First 200 K

[Veronica]

We rode in our first 200 K (125.3 miles) yesterday. It was a really nice course, about 4,000 feet of total climb and very rural. The first twenty and last twenty miles were very flat. For the last twenty miles we were pulling 4 single riders. It kind of inspired us to go a little faster than we might have normally.

I'm a little tired today, not overly sore anywhere. We're pretty happy with our time - not stellar but an improvement for us.

But life is so unfair - Thom loses 3 pounds on the ride. I lose nothing. Go figure.


Veronica

[Susan126]

Congratulations on doing a 200 K!!! I'm trying to catch up on all the posts on this forum. I've been so busy this spring that I haven't been on line a lot. I read your post and I just had to reply! That was an awesome feat! A 200 K, 4,000 feet of total climbing and to top it all off .... not even too sore the next day. Again Congratulations! How did you train for it? My husband and I did a two day ride the weekend of May 17 and 18. We rode 105 miles a day each day. Right now I am training for a three day event in August that has some pretty big long hill climbs. Your 4,000 foot climb must have been something! But the downhills were probably very rewarding!

Are you planning on doing any other long rides this summer? Keep me posted! :)

Sue

[Veronica]

We didn't really train for the 200 K. We had just gotten back from our trip to Hawaii and so felt in pretty good shape.

The next organized ride we've signed up for is the Death Valley Double Century in October. We did the single century last year. I'd really like to do the double. It's 8800 feet of climb over 196 miles.

http://www.planetultra.com/deathvalley/index.html

As a prep we'll do the Knoxville 200 K in Sept. We haven't signed up yet for this. We worked the Devil Mountain Double in April. Quackcyclists are a really nice group of people and working a ride is a lot of fun.

http://www.bbcnet.com/knoxville/knoxvilledc.asp


To train for both we'll do the local climbs. We can ride from our house and get in two of them for about 6,000 feet of climb in a 90 mile loop. Once we get over being sick our plan is to do that every other weekend, with the off weekend doing a flat century or riding with the local club. We also want to ride in the morning before work.

Veronica

[aka_kim]

The Knoxville ride looks like fun. Hmmm, I wonder if I could do 120 miles, maybe as a birthday present to myself...

You know, next year you guys should think about the California Triple Crown (http://www.caltriplecrown.com/). Then you'd really need a tiara.

[Veronica]

I think you should go for it. We''l have to start riding to the top of Diablo though. :p
Maybe even a couple of times (ha!)

If we do well on Death Valley I'd like to go for the triple crown in 2004. But with the easier rides I think. No Devil Mountain Double or the Terrible Two for us.

Veronica

[aka_kim]

Yeah, I was doing the summit once a week for the past few weeks before the Sierra Century. In '99 when I was training for the Death Ride I managed 1 1/2 Diablos (a well-known unit of measure equalling 4000 vertical feet). Two Diablos would be tough....

Just read the ride report from last year's Knoxville ride -- I forgot how HOT it usually is in mid-September. Still looks interesting though, and I do need a goal.

[Susan126]

You guys are just too awesome! Death Valley Double Century (8800 feet of climbing!), Knoxville 200 K, the Triple Crown in 2004, great goals and rides everyone! If you guys can do these I sure as heck can do my three day event this August! It's the Courage Classic http://www.courageclassic.com and I will have to climb a total of 7068 feet. Three mountain passes in three days. The first day I will have to pedal up to Snoqualmie Pass (1962 feet), the second day it's Blewitt Pass (2200 feet) and the last day I will pedal up to Stevens Pass (2906 feet)! (Notice they get longer for each day! LOL) But it's for a good cause and I have always wanted to do something challenging like this. So we have our rides ahead of us .... let's keep each other motivated and go for it! GO GO GO!!! :D

[aka_kim]

That looks like a great ride, and for a good cause. Go for it! I'm sure you'll have such a blast you won't notice the miles rolling by. Reminds me I need to look for a tour to do this year.

aka Kim

[DoubleLori]

I did the Triple Crown in 1998. I rode the Solvang Double, Davis Double, and Los Angeles Grand Tour. These are all probably around 8000' of climbing or so, if I recall. Not too outrageous. I did 4 passes of the Death Ride one year for about 13,000 feet of climb.

Can't wait to start riding again! I'd really like to do the Death Valley Double.

[aka_kim]

Truly awesome, and inspiring. Must be why you're called "Double Lori"?? One tiara (at least) for you.

Can you do a double on a recumbent?

[Veronica]

One of the guys in charge of Devil Mountain Double and Knoxville rode most of the staff ride on his recumbent. He got down the other side of Hamiliton and called it quits.

Veronica

[DoubleLori]

I've always seen some recumbents on my previous doubles. Where there is a will there is a way!

[Veronica]

When is your surgery? Maybe you can join us at Knoxville in September.

Veronica

[DoubleLori]

I would sure love to do Knoxville. I rode over that road once in a Moonlight Century in the middle of the night back in the '80s (long before the Knoxville Double got started), but it won't be this year. I still don't know my surgery date, but hopefully I will find out a least a tentative date this week. Maybe I can get back in shape to do the Davis Double next year. That would be a nice even 10 Davis Doubles for me, so I would really like to do it again.

I'll be starting off from absolute zero when I am able to ride again, so I'm thinking 6 months minimum before I can do a double. I really have no idea how climbing on a recumbent will be for me. I have many great 3000-4000' climbs within an hour's driving away (and one 1800' climb only 2 miles away) so I can get plently of practice climbing.

I will be back on a bike (or trike) as soon as physically possible.

[DoubleLori]

I just saw where the RAAM (Race Across America) started today and only ONE woman (Rebecca Smith, age 53) entered the single competition! All she has to do is get to Atlantic City and she wins!

Everybody train, train, train and do the RAAM! C'mon everybody!

[aka_kim]

*All* she has to do is finish! 2970 miles, 82000 feet of climbing, 100+ degrees in the deserts, little sleep, 9+ days. (That's roughly a TRIPLE century with 9000 feet of climb every day.) Yeah, should be a piece of cake.

It is interesting she's the only solo female. Does that mean most women are a) too smart to attempt such a physically and emotionally grueling endeavor, or b) too wimpy??

[DoubleLori]

Since she's the only one, she could take 3 months and still be declared the winner (unless there is a rule about a time limit)! I know she's supposed to be a top-notch rider (set some records in other long-distance events) so I'm not saying she is unworthy; I'm just surprised that no other females entered!

I would sure enter if I only could; considering I can't even ride around the block right now due to my neck injury that is impossible.

[elevenpointfive]

Previous RAAMs have had multiple women racers, right? My memory ain't so great lately, but I think I remember one in the mid-1990s where there were at least Seana Hogan and Muffy Ritz racing. And Muffy did push-ups at the finish line. :cool: