Im sure everyone has their El Tour story for today. Heres mine. It might be long.... I was not worried about the El Tour distance. I rode 2 centuries this fall and have ridden El Tour and a 200k brevet in the past. I was, however, very apprehensive about the weather forecast: which gradually inched up to almost 100% chance of rain most of the day, and temps that were ever lower, until they predicted. the high 40s and very low 50s for the whole day. I am a confirmed Arizona cyclist- we have so many nice days, who needs to ride in the rain and cold? Here was the plan for clothes: regular jersey & shorts, a merino wool sweater, and the brand new rain coat. Also a pair of work-out tights over the shorts, wool socks with plastic bags over them, a wool beanie and baseball type cap with a brim under my helmet, a shower cap over my helmet, and latex gloves under my new Cyclone gloves, and a few extra items in a backpack. I left a nearly complete duplicate set of items in the SAG car. For the first 30-40 miles, it all worked. I wouldnt say I love riding in the rain but I felt prepared and warm, if not completely dry. Even when they were wet, the tights felt like they helped keep me warm, as did everything wool. But after riding through a heavier shower on Freeman and huge puddles on Speedway I started to feel a little more wet and cold. Nothing was dry anymore. I had company for the first half of the ride, though Garry Segerman had to drop out at Irvington. I got separated from Al and Lamont after leaving the creek crossing. It looked like I could still finish in time for a silver medal up until we got to the wash crossing at Sabino Creek. After walking the muddy trail to the creek (Cyclocross, anyone?) we could see it was getting pretty wild and deep and the sheriff deputy decided to close the crossing for safety reasons. That was exactly when it way my turn to cross, I might add - I was the first one turned away. So that meant turning around and walking back on the trail, riding down Bear Canyon to Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon to get back to the route. Between the delay and subsequent uncertainty at the wash, the extra 6 or 7 miles on the route, and a really miserably cold, downpour all the way up Oracle, my hopes for silver were washed away (pardon the pun). I was seriously considering bailing but I kept thinking about my commitment for the Tu Nidito Ride for a Child, and the encouraging note my special young student had written for me to carry and it made me feel I could not abandon the ride at that point. I just convinced myself if i could get through Rancho Vistoso then I could make it once the climbs were pretty much over. Finally the descent on Tangerine! There was a hint of a cramp in my leg - I stretched and ignored it, but didnt push down the hill. HUGE thanks to my team mates from Team Soul Cycling in the SAG car. Rui and Mischala were amazing with help at Irvington (when I was still going strong) and at Tangerine when I started cramping horribly because I had not had enough fluids and electrolytes. I sat in the car with the heater and swapped out some of my wet clothes while they made up bottles of electrolyte drinks and, passed me dry clothes, and encouraged me with loads of TLC. When I set out again, with about 22 miles to go, I didnt think it would take me over two hours. All those electrolytes meant 2 extra potty stops (time-consuming to get the clothes layers off!) and a head wind. A very kind rider from Albuquerque offered to pull me in as his contribution to my Ride for a Child. And he did- all the way from before Cortaro to the finish line, probably adding almost 2 mph for that section. The timing clock said 9:52- and I earned a bronze medal but its worth its weight in gold. Time to just rest (warm up, drink tea and take in a few extra calories. It better not rain next year....
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 02:17:16 +0000
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