Great advice . . . thank you!
Hey Mary,
Thanks for all the info on the ride! I did start training but I know I need to get a lot more of it in before July 29th. I haven't been riding a lot this winter so I have a lot of catching up to do. My husband Joe, who also rides, is helping me to train for the RAMROD. Like you, he has no desire to ride it. He is supporting me though. He said, "If you want to kill yourself I won't stand in your way, but I will be there to help you when you need me." He told me he would drop me off at Enumclaw High School and then go to the Mint Bar until it's time to come and pick me up! LOL Such a funny guy (in his mind anyway!) I was a bit concerned about the water situation. So you can understand my distress after reading about your friends feedback regarding the water options. I may have to go out and buy a roadie hydropak. I have one for my mountain bike (a big mule) but those things can be so dam hot against your back! Maybe my husband and daughter will do a DAMROD. I will just have to tell them not to stop at any of the official rest stops and to make sure they pull entirely off the road. I want to start as early as I can, too. 5 am! How long did it take your two friends to do the RAMROD? Including rest stops.
Have you done any of the annual scheduled rides, Mary? Joe and I did the Tulip Pedal on April 10th in Skagit County and we also did the Daffodil Classic last Sunday. The 50 mile loop. It's a start. Tomorrow Joe and I are doing a 50 miler. It looks like this weekend is going to be a good one for biking or anything else outdoorsy! I hope you have some good rides planned for this weekend.
Again thank you so much for the info!
Wow, your friends are doing it again this year?! They must have really enjoyed the ride last year?!!!!
Sue
Didn't mean to alarm you...
hey Sue - no worries, you will have a great ride f'sure...I added the feedback in the interest of full disclosure and to help you plan, that's all. I didn't notice too many official support vehicles out on the route last year, and there were a couple of water stations, but you would do well to get even a small camelbak. I don't like the big heavy mules on my back either, but use a small 70 oz bladder which doesnt hang all the way down my back or feel like the same heavy burden as previously used bigger ones. Whenever I ride a century or more (a la STP), I always use a camelbak for water and use my 2 bottles for my electrolyte drink...
All my RAMROD riders had to do was stop and hand me their warm, half-empty bottles (they didn't use camelbak's cuz they had me) and there were icy cold replacements in their hands instantly. Our mutual P.T. is a veteran RAAM rider and she helped with some tips too...like having a sip of coke when you're really tired and hot and one of my riders swears that the 1/2 cup of icy cold (flat) coke that I had her sip while climbing up Cayuse, helped her power the last 1/2 mile to crest it. She also had me bring some V-8 for the sodium content and used it when she started cramping on the climb to Paradise.
I gotta say though, that your husband's got a great idea...where's the Mint Bar? Maybe I'll head there instead of doing DAMROD again!
Yeah, they started out about 5:30 (after saying that they were very nervous - understandably so!) and didn't really stop too long anywhere, with the exception of about 20 min. for cramps up to Paradise and then about the same there for lunch...they crested Cayuse at about 5PM and ran into a friend volunteering at the (good food) rest stop at Crystal Mtn entrance, so that was a longer stop too...I think that they coasted back into the parking lot @ 8 or so...I was in my beach chair next to my car, sipping a beer, chatting with riders, reading a mag...la de da!
2 other friends did it in <10 that same day - they're such gnarly girl riders! I spotted cruising along and passing tons of guy pacelines (love to see the looks that guys give them!) till we entered the park...and then it was sayonara...pretty cool.
Yep, I've been riding...and am headed to Vancouver, WA next weekend for the Ride around Clark Cty...I've done the supported rides in/around Seattle area so often, that it's fun to go and find some new ones. Am also riding RAW/the Cascade annual ride around WA - it's over in Spokane > Walla Walla area and I've never been riding over there either, so am looking forward to that. June/Womantours - yoga and cycling in Grand Tetons too...sounds wonderful, eh?
You bet, I'll be glad to help you out too, while I'm out there this year...we can connect beforehand somehow...but again, you'll have a great ride - get it in your head and it'll happen!
Mary
mantra for RAMROD - ride my own ride, ride my own ride...
Hey Sue,
Yep, you'll surely want to enjoy it - after prepping and training for it and you will - I'm sure of it. Just set your goals (both in training and for the event ride itself) and you'll meet them - simple as that!
When I asked if you'd use the camelbak ahead of time, it's from my own practice of not using anything (be it a new saddle position to a different snack, etc) for the first time on the ride I've been training for. You'll want to already be familiar with how the camelbak feels and how it's such a help to be able to have it so handy on hillclimbs and long pulls on the flats; that way, you'll be doing a great job of hydrating appropriately all during your training too.
Yeah, one of my riders spotted a message on the post-RAMROD forum last year referring to "an angel offering icy water on Cayuse"...
Yep, heading to Vancouver for the Clark Cty ride this weekend; should be great.
I'll be ready to sit and sip at the mint bar f'sure...have a great weekend!
Mary
I can't believe it's time!
Well tomorrow is the big day! I have my camel back and my hubby wants me to take an extra "tire" besides extra tubes! It takes up so much room I am thinking of leaving it. It's going to be hot tomorrow and that backpack is already quite heavy. Joe won't be able to be with me the day of the ride. He has clients coming in from out of state and out of country and will be in meetings all day long. He just could not get out of it. I told him not to worry that I will do fine. The support is supposed to be great and they have people cruising the course. He said he will be at the finish though waiting for me. Today I will go to Enumclaw to pick up my race packet! I'm so excited!:D
Sue