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Message started by Pedalin` Peggy on Jun 27^th, 2010, 9:52pm

Title: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Pedalin` Peggy on Jun 27^th, 2010, 9:52pm

Steve and I were planning to ride the 300k as a training ride for our up coming 500 TT mile solo race. Bud,Greg and Nelson were also planing to ride. As well as Mark Metcalfe(only 2 weeks after RAW).

From the start Steve and I were riding out front with a tandem couple and Mark, & Nelson. I was having a hard time holding on to the very fast pace.It was not long and Bud caught up to us.Bud was having a hard time keeping up that 20 plus pace. We lost bud on one of the first steep hills.I kept up but off the back of the lead pack lead by Nelson and Steve.My heart rate was through the roof. I made to the first control with the lead group just as it opened.bud came in right behind us.Its now dark and we put on lights and reflective gear on before leaving.We are off to Valley Mills for where we are to enjoy a fest set out by are ride host Sharon Stevens. I was still working too hard for this long a ride. My heart rate was still very high and I had a pounding headache . I remembered what we learned on the 1000k, and that was to Ride are Ride, even if that meant riding a lone. So Steve and Nelson leading the way I rode by myself. I backed off a little to a pace easier for me to hold. Steve and was waiting for me at the turn to our control in Valley Mills.

Nelson left Valley Mills a head of us, he was riding for a personal best 300k time.Steve,Mark and the tandem and I left together. I told Steve I thought nelson had taken a wrong turn, Steve rode out to see if he can find nelson. I then lost sight of Steve and I,m now out in the middle of no were by myself riding my pace. Feeling better my heart rate was now down to where it normally is. i can't see Steve's lights anywhere, but I can see head lights behind me.Some more rolling hills on very low traffic roads on the way to Gatesville. I stopped for a nature break and waited for our friends on the tandem to catch up so i could ride into the Gatesville control together. when we arrived at the Gatesville control Steve and Nelson had been there a while. Nelson was ready to go., I told Steve to go on with him.I would ride the rest of the ride with our friends.Steve does not leave me to ride by my self very often, but sense I was with a group of our friends, he felt comfortable . I had a little mechanical my rear wheel came out of the dropouts. I was able to fix it my self. [smiley=cheers.gif] My group rode back to Valley mills for a short stop, and then back to Abbott to find out that Steve had been there about an hour before us nelson had been there about a half an hour before us. The sun was coming up so we turned off our lights and started the last 30 miles back to Italy. In one of the little towns I had a dog try to hit me, the dog stopped just before he hit my front wheel but he got his paws under my front tire.I kept the bike up right and the dog seemed OK.
When we got done Steve had been finished for an hour with a PR 11:59 Nelson finished was a PR of 12:43. I finished with a PR of 13:04 We didn't get to wait for Bud and Greg to finish, but we know they seemed to have ridden together.

This is one of my favorite rides every year and this was wonderful. I'm so proud of Steve and Nelson.
And Sharon&Daniel were great at taking care of us.
Pedalin Peggy

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Bud_Bent on Jun 27^th, 2010, 10:48pm

Good job, y'all! This route is an out and back that goes from Italy to Abbot, to Valley Mills, then on to Gatesville, and back. The Valley Mills to Gatesville leg has a lot of climbing. The early pace was way too much for me. I left the second control right behind Steve, Peggy, Nelson, and Mark, and caught up to the group, but as soon as the hills started, couldn't stay with them.

I did not realize how blown up I was, though, until I stopped at Valley Mills at mile 67. With the hilliest part of the ride coming up, going out to Gatesville and back, I didn't see any way I could make it, feeling like I did. But I took a long break to try and recover. Greg rode in while I was resting, and we rode on together. I had to ride up the hills very slowly, using all the gears I had, but I made it to Gatesville, and felt a little better. We took another long break there.

By the time we got back to Valley Mills, though, at mile 120, I was feeling bad again. I layed down for a few minutes, and we took our time taking off again. There's a tough hill as soon as you leave Valley Mills, after you cross the Bosque River and climb out of its valley. It's a long hill with a steep stretch. I was sure it would finish me off, and I climbed it slowly. But after I reached to top, I felt fine, and I felt fine for the rest of the ride. I didn't have much power for pushing on the hills, but that's nothing unusual for me late in a ride when I'm tired. Sometimes you just have to ride at an easy pace for a while to recover, it seems.

It turned out that I had forgotten to zip up my Camelbak Unbottle in my Fastback bag, and it fell out right after I crossed the Brazos river at mile 140. I ran over it and Greg ran over it. It seems fine, though. I haven't found any damage. But after I retrieved it and caught up to Greg waiting for me at the top of the hill, I noticed that his rear tire was falling apart. Ah, the joys of a long ride.

We took another long break at Abbot, at mile 154, and finished up with a blazing time of 15:50. Thanks for riding with me, Greg!

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Killer Bee on Jun 28^th, 2010, 9:09am

Bud, that sounds like an epic ride to me. Congratulations to you & Greg for persevering. I felt that this route was very recumbent friendly. Very smooth roads(except US 77 in Italy), & low traffic. On the return trip from Gatesville, I think I was passed by two, maybe three cars.

Upon arriving at Valley Mills on the return leg, Daniel & Sharon were sleeping, but I woke them up rummaging through the food, Daniel says "the 200kers aren't that far ahead of you. You'll catch them by the time you get to Abbot." At mile 140(13 miles from Abbot), I passed the group of 5+ 200kers(not sure where they were mileage wise) and yelled "hey" as loud as could & unintentionally scared everyone of them to death(as bikes were swerving on/off the road). Sorry. I thought they would see me coming.

Nelson & I had a very funny moment while leaving Gatesville together. Gatesville has 5/6 prisons, right along the main road to town. It's 12:45-1:00am, Nelson & I are riding side by side, all is quiet & then a spot/search light from one of the prison guard towers hits us & we both start laughing. I turn to Nelson & say "I hope gun fire isn't next."

As Bud said, the full moon made riding easier, I turned my headlights due to how much easier it was to see. On the return trip to Italy, on CR1234(or is it 1243-whatever),at 6:30am, I ride into loose dog after loose dog(I must be in Hill county now), & they all give chase. The night before, we rode on that same stretch road & not one single dog. These dogs were pretty aggressive(as I would learn later from Peggy & Gary Gottleib, Gary & his tandem partner went down after one of the dog got caught up in their tires), & then after K-9 alley, I see a horse standing on the side of the road.

I'm thinking to myself "that horse is not in a fence", & a have a pack of dogs chasing me, barking & then the horse spooks, & decides to bolt from one side of the road to another. Great. During a 200k in Italy a few years ago, Peggy, Paul Brown & I encountered a Bull that was loose right in the middle of the road. I just wanted to be done by now.

I reached the final control & I immediately got changed & go back to my car & grab a few minutes of sleep when my passenger car door opens & it's Nelson. I invite him to get some sleep & then a few minutes later, Peggy, Mark Metcalfe, & the tandem couple roll in.

Bud sorry to hear about the unbottle(did you loose your fluids?) and Greg,your tire. Correct, the joys of long rides. Nelson rode super strong on all day/night, as did Peggy. And Mark was his usual strong self, especially after his RAW adventure 2 weeks ago & fighting a flu like symptoms since.

A huge thanks to Sharon & Daniel for providing a nice feast for the riders.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Kwijybow on Jun 28^th, 2010, 9:45am

Quote:

A beautiful night to ride, almost didn't need lights it was so bright with the full moon. Went pretty hard, and felt really good at times, and really bad at times. Manged to set a new 300K PR, but was no match for the Stevinator! He dropped me on the long climb out of Gatesville, and had me by 45 minutes by Italy. Speaking of Gatesville, what a place! I did have a scary moment coming down a hill heading back into Valley Mills when 2 deer darted out in front of me while going 30mph, just brushed the tail of the trailing one, as all I had time to do was aim for the rear end and hope they kept moving. Daniel and Sharon provided a much appreciated spread in Valley Mills! Seems we all had a dog encounter on 1243 before US77, with it getting progressively worse. I understand Peggy ran over a paw, and Gary and Dana actually got knocked down. Hope everyone had a safe and pleasant ride!

Sounds like a suitably epic adventure for everyone. Bud glad your camelback stayed intact, what did you guys do about Greg's tire? I carry a spare fairly worn folder just in case. Remind me to all trade contact numbers before the next epic. I have a few people but don't think I have your or Greg's any longer since my old phone died. I sure like the way the TiAero performed. It does really well on the rough sections, smoothing out things considerably.When I had my bad patches and just ticked over the pedals it still would move along pretty well. The ride was a good boost to my confidence, as I needed to know how I would respond to a bit more stress after all my time off from longer rides. I haven't had a ride over 200K or at any kind of pace since getting swine flu after last year's TTTT. I'm thinking of aiming for the 12HR this year given my heft and fitness level, and this ride let me what to expect.

Take Care,
Nelson.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Killer Bee on Jun 28^th, 2010, 11:27am

In looking back, I didn't eat enough from Valley Mills to Abbot & then from Abbot to Italy. I was able to maintain some speed, but nothing too significant. It was the dreaded "nothing sounds/tastes good". Good old ice water & few supplements was all I could handle. [smiley=chinscratch.gif]

In the past Peggy & I had a protein powder mix we carry, we were out of the mix this ride, & I missed not having it.

I've been starving ever since we got home yesterday morning. Let the gorging begin. :P

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Killer Bee on Jun 28^th, 2010, 11:28am

Oh, my Garmin showed 5,800'+ of climbing.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Kwijybow on Jun 28^th, 2010, 11:35am

Steve I have another nearly full can of Orange Perpetuem you're more than welcome too! Never touching the stuff again...

If you don't want it I'm more than happy to offer it up to rbent. I've tried to use it, and it does help with my energy levels, but my stomach does not like it, and after @6hrs I can't take in any more. My return trip from Gatesville without any was much better. I do better on Clif bars, Pop Tarts, Peanut Butter Crackers, and Strawberry Newtons (like mini pop tarts!).

Take Care,
Nelson.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Bud_Bent on Jun 28^th, 2010, 11:49am

Stomach issues can be a biggie on these long rides. I made mine a lot worse than usual by forgetting to take my acid blocking prescription on Saturday. I bought two rolls of Ultra Tums at the second control, and almost finished both of them by the end of the ride, but I still had more stomach issues than usual, especially after I made the mistake of trying to hang with the big dogs too long.

Even during the times when my stomach was telling me that it absolutely wanted nothing, the dried fruit I carry went down very well, and played a big part in me being able to finish the ride, I think. It's going to remain a mainstay of my riding food.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Killer Bee on Jun 28^th, 2010, 12:21pm

Bud_Bent wrote:

I hear ya. Some longer rides I have no issues whatsoever(like the Houston 400k, the Denison 1,000k), & then some rides it's just a struggle to eat anything. That's why every ride is different & presents it's own challenges. I need to go back & see what I did on the rides with no issues, & copy that all the time. Did you hear that stomach?! If only it would cooperate.

I gave Nelson some fast acting Tums in Gatesville, I should have stopped & taken some in Valley Mills on the return trip (first sign of minor stomach issues). All I ate(drank)in VM was a cup of chocolate milk. Not enough calories for that 35 mile hike to Abbot. I did have a V-8, & Beef Jerky at Abbot, I think I was already calorie deficient by then. Then you play the guessing game on what you need, & what tastes good. All while your sleep deprived & you're physically tired. Not the best combination for sound nutrition decision making.

Nelson, thanks, I'll try the Orange Perpetuem.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Bud_Bent on Jun 28^th, 2010, 2:04pm

Perpetuum seems to disagree with a lot of people because it has a higher ratio of protein in it than Sustained Energy (4 to 1, compared to 7 to 1, as I recall). You can cut that ratio by adding some plain maltodextrin to perpetuum. If it doesn't work for Steve, I'll take it.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Killer Bee on Jun 28^th, 2010, 4:09pm

You know in looking back, I think I found a contributing factor to my stomach issues. I used Nuun hydration tablets at Valley Mills(the return trip) & shortly after, my stomach was a little queezy. I remember using them last week during the Magical Mystery tour ride & during the last 26 miles & they upset my stomach then. I will not be using them anymore.

I can take a little of the Perpetuem for awhile, then is starts to bother me. I'm going to try mixing Heed & Sustained for now on. Always a learning process for sure.

On an unrelated topic, I'm sold on the GP 4000's(nothing new, I used either the 4000's or Michelin Pro 3's in the past year or so. I had purchased 2 new sets of Pro 3's for Peggy & I before the 1,000k. During a training ride before the 1,000k, Peggy ran over a rock & it cut the Pro 3 big time on the sidewall. The tire had 20 miles on it. Maybe the same would have happened on the Conti 4000, but I understand they have a little beefier sidewall than the Pro 3. I have tried the Gatorskins & did not like the ride, too rough for me). I had a new set of 4000's on my bike for Jailhouse & they hummed right along. JS says they have more rolling resistance than the Pro 3's, I can't tell a difference.

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Kwijybow on Jun 28^th, 2010, 4:19pm

I also favor the GP4000's over the ProRace 3's by a small amount. They roll well, and have more volume (better ride) for me vs. the Pro3's. Based on Bud's input I may give Sustained Energy a try, or perhaps Succeed Clip2 (I like their electrolyte caps better than Hammer's).

Title: Re: JAIL HOUSE 300K
Post by Bud_Bent on Jun 28^th, 2010, 6:09pm

I'm thinking that even the 7 to 1 ratio of Sustained Energy that I copy for my own mix may have gotten to be a bit too much protein for me, now. It's fine for 100 miles, but after that, I don't like it. I think I'm going to try 8 to 1 or maybe even 9 to 1. Besides everyone being different, it seems to be a moving target, and even after you get things working great, you'll likely eventually have to come back and change up.