnold to home (~150 miles) two weeks before the event and then tapered the final two weeks.

Arriving in Solvang brought back memories of Kim and my ride about ten years ago when they had both a century and double century ride on the same day. We left on the century ride in the rain, got lost, and decided to skip the event and visit Solvang (we did the ride the next day unsupported in beautiful spring conditions).
In the predawn morning bicycle headlamps greeted me as I drove to get Kim coffee at 5:45. I had debated on when to start and had planned on 12 hours so that I could leave near daybreak and be back around sunset. The second dilemma was whether to start with the 7:30 timed mass start or go at my own. After check-in I thought it better to go at my own pack for my first double attempt.

Daybreak’s 37-degree temperature reading left me happy (for the moment) that I wore my knee warmers, arm warmers, wind vest, light gloves, and disposable toe and hand warmers. As a new found ‘friend’ and I climbed out of the valley, the temperature warmed and the winds began to pick up. Near the top of the first climb we passed the first tandem of the day, which promptly flew past us on the down-hill which I chased for a good half mile before being caught in their draft. 10-miles later we hit the first aide station and stayed behind the tandem for the next 10-miles soft pedaling at 25 mph until the road went uphill in the southern approach to San Luis Obispo. At this point the 7:30 pack (now 25 strong) flew past in an echelon taking the entire travel lane. My ‘friend’ and I jumped onto the tail end of the train. After about one mile, I knew that the pace was too hard for me and that my heart rate was exceeding my goal of keeping it below 150 bpm. Goodbye ‘friend.’

In SLO with the temperature rising towards 80, I shed all of the extra clothing which I now had to carry for the next 120 miles. I was being to feel tightness in my legs so I immediately began taking electrolyte (salt tabs/ecaps) in mass. It was fun to ride through my old college town (now wishing I had rode much more while I was there) and head out towards the rock at Morro Bay, taking pulls with the dropped riders from the pack into southwesterly crosswinds. Morro Bay was crowded with sunbathers and sightseers enjoying a summer like day at the first of spring which caused a bit of havoc with the cyclists. Once through we headed south down highway 1 to the other beach communities and coastal flatlands.

Around mile 160, I truly started feeling the effects of riding long distance. The temperature had risen to close to 90 degrees, my legs begin the cramping reflexes (needed more ecaps), I was tired of everything liquid (hammer gel and hammer sustain), and, worst of all, my feet had swelled leaving the tips of my toes raw. Plus the truly flatness of the ride (saw one guy attempting it on a single speed fixie) was daunting. But the last rest stop at mile 175 came as a relief. While the 8 person group I was in stopped and rested, I downed a coke and keep going knowing that a climb was just ahead.

Kim and I had done the climb ten years previous so I knew it was a little steep with poor pavement but very ride-able. The 1,000 of climbing felt refreshing relative to the prior 100 mile flatness. Over the summit, the sun was just being to cast the longer shadows. I noticed the wildflowers that were everywhere for the first time of the day. The decent was fast and easy along with the tailwind back into Bulleton. We arrived at the hotel to a cheer from the bar patrons and an attaboy from the staff (‘Why didn’t you start at 7:30 and get timed?’).

Overall, for me it comes down to mastering the mind game, centering the body, and feeding the soul. It’s why I love endurance events. I’m looking forward to the next one. Anyone want to join?

Solvang Double Statistics:

• 193 miles
• 7200 feet vertical climbing
• Weather 37 to 88, clear and breezy
• Total ride time: 10 hours 15 minutes
• Total elapsed time: 11 hours 10 minutes
• Ave speed 18.7 mph; Max 43 mph
• Ave power 156 watts; Max 627 watts
• Ave cadence 91 rpm
• Ave heart rate 142 bpm; Max 166 bpm

Post Ride Ride from Bulleton to Solvang