Little Red Riding Hood-Logan Utah June 6, 2009

[Alex]

We did the 100 and the winds were pretty horrendous as soon as we turned south up in Idaho. I had to very deliberately change my mantra from "da*n these f***ing winds" to something more positive like "I am strong, girl power will get me through."

I tried to do better with my nutrition this year, eating something at every stop, but I still hit the wall in almost exactly the same spot as last year, right before the last rest stop. I kept telling myself that if I could make it to that last stop, I could make it all the way. My friend pulled me home again, and I felt very tired but good for finishing. [Did anyone else think it was a funky roundabout way to route us back to the park at the end?] It was a fun party at the finish. Mmm, that chocolate fountain was something else!

Great job, BD! My friend and I agreed that we would decide out on the course whether we were going to do the 80 or the 100. I was waiting for her at the rest stop before we would have to decide and I was thinking that I would be happy doing either. She pulled up and announced that she did NOT want to do the 100. I was fine with that, especially as we could see the dark clouds to the north. I knew, too, that the wind would be bad once you turned south. Good for you for getting through that difficult stretch!

What did you eat at the rest stops? I always bring my own stuff. I had a multi-hour bottle of Perpetuem in one bottle, and water in the other. I also had several Hammer Gels. I took Endurolytes and Digest Caps about every hour. The only thing I get at the rest stops is water (and a bag of potato chips at the lunch stop). I do best avoiding real food until the end and I take a slug of Perpetuem or some gel every 15 minutes. I've used this combination many times now, and have been very happy with the results. I also had some Cytomax powder with me, but I never did use it since we did the 80 and not the 100.

I agree that the end of the route was sort of strange. I loved my pink lei at the finish. It looks really cute on my dog.

And, yeah, that chocolate fountain was GREAT!

Alex

[Lifesgreat]

I rode the 47 miles and it was very nice distance for what I have been doing this year. I thought the weather was perfect until about the last 7 miles, when I thought "Holy Headwind Batman!" I have pictures of ducks, clouds, bright green mountains and of course Little Red and the Wolf. Little Red was a brunette this year

I liked the staggered start too. There was still some congestion, but it was two riders taking up the width of the lane rather than 5. Rest stops were nice and the volunteers were great. I stopped at the Gossner cheese factory on that industrial-like road on the way back to Wellsville. I was standing by my bike with my pepper jack cheese when a lady walked up to me and said "we have seen you ALL OVER". It took me a second to realize she meant the "collective" you rather than me personally. She had seen "me" in Idaho and points between Logan and Idaho. I explained to her and her husband what was going on. They thought it was cool.

I got back and met up with Yellow, ate my sandwich and went home. For some reason, I thought it was an hour later than it was so I didn't have to leave so soon (sorry Yellow). I also missed the chocolate fountain. wah.

When I got home, I felt really sick. It was when I reviewed what I had eaten and what I had not been drinking that I understood why. I won't say how few ounces of water I drank but I just forgot to drink because it wasn't hot. What a dope. I have ridden too long not to remember to drink. After my kids reminded me ("DRINK DRINK DRINK") and eating some food, I felt better.

I enjoyed meeting up with those from TE Friday night for food and visiting.

I am going to ride with AuntieK tomorrow morning as she ventures out for the first time after her crash. For once she will go my speed. . .

[Alex]

I stopped at the Gossner cheese factory on that industrial-like road on the way back to Wellsville. I was standing by my bike with my pepper jack cheese when a lady walked up to me and said "we have seen you ALL OVER".

WHOA! Wait just a MINUTE! There was a CHEESE FACTORY? I SO would have stopped there! I'm gonna have to find that place for next year!

Alex

[Lifesgreat]

WHOA! Wait just a MINUTE! There was a CHEESE FACTORY? I SO would have stopped there! I'm gonna have to find that place for next year!

Alex

It was on 1000 West before we turned west and went back across the valley. Gossner Cheese

[sulis]

I too am giving two big thumbs up to the staggered start times. That worked brilliantly I thought!!!

My friend and I had an enjoyable weekend. Drove up Friday afternoon and had no wait to pick up our packets. Love the adoreable bag. Saw Lifesgreat and Yellow while we found some great deals on socks and other gear. There went my budget - oh well!!! ha ha

The ride was lovely as always. The food was great, the volunteers fabulous and the course gorgeous. My friend took a spill in some gravel in the turn into the first rest stop. We managed to track someone down with a first aid kit in their car. Once we got the gravel and blood off, we realized how deep the gash was. But she patched it up and being the trooper she is, made it the rest of the day with no problems.

We too signed up for the 100 miles. But I had some knee problems and those ominous clouds helped us to decide to turn onto the 80 route. That turned out to be the best choice for us. My knee started acting up about 10 miles to the finish. But with an awesome massage waiting for me at the end, and lots of ice on the ol' knees when I got home and I am just fine today.

I actually liked the new return to the start. It was kind of fun - kept me guessing. The chocolate fountain was fabulous - banana please, don't go easy on the chcolate - and she didn't.

LRRH is definitely my favorite ride of the year!!!

[BikeDutchess]

What did you eat at the rest stops? I always bring my own stuff.

On my 60-75 miles rides I usually do OK on a combination of real food (Lara Bars, gorp), Clif Blocks, and Crystal Light electrolyte mix, and water. For the century it's just not enough, or I just didn't take in enough. At each food stop I also ate the grapes, at the 40 mile stop 1/2 a PB sandwich, at lunch 1/2 turkey sandwich, cheetos, and more grapes. I had trouble choking down the food. I probably didn't drink enough either (like Lifesgreat, the cool temps probably had something to do with it). Next year even if it's cool I'll bring my camelback again.

I'm going to have to experiment some more, maybe go back to some gels (I developed an aversion to them that I'll just have to get over) and less real food. By the last rest stop I just felt my stomach wasn't moving stuff along anymore. Luckily that feeling had passed by the time I discovered the chocolate fountain!

Thanks for posting what works for you, gives me some more ideas to try!

[Lifesgreat]

I bet they had us do that roundabout way to the finish so we wouldn't be making a left turn into the finish-fewer traffic conflicts. As I rode past the other turn I thought "wait, I am supposed to turn there", but we went off a different way.

I only saw one accident. It looked like a girl crashed crossing some RR tracks about six miles out from the start, before the Mendon rest stop. The police and EMTs were there and the ambulance passed me going to the scene. After leaving Mendon's rest stop, the town's volunteer fire department siren went off, summoning other EMTs. I hope all are okay.

[MM_QFC!]

I bet they had us do that roundabout way to the finish so we wouldn't be making a left turn into the finish-fewer traffic conflicts. As I rode past the other turn I thought "wait, I am supposed to turn there", but we went off a different way.

I only saw one accident. It looked like a girl crashed crossing some RR tracks about six miles out from the start, before the Mendon rest stop. The police and EMTs were there and the ambulance passed me going to the scene. After leaving Mendon's rest stop, the town's volunteer fire department siren went off, summoning other EMTs. I hope all are okay.

Yep, 1 of the guys at a rest stop told me that he heard she broke her arm.
I also saw a rider take another down, as she overlapped and did more than just "touch" wheels. When I got to them, they were both getting up, picking up their bikes and the 'take-down' rider was saying, "I'm sorry, I was totally not paying attention; are you ok?" - all this as she was clipping in and rolling off again! The woman whom she caused to fall, had to re-adjust her saddle, so I stopped, held her bike and helped her do that, as she also was a bit shook up and needed some time to settle the [understandable] jitters.

I had to cancel this ride last year after being hit and injured by a car, so I was glad to be able to ride it this year. It's a beautiful route, well-supported and I was impressed and appreciative of the area drivers, as I didn't experience or observe any aggressive driving, horn honking or drivers yelling at cyclists, so it was a great 're-entry' experience for me to have, being back on the road and doing the century route. On the other hand, I did see lots and lots of 2 - 5 abreast riding and lots of blowing right through stop signs, despite constant warnings by ride organizers - too bad.
The roads were clear of debris too - only saw some glass in a couple of places...and I did have rain, even some hail on the north end of the valley/century route, plus pretty constant headwinds as the route turned south toward the lunch stop, then pretty much all the way back in...whew!
I had to rely on 'memory miles' from doing tons of previous centuries and the pure enjoyment of riding my new Seven, as I'm not as fit nor strong as I was pre-injuries, but I was determined to do this ride and did not want to have to wait another year! Post-ride ice, then jacuzzi and vitamin "I" (ibuprofen) helped my still-recovering body too!
Thanks for a great ride, Utah TE'ers!

[jobob]

pops head up

Someone say chocolate fountain?!? Dang.

Glad you all had a good time. I have fond memories of LRRH from a few years back and meeting many of you. Back then we had our own chocolate fountain as it were from our visit to the chocolate shop where Ms. Yellow worked at the time.
Memories indeed.

[Alex]

I'm going to have to experiment some more, maybe go back to some gels (I developed an aversion to them that I'll just have to get over) and less real food. By the last rest stop I just felt my stomach wasn't moving stuff along anymore. Luckily that feeling had passed by the time I discovered the chocolate fountain!

Thanks for posting what works for you, gives me some more ideas to try!

If there was a chocolate fountain at every rest stop, I'd be SO happy!!

Hope you find something that works for you. I can't stand Heed anymore and I experimented with various other drinks last fall to find something I could tolerate and that didn't taste too awful. Ended up with Cytomax, which I like quite a lot. I'm sure I'll get sick of it at some point.

What is the Crystal Light electrolyte drink?

Alex