(post-blogged on 6/1/2005)


(All photos are clickable, for large view in new window) Phone rings/wakeup call at 5:00am - OUCH! My head is pounding, completely congested - I felt almost dizzy. Still sick...arrrg! "But I'm still going to do this, I've prepared for this, I will do this, even if it's going to kill me", I keep saying to myself. Time to put on my big girl panties and "just get over it" - so here I am about to drive out to the start of the The Mountains of Misery.

Beginning

So I'm finally all suited up, and in the car with coffee in one hand, a banana and a power bar in the other honching the stuff down - the whole hotel is awake, and driving off to Newton, the base camp/start of the Mountains of Misery - about a 20 minute drive in the mountains (damn ears don't pop in mountains with a head cold). It was a bright dusk, and beautiful raking sunrise in the mountains. Arrive, there was a very quickly filling parking lot - the cream of the crop of endurance cyclists - you have never seen so many fit people in your life, all with $5,000+ bikes and the brightest outfits - was quite a site. We all finally geared up, it was very cold - but in for a really hot and gawdawful sweaty day - so arm warmers it is, will just have to suffer until we hit some hills to warm up.

Start 1

I stretched and then waited in a cold medicine haze until we were about to pile into formation for a mass start. It was difficult to gague how many people there were - and there were two different starts - one for the 200k (126 mile) double metric century, and the one I was doing - the 101 mile Century Challenge. A fraction of the crowd was doing the double - they started at 7am, we started at 7:10am

The Start:

Start 2

We all lined up, I was near the mid-head of the group (pictured) - there were maybe 50-100 cyclists in front of me - was hard to see the forrest from the trees. There was a DJ or some music there - with the event organizer commenting on the rules, and wishing up safe travels and be safe, really be safe...., trying to pump us up, people are milling around in anticipation, fidgeting with arm warmers, cycle computers...then there was a countdown - and OFF we go.... Was a really slow start - no one wants to have a quick pileup, so very cautiously we roll out and eventually after about 3 minutes, we are one huge ass peleton - a bank of colorful cyclists rolling forward at a nice clip a whirr of gears silently clicking and thin rubber tires licking the asphalt.

Hills and doubt:

Hillside 1

We roll for a long time, just pacing ourselves - a huge mass of a paceline, there was no wind - just a quick warmup through rolling hills going up..and down...going up...and down...then we encounter a hill after the 4th mile, no biggie - it will spread people out - less traffic. I hit that hill with a littl eworry, I was coughing like crazy already, not even 5 miles into it, only 96 more to go, 5 mountains. I started to panic a little then as I'm pacing with a small group heading up the first heavy climb, my chain gets stuck between my big and medium chainring - come completely to a halt..have to immediately unclip and stop. I was there panting and wheezing, head pounding as I'm shaking trying to get my chain unstuck while seemingly hundreds of bikes are whirring past me. I was about to quit.

Hillside 2

I was able to finally free the chain, and get back on bike, clip in and haul it up...I felt a little better once we reached the sumit of the first hard climb - ok cool, I can do this...I think. After the second major mountain, we had a long 5 mile steep downhill grade decent - it was the fastest I've ever ridden on a bike, with my brakes on the entire time, a windy fast with quick switchbacks and hairpin turns going over 50+ MPH. We got down to the bottom in seemingly no time with our brake pads smoking. My hands were trembling from trying to hld on for dear life while breaking to manage from flying off the side of the mountain (there were no guard rails).

Easy rolling:

Picturesque 1

I pacelined with a few groups along the way, some I knew, some I didn't - there were about 800 people involved in the event. I met all sorts of people from all over the world and many states - different ages, different stages in their fitness or training. All were equally concerned with those last few "hills" and cramping. Riding 100+ miles is a huge accomplishment for some...to do that with 10,000+ feet of climbing, is "just fucking nuts". We had a nice series of small mountains, with some steep quick acents - was very rural in parts, and very picturesque - even passed a red covered

Covered Bridge

bridge along the way. There was excellent SAG (Support and Gear) along the way - and all the pit stops were fully stocked with all the best stuff: bananas (cut to size), premade peanutbutter sammiches/cutup, gelpacks - in multiple flavors, tons of gatorade + water, tons of homemade baked cookies, you name it - bank of porta-potties, people to hold your bike while you go whiz ...they fill your water bottles up...you woof down the food and bolt out of there.

Show us some leg

I biked a huge portion of route with a gentleman who is a Luitenant Colonel in the Air Force - who just happened to choose this weekend to "try" this ride - wrong, he regrets later) - who spends his time travelling between Russia and the Washington, DC area every month, and he cycles...he talked about how he got his PhD and Masters near Blacksburg and how much he loved the area..."but shit, why the fuck did I choose to do this ride? because I'm a mascochist I suspect" I laughed. We told many stories to pass the hours. He started to get crapms...so he had to slow down...I continued on.

The big boys hit the big hills, cry like little girls:

Valley up

So, mile 68 - the division of men and boys - time for the real climbing. We headed into the first hill - it was a wall of straight up. I'm serious. Who in their right mind would try to bike up this? Well, we were there to. So, click down into the smallest "granny" gear and just do it. 6 miles per hour - tops. One full hour to climb 6 miles. There were people along the way cheering from the sidelines with cowbells (hears Christopher Walken on SNL do his "I have a fever, and the only prescription...is for more cowbell" skit) saying "only 1/4 mile to go!". Bullshit! That was the longest 1/4 mile I've ever biked. I was sweating profusely and on the verge of cramping....looking straight up...seeing virtually no end to this wall of a trail of asphault and trees, a turn up ahead...I writhe in pain as I get to the lip of that turn then it reveals another long ass uphill...11-13% steep grade. I am out of my saddle litterally stepping the pedals to get up...up ...up.

Brutal Hell I, "...I enjoy cycling because?":

Brutal Hell 1

I finally got over the first 4 hills - with much coughing, almost fainting. I never stopped and walked - I trudged on like a good sick soldier. I think I was delerious at that point - there are parts of the climbs that I still don't remember. I was able to stop at the rest stops, catch my breath and suck down a 1/2 gallon of gatorade and two 100 calorie carb gelpacks. The SAG people at the stops were in great spirits and were trying to pump us up as we got closer.

Small SAG Stop

The worst part was ahead - the last 2 climbs. There was a 3 miler..and then a 5 miler - with a rest stop between. I was sweating like mad, I had salt deposits all over my outfit and all over my face - I was starting to sunburn, there's no way to keep "waterproof" sunblock on when you sweat gallons. I made it to the 95 mile mark, with much protest to my body - I was now beginning to think - hell...even if I have to walk, I WILL finish. This is what I told myself, "If you finish this - you can strip all the components on your bike and replace that damn frame that's been making creaking sounds for the last fucking forever mile, go all carbon, get that Orbea frame you saw last week....".

Brutal Hell II, "what the hell was I thinking?":

Brutal Hell 2

Last hill. Straight uphill, Category 1 climb. Lance had biked this several times, and was equally in pain. Well, maybe not - but now my turn. This is the last leg of this to the Mountain Lake Lodge (where the movie "Dirty Dancing" was filmed) - we were told there was going to be a nice finish line with cheering, announcers, photography..all that..I was like...fuck that..I just want to finish this damn thing..I'm utterly exhausted.

Finish 1

So straight up it goes - another wall of asphault and trees, 6MPH..then 5MPH, slowly stomping my way up. I hear some beat in the distance thru the trees - YES! the end is near! My bike seems lighter, I seem lighter. I don't feel bad anymore, I sort of slowly slither upward (I'm probably hallucinating at that point) then there it is..I see cones...people, clapping...the announcer...the FINISH line! AT that point, the grade becomes almost tolerable and almost horizontal, I'm able to actually sit down in my saddle and click up a few gears and sprint across the finish line. Folks are applauding - I was releived.

Finish 2

Stopped, someone handed me my finish bag and escort my bike away for shuttle home. There was great food at the end, I had a great 15 minute massage and I hung out with my buddies, made plans to hook up later for a real burger and a beer. Took the shuttle down the mountain back to Newport where the cars were at, claimed bikes, loaded cars and drive back to Blacksburg.

Crazy drafting freak

There was this crazy cyclist who decided to "draft" off our shuttle bus driving down the 20 minute drive down the mountain (pictured).

9 hours, 32 minutes

MoM Shirt Front MoM Shirt Back

I had THE best shower afterwards. Met up with a few friends, swapped stories over a few beers and a hamburger - spare no dieting here, we spent over 9,000+ calories each, lost at least 7+ pounds each. I was soo hongry. We finished up - folks had to leave town. I headed back to the hotel and chucked on my bathing suit and headed for the pool, layed in the pool for an hour - was very relaxing. Then it was about 10pm. I was asleep like a baby.

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