Leslie & I - TNT Cheerleaders
Hulaman course - you can click on elevation
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/or/gaston/187544781106
Saturday I had my first HUGE, MASSIVE, GIGANTIC, bonk of the season…it went something like this.
Friday I did not eat or drink enough throughout the day. I tried at the end of the night but I know my body and I could has easily gotten in more fuel and h2o….instead I just figured I’d be ok…..was I wrong.
Saturday morning I met up with Leslie at The Gorden Recreation Complex. Chris was kind enough to transport us along with our pride and joy (bikes) up to Hagg Lake to cheer our friends competing in the TRI and then to ride the ½ Ironman Hulaman course. I drank 64 oz while cheering (7:30-10am), ate ½ a PB and honey sandwich, a PB chocolate chip Cliff bar and a V8. I thought this would be good pre race fuel…it probably was IF I had enough fuel dury the bike ride. The forecast for the day was supposed to hit 95. I also took down some Hammer Endurolytes. I was a little let down with the Hagg Lake tri. The turn out was a bit small, probably the repercussion of the death at the last AA sports event. I did see an ambulance on site at this event. Also, we only had 3 TNTers racing. Wow, what a difference in team’s year over year. I remember last year we had a bunch or peps racing, and a ton out to cheer. This year there was only 3 cheerers. Oh well, we cheered well. GREAT job Joie, Maryjane and Dave. You guys rocked! Nice work on such a hard course and hot weather.
Once the last racer from TNT got in Leslie and I decided to hit the road, literally. We departed around 10 to 11. I was anticipating this ride to take about 3.5 hours, we were to take a leisurely pace, check out the course and just take our time…this turned into 5 hour ride. I am hoping during race day to do a sub 3 hour ride.
The first 20 miles of the course is very hilly, 1 1/3 loops around Hagg Lake and then out to Old HWY 47. I HATE Hagg Lake’s road. It sucks ass, really, it need to be repaved. It’s very curvy and has a ton of rolling hills, some which momentum can work for you, others in which it can’t. This would be a perfect ride for me to work on my descending and cornering, IF the road wasn’t so crappy. Too much vibrations, too many holes in the road….puts me in a very unsteady place. Also I’m not sure how I’m going to get my nutrition in…I’ll need to eat 10-15 minutes after exiting the water which will put me at hills for over an hour….this will be interesting. As I finish my last loop around Hagg I stop and wait for Leslie. She is training for her first ½ Ironman and this was going to be her longest ride to date. As a newer rider and adding distance I was not going to leave her behind. As I’m waiting I dig into my much needed PB Powerbar, 50 minutes into the ride. I drop a big chunk on the ground, lol, I pick it up contemplating eating it (this is about 40-50 kcal I’m losing here) but it was covered in pine needles, there was no way☹. This would count as mistake #1. We continue on for another 10-12 miles or so before I get a call . 702 area code, Vegas? Hmmm, oh no, I’m not answering that! Check my VM and it’s Leslie, she has a flat. So I back track to make sure everything is A-ok. Add an additional 6 miles onto ride. I arrive and she’s almost done with the tire change when we notice a giant staple or some kind of nail in the tire. We’ve now been out for about 2 hours, it is HOT (85-90 degrees) and it dawns on me that 1. I do not have enough nutrition. (I know WTF? Who me? Yea, Kat practice what the fuck you preach). And 2. I might not have enough water. I brought 3 32 oz bottles and 1 16 oz bottle filled with water and NUNN. We were almost ½ done and I had already gone through 64 oz of water. This is the point that it dawned on me; this ride was not going to end pretty. Leslie successfully removed the nail and changed her tire. Great job hun; especially with the pressure of those judgmental cows on the sidelines moooooo’ing every so often.
Me; with chain grease....as always.
Off we go again. The rest of the course would be pretty flat with one hill left around mile 32-34. For the love of god, this was no hill, it was a fucking mountain, WTF?! Who put this in the course? The good thing is that it was short, but it was steep. I reach the summit gasping for breath. It was at this point I noticed my mouth was dry and water wasn’t helping. I’m now down to 16 oz of water and only 100 kcal left in Cliff shot blocks and I still have 21-22 miles to go. I’ve only consumed 300 kcal from a Powerbar and some shot blocks and I’ve expended over 1400 kcal at this point. Trouble is on the horizon. I wait a while for Leslie to catch up. 15-20 minutes later, still no Leslie. Thank God for Verizon’s “Are you there?” phone coverage. Found out she missed the turn and was back tracking. I told her I needed to continue on, I know there was a market in North Plans and I had to get sugar and water…the next point of contact would be when I reached the store. Thankfully Leslie is a good cyclist and was comfortable on her own….and she actually listened to my advice about nutrition, wish I had. The next 10 miles were miserable, every mile I reached a new found low point. The course had been difficult, lots of hills to climb and very rough road, it was HOT and there was pretty much no shade during the ride. I tried to talk positive to myself. I tried to envision the market and all the fuel and hydration available; this made things worse…as I was picturing a river of Root Beer running down the fields of wheat. Fuck! A mirage. I also started to notice my left hand going numb again. Great, more problems with my nerve, I’m going to have to get my bike refitted yet AGAIN. Oh, I also forgot to mention during this ride I was carrying a 5-8lb backpack. We were at the Tri for 3.5 hours before we started our journey; I had to bring stuff with me. Riding with the damn bag sucked. Mile 42 and I’m out of water. I pass the turn on mile 44 and pedal my ass to the market. I had visions on H2o and Root Beer dancing in a Conga line while being rained on by candy coated M & Ms. I don’t think this is normal. I throw down Cadence and run into the store. Ouch! One of the doors didn’t work. The store clerk had quite the laugh at me. Once I got into the store I was in AW. It was like I had entered heaven….all the aisles of fat and sugar laden goodness beamed with light. Was this heaven? Quickly I hit the aisles, grab a PB chocolate chip Cliff bar, Smart water and a small Root Beer. I struggle with money at the counter as my left hand is having major nerve problems and I have no brain cells left in my head. The clerk was very kind and asked if I needed to sit and rest for a while. I appreciated the offer but I still had another 12-13 miles to go. I wanted to get it over with ASAP.
A little slice of HEAVEN.
I run back outside drink my soda quickly (How could I not burp after drinking 12 oz of soda in 1 minute? Seriously, the man that teaches me how to burp I WILL marry). I then eat ¾ of my Cliff bar and call Leslie; she is still a ways out. I have a temporary sugar high and think I have incredible energy. BTW Sugar is the DEVIL in disguise, he’s such a damn liar. Soooo, my stupid ass decided to ride out to Leslie; I wanted to make sure she had enough fuel and water. Add another 6 miles out and back. It was good to see her, she looked well, much better then I. I gave her some water and then again we’re off….just 13 miles to go at this point, less then an hour, just maybe I’ll make it. Mile 51 and my low hits again. Damn you sugar to HELL! Where did you go? Mile 56 and the ride is over…that’s mile 56 on the cue sheet, keep in mind I added an additional 10-12 miles, so I’m somewhere between 66-68 at that point. I’m tired and dehydrated. It took what seemed like an eternity to pack all my gear up. I then decided to lay in the shade under a tree and wait for Leslie.
When I got home I did my weigh in. 2.2 lbs lost since morning, only 1.6% body weight, so not THAT bad. But I have NEVER in my life consumed 180-200 oz of fluids and not been able to pee. I was not able to until 10pm that night, and even then I didn’t have much. I was surprised that my muscles actually felt ok, no leg or back pain. Thought I would have some built up fatigue in my muscles…but I don’t which makes me think with proper nutrition and hydration I should be able to kill that course. Bring it Hulaman!
Later that night Michele was having a martini fundraiser….It would have probably been in my best interest to not go to this. I was shaking and sick for most of the night, alcohol didn’t help any, but I do have to say that the blueberry martini was REALLY yummy. Driving home was bittersweet. I left before my other team mates, they had all planned to continue the party, I on the other hand had a 2.5 hour run in the heat planned for the next day and I was in NO state to drink much. I really wanted to stay out and have fun with my friends. When Shannon and I get together we’re unstoppable. BUT my true heart belongs to training/racing…what brings me the most joy also saddens me so. Sometimes I hate skipping out on fun……and going home alone, as always.
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