Bailed Out Saturday

I bailed out of my ride on Saturday after 61 miles. I didn't actually get on the road until 12:00. I was refitting the Lemond and installing my computer in the AM and didn't get in a hurry. I have to say, these long bike rides are like work to me. I really need to ride with a group or something. Saturday, I left planning to ride at least 80 miles, maybe 100 depending on how I felt. Well, after 2 hours I felt better than I had all year and then after 3 I was feeling weak. I stopped in Franklin and called a friend to pick me up. While I was waiting for him to pick me up I went ahead and finished off my food which I had been rationing on the ride. I felt much better in just a few minutes which lead me to believe I just had not eaten enough for the day. Even whenI stopped I knew I could make it the 20 miles back home after fueling up at a market. I think I was as mentally tired as I was physically. I just didn't want to ride anymore. So that caps off a week in which I only managed a little over 100 miles. I feel bad about it, but, now with only 6 weeks of training left I feel highly motivated again. Maybe I just needed time off the bike. This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I have 3 days off work. Maybe I'll try to find an organized ride or maybe it will be another lone long distance ride.

On Monday I rode a full park ride of 18 miles and went harder than usual. Tuesday I took a very easy 27 miles and rode with my younger brother for a few miles. Wednesday I was planning to do a fast 50 miles after work but I only managed 40 and felt incredibly weak doing it.

I have been concentrating on eating better/less for several days and my weight has dropped significantly lately. The last 4 weigh-ins this week have been 153.6 154.4, 152.6, 151.2. No wonder I have been weak. I am simply not eating enough on or off rides to be strong. I won’t be riding Thursday or Friday much if at all. I am going to fuel up for a big weekend ride.

Robert is still exercising but not doing long bike rides. He tells me he gets his cast off on 05/30 and will evaluate his plan from there. He has hinted that he might not ride the Etape. I still think he has time to get ready. I mean, again, look at Ullrich. He was fat and out of shape a month ago and now he has won a time trial in the Giro and done very well climbing some mountains and is now firmly established as the favorite for the Tour.

We're on the list!

Robert and I finally made the list of official riders (7909/7914 (Sas de départ n° 7)). I guess this is it. We might really do this thing.

I also received and put together my 2002 Lemond Zurich Triple on Monday. And I swapped my Brooks saddle onto it after I took a test ride with the Selle Italia and couldn't take it. I'll never be able to give up my Brooks. It makes a huge difference. The bike is in very good shape, better than I had hoped. Another good ebay purchase.

I hope to take at least a 30 mile ride tonight (Wednesday) after work to test the Lemond. It feels good so far but I only went about 5 miles. I have not really ridden since Saturday so I really need a good effort tonight.

1000 miles

I rode 81 miles on Saturday. It was a tougher ride than last week. I hit several short steep hills along the way and I had to contend with some strong winds. I rode alone again since Robert is injured. I am hopeful that he can rig his bike so that he can ride out on the roads again. I tested out some new fuel on this ride. It was HammerGel Sustained Energy. It is designed for rides lasting over 2 hours and contains some protein along with the carbohydrates. I filled a water bottle with a concentrated amount of the stuff and had a total of 1170 calories worth plus some regular HammerGel. I sipped small amounts of the concentrated Sustained Energy the whole ride and washed it down with water. It tastes like pancake mix and is quite good. I will try it again this week. If all goes well, I will probably use this as my sole energy source for the Etape only stopping for water during the ride.

The diet is not going well. I still weigh 158 as of today and have not been limiting my food intake. Starting today I am going to begin to lose weight. I am back on the diet. Maybe I can make it to 150 before the Etape, maybe better.

I should have my new bike delivered today. The UPS tracking number says it's in Nashville at the destination sorting location. We'll see. Oh, I rolled over 1000 miles Saturday.

Total mileage to date: 1018
Total hours: 67:00
Current weight: 158 (goal 145)

What To Do With Robert And Other Big News

The Saturday ride was to be one I would do alone. Robert had a church breakfast he didn't want to miss and I didn't want to wait until 11 or 12 to start my ride. I planned to do a 90 mile loop starting at my home in Nashville, going south on the Natchez Trace Parkway, Leiper's Fork, Boston, Theta, Santa Fe, Water Valley, and back. Well, I still didn't get going until 8:20AM, three hours after I got up. I was worried about going 90 miles alone and planned to make stops where I could to stay fueled up. There were some sections on the ride for 20 or 30 miles where there was not much opportunity to get food. I had fuel with me though and really worried more about my fitness. I had my cell phone as well and knew I could call in air support if it really got bad (the whole family and friend network is on standby whether they know it or not to come pick me up in a car if necessary). The weather was absolutely perfect for bike riding though. Maybe 65 when I started and 72 when I finished. It was a beautiful sunny day made for riding. The heat was definitely not going to be my undoing today. I felt great after an hour, great after 2 hours, great after 3 hours, good after 4 hours, tired after 5 hours and wanting to get home, then pretty exhausted after 6 hours. I added some extra miles when I was in about 45 miles and feeling great so when I got near home, I guessed I'd have about 97-98 miles total. I had no intention at all to keep riding to get to 100 miles. That would leave something for next week. At the finish, I checked the mileage: 99.89. Well, I'm not having that. I rode around the building and clocked 100. 6 hours 19 minutes riding time. I was beat.

My brother Robert got out at 11 AM and if you read his blog from my links section, you get details of his ride and his wreck. It sounds like he rode with someone not practiced in group riding or maybe just someone paralyzed with fear at the site of a dog. Anyway, now he has a cast on his hand and talks as if he won't be riding his bike for 5 weeks. Robert, as I tell myself every time I think about skipping a ride, the Col d' Izoard and L'Alpe d'Huez do not care if I train. And they don't care if you train either. The Col d' Izoard and L'Alpe d'Huez are trained and ready and will give us their best shot. Robert needs to ignore the advice of his doctor and find a way to ride his bike. The trainer will work but I don't know how anyone can overcome the boredom well enough to continue for more than a couple of hours on one of those.

Well I am getting tired, it's late here. I bought a bike off ebay the other day. It is a Lemond Zurich. It is a steel bike which is, sadly, tig welded and not lugged. But, it is steel (853 Reynolds) with a carbon fork. It has triple chainrings which I have never had before. I always thought those were for sissies. I am 44 years old now. That will make me older than anyone in the Tour De France this year. So, I think I have earned the right to consider using the triple for my Etape. My plan is to test the gears at the Cherohala Challenge and see if I need them. If not, I'll go with the 53-39, 13-26. Then I'll sell the bike on ebay after improving the ad and maybe make a profit. Hey, a Lemond bike that has ridden up L'Alpe d'Huez. Surely that's got to be worth big bucks!

A new bike?

I emailed Cyclomundo a couple of days ago and asked if he knew anything about our re-submitted entries. He sent back a message and said we should see our names on the list in a few days. I hope that's true. Otherwise I will be forced to go back to eating pizzas as my bike hangs on the wall and collects dust. I should be able to gain weight fairly easily though and would expect to be back to 180 in about 2-3 months. And really that's too bad. I have made gains on my riding partners so far this year and no longer feel like I make everyone wait around for me. Robert is probably getting some exercise occasionally when he rides with me.

Oh, I have a new strategy on getting my bike ready for the ride. I don't have a triple chainring and I don't really want to spend the money to swap out components to get one. So, I am bidding on bikes on ebay. The idea is to buy a suitable bike with the proper gearing, ride it in France, and then resell it on ebay. I bid on a Trek 5200 but it went for too much and I lost. I am looking at others.

I signed up for the Cherohala Challenge last night. It is on June 17 and should be a good test before the Etape. It has some extended 9% grades and I should find out about gearing there. This ride could either give me big confidence or shatter what I have. Here is the description:

"115 miles going up the famous Dragon (318 curves in 11 miles) and then coming back the scenic and seriously hilly Cherohala Skyway. Start at 900 feet elevation and peak at 5,300 feet. With the dreaded 'sawtooths' after the peak, total elevation gain is about 9,000 feet. Many downhill sections of both routes are technical and fast. And both routes are mostly in remote areas. ALL participants should be confident and capable bike handlers. Have a few centuries under your belt before tackling the 115-mile route. Otherwise, try the Metric Challenge on for size.
There are extended uphill sections of both the Challenge and Metric Challenge with an average 9% grade. Choose your gearing accordingly!!!
Temperatures at the peak elevation of the ride can be as much as 20 degrees cooler than at the start. Also, be prepared for variable weather conditions. This ride is held rain or shine. Helmets are required!"


Total mileage to date: 788
Total hours: 52:23
Current weight: 156.2 (goal 145)