10/3/2007

Recently I've been struggling with getting good base miles done to prepare for bigger events. I was able to get through the Desperado Dual in August ok, but it was tough. The 40k state time trial championships really showed how much my lack of training has impacted my performance. And this weekend's Durango Fall Blaze 100 mile benefit ride was as hard as I expected!

My brother Leo was able to get away for another three days of traveling, so we drove up to Durango on Friday. Other than a quick stop at the four corners to step through four states (Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico for those who don't know which states touch at that spot) and to pick up some road-side jewelry for the family, the drive up to Durango was uneventful. My dad also rode his Harley up to Durango to meet us for the weekend. Leo and dad decided to ride the Durango to Silverton train while I was riding on Saturday. Friday night we played some cards (where I learned where I got my competitive streak from) and dad won every game and was VERY humble about winning -- NOT! ;-)

The ride was scheduled to start at 8am and the train left at 7:45am, so we got up at 5:30am to get ready. Why so early? Ummm... I don't know really, but we sure had plenty of time! The ride started at the clock tower on the campus of Fort Lewis College. For those unfamiliar with the college, it sits at the top of a mesa on the east side of Durango. The climb from Durango to the college certainly explains why Fort Lewis cyclists are so strong! I was planning on riding to the start, but it was dark out and I didn't have a headlight, so Leo and dad dropped me off on their way over to the train station. I got there around 7am so I sat on a bench and chatted with a few cyclists who were leaving before the main group started.

The Durango Fall Blaze is a benefit ride for the Tom Danielson Scholarship Fund. Tommy D. is a pro rider who currently rides with the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, but will be switching to Slipstream in 2008. Tom was supposed to lead the group out at the start and ride with us, but unfortunately he had a nasty crash on the first day of the Vuelta de Espania and broke his collarbone. He had surgery on September 18th and was still in an arm sling. But he was there for the start and he and was still there when I finished. :-)

The ride started promptly at 8am with a cannon blast that probably woke up the entire campus.  I started near the front and stayed with the front group for the first 35-40 miles or so.  Way better than I expected, but I was in a good position for drafting and took full advantage of that!  The group did split up on the first major climb heading north out of Durango and I stopped for a minute at the rest stop at the top for half a banana and half a peanut butter sandwich but I still caught the leaders on the long descent on the other side of the climb. I shamelessly wheel-sucked the entire time I was with the group so I didn't have to work nearly as hard as I would have by myself. At one point I heard a train whistle behind us during the climb and Dad and Leo said they waved at cyclists when the train went by, but I was too far in front and never saw their train.

I stayed with the group until the start of the next major climb, then dropped off. The Durango/Silverton train excursion takes about 9 hours to finish, so I knew I would finish quite a while before them and wasn't in a hurry, so why suffer needlessly. The day was pretty cloudy and I kept expecting it to rain, but it never did. It was pretty brisk though and I kept my cold weather stuff on for most of the day.  Weather.com predicted winds of 18-21mph the entire day, but the wind didn't get really bad until late in the ride.  Then again, I was drafting most of the time at the beginning, so it may have been more windy than I realized!

I rode alone up the next major climb and the out and back to Vallecito Dam.  The route is really scenic, but I caught myself working harder than I should have a few times and had to remind myself that Leo and Dad wouldn't be back from their train trip, so what the heck was my rush?!?  Outside of Bayfield a tandem with two single bikes went by and the stoker invited me to jump on their line.  The route was slightly downhill, so I was going 23-25 mph when they went by, but they were maintaining 28.  We were flying!  It was great!  We hit a stop light so I rode up next to the tandem to complement them on their strength.  I stayed with them to the rest stop in Bayfield, but I didn't stay too long and didn't see them again.

After Bayfield the route climbed up to the top of a mesa and that's where the wind really picked up.  A guy on a time trial bike went by, so I jumped on his wheel.  He pulled me until I started to feel guilty (and his speed started to drop off), so I went to the front.  But I was only there a couple minutes before my heart rate popped up to 187, so I apologized for not being able to pull too long and dropped behind him again.  When we hit the next climb, I couldn't stay with him and let him go.  The wind was pretty strong through that section and I just plugged away.  A group of three past, but I didn't even try to jump on the last wheel.  Luckily the course is a loop, so that headwind became a cross wind and finally turned into a very nice tail wind!

There was one section of road under construction so there was a detour through some farm land.  The road wasn't pavement, but it also wasn't dirt.  It was almost like a dirt road that had been packed down and chip sealed.  Interesting.  I went relatively slowly through the detour and enjoyed that section quite a bit.  Near the end a couple riders past and one said "This road sucks!"  He was going quite a bit faster than me, so I imagine he was hitting a lot more pot holes.  I avoided all the bad sections of road, so I said "I think its ... quaint!"  He laughed at that and continued past me. 

I kept those two guys in sight during the last long climb and got into my tightest tuck for the final descent.  I past both of them at a high rate of speed.  It was pretty fun!  Then I hit that last significant climb going back up to the college.  The hill was as hard as it looked when we drove up it for the start!  There was one guy stopped halfway up trying to rub a cramp out of his leg.  I can't imagine trying to get started again on that hill.  My polar showed 7-14% grades!  I certainly felt that after 100 miles of riding!

They had a good potato bar setup at the finish with free beer to all riders.  Tom and his wife were hanging out by the potato bar chatting with a few folks.  He seemed like a nice guy, but I didn't bother him.  So, some ride stats... 102 miles in 5 hours 57 minutes.  I don't know where it happened, but my polar shows a max heart rate of 196 and an average of 159.  I burned 5,464 calories during the ride.  Max speed was 47.2 mph with an average of 17.1.  So, overall, I did better than I expected.

The hotel had a fridge, so I had cold Guinness waiting for me when I got back and enjoyed some beer while I waited for Leo and dad to get back from the train trip.  Then next morning Leo and I went back to AZ via Cortez and dad headed back to Gallup via Farmington.  When I got home I learned where I got my high tolerance for pain.  Dad called and told me about his ride home.  He stopped in Farmington, but when he put his foot down he slipped on some gravel and his 800+ pound Harley fell on him snapping the tibia in his leg!  OUCH!  He knew it hurt, but didn't know at that point it was broken.  Someone helped him get his bike upright again and he rode for 2 hours back to Gallup!  Tough old bas.....  err.... never mind! LOL!  So he'll be in a cast (and off his bike) for about 8 weeks.  That sucks.   

Thanks again to Leo for taking the time to make the trip with me!  It sure is nice to have company on long drives! :-)