Tour de "Oh my God, my back hurts!"

[Veronica]

Davis 200 K
131. 9 miles
4800 feet of climbing
4 pounds lost

Bad mix of Sustain and Gatorade, too much Gatorade, lead to stomach issues early on.

Andy, the fireman from Seattle, pulled me all the way to the base of Cardiac. Thank you Andy! Andy looked really familiar to me. I've never been to Seattle, but he's been to Walnut Creek and was at the last Rivendell camp out. It really is a small world. He was in Davis to apply for a position at the university. Talking with him kept my mind off my stomach. Andy left me in the dust at Cardiac, and I rode essentially by myself, into a headwind, to the turnaround at the Pope Valley Grange. I did have a little chat with Lisa and Alfie as they passed me on their fixed gears. Towards the end I was having to conserve my water as my ice hadn't melted yet. At the turnaround, I ate half a banana, drank the Red Bull I had been carrying with me and 2/3 of a Sprite, called Thom, refilled my bottles and headed out.

I had a pretty good tailwind back to Cardiac. I played leapfrog with Andy. He caught up to me after lunch. I passed him while he was stopped at a store. He caught up to me again on Cardiac, scared the bejeesus out of me that time. I was in my own little world, climbing, when he he said hello. I think I jumped six inches! It's a a good thing I have helium in my tires. I passed him when he stopped at a picnic area. He caught me for the last time when I stopped at a little store. The store did not have any regular Red Bull. I made do with a lemonade and bought some peanut M&Ms. I was still having stomach issues and was hoping non "funny food" would sit a little better.

After my stop at the store, I had 30 miles to go and I was pretty miserable for many of them. The roads were flat, but twisted in different directions going around farms, sometimes I had a headwind, sometimes a tailwind. But my upper back was killing me! I felt like my vertebrae were being squashed into each other.

My strategy to get through this section was every time a car passed me I would stretch out my back as best I could. It wrecked havoc on my average speed to coast so much. The last ten miles I could not find a position on the bike that didn't hurt my back. I eventually undid the zipper fully on my vest and that helped a bit. I've come to the conclusion that my AV vest constricts my shoulders too much. I had the same problem, although not quite so painfully, on last week's ride.

I don't usually lose any weight when I ride. I'm pretty good about staying hydrated and I definitely drank more than normal yesterday. I didn't get a dehydration headache, so I'm not sure what's up with my weight. But I wouldn't mind if they stayed gone. Oh, and that was 4 pounds AFTER getting dinner at Jack in the Box!

V.

[Starfish]

How did the knee hold up, and how's the back this morning?

[Veronica]

The knee was bothering me a little on the way out. But was fine on the way back. My back is better, I no longer feel like my vertebrae are being squashed together, but it is still very tight.

I will live.

V.

[Starfish]

I will live.

V.

Any rides on the horizon that you actually expect to enjoy?

[sundial]

Veronica, glad you finished your epic ride on a somewhat happy note.

No guts, no glory.

[Veronica]

Any rides on the horizon that you actually expect to enjoy?

I enjoyed the ride from the turnaround to the store yesterday. The descent off Cardiac on the way back was killer. The last two times I've descended it, it was dark. I think I was faster in the dark. But it was nice to be warm while I was descending it.

Funny, I was telling Thom about all the little mind games I was playing to get to the finish and he said, "Tell me again why you do this?"

V.

[Geonz]

You made it!! Here's to rides that feel *good* in your future ... but here's also to getting over whatever obstacles arise, even if it hurts! You go girl

[maillotpois]

Good job. When's your bike fit?

[gnat23]

Funny, I was telling Thom about all the little mind games I was playing to get to the finish and he said, "Tell me again why you do this?"

Hahah! I remember peddling up a huge hill with my boyfriend, it was cold and windy, I was having a rough time with the grade and manged to huff out "This sport is stupid!"

Glad you survived to see another day, er, ride!

-- gnat!

[jobob]

Herein lies the difference between V & me.

I was on the same ride. I thought I was ready & I was really looking forward to it.

My back & shoulders started hurting at about mile 30, and over time my neck and legs joined in, and then my head started pounding. By the time I reached mile 45 (Moskovite Corners) I decided there was no way I could gut this one out, and I wanted off my bike NOW.

(As an aside, my back almost never hurts on a ride, especially after only 30 miles. There was definitely something else going on.)

So, I got off my bike, called Lee (who had driven me up & was in the area but was currently on a ride and wouldn't be there for over 2 hours), laid back in a sunny spot on the decking at the side of store, and alternately watched the world go by & dozed.

On one hand, I feel like a wimp and a total loser for not sticking it out and bailing so early into the ride. Especially seeing how V stuck it out. It's becoming pretty obvious that I just don't have the right kind of tenacity for these long distance rides.

On the other hand, this is supposed to be fun. I was most definitely not having fun. I didn't even want to attempt the last 20 miles to the control at Pope Valley, even though I knew I would have been able to score a Haagen-Dasz bar at the Pope Valley store for my effort (the store & restaurant at Moscovike were closed for renovations). That's how much fun I wasn't having.

(fwiw, I think I am coming down with something, I don't feel horrible today but I'm still achey and I definitely don't feel good.)

I'll give it a few days and re-evaluate.

[Veronica]

You cannot compare yourself to other people Jo! You have to listen to your own body. And it is suppose to be fun!

You know how much I am questioning whether or not I want to keep doing these long rides. Part of that is because I am not sure they are all that much fun anymore. Time limits and rides that go through less interesting places just to get mileage that ends in a zero, having to get up at the crack of dawn to get to the start...

I only truly felt like crap the last thirty miles or so - the flat ones! Yeah, I had issues before that, but they would come and go. I know in any long ride there will be times when I am just going to feel yucky. Sometimes I just know the yuck is going to go away... when I get the tailwind, when I get off this climb... And sometimes your body just says, "Get me off this damn bike now!" Three miles from the end, riding into a headwind, knowing I was not going to break 10 hours, I had this urge to throw my bike to my ground and just stop. But I knew a good chunk of that urge came from knowing I was not going to have the finishing time I wanted...

Anyway... stop beating yourself up. It sounds like your body was telling you something and it is good that you listened.

V.

[jobob]

Okey-doke.

I think I'm more just frustrated that once again I didn't get that 200K in. I may just need to give up on the R12 concept, for now.

[shootingstar]

On one hand, I feel like a wimp and a total loser for not sticking it out and bailing so early into the ride. Especially seeing how V stuck it out. It's becoming pretty obvious that I just don't have the right kind of tenacity for these long distance rides.

On the other hand, this is supposed to be fun. I was most definitely not having fun. I didn't even want to attempt the last 20 miles to the control at Pope Valley, even though I knew I would have been able to score a Haagen-Dasz bar at the Pope Valley store for my effort (the store & restaurant at Moscovike were closed for renovations). That's how much fun I wasn't having.

(fwiw, I think I am coming down with something, I don't feel horrible today but I'm still achey and I definitely don't feel good.)

I'll give it a few days and re-evaluate.

Would you feel more relaxed, less pain if you did the same ride and distance by yourself with an approx. time goal finish in your head? There is some hard work on a long bike ride..but abit more enjoyment could be there if the ride was configured differently.

At least 1-3 difficult long hard rides in a season/year, helps you master and enjoy the other rides even more! I tell myself as a motivator...

And I always tell myself, I may not be as strong in cycling ...as in other areas /skills...I know that I have weathered some difficult life challenges....and other people just have a way tougher time than I.

The first cycling race I ever saw live....was a national wheelchair race. Paraplegics that were at the top of their game. I talked to one of the competitors...who had big bulging biceps..he told me how on the odd occasion he did have to be pushed up a long very steep hill..and the surgery he had done on his arm muscles from the strain of pulling on his wheelchair wheels forward.

I try to remember this...whenever I start feeling sorry/disgusted at myself.

In the end, cycling has to be pleasurable....so that you keep on wanting to do it for many decades ahead.

[Bike Goddess]

V & Jo- We were all trying to figure out what the heck ride you all were on! We were doing our annual Spring Moxie- a version of the Fall Foxy. We started out from the Rockville cafe and came around Berryessa clockwise (the easy way). I saw you Jo, and I think I waved, but I didn't know it was you until we got to Lake Solano and one of the SAG guys (Kimball) gave me the message from you.

I had left Moskowitz corner ahead of the "big dawgs" as I wanted to get to Lake Solano park and bathrooms sooner than later. Had you said something, our guys would have been happy to SAG you! At least it was nice out yesterday, but not much going on over there where you ended up. We would have loved your company at the Solano park.

I agree with both of you-if the ride ceases to be fun, it's not worth it. Back aches on a bike are absolutely no fun. Been there, know that horrible feeling.

We all enjoyed our ride- I especially loved the wildflowers that are coming into bloom and (of course) that fun climb up Cantelow. Then again, we only did slightly over 100KMs so who am I to complain.

Yes, Veronica, it is good to have someone to talk with-does help us when we're feeling miserable. Congrats on finishing in spite of it all.

Since I've retired this year, I seem to have less and less interest in doing long rides. I"m happy with my metrics twice a week and my climb up Diablo once a week. Seems like I don't have prove anything to myself anymore. Perhaps this is what you are also saying.

[jobob]

Hey Nancy -

Yep, you & I did the generic smile & wave at each other - I tend to do that with every woman I see on rides. And most guys as well.

But it didn't dawn on me that it was you until the second after we passed by each other !

By then I was feeling so crummy that I couldn't get the gumption to turn around and try to follow you up the very shallow climb to try to reach you to say hi good & proper.

I did get to chat with some of your clubmates at Manechevitz corner - sounds like you guys were all having a great ride.

And thanks for the belated SAG offer, but honestly, I was very content hanging out streched out on my back in the sunshine. If I really needed a ride someplace, Lee Mitchell, aka LeeBikeVan (you must have seen his red van pass by over the course of your ride, being driven a cycling version of Santa Claus ) could have given me a lift, he had offered do do so when he pulled into Maraschino corner soon after the Benecia gang all left.