RAIN 2010

Well after 3 years of saying no to RAIN. (Ride Across Indiana) I finally gave into peer pressure. This is something I really didn't want to do. After all, who enjoys sitting on a bike for a 160 miles in the hot July sun with humidity hovering around 90 percent. The good news for me is that we had 11 other Roll:ers who committed to do the ride. Our fellow team member and my good friend Mike Perakis agreed to be our SAG.

In years past, I have suffered from leg cramps. They normally come out and bite me in the ass around 60-70 miles. Made no difference if we were going 15 mph or 25 mph, on flat terrain or major hill climbs. I hydrated, carbo loaded, took enduralites, sport legs and nothing seemed to work. So far this year, I have been able to beat the cramp issues, but its always lingering in the back part of my mind. I hate to disrupt a ride with my team when it happens.

This winter I trained hard in the gym and on the bike. I'm riding 200-300 miles a week and still training at Lemonade Fitness 2 days a week. I train on a Velotron and Sci-Fit bike under the supervision of Don Moxley one our team sponsors. I calculated that I had ridden over 5000 miles so far for this year. If there was a time to do this ride. This is the year to do RAIN. No question about it, I should be in shape.

I'm up at 4AM ready to roll on about 3 hours sleep. As we roll out of Terre Haute before the sun rises, I begin to wonder why in the hell am I doing this? I'm always up for riding 75-80 miles. On rode trips riding a 100 miles is always expected. To me doing a century for the additional 25 miles is like getting extra credit at school. Its nice, but you don't need it to pass. As usual at this event like most events. Our team kits are like magnets for wheel suckers. As we roll out from the start, we had 30-40 people already for a free ride to Richmond. Normally we'll drop most them after a few miles as we pick up the pace. Were not racers but we do ride strong as a team.

In the end. I had fun with my friends, created more memories. I was able to ride 160 miles and finish with no aches and pains and most importantly no leg cramps. We did the ride in under 8 hours and averaged almost 20 mph.

Can't wait unil next year.

Check out our pictures on the Teamroll website

C'est Fini

RainSTORM -- the end of the ride

http://relaxitsjustme.blogspot.com/2010/07/cest-fini-for-now.html

Teamroll: rocks!!

Ultra

Day Five -- almost there

http://relaxitsjustme.blogspot.com/2010/07/ultra.html

Sahara Desert

Day Four and we're all alive.

http://relaxitsjustme.blogspot.com/2010/07/sahara-desert.html

Suffering

Notes from Day Three. Three down, three to go.

http://relaxitsjustme.blogspot.com/2010/07/suffering.html

This is it

Follow Jim Burkhart, Heidi Marshal and Vicki Chorman as they embark on an insane trip through Southern Indiana and back again.

http://relaxitsjustme.blogspot.com/2010/07/this-is-it.html

How do you spell casual / recovery ride?

if you ride for roll: you spell it nineteen mph for forty-one miles. 

teamroll: Thursday Night Ride by fdaugherty at Garmin Connect - Details

 So I show up for the Thursday night ride with roll:  There were only six of us and as I was looking around I noticed that I was clearly the slowest.  This is never good, it was even more so today because Wednesday was pretty hard on me with a 38 mile day at 19 mph, 10 mph winds and 23 of those miles were on my own because I got dropped.  Why did I get dropped?  Easy I got 5 hours sleep, riding with fast people and I spent too much time on the front given the circumstances. 

New Rule: when riding with stronger people let them take long pulls, tuck in and try and stay on.


The Thursday night rides are the casual, no-one-gets-dropped ride.  These are the rides I like, because we do have a couple sprints to stretch the legs and get the HR up.  But at the end of the day the group stays together.  There were only six of us, Heidi had a problem with her rear tire, so we rode over to Jim's house to swap out the rear tire.  Then we were off on the ride heading up and through Galena at around 23-26 mph.

We rode over to Red Bank to climb the hill on Red Bank road.  I believe it is about 4.7% average grade, but only about 0.42 miles long.  I was up front on the decline heading on the base we hit base of the hill at 29 mph.  Its simple physics, the big guy goes down hill fast.  I was traveling at almost 30 mph and within 0.42 miles and about 2 minutes I was down to 10 mph with a HR at 171.  It is always amazing to me at how fast one's HR can peak.


We regrouped at the top, because I was the last one up.  The good news is my pull was over soon.  We continued to keep a brisk pace west hovering right around 20 mph only slowing for intersections. At one point, I was beginning to think that I needed a little breather to grab some water - then I heard the bark that sounded like it came from Cujo. I looked over and saw a Rottweiler coming out to greet us.  All of the sudden I had legs again. If only for a few moments to clear Cujo's property line.


Hartford Road heading west is probably one of the greatest road in Central Ohio.  It is a gradual down hill run when heading west.  Tonight there was no wind, we had Mike up front with a good strong cadence and we maintained a 24-25 mph pace.  It was at this point, were I had to laugh.  I was forth person back, tucked away nicely with a cadence round 100 with 33 miles behind me.  My thighs were starting to burn, breath was a little labored, and I think I heard my calves say,  "yeah have your fun now, but we're waking you ass up around 3:30 this morning and don't you dare say a word when we do."  Then I look up and see Heidi pull out her phone to read a text message.  I am hanging on, barely, and feeling good about it between gasps and she is planning a picnic via text.


Lessons learned: 
1) Fast riders make you faster. 
2) Strong riders make you stronger. 
3) Good teammates will smack you around a little if you are wussing out, but always have your back if you get in a spot of bother.
4) Strong riders who are humble and encouraging to others is rare, and we have a lot of them.

5) I am one lucky dude to know good people to ride with and this team even makes the pain fun.