Completing the inaugural South Florida 1000k Brevet Handsfree This 1000k brevet would be my longest bike event and serve as a pre-registration qualifier and test for PBP in 2015. Before any big event I always worry about my health and any aches and pains that may jeopardize my ability to compete. For this race I was feeling good and I was ready. We started on Friday October 3rd at 4AM and would have to cover the 1000k (627 miles) by 7AM on Monday. This event had two parts for me, before mile 16 and after. At mile 16 as we are cycling along in a group of 10 -12 at 20+ mph an armadillo decides to cross our path. At this moment the aches, pains, and worrying would be with me for the next 611 miles. Two or maybe three of us hit the ground. I may have suffered the worst of it because of the inability to stop my fall. I hit floor hard with my hip, knee, stump and forehead. I laid on the ground praying for my hip not to be broken. I was able get up with the help of my friend Susan who has accompanied me on several of my crazy endeavors. I didnt consider quitting and luckily the hip pain only slowed me down and not put me out of commission. We covered 272 miles on day 1 that went from Clewiston to the Big Cypress Preserve and throughout while dealing with heat, traffic, saddle sores, pain, mosquitoes, nausea, and pure exhaustion and finished by 2:15AM. On this day 3 of the original 15 were unable to continue. Susan and I started day 2 at just after 6AM and were able to catch up with a group of four riders and stayed with them for about 15 miles. We broke off from the group and unfortunately got lost for 13 miles. The route took us from Clewiston to Arcadia and back for 174 miles. We dealt with strong head winds and a few rough patches of road. My friends Anthony and Daniel were going in the opposite direction and were probably 60 miles ahead of us. We were joined by our new friend Jose from Puerto Rico and had lunch in Arcadia. On the way back the wind was at our backs and the temperature dropped making for an enjoyable trip back. We finished just after 1AM. This day claimed 3 more unable to finish. Susan and I started day 3 after 7AM and immediately went into a strong headwind on a route that take us from Clewiston north and around a Lake Okeechobee and south to Canal Point and back for 181 miles. On this day I was feeling much stronger but then I started having difficulties keeping my head up. I didnt know if it was the fall or fatigue that was causing it but this was concerning me. Our new friend Charlie from California called it Shermers neck and was able to help me by using an inner-tube to prop my head up while cycling. We kept going at a slower pace but moving forward. Susan was suffering with back and saddle pains. At about 40 miles from our finish we decide to stop at a gas station and rest. As we head out Susan mentions that we havent had a _ _ _ t. She didnt mention the forbidden word but about two miles down the road on pitch black dark road with the only light being that of a church she gets a flat. She fixes it quickly and we are off and joined by Jose to the finish. We finished at 12:58AM with a total time of 68 hours and 58 minutes for the entire 1000 kilometers + 13 extra miles. I learned a lot from the distance in regards to nutrition, hydration, ache and wound care. I have a great appreciation for those that take up the sport of randonneuring. It isnt about how fast you are but how much you can take and still keep pedaling forward. I want to thank John Preston and the rest the staff that worked this event to make sure that we were safe and had a wonderful experience. Thank you again Susan for riding with me and keeping me company while providing support and putting your body through a lot of stress as well. It was great to see some old friends and meet new ones. Thank you friends for your words of encouragement on this very difficult cycling event. I did it Handsfree. Follow me on my Quest for Paris!
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 02:37:28 +0000
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