RUN yeah, right....
Holy cow, how to get this all done for laughs later? A lot happened!
I did this one alone, I've been needing solo rides so I can focus on being alone and setting my own pace, but of all rides to pick...had to be this one. At yesterday's lunch, there was discussion about how bad my usual MCT parking lot is. So at the last moment I opted to move to another, the same where the triple brick is planned out of. This was a good thing to do! It have me water and bathrooms at the start/finish, and kept me from having to crank out the last 14 miles on that same stretch of boring trail that I'm always cranking out the last miles on. I'm starting to associate that stretch with being tired and cranky!
I was well prepacked, pretty clear-minded, and efficient in setting up. If you don't count my mis-matched bike gloves, that is.
Miles 0-56 in 3hrs 14 mins. Started on the trail for an out-n-back, first 14 miles in 48 mins. Saw G and SM on the way out! I wasn't hungry but was putting nutrition down every 30 mins as planned, alternating an EFS shot with one-third of a Powerbar. I was sort of obsessively conflicted about this. Was that too little too often, too much too often, ...? I kept bouncing back and forth between "I'm eating too much" and "I'm not getting enough". But this worked, and aside from a dropped piece of Powerbar around Marine was pretty slick. I had a good mood, held a "pushed" but not terribly so pace, and was happy with how things were going. I was disappointed in the speed, but I knew I'd want any energy wasted in effort now back later in the day. And I've noticed that I seem to be slower on the MCT's? Why is that? So I was happy to leave them and spin off onto some real road.
Miles 57-100, ending around 5:50 hours. The ride continued to be wonderful and as planned aside froma few miles of gravel until I neared Alton. Not sure exactly what happened, I was remarking to myself happily that I'd reached 90 miles without foot pain (usually sets in around mile 70) and without a mental crash. My focus on those 2 efforts were paying off! But as I neared mile 93, things got rough. Both the road and my mood. Alton had stop signs and terrible roads, both were disrupting my focus and pace. I started cursing the roads (I was already upset with every bridge/road bump I'd hit all day...) and losing focus. I was thinking that the length of this ride was long enough and that I wouldn't do a brick run, after hours of telling myself that I can't decide about the run until after the ride. So I took in part of a Lara bar, did this contribute to the energy crash? Is the sugar in a lara not "fast burning" enough? Dunno, just know that it seemed like the turn on Brown St was never coming...
Once I finally reached Brown St I saw a gas station and decided to stop now instead of nearer the river. The guy behind the counter asks "Tired?" so I must have looked dazed. Just needed water and a bathroom, and OOF the bathroom was AWFUL! Stank like pee, brown crap smeared on the toilet bowl, bugs flying around...I held my breath and hurried. Didn't help the mood. I decided to take an extra gel to boost me through this section, even though it was off schedule. It's just a gel, and I took it in little bits of it over time and didn't count it in the schedule. Rolled on down hill to the river and hopped on the Confluence trail.
Miles 101-125, ending at 7:31! The Con trail is a rough one with those stupid gates to go around, so my momentum was still disrupted. This was just an excuse, because once I got past the Tower and hit good road I didn't feel much happier. I was happy to be smelling something besides corn growing, although dead fish and river smell isn't exactly pleasant. I was getting obsessed with where I was -- where's my turn, where's that road, I need to stop and check the map. I know that wondering about my next turn burns up mental fuel for me and distracts me, so while I hate to stop I know that it relaxes me to just know the answer. But it seemed like I was wanting to stop way too much. Once I found the New Poag turn I was again along a super rough bike lane, had to ride on the roadway, and just wanted off of it! Now I was exposed to the heat of the day, increased headwind, fast cars, rough road edge, low brain sugars...it wasn't pretty.
So I took an MCT trail option to get me off the road, only to have to wind though SIUE, hit more bumps, and end up back on the NP road...the only gain was mileage, so I can't complain there can I?
Back on the NP road, which BTW has an awesome bike path dedicated shoulder, I was obsessing over my next turn. I missed it. Check the map, loop back. Find the street-trail connection is steep downhill gravel. Try walking the bike and nearly fail. I was back on the trail at about mile 115 and knew I had 10 miles more.
I cracked in these 10 miles. Cursing. Hating it. Thought there's no way in HELL I'm running 100 miles EVER. Yeah. Cracked. I was still moving, only just now starting to hurt, but my brain was NOT enjoying it. This is exactly what I needed -- to find the limit! So I just kept cranking along, hitting the benchmark 112 in 6:40, I was disappointed in this but realized I needed to stay focused.
I passed the truck at 124 miles and headed out for what seemed to be the longest half mile out-n-back ever. Once finished I was cooked. Dizzy, hot, tired, sluggish, pissed, cranky, happy, ... you name it and I probably felt it. I threw a childish fit when my phone wouldn't come out of the bag. I marveled at how my purple sweet potato recovery meal turned blue (really!!). I changed clothes, turned the AC on, and headed towards home.
Once there, I was still buzzing in my head, as if my ears were scarred from the sound of 7.5hrs of wind. I had talked to only one other person the entire ride, a rider in Eville had a RAGBRAI jersey that I chatted with him about. That's it! An awful long time to be alone in your head, but that's how race day could be so it's all part of it.
Song on the way home: Kongos Come With Me Now:
Afraid to lose control
And caught up in this world
I've wasted time, I've wasted breath
I think I've thought myself to death
I was born without this fear
Now only this seems clear
I need to move, I need to fight
I need to lose myself tonight
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