Death Ride!!

[maillotpois]

Anyone in Northern CA up for a great challenge???

We are finalizing our training calendar for our TNT Death Ride team. It is going to be a GREAT program this year and the Death Ride is an amazing event. Epic by all standards. :cool:

Training with the team will raise funds for leukemia research and patient services. We provide a full training program, supported rides, an altitude camp in Markleeville riding the passes a month before the event and guaranteed entry into the ride. We have experienced and frankly fun to ride with coaches and staff.

So there. :D

I have a couple of committed TE folks so far - if anyone has specific questions, respond or PM me!

[RolliePollie]

I really want to do the Death Ride...I wish I lived closer to you so I could join your team! I think it's going to be difficult for me to prepare all by myself, but I eventually I'll be ready. I'm shooting for 2010...I don't think I'm up for it for 2009. I haven't even been riding for two years yet. I don't think I'm experienced enough yet...but I am still tempted to register!

[melissam]

Well, as you can see from my new signature, I'm officially in!!! :D

[snapdragen]

Well, as you can see from my new signature, I'm officially in!!! :D

You and jo are killin' me.......:cool:

[melissam]

You and jo are killin' me.......:cool:

Funny you should mention that. We were just talking about recruiting you for our Death Ride team. Whaddaya say? Come on -- it'll be fun!!! :)

- Melissa

[maillotpois]

Very cool! We're so excited to have you!

We had a coaches' meeting last night and we really have a great support crew working with us this season. I am really looking forward to this! We'll have some great rides this year and it is fun to be working with some new assistant coaches as well. (Wow coordinating the full N CA team is WAY more work than just doing our regional team - I think I spent all morning on this!)

Snap, you did such a great job at W2W that I would definitely encourage you to come out and do a SAG stop and generally heckle your friends. If you are interested, I can give you the contact info for the SAG captains and a general idea of what rides might be good for this, so email me if you like.

If anyone else is interested or wants more info feel free to PM me. (I think we have 3 TE folks signed up now...! Yay! Go team!)

[jobob]

Well, as you can see from my new signature, I'm officially in!!! :D


'bout freakin' time

er, I mean, YAY! :D

[Veronica]

You know, I was wondering why she wasn't signed up yet.

Hey MP, do coaches need sponsorship $ too?

Veronica

[maillotpois]

Hey MP, do coaches need sponsorship $ too?



Coaches are encouraged to fundraise - Grand Pois did last year. (He typically has more success than I do at raising $). I don't think we will fundraise this year. Too much other stuff to deal with and I want these guys to be as successful as possible (in other words, give your $ to them...!) :)

[Veronica]

Okie dokie. I was poking around at the TNT site the other day and couldn't find you.

When is the fund raising deadline?

Veronica

[jobob]

Coaches are encouraged to fundraise

Well, considering the amount of time you guys put into organizing & coaching, I'd say you're pulling your weight & then some. :cool:

[maillotpois]

When is the fund raising deadline?


There is a "formal" deadline, but if you get in by end of May you should be find.

[maillotpois]

Well, considering the amount of time you guys put into organizing & coaching, I'd say you're pulling your weight & then some. :cool:

Thanks - it's just honestly so much fun to see people really push themselves to do something beyond what they might have thought they could do. We've been coaching for TNT since 2001, and this will be my fourth year for DR. I really haven't had many better times on a bike than last year (after missing 2 months training because of the busted shoulder and barely hanging on in the training rides, mind you) getting one of my guys to the fifth pass. He'd cramped too bad and made 4 the year before and it just killed all of us. He was in a "faster" ride group, but I ended up bringing him in the last 2 passes. That was good. :) So good. For almost every year I have coached, I have a story like that. It's so worth it.

[jobob]

Well, here's hoping I wind up one of your success stories.
Cheers! http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/wwinesmiley2.gif (http://www.millan.net)

[snapdragen]

Funny you should mention that. We were just talking about recruiting you for our Death Ride team. Whaddaya say? Come on -- it'll be fun!!! :)

- Melissa

I still don't have permission to ride my bike around the block, let alone kill myself in the mountains......:rolleyes:


Snap, you did such a great job at W2W that I would definitely encourage you to come out and do a SAG stop and generally heckle your friends. If you are interested, I can give you the contact info for the SAG captains and a general idea of what rides might be good for this, so email me if you like.


:cool: Cool, I just may do this. I'm going to be helping out the South Bay walk team this spring too.

[StressFree]

If you really want a death ride perhaps you should consider simply bicycling on the streets of LA. Apparently some psychopath from Topanga Canyon has a revenge wish for bikers and has (several times) decided to slam on his brakes or open his car doors on the road when he sees bikers approaching.

The cops finally apprehended him following a biker's injury and linked him to past occurrences. Crazy!

[maillotpois]

Oh Death Ride girls.... just thought you might want a preview/review of Saturday's ride...

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=432004#post432004

:D:D:D

ETA: I'm REALLY looking forward to this one! Should be a lot cooler than the Hamilton/Sierra Death march. And we're short a coach so I am taking Mel's group! :)

[smilingcat]

okay ladies... it's less than a month away and today 6/11 is the last day to order your goodies.

I'm okay enough shape to do two passes not five. Do I want to drive just for the two pass ride?? I would love to get goodies so I can taunt a cyclist at my office. but that's not a good enough reason to go there right?? Bad karma. So like, I really have to decide to buy the stuff and go or give away my slot for the dath ride. Also my car is bit iffy and sure would not like to be stuck so far away from home. That will be very expensive. I could swing over to San Jose area and crash at this guy's house except he is single and it just doesn't look good. He would like to have me drop in and stay at his place :eek:

I might be able to make it up to top of Ebbets pass if i swap out to a compact double...

what to do... :(:(:(

[Biciclista]

to which goodies are you referring?

Raleighdon is doing this ride.

[jobob]

Go to the Death Ride website and click on Store

[parity]

I think you can pretty much buy all of the stuff while at the Death Ride when you pick up your packet. The only thing I want every year is the 5 pass finisher jersey. Although I hardly ever wear it. Better memento then the pin.

[smilingcat]

staying home for fear of being stranded far from home with broken down car.

Besides, if you do the ride, mind as well do all five and get the jersey!! then YOU REALLY CAN TAUNT OTHER CYCLISTS. I'm bad.

And since I'm no going to do the ride, its just plain bad form to be buying the goodies. I'm not too fond of posers.

[jobob]

Besides, if you do the ride, mind as well do all five and get the jersey!! then YOU REALLY CAN TAUNT OTHER CYCLISTS. I'm bad.

That's my plan for next year. Hope to see you there!

In the meantime, melissam and dachshund shall subtly taunt me with the 5-pass jerseys they earn this year. Oh and maillotpois will add to her collection. darn them

[Biciclista]

Here's my DH doing his deathride practice. :eek::eek::eek:

[Veronica]

Awww... you made the picture smaller.

Veronica

[melissam]

Here's my DH doing his deathride practice. :eek::eek::eek:

Gulp. ;)

[Biciclista]

Awww... you made the picture smaller.

Veronica

sorry, it was so big I couldn't find HIM on my monitor

[andtckrtoo]

I just wanted to wish you all wonderful weather, weightless uphills and fun, exhilarating down hills! I'm sooo tempted to join you next year!

[jobob]

C'mon Chris, it'll be fun! :D

[andtckrtoo]

We'll see how I feel after my ride on Sunday. :P

The guy who adopted my foster dog is also a TNT coach. Ironically he's recovering from Lymphoma (and only 46). He's offered to ride with me and give me training tips, too. I would love to get him to do the Death Ride with me/us - he's not been riding as he's still pretty weak, but he's getting better daily. Nicest guy you could ever hope to meet, and a wonderful dad for my foster dog.

[dachshund]

We'll see how I feel after my ride on Sunday. :P

The guy who adopted my foster dog is also a TNT coach. Ironically he's recovering from Lymphoma (and only 46). He's offered to ride with me and give me training tips, too. I would love to get him to do the Death Ride with me/us - he's not been riding as he's still pretty weak, but he's getting better daily. Nicest guy you could ever hope to meet, and a wonderful dad for my foster dog.

You'll do fine on Sunday! Have a great ride!

-Amy & Mel

[andtckrtoo]

Thank you! You have a great ride, too! I really am looking forward to the ride report.

[maillotpois]

christine it would be great to have your friend as an honoreeArider for next year. have fun on the ride sunday.

we are in lovely minden - off to dinner!

[RolliePollie]

Good luck ladies! :D:D:D

Looks like it's going to be a gorgeous day for a ride, although maybe a little breezy. Happy and safe riding wishes to you all! One of these years I'll be up there riding with you.

[Biciclista]

I'll be thinking of all of you today! and your knees!!! good luck!

[Biciclista]

has anyone finished yet??

[snapdragen]

A few finishers on Bike Forums, nothing from the TNT riders yet. Since it's now dark they must be done.

ETA: Message from MP of facebook -- TNT riders did well, all are finished.

[Biciclista]

my DH finished around 6pm got rained on. Rode all 5 passes, he's a very very tired happy boy.

[snapdragen]

Excellent!:cool:

[andtckrtoo]

There was an update on Facebook last night saying that the entire team did very well. That's all I know and I'm waiting on pins and needles for more info, but I'm happy to hear they all did well!

Mimi - congrats to your DH! That's a LONG day in the saddle!

[Biciclista]

he's used to long days in the saddle. What he's not used to is the intensity of the climbs! Apparently the road grades there are steeper and longer than ours (which i still find hard to believe, but he insists!!)
He's used to hills too, but even Ramrod (ride around mt Rainier in one Day) is not as intense as Death Ride..

So those of you who did this ride, i have to say I am amazed and you should be very proud of yourselves...

[maillotpois]

thanks for all the good wishes. it was a long day and full reports will no doubt follow, but bottom line is everyone finished safely. we had a team of just over 40 people including my assistant coaches and participants. there were some fluky things (seemingly illness related) that prevented 3 folks from doing all 5 passes but otherwise, everyone did. and most importantly, everyone finished safe. its a pretty stressful day being responsible for everyone.

death ride number 5 for me. it is really a lovely ride. i saw a bald eagle circling overhead on monitor!

[Blueberry]

Wow! Congratulations to everybody!! Will look forward to the ride reports - once you've all recovered:)

CA

[Trekhawk]

Congratulations to you all!
I look forward to reading your ride reports.:)

[andtckrtoo]

Major Congrats!!

[jobob]

I'll post pics sometime soon.

Lee & I hung out for most of the day on a grassy slope at the edge of Markleeville. It was really fun there, lots of people gathered there to cheer the riders on. We & the riders were even serenaded by a small yet enthusiastic marching band.

We cheered on on Dachshund & Mel & MP as they rode by, along with nearly all of the rest of the TNT gang (a few managed to sneak by when I wasn't looking).

And I saw gnat go by too - she's hard to miss! :) I yelled out to her but it was pretty noisy there so I doubt she ever heard me.

We also hung out later in the day at the TNT tent near the finish at Turtle Rock park. We saw most of the riders come in, although we left before mp arrived. She was riding with the last of the group but we weren't sure how much longer they would be, and we wanted to visit a bit that evening with the friends we were staying with.

We did actually drive by mp as she and the last of the group were riding towards Turtle Rock. The garbage bag she was wearing on account of the rain storm was billowing around her -- looking good, lady! ;)

Mimi, it was great to see Donald, and he still bakes a mean pie! :)

[SadieKate]

he's used to long days in the saddle. What he's not used to is the intensity of the climbs! Apparently the road grades there are steeper and longer than ours (which i still find hard to believe, but he insists!!)
He's used to hills too, but even Ramrod (ride around mt Rainier in one Day) is not as intense as Death Ride..

So those of you who did this ride, i have to say I am amazed and you should be very proud of yourselves...Congrats to Raleighdon.

And from someone who rides in both California and the Cascades, yes, the mtns in California tend to be steeper.

[jobob]

Gotta say, Raleighdon was so nervous the evening before the ride! :eek:

I thought he was very well prepared, and I kind of suspect this was just his way of psyching himself up.

Still, I was very happy to see him ride through Markleeville after having already done four passes, looking very strong.

And he looked great at the end of the ride! He was such a happy camper.

I hope that's me next year. :cool:

[melissam]

I hope that's me next year. :cool:

Yes, Jo, it WILL be you next year!! :)

[jobob]

Gotta admit though, after hearing or reading the accounts from Twain, Raleighdon, Glenn (gw_12) as well as from some of the TNT gang, it sounds like the Death Ride is suffering from overpopularity. Happens to many of the good rides, alas. :(

Eh, I'm still going to train for it on next year's TNT team. I've already raised about 2/3rds of my minimum, and due to my "fortunate" timing :p I'll get to roll it over into next year's fundraising effort.

Plus I've already heard from a few team members who plan to do it again. It was a great bunch of people this year and I have no doubts it'll be a great bunch next year. :cool:

[crazycanuck]

Jo-i'm sure with your determination, you'll be there next year :) :cool:

How many participants were there? Is this the biggest one in California??

[maillotpois]

How many participants were there? Is this the biggest one in California??

The biggest what in California?

The ride is capped at 3000 riders (2800 entries available for purchase and 200 given to various sponsors). It is a pretty small field, all things considered (compared to other centuries), but the out and back nature of the course makes it feel like there are more riders than there are.

[Biciclista]

The biggest 5 mountain pass bike ride in California maybe. With steeper hills than the Pacific NW cascade range. :eek::eek::eek::eek: and you guys talk about it like it was STP...
:eek::eek::eek::eek:

[jobob]

The Mt. Shasta super century in Northern California has (according to the website) a bit more mileage and a bit more elevation gain. Having done neither I can't say which one is really more challenging, has better support or is more scenic.

The Death Ride has been around longer, and has gotten a lot more attention -- with a name like that how couldn't it? :D

However the Mt. Shasta century has a 750 rider cap, which is a definite plus.

Maybe I'll try for both next year. yeah, right.

[gnat23]

And I saw gnat go by too - she's hard to miss! :) I yelled out to her but it was pretty noisy there so I doubt she ever heard me.

Hahahah, was that you?? I remember going up Monitor's backside and hearing someone screaming down on the other side, but all I caught was "GNAAAaaa...*!" going by like a speeding train. :D

So. Uhm. WOW! That was about as soul-crushing as I needed it to be. Not to discourage anyone, but the difference between riding 3 and 4 passes was almost nothing. The difference between 4 and 5 was astronomical. You had to really really really want it. And I did. And so did a lot of people. It was *awesome* to see so many people slogging up the last pass with sheer grit and a thousand-yard stare into the horizon.

Something about freezing rain up the last bit of Carson, the fifth pass, almost made me turn around. Holysnot, being only 2 miles from the top wondering if I was going to make it (also the idea of having to turn around and descend in that crap, UGH!) It definitely killed the craving for the free ice cream, but I ate it anyway, shivering in my shorts, out of pure tradition and determination. When I turned into the last rest stop and got my pin, I burst into tears. What a trip!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2565/3715908144_5a7069e0f4.jpg

(rest of my photos here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnat23/sets/72157621240837757/), but I didn't take many given the day and all...)


-- gnat! (Ok, NOW WHAT should I do for the rest of the year??)

[jobob]

LOL, gnat! :)

I wasn't riding, I was a part of the cheering section on the infamous grassy knoll in beautiful downtown Markleeville.

Your hair and overall pinkitude was a great hit with the crowd, you had lots of people cheering for you as you went by! I'll post the photo I took of you but I took it too late, you were waving to your fans and at the angle I took it your arm pretty well obstructed your face. Darn!

[Adventure Girl]

So. Uhm. WOW! That was about as soul-crushing as I needed it to be. Not to discourage anyone, but the difference between riding 3 and 4 passes was almost nothing. The difference between 4 and 5 was astronomical. You had to really really really want it. And I did. And so did a lot of people. It was *awesome* to see so many people slogging up the last pass with sheer grit and a thousand-yard stare into the horizon.

Something about freezing rain up the last bit of Carson, the fifth pass, almost made me turn around. Holysnot, being only 2 miles from the top wondering if I was going to make it (also the idea of having to turn around and descend in that crap, UGH!) It definitely killed the craving for the free ice cream, but I ate it anyway, shivering in my shorts, out of pure tradition and determination. When I turned into the last rest stop and got my pin, I burst into tears. What a trip!Gnat
This is a GREAT ride report. It captures the essence of your event so well! Congrats on achieving something you wanted so much! You really earned that ice cream, the pin and those tears!!!

[maillotpois]

Great report, Gnat. I saw you a few times throughout the day. I mean, really, the pink hair does make it hard to hide. Glad you had such a good ride.

It really is a beautiful event. I know it's hard and crowded (relatively speaking - do Tour de Tucson!), but it really is almost magical. And it is so great to read stories from first time finishers like this and, better yet, to be there with them when they make it. I confess to shedding some tears myself the last few times I have done it, mostly from relief and just emotion at seeing someone do something like that that they didn't think they could do. Whew!

[lph]

fantastic photo gnat, it actually brought tears to my eyes! You look like you've had some rough hours.

[smilingcat]

Week late on this thread too but wow. I'm really impressed that everyone finished. And ohh the rain. I hope it wasn't sleet like one year where only 100 or so die-hard riders managed to finish all 5 passes.

What's great is that everyone finished and finished safely. Soo is pass #4 the back side of Ebetts? Monitor-Monitor-Ebetts-backside of Ebetts- and Carson?

[LilBolt]

Hats (helmets?) off to all of you. I finally had a chance to talk to my friend today about his Death Ride experience. I admire him so much, and for him to talk about how hard it was really makes me recognize what a great achievement for all who completed the 5 passes. Biciclista is right on: STP is just another rec ride compared to what you achieved.

[maillotpois]

What's great is that everyone finished and finished safely. Soo is pass #4 the back side of Ebetts? Monitor-Monitor-Ebetts-backside of Ebetts- and Carson?

Yes.

[melissam]

A year ago I contacted maillotpois to see if I had enough time to train for the 2009 Death Ride. I thought she'd laugh uproariously at my private message, but instead, she gave some helpful advice. Her parting words in that private message were "Glad you're interested. Now we just have to get you committed. (You know that's the difference between bacon and eggs, don't you? The chicken is "interested". The pig is "committed".)"

On the Death Ride itself, I came to realize just how important it was to be fully committed to doing the event.

First of all, the day started at 2am. Yes, 2am. We needed to be ready to leave the hotel by 3:15 to get to Turtle Rock Park and on the bikes around 4am. I'm not a morning person by any stretch, so this in itself took a huge amount of commitment. ;)

We started riding around 4am -- there was a large contingent of Team In Training riders who, for one reason or another, wanted to get an early start on the day. We really lucked out with the weather -- it can be in the 30's, but it was in the mid-60's when we started. Dachshund and I had been outfitted with lights by Jobob and Leebob -- we lit up the road for ourselves and any surrounding teammates. It's kind of weird to ride in the dark if you're not used to it -- you can't really see the terrain or the data on your cycle computers, you just have to ride by feel. Kind of zenlike and calming. The only drawback was that I couldn't see far enough ahead and couldn't hold a straight line to save my life. I felt sorry for anyone riding by me, but later I found that most of my teammates had the same problem with wobbliness.

We climbed most of the front side of Monitor in the darkness, a contingent of red taillights chatting our way up the hill. We'd been warned not to go to fast up Monitor, or we'd lose valuable energy and be extremely sorry at the end of the ride. I did my absolute best to follow this advice. The sun came up, I was still easing my way up the hill and enjoying the scenery. I got to the top around 6:15am, got my sticker, and headed down the hill.

Descending the back side of Monitor was a blast! I enjoyed flying down the hill without having to expend any pedaling effort, and towards the bottom of the descent, I started seeing people ascending the back side of Monitor. We whooped and hollered and cheered each other on -- how fun is that? I think I got to the bottom around 6:30am, and got my second sticker of the day. While at the bottom, I decided to use the rest stop to refill my Camelbak, eat something, and turn off my lights, which I'd forgotten to do at the top of Monitor.

Around 6:45, I decided to head back up Monitor and earn the second sticker. The back side of Monitor is about 10 miles of steady grade. It didn't seem that daunting until about a mile in, when my lower back started complaining. Oh boy. I started squirming in my saddle -- try climbing seated towards the back of the saddle. Nope, not so good. Try climbing in the front of the saddle and spin more. Uh, no. Not only that, but the incline of the hill made my butt want to slide backwards, so I was pulling myself upwards using the handlebars. Stand for a bit? Sure, but only a bit -- don't want to get too tired, since we haven't even done 2 out of the 5 passes. Slower cadence and low gear? Yes, but this is going to be a long ride. Ugh. I started getting passed by everyone, which is fine -- "ride your own ride" was drilled into me by my Team In Training coaches as well as my own roommate (who doesn't even ride.) I got passed by a guy in a Captain America jersey, a couple on a tandem, a guy on a fixie, someone on a mountain bike (full suspension, even), people on vintage bikes. Obviously there's some really strong riders out there!

Meanwhile, as I was laboring my way up the backside of Monitor, others were descending and cheering us on. Lots of "Go Team!" cheers from current teammates and past Team In Training alumni. There was also a group of runners stationed on the backside of Monitor, offering to refill bottles with water or Cytomax. They'd take your bottle, sprint up the hill, refill the bottle, and hand it back to you. Very, very impressive!

I put my head down and kept pedaling. Couldn't find the magic position that would make my back happy, so I just grit my teeth and kept at it. I have to admit that I did get a little pissy, though. I felt like I was on Monitor for a friggin' eternity. It felt like 5 hours had gone by since the bottom of the hill, and I'm STILL on Monitor. And, to add insult to injury, I'd already gotten the second pass sticker, so there wasn't any big incentive to get to the top. As the road snaked around, I kept thinking that the summit MUST be around the next bend. But NO, just more friggin' Monitor to have to climb. Finally, I decided to take a break on the side of the road. Rest the back, stretch, take some Vitamin I. Another rider stopped and asked if I was OK. We both commiserated about our lower back issues; he had some BioFreeze in a rollon and offered some to me. Oh, it helped my back feel much better, and we got back on and soldiered up to the top. I think I finally got to the top of Monitor around 8:45am. I took another opportunity to get off the bike and stretch my back and reconnect with some teammates.

Another thing that had been hammered into our heads was to not take too long at the stops. Boy, did I blow this strategy! My back was bugging me so much that I just didn't want to get back on the bike, so I'd find reasons to dawdle at stops.

Next I got to descend the front side of Monitor, and it was just what the doctor ordered for a sore back! I followed one of my teammates, and she FLEW down the mountain. I achieved my then-personal best speed of 49.1mph on the front side of Monitor!

All good things must come to an end -- it was time to head up Ebbetts. I was developing a saddle sore, which I hoped would distract me from my lower back. Alas, the saddle sore and lower back double teamed my brain, and I did an impromptu stop. It was early enough in the ride that I still wanted to be fairly discreet. I searched for tree cover so the 2000+ cyclists wouldn't catch me with my hands down my pants. A little Chamois Butter -- ahhhhh much better. Hmmm, while I'm stopped, I should take off a few layers. And have something to eat. And have some Gatorade. Oh, and switch my long fingered gloves for the short fingered ones. You see, so much for efficient stops. :rolleyes:

I'm a good procrastinator, but even I knew it was time to quit stalling and go up Ebbetts. It's a beautiful road and all, but it harbors some of the nastiest, steepest switchbacks I've ever seen. My back didn't like them at all. Meanwhile, masses of cyclists continued to pass me. Recumbents! Some guy on a contraption that is best described as a combination bicycle/elliptical trainer. Oy. Whatever -- I'm working on my 3rd pass, dammit, and I'm gonna keep going until I bag all 5! You may have a superior cardiovascular system and leg muscles to die for, but I have the most highly developed sense of tenacity this side of Lance Armstrong!!!!

I think I got to the top of Ebbetts around 11ish. Over halfway there, and hey, the backside of Ebbetts is mercifully short! At altitude camp, I was able to descend the backside in 12 minutes and ascend it at 50 minutes, and that was in the rain, hail, and snow. Shoot, if I played my cards right, I'd have 4 of the 5 passes finished by noonish.

No. First of all, it was a lot more crowded on event day than altitude camp. I actually passed people on the descent, but I had to use a bit of caution to make sure I got around them safely. Secondly, there was a nice rest stop at the bottom, singing its siren song to me. I collected my 4th sticker, parked my bike by a tree, and loaded up on food, Coke (not even Diet), and a V8. Ugh, my stomach wasn't too thrilled with the combo of V8 and Coke, so it joined up with my back and saddle sore in The Effort to Keep Mel from Getting Back on the Bike. "We'll see about that," said my well developed Sense of Tenacity. Game on.

My next challenge was remembering which tree I'd used to park my bike. Oh boy, that added several minutes to my already lengthy rest stop. Coach Maillotpois would not be happy. Finally found it, my Sense of Tenacity laughed derisively at my stomach, saddle sore, and lower back, and we headed back up Ebbetts.

At this point, my lower back stepped it up a notch. It whined so much, that my Sense of Tenacity started barking at it: "Don't make me pull this bike over. You don't want to see what will happen if I pull this bike over." Oy. Meanwhile, I'm being passed by teammates who'd started a good two hours after I did. "How's Mighty Melissa doing?" "Uh, Mighty Melissa's feeling pretty tired. Go Team." (Whimper.) Lower back finally won, and I pulled over. Several times. So much for managing rest stops, eh? Sense of Tenacity glowered, lower back gloated, stomach begged that we not try any Ibuprofen for the time being and to please, please, please not mix V8 with Coke ever again.

Got to the top of Ebbetts, and this is when my Sense of Tenacity started caving. I mean, 4 passes is really good -- very respectable. It was early afternoon, and I could descend Ebbetts, go to the lunch stop, and cruise back to the car. Heck, a beer and nice shower could be in my very near future. At the lunch stop, I found dachshund and some of the coaches. As I was trying to choke down some lunch, I mentioned my 4 pass plan to them. Lots of head shaking ensued. One of the mentors said that we had time to make the cutoffs, but we'd have to leave soon. No rest for the weary.

Dachshund, Maillotpois and I pacelined our way thru Markleeville, where we were cheered on by lots of onlookers, including jobob and leebob. Yay, this type of thing always perks me up! We were just about to roll by the start/finish point (my car!), when Maillotpois had us all stop by the side of the road for what I'll call the Sermon on the Mount. Dachshund and I both wanted to call it a day, so MP quizzed us. My reasons were that I didn't want to go thru another 2+ hours of climbing as my lower back was unhappy AND I felt like my saddle was ripping me a new one. (Yes, I actually said that.) MP asked how bad I wanted to do all 5 passes. Honestly, at that point, not so much. (Yes, I actually said that. I think my Sense of Tenacity had fallen asleep -- it hates to be woken up at 2am.) MP told me that I'd worked very hard all year for this, that I was physically capable of finishing the ride, and that we had time. Then MP turned her attention to dachshund, who had other reasons for not wanting to finish the ride. She was having issues with the altitude, including dizziness. Obviously this was a safety issue, so MP agreed that dachshund shouldn't do Carson. Dizziness. Dammit, why didn't I think of saying that?!?! MP looked at me and asked if I was going to do this. My Sense of Tenacity woke up and we headed out to Woodfords. MP pulled me to Woodfords, setting a nice, steady, determined pace.

We got there with plenty of time to spare before the 4pm cutoff. I drank another Coke and enjoyed being sprayed off by a nice woman with a garden hose. Ah, glorious! Not quite the shower I'd envisioned, but close enough for the time being.

The next challenge was to get to the Picketts Junction rest stop before the 5:15 cutoff. During this part of the ride, Coach Paul caught up to me and was concerned about my nutrition. Paul's a staunch believer in Gu, so he opened a packet and suggested I down it. "It'll wake up your legs." Cool. My stomach wasn't as enamored with Gu. Then Paul started talking about opening another packet for me to ingest, and my stomach revolted, threatening to launch the first packet of Gu if Paul didn't cease and desist immediately. Fortunately, the legs, stomach, and Gu called a truce, and we all soldiered on to Picketts Junction.

At Picketts, we met up with Mentor Will, who had tried to talk Tony into finishing. Somewhere between Woodfords and Picketts, Tony decided he didn't want to continue. Will said, "I think he could have finished, but I'm really proud of him anyway. Four passes is great!" A couple minutes later, a two more purple Team In Training jerseys rolled into the Picketts rest stop. They were none other than Coach MP and Tony! Apparently Coach MP had seen Tony sitting in the shade by the side of the road and ... well, motivated him in that special way she has. Coach MP -- I swear that she has magic motivational powers!

It was time to leave Picketts for the final ascent up Carson to get the fifth sticker. Mentor Will paced Gayle, Mark, and I up Carson. It was a nice, slow, steady pace -- my back was still grumbling, but had pretty much given up the fight. Someone joined our paceline and eventually mentioned that this was his 9th Death Ride, but the first time he was going to do all 5 passes. He was really grateful for Will's pacing.

Finally, around 6pm, I got to the summit of Carson. I'd been happy and relieved to get to the summits of the previous 4 passes, but this one ... ah, this one was something else. This incredible feeling came over me; it was a mixture of relief, gratitude, pride, joy, disbelief. I actually made it -- I climbed all 5 passes of the Death Ride! Two years ago, that would have been an insurmountable goal, and now, it was a done deal!

It was a little cold and windy at the summit, so I decided not to enjoy the traditional ice cream at the top of Carson. I signed the poster and hung out with some other teammates. Then we were dispatched in groups for the final descent. Wow, it was a fast descent!! Will hit 60mph. I got up to 50.4mph -- a new personal best! Then Vernon, Mark, and I formed a final paceline for the last few hills back to Turtle Rock Park, rolling in around 7:30pm. What a day!

It was a huge accomplishment, and I have so many people to thank for helping me to reach my goal:
- The Team In Training honorees, for inspiring us to keep going, no matter how hard
- The Team In Training coaches and support staff, for getting us ready
- Anyone who donated -- your generosity is another source of inspiration
- The Bobs for their most excellent lighting and encouragement. I still need to give you back the axle mount for the headlight.
- Coach MP for helping me to overcome the temptation to call it a day before attempting Pass #5

[Trekhawk]

WOW Congratulations!
What a great ride report.
I am inspired by your strength to keep going even when things were getting hard.
WELL DONE!

I will think of you when I am being a baby on a ride.:D

[Blueberry]

Wow, Melissa!! That's one of the best ride reports I've read in a LONG time! And I agree - next time I'm tempted to walk one of our wimpy little hills, I'll think of you:)

CA

[Biciclista]

melissa, GREAT ride report. I'm proud of you. You had at least two things going on that might have made me quit. um, 2am start? no, 3!!

[aka_kim]

Great report and great achievement, Ms. Sandbagger!

[gnat23]

WAHOO!! You worked for it, you gave it everything (even when you didn't want to), and by golly you EARNED it hardcore! Hopefully you've rested up by now and can look back on it with a sense of more happiness. :D :D :D

SUPERCONGRATS!!

-- gnat!

[jobob]

That was fabulous. :cool:

[maillotpois]

fantastic report! so well done - you should be very proud.

it was a pleasure riding with you and dachsund, this season (and jo who found the worst way not to have to get up at 2 am....)

[Bike Goddess]

I agree with MP. Great job. Loved your report, Melissm. To hear about the Death Ride from my club, you'd think it was a piece of cake. I never hear about how tough it is or what the "head conversation" might be. Thanks for sharing all of that as I'm sure you have a lot of company in that regard.

Kudows to MP for not letting your mind run the show. She knew better. After 5x on this ride I'll bet she's seen it all! (now 6?)

What a neat thing that Jobob and Leebob came up just to encourage everyone on the TNT team.

Wanna harder ride? The Alpine Club (original DR sponsors, now gone) has one a few weeks prior to the DR. Even the best of the riders I know had a tough time on that one. They have some of the same passes and a few more just to add to the pain with a total of 200 miles if you complete all of the passes on the route. :eek::eek::eek:

[jobob]

fantastic report! so well done - you should be very proud.

it was a pleasure riding with you and dachsund, this season (and jo who found the worst way not to have to get up at 2 am....)

Heh, it was very nice to be able to sleep in that morning, have a tasty breakfast, hang out in Markleeville, have an ice cream cone, and occasionally shout out to my buddies riding by. Oh yeah, and have a beer at the team tent later that afternoon.

And that, my friends, is my Death Ride report for 2009. ;)

[jobob]

Wanna harder ride? The Alpine Club (original DR sponsors, now gone) has one a few weeks prior to the DR. Even the best of the riders I know had a tough time on that one. They have some of the same passes and a few more just to add to the pain with a total of 200 miles if you complete all of the passes on the route. :eek::eek::eek:

You must mean the Alta Alpina (http://www.altaalpina.org/) club's Wild Sierra challenge.

Lee & I stayed with Twain (one of Alta Alpina's stalwarts) on DR weekend, and we met one of their past presidents who stopped by the night before the DR. Her BF was one of the Wild Sierra organizers this year.

The TNT gang had their Altitude Camp the same weekend as the Wild Sierra challenge.

Lee and I drove over one of the passes that the Wild Sierra uses, Kingsbury Grade. That was a lovely road and I hope to bike up it eventually if not sooner. :cool:

[Bike Goddess]

Yep, the Alta Alpina ride is the one! I"ll bet Twain had a few stories about that one too! I understand that it was pretty cold.

I'd like to drive the Kingsbury grade too sometime. If you say it's doable, maybe I would be able to do it too. I've heard stories about that grade as well. :D:D

[maillotpois]

kingsbury is nice - a lot like the backside of monitor but with a huge shoulder which is good because theres more car traffic than monitor.

[jobob]

Agreed on both counts - it goes to Tahoe so there's definitely more car traffic and, for the most part, excellent wide shoulders.

And there are really great views from that road. :)

[maillotpois]

view from the front side of monitor (looking back over your shoulder) is the best in the whole Death Ride, imho. you'll see next year. ;)

so who's in for 2010??

:)

[snapdragen]

so who's in for 2010??

:)

Yeah right......:D

[jobob]

I am !! Unfinished business and all that.

... assuming I don't mess up again :D

[snapdragen]

I am !! Unfinished business and all that.

... assuming I don't PULL A JENS :D


Fixed it for you......:rolleyes:

[jobob]

beeitch :cool:

[snapdragen]

beeitch :cool:

:D:D:D

[andtckrtoo]

Melissa - I'm late to the game, but I wanted to thank you for the truly excellent ride report!! I am in awe of your tenacity!! Wow. It's amazing how much of these rides are head games, isn't it? Excellent, excellent job!! When I finally meet you I'll buy you a beer! (or three)

[jobob]

That'll get Mel's attention. :D

[Veronica]

Great report Mel! Isn't tenacity wonderful? :D

Veronica

[melissam]

I'm glad you enjoyed my ride report -- I had a good time writing it, but I didn't think anyone would actually read the whole thing, as I do go on. And on. :)

BikeGoddess, I can't imagine the Death Ride feeling like a piece of cake to me. It was an extreme sufferfest for me this year, but I didn't help matters by using a different bike from the one I'd been training on. (Yes, I can be an idiot.) If I do the Death Ride next year, I hope to be able to do it faster and without so much suffering. But it still won't be a piece of cake.

Andtckrtoo -- Jo's right, you got my attention with the beer thing! :D Hope to meet up with you soon. I'm thirsty. ;)

- Melissa

[Bike Goddess]

Melissa- I agree it does seem crazy that we don't hear much about the ride from the "boys". However, these guys have been doing it for many years (as has MP) and know what they need to do to train for it.

Now that you've done it once, I suspect you'll feel a bit more confident next year.

I've certainly contemplated doing this ride, but am not sure I can handle the altitude. So, I'm planning to do a ride with some Bike Journal folks in September in the same area. I've done Tahoe a couple of times, but that's not nearly the elevation of Monitor or Ebbetts or even Carson for that matter.