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You ROCK, thank you for sharing your amazing tale! I've been interested in brevets since first learning about them, but this year my goal is a metric century.
I look forward to hearing tales from everyone else tackling amazing rides this year as well.
Sarah - you are simply amazing. Incredible tale! Thank you for sharing! I enjoyed every word, seriously! I have done some endurance events - nothing like your 600k at all, but some, and two lines really stood out for me:
- Things that hurt now may not hurt later. Keep riding.
- It is ALMOST all mental. Your body can keep going (granted not at its highest level) for a very long time. It's your mind that it going to talk you out of or into it.
I TOTALLY agree!! I think the only caveat I would add is that we can do so much more than we think we can - and that goes for anyone - not just us cyclists. I learned this the hard way when I first start cycling. I'd do out and back trips. One day I ended up going out a lot further than I thought I would and had to get back. Well, the only way to get back was to ride it. I did. And learned an invaluable lesson.
Quote:
Originally Posted by andtckrtoo
This reminds me - has anyone heard the radiolabs podcast about limits? They talk about the limits of the human body & mind. Most of the broadcast is spent on RAAM and Ironman Kona. It's a fantastic listen!
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2010/04/16
Susan - glad you were able to find the report. ;) I would suggest as much cushion as possible for the last 100 miles. it really was amazing to me how hard it was given how easy a 100 mile route it would have been in isolation.
this report brings back some memories. I think I was really thinking I would do more long brevets, but I have not done another 600k since I wrote it, though I have done a 400 k and a double century that was almost harder than the 600k (DMD). one day I will do another 600 and perhaps a 1200.
good luck Susan!! i will look forward to reading your report. :)
THERE'S A 1200K????? Holy cow!!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by maillotpois
I think a 600 is super amazing. I can't imagine a 1200.
Is that the longest one?
WOW! I mean WOW!!!!
Yup..it's all mental..Like mtn biking enduros..all in the head..
Isn't PBP "THE" audax event..1200km in 90hrs...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris%E...%E2%80%93Paris
That's crazy! You're amazing maillotpois and Susan. Thanks for sharing.
Yep CC, PBP is the big daddy 1200K. It's held every 4 years, the next one is next year 2011. Rando-types in my area are already making plans for it. During the last one it rained like stink almost the entire time, it was super-challenging for the participants.
There are also plenty of 1200K's in the US and elsewhere. Used to be, on a PBP year, no other 1200Ks would be run, but owing to the popularity of randonneuring they're actually going to limit the number of participants for PBP next year, and allow other 1200Ks to go on in 2011.
On the west coast of the US, there's the Gold Rush Randonne in Northern CA, and the Cascade 1200 in Washington State. I think these are run every other year, on alternating years. The Cascade is this summer; Lee and I volunteered at an overnight control the last time it was held 2 years ago, and had a blast.
More info on the RUSA website.
I need to print this on my arm for my big training ride today. Over a route mapped out by coach maillotpois, no less. :cool:Quote:
- Things that hurt now may not hurt later. Keep riding.
- It is ALMOST all mental. Your body can keep going (granted not at its highest level) for a very long time. It's your mind that it going to talk you out of or into it.
Where is today's ride?
Veronica
Sarah, how do you feel today?Quote:
Originally Posted by maillotpois
Ginger ale does wonders for tummy upsets. :) Last night as I was working on the bike I got to thinking that packing some crystalized ginger might not be a bad idea for those loooooong rides.
Wow. I read that report last night, and couldn't fall asleep thinking about it. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I don't have the kind of relationship with my body that I can get it to do anything even a little painful. Lucky for me, riding is never painful at the distances I ride :o. I think we all have our strengths, but overcoming the voice in my head that tells me "this sucks" is not mine. Maybe I wasn't as much like that when I was younger, but now, I definitely like things cushy.
But, I'm really curious. What makes you want to do this? Is it just the feeling of accomplishment at the end? I would need some huge reward a part of the goal, to have a chance of completing anything even a quarter as hard. Did you do that (give yourself something amazing)?
I bet she feels fine today since she did the 600K in 2006. :p I hope she feels fine since she's leading Jobob on a killer ride today.Quote:
Originally Posted by sundial
Veronica
portola valley - big basin/santa cruz mtns - windy hwy 1 - la honda. 112 miles 10 - 11,000 feet of climb including 2 of the longest sustained steep bay area climbs (redwood gulch and jamison creek) and jobob kicked a$$. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Veronica
Excellent!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by maillotpois
Veronica
You guys are all so great - thanks for the comments. As V pointed out, I did that ride in 2006, and Susan O bumped the thread because she has her own 600k going on - right now probably. (We eagerly await the report!!)Quote:
Originally Posted by redrhodie
But to get to your question, redrhodie - I really just love long distance cycling and the type of people who do it. I did my first Death Ride in 2002 and my first double century in 2005 and was pretty well hooked. That's not to say that I do it all the time. I've done 9 doubles and several brevets over the 200 mile distance, but I haven't done a double since 2008, because I simply don't have the time. For the last several years, I have been putting most of my cycling time and energy into the Death Ride training program I run for TNT (which melissam and Dachsund did last year and in which jobob is kicking butt this year). And since I have a 14 year old daughter and a new business, I have to really work to balance it all and not let cycling just take over.
But that's the great thing about this sport, and ultra distance in particular. Once Em is off to college, I can start doing those long rides and not feel bad for being away all day. There was a guy on some of my doubles who was in his 80's and most of the double century crowd is in their 50's. This is a sport we can do for a LONG time.
I'm also pretty type A and ambitious overall. :rolleyes:
Oops! :o :oQuote:
Originally Posted by Veronica
No, it's this upcoming weekend. T minus 5 days and counting!Quote:
Originally Posted by maillotpois
Gee, who knew. :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by maillotpois
I'm doing this ride again. Tomorrow (through Sunday). For the first time in 8 years.
I haven't done a 600k since 2011. I'm woefully underprepared, have had a LOT of personal issues this year (no one died or is dying, but it's been a disruptive spring to say the least). But I'm gonna have a Stone IPA, read this report again and go to bed (and get up at 3:30).
Good luck.
I like your attitude. While I don't do 600k rides, what you said pretty much sums up how I feel before any hard effort!
Here's hoping for great weather and a great ride!
Veronica
Well, that was a little dumb. A can-do attitude and willingness to suffer are one thing, but doing damage to a recently surgically repaired body part (I had hip surgery last year and couldn't ride for a good 4 months before the surgery because of the pain) is another. I made it 120 miles in and realized that the persistent hip pain I had been having for the last 40 miles was something I needed to listen to. There's "good" pain and then there's "bad" pain and I know the difference.
So I persuaded my riding companion to proceed without me, turned around and went back to the motel we'd all planned on staying at for a couple of hours.
Headwinds were crazy, and I'm sure that struggling to hold 10 mph in a paceline for 70 miles was more exertion than the hip needed. I just don't have enough solid base training in that hip right now, given the last few months of really inconsistent training. I know I can get back there, and I'm well on my way.
Next year. (Or maybe this fall, who knows?)
That was wise. You only get one body after all.
Veronica
[QUOTE=maillotpois;693163 There's "good" pain and then there's "bad" pain and I know the difference.
[/QUOTE]
Good for you for making the hard, but smart choice. It's NEVER easy to make the decision to DNF but listening to your body so that you can ride again another day is always the best thing to do. I"m sorry this weekend didn't work out for you, but I know you will be back out there soon!
Healing wishes,
Susan
Thanks all. Depending on how my month goes, I'm contemplating doing a 600 in mid June. We'll see. Easier course and if I can get some solid riding in (heck I did a 140 this weekend after all - good training!) it may work. I know my hip *can* do a 600 (it didn't hurt at all during the 400), but I just need to be smarter about things than I used to be. Like the first time I did this ride.