April 7, 2007 marked the begin of our St. Louis Brevet Series. John Jost is the local organizer of the series and does a remarkable job of putting the route together and providing us with some of the best cue sheets around. John does a great deal of this work all for the love of the sport. I wish we had more people like John around. The rides on the St. Louis Brevet Series begin at the commuter parking lot in downtown Edwardsville, IL. It reminds me of the town I grew up in. Small town struggling to stay small despite of the influx of suburbanites staking their claim on acreage convenient to the greater St. Louis area.
Last year, we had some tough weather (temps in the 40s and winds constant around 15-20mph) for the starting 200km. This year's weather made last year look like a great day. We were greated with temps in the 20s and winds directly out of the west at a steady 20mph. During the course of the day, the weather improved to a balmy 32 degrees and the winds never subsided. For the day, I chose to ride in a long-sleeve polypro base layer, a s/s jersey, and a windproof thermal cycling jacket. On my legs, I decided to go with the Pearl Izumi AmFib bibs and DeFeet Wool Blaze socks. I also added a hand warmer on top of each shoe before slipping on my neoprene wind booties. Under my helmet, I went with the Nike winter cycling cap. My hands were covered by a convertible running glove made by 180s. These gloves are great because they provide the dexterity of a glove, with the warmth of a mitten. To keep my fingers even warmer, I toss a handwarmer into each mitten cover and my hands stay warm all day long. Check the gloves out here: http://www.180s.com/sub_category.aspx?prodtypeid=3&lineid=2&productid=23&psku=75896
I was starting the day with a good cycling friend of mine, Scott Thompson. Scott is cycling's answer to the Energizer rabbit. He can ride a long, long time and never seem to tire. To give you an idea of Scott's stamina, just 6 days earlier, he ran (yes, ran) a 44 mile ultramarathon. When I checked in with him the day after his run, his response was that his legs were a little tired. So, how does one find thrill in a 200km cycling event after running an ultramarathon 6 days earlier? Show up for the ride on a fixed gear bike!! Yep, he's my friend and my motivator!
Also stopping by this morning was another good friend of mine and recent convert to cycling, Keith Dudding. Keith is a great guy and really wants to jump into cycling with both feet. Unfortunately, his knee isn't permitting him to do that. Ironically, it was that same knee that caused him to make the switch from running to cycling. I hope the knee gets fixed soon and he gets the chance to ride the long distance stuff with us. Keith did roll out with us for approximately the first 7 miles. He then had to cut his ride short so he could get into the studio in time for his bluegrass radio show, Down Yonder on KDHX 88.1. http://www.kdhx.org/programs/downyonder/index.html
A finer bluegrass show you won't find!
We rolled out at 7am and began the trek to our southernmost point, Okawville. Okawville will be 67 miles from our starting point and will represent the second checkpoint of the day. Scott and I rolled together at approximately 17 mph. At this point in the day, we had the benefit of the wind coming into our backs or quartering across the back of our shoulders. As we rolled out the main pack of roughly 12 riders drifted off into the horizon, as Keith, Scott, John Jost and I maintained our easy pace. The first part of the ride was fairly uneventful. An interesting twist to this year's start was that John took advantage of the Madison County Trail network to get us out of town. It was nice to start the cold morning not being focused on traffic. After the first 24 miles, we arrived in Pocahontas, home of country singer, Gretchen Wilson. All I know, is that they are also home to two gas stations and that means, restrooms. Scott and I pulled in to use the facilities and immediately got back on the road.
Our next stop would be the first checkpoint of the day in Breese which was scheduled to come at 41 miles. At 39 miles, I had to again take a restroom break and that's when I decided it was time for an all out town sprint. Now, I know racing isn't what randonneuring is all about, but doggone it, I needed to go and we were rolling through a residential area (ie., no way to stop on the shoulder.) As we rolled over the overpast into Breese, I made a beeline through the grass and directly into McDonald's. RELIEF!!
One mile later, I stopped at Checkpoint #1 and found Scott and two other riders. Everyone was trying to thaw out their water bottles and find some carbs on the store shelves. The best find of the morning were the Hostess Fruit pies. Each pie was 470 calories, with 70g of carbs. Yumm! I haven't had one in at least 20 years and gobbled the first one down in a matter of seconds. I learned the other two riders at the stop included a lady from Alaska who came down for the ride. She came to this ride because her parents live in the area. It turns out she works on the oil rigs out in the middle of the sea. She works two weeks and then has two weeks off. Interestingly enough, she found the weather cold, too.
As we got ready to leave the checkpoint, Scott told me to go on riding ahead if I was feeling strong. He knew he was limited to speed and had a game plan he needed to execute to finish the day on the fixed gear. As we rolled out of the checkpoint, I decided to pick up the pace to see if I could catch the lead group that was 30 minutes ahead of me. I started making great time and as we turned onto SR 177, I caught a tailwind and immediately began to take my average speed up near the 25mph range. I felt really good and decided when I rolled into Okawville, if the lead group was there, I would have my card stamped, refill the bottles, and roll out with them. Unfortunately, I missed them by a mere 10 minutes. At that point, I decided to grab another Hostess fruit pie and a coca-cola. Normally, I won't touch that much sugar, but my heart rate monitor told me I was burning through the calories.
After a 20 minute stop, I left and headed into the severe head/cross winds and began the 58 mile trek back to the car. As I turned onto County Highway 6, I cursed for having no one to help break the wind with me on the return route. I also got myself mentally prepared for the bashing I was going to take on the ride home. Feeling someone strong, I kept the bike rolling forward at 12-14 mph, which was quite a chore with the winds I was experiencing.
I knew I had another opportunity to stop for food when I reached New Baden in 23 miles, but since I was pulling a good pace, decided to keep going. Trust me, as I rolled past the McDonald's in New Baden, I really felt like stopping in for a couple of nice warm cheeseburgers. However, also knowing McD's cheeseburgers can sometimes be cold and taste like crap, I decided to pass. As I rolled up Ruth Schoolhouse road, alone, I felt the winds beat on me harder than they had all day, and I was getting cold.
On last year's ride, a little gas station/food mart in Marine was making fresh pizzas that smelled great, but didn't sound appealing with 15 miles to go in the ride. However, this year I was cold, hungry, and very much wanting some pizza. Feeling a sense of focus, I gulped down a couple of Power Bar endurance gels and began tapping out a tempo that I knew I could keep until I was eating pizza in Marine. As I rolled into the food mart, I was already dreaming about pizza. As I opened the doors, I was greeted by the smell of NO PIZZA!!!! Seems as though they no longer make the pizzas on the weekend and therefore, I was out of luck.
I've got to say, I was quite upset. I know I'm supposed to be focused on the ride, but when your body is running on fumes and you've been in the saddle for 7 hours, being disappointed by a lack of a desired food is very hard to take. Settling on a Red Bull and some cheese crackers, I sat around for about 25 minutes as I talked on the cellphone with my wife and family. I finally decided to make a run for the finish and met back up with Keith who came back out to ride back into town with me.
Keith was a welcome sight. Since I had just spent better than 4 hours in the wind alone, it was nice to sit on a wheel and talk with someone other than the voices of Phil Liggett or Paul Sherwin who kept playing solely in my head.
I finished the ride in 9h42m, which beat my time last year (under easier conditions) by almost two hours. I think I could have ridden the ride in right at 9 hours, but with the cold, the wind, and the lack of any drafting, I think it was an honorable day all around. Scott finished the day approximately 45 minutes behind me which was quite impressive. After I loaded the car, I drove home, showered, and ate 1/2 of a large pizza from a delivery place. I gotta tell you, pizza never tasted so good! My next ride will be the 300km on May 5. Let's just pray for light winds.
Last year, we had some tough weather (temps in the 40s and winds constant around 15-20mph) for the starting 200km. This year's weather made last year look like a great day. We were greated with temps in the 20s and winds directly out of the west at a steady 20mph. During the course of the day, the weather improved to a balmy 32 degrees and the winds never subsided. For the day, I chose to ride in a long-sleeve polypro base layer, a s/s jersey, and a windproof thermal cycling jacket. On my legs, I decided to go with the Pearl Izumi AmFib bibs and DeFeet Wool Blaze socks. I also added a hand warmer on top of each shoe before slipping on my neoprene wind booties. Under my helmet, I went with the Nike winter cycling cap. My hands were covered by a convertible running glove made by 180s. These gloves are great because they provide the dexterity of a glove, with the warmth of a mitten. To keep my fingers even warmer, I toss a handwarmer into each mitten cover and my hands stay warm all day long. Check the gloves out here: http://www.180s.com/sub_category.aspx?prodtypeid=3&lineid=2&productid=23&psku=75896
I was starting the day with a good cycling friend of mine, Scott Thompson. Scott is cycling's answer to the Energizer rabbit. He can ride a long, long time and never seem to tire. To give you an idea of Scott's stamina, just 6 days earlier, he ran (yes, ran) a 44 mile ultramarathon. When I checked in with him the day after his run, his response was that his legs were a little tired. So, how does one find thrill in a 200km cycling event after running an ultramarathon 6 days earlier? Show up for the ride on a fixed gear bike!! Yep, he's my friend and my motivator!
Also stopping by this morning was another good friend of mine and recent convert to cycling, Keith Dudding. Keith is a great guy and really wants to jump into cycling with both feet. Unfortunately, his knee isn't permitting him to do that. Ironically, it was that same knee that caused him to make the switch from running to cycling. I hope the knee gets fixed soon and he gets the chance to ride the long distance stuff with us. Keith did roll out with us for approximately the first 7 miles. He then had to cut his ride short so he could get into the studio in time for his bluegrass radio show, Down Yonder on KDHX 88.1. http://www.kdhx.org/programs/downyonder/index.html
A finer bluegrass show you won't find!
We rolled out at 7am and began the trek to our southernmost point, Okawville. Okawville will be 67 miles from our starting point and will represent the second checkpoint of the day. Scott and I rolled together at approximately 17 mph. At this point in the day, we had the benefit of the wind coming into our backs or quartering across the back of our shoulders. As we rolled out the main pack of roughly 12 riders drifted off into the horizon, as Keith, Scott, John Jost and I maintained our easy pace. The first part of the ride was fairly uneventful. An interesting twist to this year's start was that John took advantage of the Madison County Trail network to get us out of town. It was nice to start the cold morning not being focused on traffic. After the first 24 miles, we arrived in Pocahontas, home of country singer, Gretchen Wilson. All I know, is that they are also home to two gas stations and that means, restrooms. Scott and I pulled in to use the facilities and immediately got back on the road.
Our next stop would be the first checkpoint of the day in Breese which was scheduled to come at 41 miles. At 39 miles, I had to again take a restroom break and that's when I decided it was time for an all out town sprint. Now, I know racing isn't what randonneuring is all about, but doggone it, I needed to go and we were rolling through a residential area (ie., no way to stop on the shoulder.) As we rolled over the overpast into Breese, I made a beeline through the grass and directly into McDonald's. RELIEF!!
One mile later, I stopped at Checkpoint #1 and found Scott and two other riders. Everyone was trying to thaw out their water bottles and find some carbs on the store shelves. The best find of the morning were the Hostess Fruit pies. Each pie was 470 calories, with 70g of carbs. Yumm! I haven't had one in at least 20 years and gobbled the first one down in a matter of seconds. I learned the other two riders at the stop included a lady from Alaska who came down for the ride. She came to this ride because her parents live in the area. It turns out she works on the oil rigs out in the middle of the sea. She works two weeks and then has two weeks off. Interestingly enough, she found the weather cold, too.
As we got ready to leave the checkpoint, Scott told me to go on riding ahead if I was feeling strong. He knew he was limited to speed and had a game plan he needed to execute to finish the day on the fixed gear. As we rolled out of the checkpoint, I decided to pick up the pace to see if I could catch the lead group that was 30 minutes ahead of me. I started making great time and as we turned onto SR 177, I caught a tailwind and immediately began to take my average speed up near the 25mph range. I felt really good and decided when I rolled into Okawville, if the lead group was there, I would have my card stamped, refill the bottles, and roll out with them. Unfortunately, I missed them by a mere 10 minutes. At that point, I decided to grab another Hostess fruit pie and a coca-cola. Normally, I won't touch that much sugar, but my heart rate monitor told me I was burning through the calories.
After a 20 minute stop, I left and headed into the severe head/cross winds and began the 58 mile trek back to the car. As I turned onto County Highway 6, I cursed for having no one to help break the wind with me on the return route. I also got myself mentally prepared for the bashing I was going to take on the ride home. Feeling someone strong, I kept the bike rolling forward at 12-14 mph, which was quite a chore with the winds I was experiencing.
I knew I had another opportunity to stop for food when I reached New Baden in 23 miles, but since I was pulling a good pace, decided to keep going. Trust me, as I rolled past the McDonald's in New Baden, I really felt like stopping in for a couple of nice warm cheeseburgers. However, also knowing McD's cheeseburgers can sometimes be cold and taste like crap, I decided to pass. As I rolled up Ruth Schoolhouse road, alone, I felt the winds beat on me harder than they had all day, and I was getting cold.
On last year's ride, a little gas station/food mart in Marine was making fresh pizzas that smelled great, but didn't sound appealing with 15 miles to go in the ride. However, this year I was cold, hungry, and very much wanting some pizza. Feeling a sense of focus, I gulped down a couple of Power Bar endurance gels and began tapping out a tempo that I knew I could keep until I was eating pizza in Marine. As I rolled into the food mart, I was already dreaming about pizza. As I opened the doors, I was greeted by the smell of NO PIZZA!!!! Seems as though they no longer make the pizzas on the weekend and therefore, I was out of luck.
I've got to say, I was quite upset. I know I'm supposed to be focused on the ride, but when your body is running on fumes and you've been in the saddle for 7 hours, being disappointed by a lack of a desired food is very hard to take. Settling on a Red Bull and some cheese crackers, I sat around for about 25 minutes as I talked on the cellphone with my wife and family. I finally decided to make a run for the finish and met back up with Keith who came back out to ride back into town with me.
Keith was a welcome sight. Since I had just spent better than 4 hours in the wind alone, it was nice to sit on a wheel and talk with someone other than the voices of Phil Liggett or Paul Sherwin who kept playing solely in my head.
I finished the ride in 9h42m, which beat my time last year (under easier conditions) by almost two hours. I think I could have ridden the ride in right at 9 hours, but with the cold, the wind, and the lack of any drafting, I think it was an honorable day all around. Scott finished the day approximately 45 minutes behind me which was quite impressive. After I loaded the car, I drove home, showered, and ate 1/2 of a large pizza from a delivery place. I gotta tell you, pizza never tasted so good! My next ride will be the 300km on May 5. Let's just pray for light winds.
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