Three Rides - (it's all about the feet)

Davis 12-24 Hour Challenge

Miles: 179.85
April Miles: 264.37
Year to Date: 1920.02

I intended to ride for 24 hours, but I did not. Here is why...

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Go! And I was off on the Davis 24 Hour Challenge. I rolled out of the paring lot and headed toward the intersection in downtown Winters, California. And, I had to wait for a car to pass through the intersection. I then rolled across the bridge and began to turn to the left as if I was on the night loop. But Lee Mitchell was there to correct my mistake and get me back on course. Great, in less than 1/4 mile I had already made a wrong turn.

We were set off with only 15 seconds apart. My coach from last year, Sandy Earl, left 30 seconds before me, but was already out of sight. Mark Newsome, one of my 508 crew members, left 15 seconds before me and was following Sandy's advise - "Start slow and then taper." I decided that was good advise as 24 hours is a long time to be on a bike. Mark and I were in contact for the first 43 files, occasionally passing each other.

However, well before the first rest stop, my left foot told me something that I did not want to hear. It said, "Golly, it seems that you forgot to insert your orthotics into you bicycling shoes this morning." At the first rest stop, I checked and yes, it was true, I was planning on riding for 24 hours with my arches in pain.

I had pulled ahead of Mark on the rollers leading to the first rest stop and arrived just as Sandy was leaving. I quickly refilled my water bottles and asked for a rest room. I was pointed toward a store just down the road. I was getting back on the bike to ride to the store just as Mark arrived.

My restroom break was short, but Mark's stop must have been shorter as I saw him ride by as I exited the rest room. He did not see me and thought I was ahead of him. He spent the rest of the 162.5 mile day loop trying to catch me not knowing I was behind him.

Near the top of Honey Hill, I came upon Sandy who appeared to be suffering. She was. Her legs began to cramp and she slowed down in an effort to stop the cramping. It felt strange passing my coach and leaving her behind.

The next rest stop was after the Cobb Mountain climb, which was a bear! I saw several instances of 12% grades as I slowly worked my way up the climb. I did not research this climb and had no idea how high it was, but I found out that it was much higher than I thought it should be. I put the bike into my 26x25 and kept it there for most of the climb. I thought that after the second rest stop, the climbing would be over. I was wrong. As the road again turned upward, Patty Jo caught me and road away from me up the hill. She look fresh and strong. I did not.

But like all good things, the climbing came to a end and I descended for quite a long ways. Now, I was on busy, California highways with wide shoulders and lots of speeding cars. I even got to witness an automobile accident. Seems that one pickup truck did not notice another pick up truck stopped in the road in time to stop. Bang!

The next and last hill of the day I have ridden many times on the Davis Double Century, Resurrection Hill. But after Cobb Mountain, it was nothing and I pass over the top before I knew it. The third rest stop was just after the summit and I kept it short as I was looking forward to the ride down the canyon back toward the valley.

Only now did I look at my average speed. I wanted to average 15 mph on the day loop, and I feared that I had been much slower than that. I was supprised to see that my average was a speedy (for me) 14.5 even with all of the climbing that I had done.

I dropped down into my aerobars and picked up the pace. As I wound my way down the canyon, my average slowly increased. When it hit 14.9 mph, I was at the fourth rest stop and a ride, the first I had seen since Cobb Mountain, was leaving. I took some time to drop off some clothes as the day had warmed up nicely, and then I was off.

Again, I worked hard and my average slowing increased. After fifteen miles, I caught the rider in front of me and passed him by. Even with the afternoon headwind, my average continued to increase and I pulled into the start/finish line with a 15.3 average.

Since I had enough fluid with me, and I had some time before sunset, I did not stop to rest but headed out on the night loop, correctly making a left turn after the bridge this time. Now, I had a tail wind and my speed increase to well above 20 mph. But, since the night loop is a loop, the tail wind turned into a head wind and I slowed. I could see a ride far ahead of me, but it did not seem that I was gaining on him.

During the entire ride, my feet had been in pain. My left arch was especially painful and in the last fifty miles my knees began to hurt also. So, I was thinking of stopping at 12 hours and noted where I was on the course when 12 hours elapsed - 177.5 miles.

Upon my return to the start/finish line, I found out that the ride in front of me was Mark and he was advising the race official that he was done. He was not continuing on for the 24 hours. This sealed it for me. I also decided to stop at 12 hours, mostly to ease the pain in my arches.

The official results follow:


12 Hour Race Solo Category:

Women 18-49
Kate Riggs 186.9
Sandy Earl 170.5
Jean Cordalis 168.5
Cathy Morgan 97.3

Men 18-49
Graham Pollock 221.7
Wayne Riley 197.5
Doug Sloan 180.9
Mark Newsome 179.5
Andreas Shultz 162.5
Tim Reese 162.5
Martin Christian 162.5
Ric Shrank 162.5
Pete Perez 131.7

Men 50>
Joel Sothern 214.3
Kent Mulkey 199.3
Mike Haberski 184.9
John Henry Maurice 177.5
Vance Ray 162.5

Men 60>
Del Scharffenberg 186.9
Bob Brouhard 162.5

12 Hour Race Mixed Tandem 90>
Keith Vandevere
Mireya de la Vega 213.0

12 Hour Race Men Fixed Gear
Sam Snead 210.3

12 Hour Race Men Recumbent 18-49
Randy Gillet 162.5 (rode 15 minutes less)
Jon Lauer 162.5

12 Hour Race Men Recumbent 50>
Tim Woudenberg 209.3

24 Hour Race Solo Category
Women 18-49
Nicole Honda 354.5

Women 50>
Patty Jo Struve 346.5

Men 18-49
Hugh Gapay 379.9
Tom Strause 328.1
Jon Baker 254.5

Men 50>
David Kees 400.3

Men 60>
Dan Crain 387.3
Greg Olson 366.9

Recumbent 50>
Glen Cooley 304.3

Single Speed 18-49
Chuck Knoble 315.4

Team
Brothers from Sisters
Gregg Geser 508.7
Rich Hummel
Winter Lewis
Greg Zadow



Tualatin Tuesday - On Tired Legs

Miles: 19.20
April Miles: 283.57
Year to Date: 1939.22

I did not even try to ride with the half-fast group. I started early and rode with Walt at an easy pace on the short option. At the beginning my legs told me "Are you crazy! We have not recovered yet!" But I force them to pump the pedals and they slowly accepted the fact that I was forcing them to work.

Tuesday was a very good day to ride. The promised rain did not appear and we enjoyed blue skies and warm weather. Too bad I brought the rain bike. I did remember my orthotics, but I put the left orthotic in the right shoe and the right orthotic in the left shoe. Yes, it hurt but I thought it was still painful from Saturday.

Windy Wednesday on the Tandem

Miles: 16.89
April Miles: 300.46
Year to Date: 1956.11

Can you say wind?



Going to the north was fast. Coming back toward the south as slow. And wet as we road through a spring shower. But, the wind dried us off as we finished the ride.

Since I forgot my cycling shoes, I did not have to worry about forgetting my orthotics. I did the ride in my waling sandals. Good thing it was a short ride.

Posted 9:43 PM by John Henry