Mt. Tam Century/Double Century or Marin Century/Metric/200k

[maillotpois]

Anyone doing any of these rides this year? So many options, so little time....

I just registered for the double. Who knows - I haven't done a double in 2 years, but I have a friend doing it and it is a good ride.

Anyway, who else will be out there?

[Bike Goddess]

three people from my area are doing the double as well. They are going for the Triple Crown. This will be their 3rd double. (They all finished the DR in fine style-one said training for doubles made the Death Ride easier-mentally for sure!)

[tulip]

Sounds awesome. I've never been to Marin County, but I've seen photos and it's on my List Of Places To Ride My Bike.

[aka_kim]

I'm signed up for the Marin Century (which sounds so pathetic among all this talk of doubles).

[maillotpois]

The Marin Century is plenty hard.

Frankly I don't know that I can finish the double this year, but there are so many places you can cut the ride short, I am not too worried about it. It may just turn out to be a nice ramble.

[maillotpois]

Nancy I saw your guys throughout the day. The completed the double as far as I can tell.

Did anyone else do one of the rides? It was FREEZING yesterday most of the day. So foggy on Tam you couldn't descend normally.

I did 170 miles of the double and given that I haven't ridden in about a month (and that was only part of the Death Ride) I was pretty pleased. I took a 3 1/2 hour break from riding in the middle of the day, skipped one section and so I ended up being out on the course as long as if I had done all 200, so I got a bit of night riding. I was REALLY pleased with how much fun I had riding at night (we had 2 hours of dark in the am and one in the pm). That (apprehension about riding at night) was one key factor in not completing DMD last year. My fitness is pretty low, but I am thinking I might get my base up this fall and winter and do some brevets/doubles next year.

And for that 170 miles, I got to be domestique for a friend who needed that ride for her Triple Crown. So I felt really good about that.

[Veronica]

And how was the backpacking?

[maillotpois]

Great.

We did explode one campstove and MSR fuel container, and although it eerily resembled the setting alight of the oil fields in Kuwait, we managed (miraculously) not to burn down the Desolation Wilderness.

20 miles in 3 days. I waited til 1/2 mile from the end to sprain my ankle grotesquely.

[Veronica]

Ouch!

At least it was at the end of the trip. Did the whole family go? I'm picturing Mike and Em carrying you out.

Veronica

[maillotpois]

Yes, and Mike's brother in law and his 14 year old girl and a friend of ours and her dog. It was quite a good group.

After I fell, a very nice man took my pack down to the trailhead for me and I limped down with my trekking poles. I've done that before; I simply have crummy ankles and it's not like cycling does anything to help the lateral stability. This hasn't happened in several years. I think I am going to see my doctor and get a referral to an orthopedist to talk about prevention. I would hate to spend the next backpacking trip terrified that I was going to do that again. As it was, I was hoping the trekking poles would prevent it and I believe they largely did. But perhaps there's a brace or something I could use as well.

[jobob]

Oh geeze, sorry to hear about the ankle sprain! At least you timed it reasonably well.

I've done that before; I simply have crummy ankles and it's not like cycling does anything to help the lateral stability.

A couple of days ago I was reading up on leg strengthening exercises, and I came across this article which might be helpful for you:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/b...le_balance.htm

A simple, targeted balance training exercise may reduce the risk of ankle injuries in high risk athletes.
[ ... ]
The more recent study found that these ankle injuries can be avoided by performing a simple balance exercise for five minutes several times a week.

HTH, - Jo.

[maillotpois]

Bumping this.... anyone doing any of these this year?

[jobob]

I'll be in Mt. Shasta for the Mt. Shasta Century that weekend.

Not that I'm under any illusions (or delusions) of completing it.
I'm going for the lovely woodsy deck of the cottage at the Mt. Shasta Resort, and the beers in the fridge. Priorities, you know.

[aka_kim]

I'll be finishing up a bike tour in Glacier National Park that weekend.

[Veronica]

It's the weekend after Barb's Race. Unless I become a Super Human, I'll be dead still.

Maybe we'll look at one of the shorter rides though.

Veronica