Hotter 'n Hell 100 - Wichita Falls TX

[NMRider]

If this topic has already been addressed, my apologies - please point me to the thread if it's already here.

This is my first century ride next month. Anyone done it who can share her thoughts on useful strategies and things to watch out for?

I feel as if I'll be prepped physically and for the heat (southern NM gets way hot, not so humid, though), but a little nervous about starting out with 10,000 other bikes around me.

How about the rest stops? What is etiquette for stopping to get water etc?

Appreciate any insights.

[indysteel]

Good luck at your first century!!! I've never done the HHH, but I did take a look at the official website for the ride and noticed some helpful information on the forums there, especially about how the start is structured. I'd encourge you to peruse it if you haven't already.

Some random pieces of advice. Clearly, the start is going to be wacky with that many riders. There's no way to prevent every mishap. The best you can do is to ride defensively, predictably and patiently. Don't get too close to other riders and avoid letting anyone get too close to you. Signal using both hand and voice commands. Don't be afraid to bark at someone if they're doing something stupid or confusing. Keep an eye out for riders coming up on your left to pass.

According to the HHH forums, the first couple of rest stops will be crowded so, unless you really need to stop, I'd encourage you to bypass them. There are rest stops every 10 miles, so you won't have to go too long for the next one. I would avoid stopping, for the course of the ride, unless you have to. If it were me, I'd stop no more than every 20-30 miles, depending on how much water your burning through. And keep the stops very short. The longer you dally, the longer the ride and the stiffer your legs.

During the ride, drink, drink and drink some more. I stick to about a 2:1 ratio of water and sports drink. I don't like Gatorade, which is what's usually offered at big organized rides, so I bring some of my drink powder along and refill as necessary. I also carry some food that I know will agree with my stomach, e.g., Clif Blocs, to supplement the food at reststops. Make sure you incorporate some salt into what you're snacking on. Not only will it replenish lost electrolytes, but it will also aid your digestion.

Also brings some extra sunscreen, at least two spare tubes and plenty of CO2cannisters (and/or frame pump) and whatever else you generally use. I also fill a travel size bottle full of Chamois Butt'r, and keep that in my jersey pocket to be reapplied throughout the ride.

Do what you can to keep your core cool. Poor water over your head or put ice (my favorite trick) in your sports bra. Find a spot of shade at the lunch stop if you can.

Prepping for the ride is important too. Make sure that your bike is in good working order a week in advance of the ride. Lay out everything you're going to wear, need, pack, etc., a few days in advance and run through your checklist several times. Focus on hydrating the entire week before the ride. I, personally, spend the 48 hours before a big ride downing lots of water (but not too much). Aim to drink quite a bit the morning of the ride. Yes, it means having to go the bathroom, but if you start the ride dehydrated, you will never get out of the hole. I try to begin eating and drinking the minute i get out of bed before a big ride. That gives me more time to digest and hyrdrate. I also take some Pepto the morning of the ride to hopefully forestall any digestive issues. My stomach gets fussy when I get nervous, and I find that it helps.

I hope some of this helps. Be sure to post a ride report. Have fun and good luck!

K-

[bikerchick68]

Excellent advice Indy! I was gonna add something... but ya covered it all!

Hydration, calling AND pointing out hazards, salt intake and plenty of electrolyte sport drink...

the only other thing I can add is ride at YOUR pace... a lot of people get all excited and push out hard for the first 30 miles... and pay for it the last 30. Pace yourself and ride your own ride...

PLEASE report in and share pics of your success afterward too OK? I'd love to celebrate with you!

[indysteel]

A couple additional things occured to me at lunch. Try to stay loose and stretched. I'm a yoga devotee and there are a handful of hamstring and hip stretches that I do before every ride, but especially before intense/long rides. If you have a stretching routine, I would suggest doing it the night and morning before the ride. Repeat the stretches as needed at rest stops.
Also, keep an eye on tension in your upper body. Especially at the start, you may find yourself clinching your shoulders or locking your elbows. Try to stay relaxed instead.

You'll notice on a century (or longer) that your body and mind will go through various stages, some better than others. Short of bonking or heat exhaustion, don't be surprised if you have peaks and valleys in your energy level, and there may be no rhyme or reason to them.. Try to just ride through the worst of it and try to hold yourself back a little when you're feeling really good. You may need that excess energy later.

Again, good luck!

[li10up]

NM-there are many people that live here in TX that end up with IVs in them during the HHH. I haven't ridden the ride myself but have many friends that have. So I have to reiterate with Indy said...HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE. One thing I've noticed about rest stops is that the Gatorade is always very watered down. Make sure you bring something with you for electrolyte replacement. You will be sweating a LOT!

Non-ride related: get your hotel room early! My friends have stayed at the Y and had a blast but say it is tough to sleep with all the snorers around. Earplugs are a must and a sleepmask would be handy.

Indy, how do you...ummm...reapply the chamois butt'r during a ride? In the port-a-potty I'm guessing...but there is never anything to wash my hands with on the rides I've been on. Guess I need a pointer or two. Also, with the ice - does it irritate your skin? Does the melting ice soak your shorts? Sounds like something I might want to try.

[bikerchick68]

1i10up... I'm no Indy... but, yeah, you reapply Chamois Butt'r in the porta potty. REI is now selling individual packs that I jammed in my seat bag. You get a dozen for $8. Not cheap but OH SO WORTH IT! For my STP ride, I reapplied at EVERY SAG stop... really glad I did... I was having saddle issues as it was... can't imagine what it would have been like without the lube.

My bro rides double centuries and swears by Bag Balm for anything over 100 miles... he said it stinks but doesn't absorb into the chamois like Chamois Butt'r does... I'm gonna try it next time. Costco carries it now!

[indysteel]

Girls, it ain't pretty or especially hygenic, but you put the Chamois Butt'r on in the porty potty and do you best to wipe your hands off with TP or carry some moist toilettes. I'm not proud of these things, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Thankfully, we had a couple of actual bathrooms at RAIN so you could actually wash up. Frankly, I do all sorts of gross things in the name of biking that I never dreamt of doing before. My mother would die if I told her.

Listen to lil10up about the Texas heat and know the signs of heat exhaustion. Stop riding if you start to feel faint, dizzy, sick to your stomach, get a bad headache, etc. That kind of stuff should not be taken lightly. No ride is worth a trip to the hospital. One of the reasons I was really hesitant to do the Ride Across Indiana this past Saturday was based on what happened last year. Temps were close to 100 with high humitity and lots of people got really sick. I only got serious about doing it when I saw the weather forecast calling for temps in the low 80s. I'm a delicate flower you know!

As for the ice, it hasn't irritated my skin, and I've only had to do it a time or two on crazy hot days. When I'm that hot, I'm not sure I really cared about anything other than getting cool. I prefer just dumping water over my head and neck though.

On a side note, we had a rest stop during RAIN with popsicles that were the bomb. They so hit the spot.

[KSH]

Indy, how do you...ummm...reapply the chamois butt'r during a ride? In the port-a-potty I'm guessing...but there is never anything to wash my hands with on the rides I've been on. Guess I need a pointer or two. Also, with the ice - does it irritate your skin? Does the melting ice soak your shorts? Sounds like something I might want to try.

Buy a travel sized Body Glide. Fits in your pocket and reapplys very easily in a port-o-can.


Otherwise, here are some lessons I learned last year:

1) If you get too far back for the start... you will lose serious time. We lost 1 HOUR thanks to how far back we were from the start line. It seriously took us 1 hour to get our wheels rolling slowly. I'm so slow... 1 hour lost for me is 16 miles. That's me making it to Hells Gate or not.

2) Well, thanks to then shutting Hells Gate down early... 1 hour early (or maybe more?- around 11:00-11:15)... we weren't going to make it to HG. Unfortunately, a lot of people got screwed out of 100 miles last year because of this. So, near the end of the course you saw peopel riding BACK so they could get in the extra 25 miles (if you miss HG you go a 75 mile route).

3) If you need FOOD on the ride... pack some in your jersey. Around mile 40ish I was hungry... and the rest stop was stocked with crackers and pickles. Yea, uuummm... that's not food.

[Aggie_Ama]

I carry instant hand sanitizer in my seat bag. You can get a tiny travel size at most drug stores.

Last year they actually had to close Hell's Gate on the Hotter n' Hell because the heat index was forcasted well over 100. Remember the pavement will make the heat even more intense.

[Righteousbabe]

I have done 4 HHHs, and this year will be my 5th. This is how I ensure I make it to Hell's Gate before they close it, and finish it without killing myself...

1) Definitely start towards the front of the pack. But this will require you to get up way before the crack of dawn and getting down there to line up and wait. I hear they are staggering the start this year for the first time. I am not sure how they will do this (limited room on the roads at the start), and who knows how it will work out. But honestly, I have only done the mass start one of the four years. The other 3 I started with my training group a block or two up from the start line. We wait until all the racers go by so that we do not get in their way, and start right before the rest of the riders. The ride marshalls last year did not appreciate us and other riders doing this, so I am not sure if they will crack down this year. I will probably attempt something like this again, but maybe find another place to start. I don't like having to start this way...but again, this is to just make sure I make it to Hell's Gate. Most of the riders doing HHH are not attempting the 100 miles, hence the slow/dangerous mass start. We'll see if the way they stagger it this year does any good.

2) I carry a camel back full of water, 2 water bottles with sports drink, and gel shots with me so that I do not have to stop too often or too long the first 60 miles to Burkburnett (where Hell's Gate is). I will probably stop once or twice in the first 60 miles, and they are extremely quick stops (get off saddle, stretch legs, refill if necessary). If you need to use the rest room, my advice is to make like the guys out there...they never wait for a porto. This may sound disgusting, and I do not normally do this at other organized rides, but you can wait up to 30 minutes for a porto at HHH, and it is not worth it.

3) My pace to Hell's Gate is pretty fast (for me). But once I get through Hell's Gate, I back off. After Hell's Gate you turn into the headwind for a good 40-45 miles. Just settle into a comfy cadence and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Miles 80-105 will be extremely difficult. Just stop at all the rest stops and take care of yourself. Last year was extremely difficult because it was actually HOT (heat index 111), and a lot of people hurt themselves out there because they did not listen to their bodies, pushed too hard, and did not pay attention to their nutrition/hydration.

We have had a pretty mild summer so far this year in North Texas, but who knows what August will bring. If the ride organizers decide to close Hell's Gate early again this year to protect the riders (see my posts: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...t=hotter+hell), you can still make it. Make getting to Burkburnett ASAP a priority.

Good luck NMRider! I wish you all the best! Let me know if you have any other questions...I will be happy to help

[NMRider]

Wow, thank you all for the terrific advice! I had checked out the website, but thought much of it was sort of just spouting off. Got some great ideas from everyone I would not have thought of (bringing my own hand wipes, ice in the sports bra!, etc) and I am especially glad to know that it took an hour to get rolling after the start -- given my practice runs so far, I know that I can hit the 63 mile mark in 4.5 hours, which has included generous full stops to eat and stretch... but an hour to get rolling would put me just at the cutoff point.

I am going to re-read all of your suggestions and take to heart the well-taken point about people ending up with IVs in them. And I will definitely post and let you know how it went! I am very appreciative of all of you who took the time to offer your wisdom!

P.S. I am fortunate that a friend of mine is doing the ride and offered to share her hotel room with me... that she booked a year ago!

[Aggie_Ama]

I just wanted to say the ice in the sports bra trick along with water over the head really works! I had not done the ice trick until yesterday, we were riding without a lot of clouds and temps in the 90's. Really brought the core temp down and I was faster after that!

[NMRider]

Additional note - I checked out the HH100 forum again, and that wasn't the forum where I thought people were "spouting off," my mistake - not sure where I was reading where it was mostly just a fight-fest over who thought it was good that the course shut down early in a previous year and who thought it was a bad idea...

[denda]

My husband and I will be doing the HHH for the 3rd year in a row. Last year we did not make Hell's Gate because they closed it SO early. If we had not stopped at the rest stop before Hell's Gate we would have made it! We will not be stopping at that rest stop this year. We also start toward the front of the crowd. We have not had to wait an hour to get rolling, but this year they may prevent us from starting so far up. The reststops have water, gatorade, pickle juice, oranges, bananas, and cookies. We also take a peanut butter and honey sandwich, powerbars, paydays and some powdered gatorade to mix our own. Theirs does seem to be too weak. We don't usually stop until the 3rd or 4th rest stop.
We are staying with one of the host families this year. We waited too long to try to get a hotel room. So this will be a different experience.
HAVE FUN!!

[denda]

Oh, by the way, NMRider
My Daddy lives in Las Cruces!