Columbia River Run 400K ride report

[Pedal Wench]

Awww, come on! Let's find out which one MP is aiming for and we'll all do it! A big old chatty group ride! I don't like riding alone at night, so let's go!

[Susan Otcenas]

awww, come on! Let's find out which one mp is aiming for and we'll all do it! A big old chatty group ride! I don't like riding alone at night, so let's go!

road trip!!

[Susan Otcenas]

If you do end up venturing down this way and we're here, you're more than welcome at our abode .

Careful what you wish for. Pedal Wench will start organizing a *really* long road trip.

We don't have very many perms (relatively speaking) in Oregon, but there are oodles in Washington. The guys up there are very active, and have been building them left and right. They tell me that they are ezsy to get approved, so I may just begin building some of my own. I can start them down the block, too. How convenient for me!

[jobob]

If mp is aiming for 4/9/11 that would be the SF Randonneurs Hopland 400K.

It starts out at the Golden Gate Bridge, heads up to Petaluma, Guerneville (ice cream!!), Healdsberg (beer! OK, best ignore that), Jimtown (great sandwiches at the Jimtown Store), back to Petaluma and the GG Bridge.

Some fabulous, spectacular riding on this route.

Some photos are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/onehapp...7623605581457/ and http://picasaweb.google.com/geetaroro/Hopland400k2010# and here's a ride report http://bike.duque.net/2010-san-franc...neurs-400k.htm

The cue sheet from an earlier version of the ride is here (ignore the start time); I haven't found a map online yet.

Odds are good I'll be helping out on that, since I'm in Compulsive Volunteer Mode nowadays. Maybe I'll man a control (dibs if there's one anywhere near Flavors Unlimited in Guerneville!) OMG there is - it's an unmanned control at the Safeway directly across the street, too funny. Although I'd more likely be signing in people at the start or the finish.

As Mel would say, "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

[Pedal Wench]

Careful what you wish for. Pedal Wench will start organizing a *really* long road trip.

"Hello Pot, this is the Kettle calling..."

[maillotpois]

Yup that's the one. There are a bunch of 400ks to choose from, but the timing on that one works well with the rest of my plans. And the route is a beauty.

[Pedal Wench]

Oooh. I could fly right into SF, bike and all... I need to do a 400K, might as well pick a pretty one!

[jobob]

We don't have very many perms (relatively speaking) in Oregon, but there are oodles in Washington. The guys up there are very active, and have been building them left and right. They tell me that they are ezsy to get approved, so I may just begin building some of my own. I can start them down the block, too. How convenient for me!

We had almost no permanents in the SF Bay area, so I designed a couple a few years to help fill that void. After my bike crash, I wasn't able to deal with the minimal paperwork or occasionally check out the routes, so I handed the good one over to someone else and let the mediocre one lapse into oblivion. Nowadays there are many more in the bay area, which is great. I really need to get off my lazy azz and try a few.

Designing permanents is fun and a bit challenging. You need to space the checkpoints an appropriate distance apart, and put them someplace safe and convenient. Generally they'll be at a store where one can purchase something and get a timed & dated receipt for proof of passage. I'm a big fan of the mom & pop stores, but they can be closed unexpectedly, might not hand out cash register receipts, or if they do the timestamp might have no semblance with reality. So the best bet is to locate checkpoints at larger groceries or at a Starbucks (say what you will about the Star$, but they're open when they say they'll be, they know how to set up their cash registers, and they generally have clean bathrooms).

And if there's any possibility of a shortcut, you need to put in a checkpoint to prove it was ridden the longer way. The previous permanants chair was a stickler for that, I don't know if the current one is.

[Susan Otcenas]

I want to report back on the Nissan thermos that GLC linked to.

She lent me hers, and I was VERY impressed, so I put one on my holiday wish list. I've used the two of them on multiple 200Ks in the interim, and I have to say that I don't think I'll be doing another cold ride without at least one of those along, if not more. They really do keep hot drinks HOT for long periods. So hot, in fact, that you don't want to put the liquid in at too much above drinking temperature, if you plan to drink them in the first few hours. I've burned my mouth several hours after filling them with too-hot liquids.

I've been using commercial hot cocoa in those thermoses, but have started experimenting with a homemade recipe. Malto, electrolytes, cocoa powder, etc. And I definitely plan to try the chicken soup option for some of the longer spring brevets.

I just ordered 2 more bottles so that I can *finally* return GLCs to her. :-)

[marni]

[QUOTE=Susan Otcenas;542179]The hard part in all this is that in some ways the whole nutrition thing feels like such a crap shoot. Who the heck KNOWS what her stomach will accept when it's in total revolt. I know for sure I couldn't even consider a sweet thing. Even the first batch of oatmeal he put in front of me was a huge struggle to put (and keep) down. The second bowl (after about 45 minutes) went down easier.

Drinking, especially the warm drink, was OK. So, I'm thinking that a rich salty broth would have been totally doable. At least, the thought of it was not disgusting at the time.

how about instant miso? You could throw in some dried veg andwhat not. Your riding is extraordinary- I stand in awe and amazement.

[Susan Otcenas]

how about instant miso?

Good idea! I love miso soup.

[Pedal Wench]

REI has a mug that's great for broths too - can't do anything thick though: http://www.rei.com/product/799295

Like yours, it keeps things amazingly hot for hours. I've been shocked that my tea is still piping hot four or five hours later. It's amazing!

I'm trying to plan for a 24-hour road race and think about what foods to bring/eat. It's a lapped race, so I'll be by the pitstops all night long. Just can't think about what I might want to eat (can't stop to eat - has to be eaten on the bike) and I draw a blank beyond Pringles, peanut-butter crackers and Trader Joe's Flattened Bananas.

[maillotpois]

A little off topic - Susan are you doing PBP?

[Susan Otcenas]

A little off topic - Susan are you doing PBP?

That's the plan! Already have my airline tickets, so I guess I'd best be sure to qualify, eh?

Based on the quota system put in place this year, I should have no trouble getting in because I did some 600s last year. Anyone who did *less* than a 600, though, might be out of luck. The US quota is roughly equal to the # of US riders who did 1000km as their longest brevet PLUS the # of US riders who did 600km as their longest brevet. Of course, 100% of those folks won't go to PBP, but a whole lot will. The # of folks who completed 1000km events last year was HUGE compared to 2009. I'd imagine many of those did that to ensure themselves a spot.

[Susan Otcenas]

REI has a mug that's great for broths too - can't do anything thick though: http://www.rei.com/product/799295

Like yours, it keeps things amazingly hot for hours. I've been shocked that my tea is still piping hot four or five hours later. It's amazing!

I'm trying to plan for a 24-hour road race and think about what foods to bring/eat. It's a lapped race, so I'll be by the pitstops all night long. Just can't think about what I might want to eat (can't stop to eat - has to be eaten on the bike) and I draw a blank beyond Pringles, peanut-butter crackers and Trader Joe's Flattened Bananas.

I have some ideas, but will have to post later...