Little Red Riding Hood-Logan Utah June 6, 2009

[Lifesgreat]

Eww, 1.5 hours in line? I know what awaits me Friday then. . .

I will eat wherever, whatever-maybe that is why I look the way I do.

I like Firehouse, Olive Garden or Mexican food so I am happy any way.

[Alex]

Eww, 1.5 hours in line? I know what awaits me Friday then. . .

Yeah, no line for you! Everyone was in Salt Lake! BTW, there was no waiver to sign so I could have gotten your stuff.

Alex

[sulis]

My friend and I have decided to go up Friday night. We managed to get a fairly inexpensive hotel room in Brigham City. We are definitely going to be at the packet pickup tomorrow first thing.

I am not certain if we can make dinner - haven't cleared that with my friend yet. But can someone let me know the final plans, just in case we decide to stop by.

Rain rain stay away - we want nice weather this year! Oye the headwinds the entire time last year were miserable.

Thanks

[BikeDutchess]

So far the forecast looks cool (max 64) and dry, partly cloudy. Unfortunately it looks like 15 mph headwinds on the way back. But all that still sounds better than last year!

[yellow]

OK, I'm going to make the decision. CyclaSutra, I'll make it up to you, I promise!

Firehouse Pizzeria, 880 South Main Street, Logan
http://www.firehousepizzeria.com/
6:30

Be there!

[Lifesgreat]

OK, I'm going to make the decision. CyclaSutra, I'll make it up to you, I promise!

Firehouse Pizzeria, 880 South Main Street, Logan
http://www.firehousepizzeria.com/
6:30

Be there!

10-4 I will be there.

[Alex]

What a GREAT day for a ride! Cool with clouds for most of the ride. No rain, no hail, no sleet! There was some wind in places, but not bad at all. We did the 80-mile ride. The participants were well-behaved this year and the staggered starts were a great idea. I didn't see any particularly unsafe riding until we hooked up again with the metric route.

We had a nice TE dinner with Yellow, LifesGreat, Cyclasutra, her daughter, and some other friends on Friday.

How was everyone else's ride?

Alex

[BikeDutchess]

When we woke up it was still raining, but luckily it stopped pretty soon after. It looked threatening for a good part of the day, but we never got rained on (heard others did). I loved the cooler temperatures.

I loved the staggered starts too, it made that first stretch soooo much better. And it was nice that the 80's and 100's more or less got to lunch at the same time.

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 was so happy the winds died down as we got closer to Wellsville. And the sun came out too!

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!

My daughter did only the 15 because of a hip injury. She was the 2nd one back - she was disappointed there was no cheering because they weren't ready yet!

The support was great again, many volunteers at every stop and lots of sag vehicles.

All in all it was a great ride!

[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. . .

[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.

[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

[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

[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