Coulee Challenge 1200 Day One

Transcription

1 Coulee Challenge 1200 My Rando friend Dan Diehn has been talking to me about the 1200K the Minnesota Randonneurs have been putting together for the last two years. I knew from the work they had been doing that this was going to be a wellorganized event and they did not disappoint!!! Joe Edwards and myself have ridden a number rides in Minnesota and Wisconsin and are also familiar with the terrain so we certainly know what a coulee means. Minneapolis is only a 7 hour drive from Columbia, Missouri so it was an easy choice to travel and do the first 1200K Coulee Challenge. We arrived just before the pre-ride dinner and meeting but had time to get through the bike inspection and all the ride information plus SWAG! It was good to see many of our Rando friends from Texas, Colorado and Minnesota. During the presentation, we all learned about the Driftless Region and how the coulees were formed. Greg Smith talked about the route and what to expect throughout the next four days. He was very positive and really helped me feel comfortable about where we would be and the great roads we would be riding on. He did put emphasis on there was a stiff climb (15% or better) on Excelsior Hill. He was not kidding as I would learn on the ride. Joe and I hit the bar afterwards to relax from our long drive and figured we use the first 40 miles at the start to stretch out our legs. Day One Up early to get a quick breakfast before the start. There were about 87 riders so the getting ahead of the crowd was good. We went outside for the start and it was a collage of color and lights in the early morning. The weather was going to be good for almost the whole ride although it really got warm on the first and third day. I hate the wait for the start as I just want to get on the bike and go. However, Rob Welsh and Tom Ehlman gave only a few quick words and then we had a police escort to lead us out of Apple Valley at 4 am. The police escort reminded me of starting PBP in 2011 so it was really appreciated the length the organizers went to make the riders safe on the ride. After getting through the lights and onto the highway, the pace picked up dramatically. Since the first 30 to 40 miles to the control was relatively flat, I knew that I would not see Joe for the day as he would definitely get that big engine going and crank along with the Texas group. I was not prepared to keep that pace so dropped into a more comfortable cadence by myself. Would catch on with other riders along the way to the Control so never really alone. Certainly did not take long to arrive at the first Control in Cannon Falls. I caught up with Anda Arms who is a fellow Audax KC cyclist and we joined up with Sarah

2 Hreha (Connecticut) and Ron Shelby (Indiana). Anda just joined RUSA in the spring and was doing her first 1200K. Having ridden previous rides with her, knew she was a very determined rider who would be great company on the road. The four of us worked well together and would ride the next three days together. The early part of the route helped put time into the clock to offset the 10,500 ft of climbing Coulees we would be cranking over the remainder of the day. The scenery was crop land (corn which one can see for miles and miles) and patches of forest. There were 14 major climbs with the coulees (who is counting) so we had a lot work cut out for us on this day! After the control at Red Wing, we had a nice the ride along Lake Pepin. The lake was interesting and there seemed to be a light wind making the journey somewhat enjoyable. As the afternoon began to heat up we soon started the climb of the coulees. Climbs were not long but did have grade to them. I just dropped into my lower gears and steadily turned the crank over and over. Greg was correct that we would enjoy the views from the top and fast descents. I love the hills in Wisconsin with the many dairy farms which is sprinkled with Amish homes and farms. We did meet the occasional horse and buggy which added a complete change in culture to the area. We rode very consistently which was great but on the flats it was difficult for me to keep up with the group as the pace picked up. However, we were never very far apart which I greatly appreciated. I felt good on climbs but just do not have fast twitch muscles to kick harder than I want on the flats. When we made the Alma Control I knew we were

3 going to make it through the first day, even though there were still 6 climbs (who is counting) to Black River Falls. At the Control I saw Jeff Newberry and thought this is not right because he should be with the Texas group who must be at least over an 1 hour or better ahead of us. Found out that he was really feeling poorly with stomach issues and was just willing himself to the overnight Control. Jeff is tough and glad that he continued to improve as he rode the remainder of the day. Yes, the high and lows we must overcome on each and every day of a 1200K! We made it into Black River Falls just before 1 am so we were going to get about 3 hours of sleep. My friend Dan Diehn was running the Control which had great Rando food for us and his daughters always make me smile no matter how tired I am. I was rooming with Joe who got in about 2 ½ hours before us so I was hoping not to wake him getting into the room. Luckily he was awake when I open the door (more likely I woke him up). Wish I could ride at his speed but it just not going to happen at this stage of my life. Joe indicated he was going to ride with our group for the remainder of the 1200K so that made me feel good. Day Two We got breakfast and the group joined up to leave before 5 am. I got a pretty good sleep for only having 3 hours. The majoring of the climbing would be in the first half of the day but high temperatures would still make it feel a little harder for sure. The climbs were frequent and certainly hitting the Excelsior climb would shock the legs. Given that we reached the climb coming from the valley, I started the climb and could not understand why I had to stop before falling over. I looked down and realized that I was still in the front big ring! Brain was starting to get very slow. So I walked up to the top and then had to push to catch back up with the group. As Spencer Klaassen says, there is no hill you cannot walk up! The frequent climbing was getting tougher with the increasing heat so Joe and I took our arm warmers and made ice socks at the Controls. This work great as the Controls were not that far apart and it gave relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day. The scenery was again great throughout the day and roads were in good shape which made the riding so much smoother! We soon were back on flatter roads after Blue River to ride the last 70 miles to the overnight in Reedsburg. During the ride Anda was starting to struggle with an Achilles problem and saddle sores which can be a ride killer. What I love about Rando s is the willingness to help one another. She got plenty of encouragement and also Lidocaine from Jeff Newberry which greatly helped her get through the day. I just gave her a John Wayne saying that I think about on a tough ride and I want to quit. We all got into the overnight before 11 pm so we were going to get more rest before leaving early in the morning for day 3. Food and staff were excellent so made it easy to get fed and into to bed for 4 hours.

4 Day Three Joe, Sarah, Anda and myself had a good breakfast and we were on the road before 4 am. We were caught by the Texas group and joined up with Pam and Dan for a number of miles. We soon hit the first coulee of the day and the group spread out on the climb. It was a good climb but early in the day so it at lease was not hot. I was surprised that the humidity was so high this far north which only added a little more to the heat stress during the ride. It was good to talk more with riders from Texas and Colorado. Rode with John Lee Ellis, Pascal Leduc, Michael Turek and the other Colorado riders as we worked our way along the plateaus after the climbs. The climbs were not as frequent and we had long stretches across the top. Enjoyed working with Joe and Anda as we worked our way along the route. Anda was feeling much better and getting her mojo back. As I told her, we get through day 2 and we just need to stay upright on the bike to finish! Heat picked up so it was back to ice socks and stopping along every store that came along to keep hydrated and cool down a little. Sara pushed ahead of us so unfortunately we never got to finish with her in Apple Valley. As we were descending down one of the multiple coulees, a car came beside me and one of the support crew was taking pictures. He asked me how it was going and then the driver leaned forward and I saw my good friend Dan Diehn. I could not help myself as I started ranting about what I thought about all these coulees. Dan reply that I was doing well. I just kept up the rant which lighten up my mind and we both just started to laugh as the cameramen s eyes were getting bigger and bigger listening to this conversation. It was a much needed period of loosening up after a hard day. Of course trash talking with Dan is just one things I enjoy when I ride with him. The coulees are the coulees which were really not all that bad or hard.

5 The ride was going well and we teamed up with another group of riders at the West Salem control. It was getting dark and we realized that we still have one more major coulee to climb before the overnight. Was good to be with a group as we hit the beginning of the climb and the extra lights certainly helped as it got dark. Once over the climb we were now on the easier section of the ride to finish in Apple Valley after the overnight. The ride through Winona was a little crazy as arriving at midnight seemed to be when the bars closed. Hard to believe that so many drunks would give you grief while riding on a street. Was very glad to reach the overnight without getting hit. Now we had time in the bank to really rest so after Tom Ehlman and Mark Olsen took care of us getting food and providing knowledge of our last day, we decided to take a late start at 6 am. Extra sleep was greatly appreciated. Day 4 We were back on the road to Rando Glory at 6 am and the road was fairly flat for a while. The area we were riding was very scenic and again the day was pretty much perfect for riding. I was enjoying the ride until out of blue crashing. The last thing I could remember was pushing down the road when I just went straight into the pavement. The lights went out for a moment although Anda told me it was more like over a minute. As I laid in the road with my eyes closed, I first moved my arms and then legs to know I was alive. When I open my eyes, Anda and Joe were looking over me saying what should we do? My quick response was you could get my expletive bike off me would be a good start. Joe s response was he appears not to have a concussion. Humor helped in what was not a good situation at the time. As I got up and tried to assess the damage, up pulled the SAG with Marcia Swan and Rorie Anderson. What kind of luck and timing is that!!!! Marcia already had a medical kit out and after looking into my eyes to see if I was with it, cleaned the cuts created by the chip and seal road. I felt like I was in the Tour getting bandaged on the road and back on the bike. I had huge swelling and deep bruise in my thigh apparently from not only hitting the road but a circular wound from hitting on the end of the handle bar. They asked did I hit a crack or rock, how did you go down. Then after a few seconds to collect my thoughts, I realized that my shoe clip popped out of the pedal on the down stroke which sent me straight down into the ground. My helmet was cracked (hey they work) and my side and thigh deeply bruised. I knew my clips were getting worn down but as usual thought I could get by with another ride. That s just dumb!!! After getting multiple bandages they were concerned if I could still ride. I was ready to go and knew if I didn t keep going everything was going to tighten up. Marcia and Rorie stayed behind as we took off to see how I was doing and also drove and waited at the top of a climb we needed to get over. The adrenaline was most likely pushing me along and as I came over the climb Marcia was watching me and said that Tom Ehlman was sending a helmet for me to use

6 at the next Control in Lake City. That was a little special and I thought well with a cracked helmet I just hoped I didn t crash again. We came into the Control and the riding did not hurt but I could not stand up on the pedals without having some pain. Glad the last day did not have much climbing for sure. There were a number of Rando s at the Control and it was good to talk with one of the icons of RUSA, Jim Solanick. Jim has one of the best stories concerning riding a tire that he stuffed twigs into to make it into a Control in Alaska when he thought he did not have a tube to fix a flat. I was there, it s true! Marcia gave me Tom s helmet and we did not spend much time getting back on the bikes so my leg didn t lockup. Joe took the lead pulling us along the rolling hills of corn fields as we pushed to the Control in Red Wing. The scenery was back to farm land and dairies and we were going to be riding on a bike trail after the Control. When we got to Red Wing, one of the support volunteers grabbed me and said he could drive me to a bike shop to get new cleats for my shoes. The shop was only about 4 blocks away and he made sure the shop was open as I hobbled down the block. Within 5 minutes the shop owner had put new cleats on my shoes and I was back to the Control to ride with Joe and Amanda. I cannot thank him enough for the kindness he showed me. We were joined by another strong Colorado cyclist, Oksana Kovalenko who rode with us to the finish in Apple Valley. Once we hit the bike trail I was surprised by how good the path was to ride on. However, thunder storms were moving through and water was accumulating on the trail. It started to rain hard so we put on rain jackets and pushed on. The trail went under a road over pass and I said let s stop and let the storm pass by us which was a good move. It was maybe 10 minutes and the hard rain stopped. We had to work our way along the wet streets to get to the Control in Cannon Falls but it was the last stop before the finish. When we were at the Cannon Falls Control there were a number of riders in the store so when we started the last leg of the ride as really nice group came together to enjoy the easy ride to the finish. It was great company to talk with along the way as we now had Jim Koegel (Ohio), Daniel Ridings (Minnesota), and Donald and Ken Ward (Seattle) with us. The sun was starting to set as we came into Apple Valley which provided a great setting for the group to finish at the hotel. It was special that Anda was finishing her first 1200 after only starting to ride brevets in March. It takes a Peloton to raise a Rando as Anda was congratulated by so many riders who had ridden with her and helped her learn how to do this crazy sport. Jeff Newberry and Michael Turek were there to support her and really tell her how big finishing this ride is for all of us.

7 I would like to thank the Minnesota and Wisconsin Randonneurs for putting on one great 1200K. The route was great, providing scenic views throughout the ride (thought we would see more corn fields! SAD!). The accommodations and food at the overnights was really solid. The service of the volunteers does not go without notice for me. I cannot thank Marcia Swan and Rorie Anderson for being there for me when I needed someone to hold my hand, clean and dress my road wounds and say get back on the bike there is only 100 more miles to go to the finish. HTFU MAN! Special thanks to Deb Ford for taking pictures throughout the ride. You really capture our journey and make us all feel so glad to have been part of a great event. Sorry 10 Randos were not strong enough to push you out of a ditch! Thank you all. The medal is very special and has one of my favorite designs. Hey, Joe was involved with the medal, tee-shirts and poster production. So I guess I will need to thank him someday. Maybe later!!! The Finish!!!!