An Epic Ride

10
Dec
2013

1386364819755What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done? 50 miles, 80, a century?

For me it was 104 miles from the outskirts of Boston, up to the peak of Mt. Wachusett (which is a ski area, by the way) and back. It was, by far, the toughest physical and mental thing I had ever endured. By the end of that day two folks were in the SAG and me and another were limping home with the sweep riders. It was an excellent ride and a good tale, but this is the story of Saturday’s ride, where I did considerably more than 104 miles.

Some of my friends here in Penang are just as crazy about riding as I am, and mapped out a route for 200k. The previous weekend we had done 100k and that was pretty tough, so this was really going to up the ante. I wasn’t too worried about being able to finish the ride, there are ways of getting home and I was feeling fresh having only ridden an hour in the previous two days. My 4 AM alarm came and I managed breakfast and a few sips of coffee before heading out the door to meet the group. Once off the ferry and onto the mainland the five of us headed north for about four hours.

20131207_124036

In that time we stopped once for second breakfast, and to refill water bottles and there was a decent paceline going for a bit, but as expected it broke. Three were out front, then me, then one off the back. Mentally this was the toughest stretch. My emotions ranged from euphoria at finally able to do my own pace, to boredom because the road was flat and straight, to annoyance at my legs for not keeping pace and having to ride solo and finally anger at many things, but mostly at the constant headwind/crosswind that slowed me down. Not going to lie…there was some residual anger at my friend who had mapped the route. 🙂 The time seemed to be going by quickly, but the miles weren’t. I was out in the middle of a stretch of road, with no one in sight and I often thought how satisfying it would be to hop off the bike and throw it somewhere, only so I could be done with riding, but I carried on.

Mercifully, we got to the turnaround point and everyone caught up. I believe my first word upon reaching my friends was “FOOD,” and, though I had been hoping for some destination at the end to see, I was really more excited about not being on my bike for a while, and eating lunch.

IMG-20131208-WA0010After eating and procrastinating the return trip, we headed back, taking a different route that would be less windy and less boring (win-win!) as well as easier for the SAG wagon to pick those of us up who needed a ride home. For a long, long time, I thought that would be me. When we got to the 160k mark (or 100 miles) I was actually feeling ok. My legs weren’t bothering me much, rather it was everything else, but I had come to accept the pain and just rode on. Our group of five dwindled to just two, with two in the SAG and the ringleader off the front doing a different route. For awhile we carried on at a decent clip, but eventually slowed down, until even shifting down for all of the red lights was a bother; it was easier to stand and power a high gear to get going again when the light turned green.

Though it took me awhile to get the math right, I realized the finish would come no sooner than 135 miles, so my ultimate goal was to beat my 104 mile record to at least do my longest ride. When 105 miles passed my goal changed to 115 miles, then 120 and when 125 miles came and went I knew I could finish the ride.

In the end, it was 138 miles in just under 9 hours (of riding time). The last few were solo, unable to keep my friend’s wheel, but I was so happy for the final climb to arrive: the overpass to the ferry.

I have a few things I’d like to share about recovering from such a hard effort, and they are:

  • stairs were not invented by a cyclist;
  • stairs, however, are better than ramps. Stairs involve brief moments of pain whereas ramps its constant;
  • beer is good;
  • ride the next day;
  • sleep the day after that.
Enjoy Your Ride
Pin It

2 Responses to “ An Epic Ride ”

  1. Paul Kirby on December 10, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    That’d have to be the Bicycle Sport Shop Wurst Ride – 2011. About 59 miles from far south Austin to the Comal County Fairgrounds in New Braunfels. It was cold and we had a 15-20 mph headwind almost the entire time. I say “we”, but my riding buddy dropped me pretty quickly. Thankfully, we started near the front of the pack and I did finish. Many, many others were not so lucky. I was told later that the SAG service was overwhelmed and that several of the rest stops ran out of food and, worse, water. Some really nice guys invited me to jump onto the back of their train and pull me along that way – that helped tons. Bicycle Sport Shop did right by all of us offering a voucher for a free entry into any of their sponsored rides in 2012 – I did the Real Ale Ride and had a blast. And, yes, beer is so good after a ride. Sausages, too.

  2. gswbike on December 10, 2013 at 11:03 am

    Congratulations Ashley !! That truly was an EPIC ride. You did better than I ever would and I will draw some inspiration from your accomplishment. My longest ride (and most epic) was 110 miles many years ago. I have had a good year of riding this year and plan on increasing my mileage next year with longer individual rides. I can only use your experience and words to drive me forward. Thanks.

Calendar

    March 2024
    M T W T F S S
     123
    45678910
    11121314151617
    18192021222324
    25262728293031

Archives

Sugar Alternatives for Energy and Hydration

Question: I am using the homebrew sugar formulations (sometimes added to green tea).  I am also trying to wean myself off 1/2 dose adrenalean “lip tonic delivery system” (biorhythm brand- caffeine, hoodia g, synephrine, yohimbe) capsule for energy.

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Answer:

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out.  Have you tried either of these?  Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.

Sports Drink Homebrew

Please send us your questions for our Expert Sports Nutritionist, Kelli Jennings to “Ask the Sports Nutritionist“. Kelli Jennings is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information go to www.apexnutritionllc.com.

Nutrition Tips