First, I would like to say that I am sorry to hear so many were not able to complete the 100 miles at HHH because they closed Hell's Gate early. I know what it is like to train all summer for that ride and not be able to complete it because some outside source prevented you from completing it. The HHH of 2004 was to be my first century, and my rear derailer cracked at mile 50. I was heartbroken.
But in defense of the ride organizers, they made the right decision to close Hell's Gate when they did. A cycling trainer who I have trained with in the past knows some of the ride organizers. HHH actually keeps statistics of past rides (such as time of day, temperature, heat index, number of injuries, etc.) and can make some correlations based on past data. They knew at the rate they were going, the ride volunteers and the Wichita Falls medical staff (doctors, nurses, EMS) would be overwhelmed and they would not be able to respond in a way to ensure rider safety. Even with closing Hell's Gate early, the EMS, rest stop medical staff, and hospital staff were overwhelmed on Saturday. I know we sign a waiver, but the ride organizers need to protect themselves...but most of all, they are there to protect us from ourselves (
http://www.hh100.org/index.php?optio...sk=view&id=77).
I did complete the 100 mile ride, and the last 40 miles were brutal. I did the first 60 miles in 3.5 hours, and then I did the last 40 miles in 3.5 hours. The last 40 miles (after Hell's Gate) is always the hardest. You turn into the wind every year and you fight it all the way back into Wichita Falls. Many riders do not anticipate this...and when the temperature reaches 105 (heat indices 107-111)...you are asking for problems. I saw EMS everywhere, and the MASH tents at each of the rest stops where full of people laying down (a lot of them with IVs hooked up). I had friends who were out there, who are much stronger riders than I am, who ended up underneath those MASH tents cramped up and with heat exhaustion. When you ran across a shady tree out there (which is rare in that part of Texas), there were riders laying down underneath them. I heard at one point, the SAG wagons were 2 hours behind picking people up. I know that every SAG wagon that passed by me was stacked with bikes. Some people just pulled over to the side of the road and either rested their heads on their handbars in agony, or started to just walk their bikes. So the ride organizers knew, based on available resources in the Wichita Falls area, what they were capable of and when they needed to close the 100 mile route. One of my friends was one of the last people to make it through Hell's Gate, and he completed the ride in just under 9 hours. I was waiting at the finish line for 2 hours worried sick about him.
So I hope everyone can understand why the ride organizers did what they did, and maybe put this all in perspective. Having done this ride 4 times, I had a pretty good idea what I needed to do to ensure that I finished. Train hard in the heat all summer, hydrate days before HHH, and keep your own pace (do not try to ride with people who are faster than you are). Having had one bad HHH experience underneath my belt (2004 incident), I also have decided not to do the mass start (did it once...do not need to do it again) to ensure that I get on the road promptly at 7:00 am. I also only stopped at a rest stop once between the start and Burkburnett (Hell's Gate). While it is relatively cool and you still have your legs, book it to Hell's Gate. Then after you get there, you can take it easy with your pace, and stop at the rest stops regularly.
