Week 1, 14 days before the Ride. Last weekend, June 27th. I sealed the deal with Mark from Minden to purchase his registration for the Death Ride, or it’s official euphemism, Tour of the California Alps. I’d been thining of doing this ride for several years, and it helped me get through a rough winter while working at Squaw Valley. Of course, thinking about it never got translated into getting on the trainer all winter, even though I moved the bike and trainer to the spare bedroom, pumped up the tires and put it all together. Perhaps my desire to complete the Ride is symbolic: it will help motivate me to find a decent job and allow me to put one on the win column. Yes, it’s a stretch, but so is 128.5 miles and 15,000 feet of climbing in one day. I’ve been doing my share of mountain biking this season, but a 10 day trip to Boston in early June put a dent in my fitness (steamed Lobster and deep fried Turkey, anyone?). Put in 40+ on Sunday with my good friend John Maddock, down in sultry Reno, jerked around with my bike on Monday, trying to swap my cassette for a better climbing gear, spacing the fact that this new bike is 10, not 9 gears. El Stupido¡ Managed to get a 40 minute ride in. That’s really not going to help. Yesterday (6/30), put in 25 mi in the AM, down to Inspiration Pt. in Emerald Bay. In the PM, got the new cassette (12-27 S company 105-no more Ultegra’s as they are about to intro a new model). Got a shorter stem (80 mm vs. 110, both 7º rise. Rode from Tahoe City to Blackwood Canyon. Climbed to Barker Pass, about a 1500 ft ascent in 7 miles. If I could only do that 10 times in a row, I’d have the climbing nailed. Descended in 7 minutes. Trying to figure out today’s ride. Thank the stars for Chamois BUTT’R, which reduces chafing, donchaknow?
Death Ride Journal, Part II
July 13, 2009
OK, so it’s been a week since my last posting. Some good times on the bike, a good deal of adjustment and refinement to the steed and its rider. On Monday, I dropped about 175 dollars at the Olympic Bike Shop and got: (1) a new rear cassette with the highly sought after 12-27 range cogs, the 27 being the magic climbing element. ($75). Also, I bought (2) a new pair of Pearl Izumi shorts, 3-D something for $75, (3) new Specialized gloves for $35, and (4) Cytomomax energy mix (Cool Citrus!) for $22. Unfortunatlely,Monday was pretty much a wash because of my error regarding the cassette-I have a 10 speed, not a 9 speed. The 9 was my last bike. Of course, I did not realize this until I mounted the cassette and put a new chain on, also 9 speed. No wonder it shifted like shit! I changed it all back to the original cassette and chain after realizing my error, but did a thorough cleaning of the chain, which was much needed. Did a quick half hour of sprinting after getting it back together.
Tuesday, June 30th, I made the cassette switch and purchased a shorter, taller Bontrager stem ($50), on Tuesday. That As I was making the switch in the parking lot of the pharmacy across the street, I ran into my friend Joel Gimbert, rather fortuitously, as he is a good road rider friend and past Death Ride finisher. He is a local tile and flooring contractor and offered to accompany me on a training ride or two.
On Wednesday July 1, I rode to Squaw with Joel Gimbert, We rode down to Sugarpine Point Park, down around the Erhman Mansion, and then to Tahoe City on the bike path, wherever possible. Down the River on the bike path to the River Ranch and Alpine Meadows Rd. Up the three mile climb to Alpine, back down and on the Squaw Valley, with a quick loop around Snow Peak Rd., and then back to the bike trail and home. About 42 miles.
Thursday I rode to Barker Pass, climbing Blackwood Canyon three times for a total of about 4,500 hundred feet over about 60 miles. If I had the cool GPS with topo, I’d embed it here:
On Friday, July 3rd. I went down to Emerald Bay again, shaving some time of my previous attempt.
Saturday, two short bike rides in the woods on the Intense 6.6 and the Bontrager single speed
Sunday I did the big ride. A reasonably early start: from Homewood to Truckee, then up Martis Peak Rd., a two mile steep (8oo feet elevation)paved fireroad, then over Brockway Summit (7,047). Down to King’s Beach, over to Garwood’s Restaurant for a quick water bottle refill (with ice! It pays to know Suzanne.) After that, I decided to tackle Ward Valley as well, about a 700 ft elevation. Flatted the rear at the top, right at the start of the descent. Fixed it with many pumps from the Crank Bros. Mini Pump.
Death Ride Journal: Final Prep and Ride Day
July 14, 2009
Monday: One Monday, I purchased a new stem. A little shorter and higher rise. The amount of climbing on this ride necessitates the setup being optimized for climbing. 30 miles to Inpiration Point at Emerald Bay and 4 miles on the DL Bliss Park hill.
Joel encouraged me to go to Markeleville and drive/ride the course. On Tuesday, July 7th,I did just that. It was a sobering experience: The scale of Monior was huge. I drove up and over and down to 395 and back and then rode up and over Ebbett’s, which is the highest pass with the highest percentage of grade (12% near the top. I took about 3.5-4 hrs, as I grasped the enormity of what I was attempting. Almost crashing on the descent put it in a little more starker contrast: I could get killed out here. I rounded a corner too fast, started heading off the road. Grabbed the brakes and skidded, starting to go sideways, a preliminary to getting slammed when the wheel catches. I released the brakes instantly and steered onto the shoulder-sandy, rocky and weedy. I was traveling at 30-35 mph. I bumoed through the rough, and got back on the road. Myr ear wheel was bent, but otherwise OK. It was near the end of the ride, so I did not even notice until later. Took the wheels for a tension and true instead of fucking it up first and then taking it to the shop. $35 + $3 in the tip jar.
Wed final prep. Spent some time at the bike shop, buying a shirt(W PearlIzumi sleeveless, for $49!, Glueless Tyre Patches, more Cytomax, and some ZYM-an electorlyte tablet you add to some water for a fizzy taste, different from the Cyto. I also borrowed a saddle bag, purchased more Protein Bars from SAfeway-$1.oo each, half off. 20G of protein, and decent taste. Took Brooks for what I thought would be a short ride in Tahoe City near the river. Ended up on the Rim Trail to Page Meadows, and then a fun descent. Hot and should not be doing any climbing, but the trail was nice and the weather beautiful, so I went for it.
Thursday, some camping prep. I also hatched the idea of switching my stem out again, this time for the Easton EA670 that’s on my mountain bike. It has a sharper rise and is a tad longer, so more upright ergonomics. Suzanne asks me to not mess with the bike anymore. I cross my fingers behind my back.
Friday, I finished packing for the camping in the parking lot, and getting the bike squared away. Want to get down there early, so I get a decent camping spot. Got there before registration line got crazy, and secured the last space on the perimeter for campimg. Another solo guy, Don from Sacramento, was beside me. He’s done it 5 or 6 times, the last couple under 10 hours! We talk about the ride and riding and then he goes to the dinner and I pull out my lunch buffet special from Hunan Garden in South Lake Tahoe. The guy kinda sold me on the buffet, and kept saying-”Pile it on, it’s OK!’ As I was eating, some annoying people squeezed in next to Don. Candace and Tom, you are both pretty affected, oblivious to your surroundings or any sense of decorum, and from what I gather, not very smart.
At 4 A.M., marching band drummers from the local high school blew the whistle and started laying down a heavy beat with some octoban (high pitched toms) accents, with a traditional marching snare rudiments. They walked around the large parking lot, playing, with red lights flickering on helmets and arm bands. It was pretty cool. I packed my tent and bag away. I had my clothes, food and tools laid out, so I went to the cafeteria to have my breakfast, which was a fundraiser for Alpine County Search and Rescue. the coffee was weak, but the muffins were OK. Ran into an acquaintance, an old riding friend of Suzanne named Jessica, who has done an Ironman Triathlon. she invited me to ride with them, but I started about 5 minutes earlier, arond 5:25 A.M.
The ride begins. It was a suprisingly mild morning, so I ditched the shirt, jacket and handmade arm warmers Suzanne made from an old pair of ski socks. The forecast was clear for the day, and the weather was perfect for riding: clear, crisp, nice breeze, mild temps. Up and over Monitor, after some stretching half way up. Down. Fast. People going race pace for this slightly harder Fred event. Got to the bottom, and it was pandemonium. got some Cyto, water and ‘lytes and headed back up. Slow going grind. Got to the top. Waited for the bathroom. Waited for fluid. Food just OK. Stuck to the blocks and gels.
Down. Again, fast. I feel like I’m kinda in the middle, but it’s hard to tell. Slow up Ebbett’s. Another bathroom break at the top (the sugar alcohols in the gels and blocks can cause mild G.I. discomfort.) Took a little break and then down. The climb up this side is the shortest. It was getting hot (around 1 PM) and I wanted to get to lunch. When I got to the bottom, lunch was amost over, with a cople of wraps and some cold Cup O’ Noodles with pickle juice mixed in. I overhear several discuss how tough the last pass it. I start out, intending to drop by the car on the way by to empty out some of the stuff in my pockets and reapply some BUTT’R. As we were climbing to Turtle Creek, I asked the woman in front of me how she was faring. “I’m just hoping to make the cutoff at Woodford’s by 4.” I knew there were cutoffs, but I did not know the particulars, thinking they wooul not apply to me. I looked at my watch: 3;45 PM, and still at least 3 miles (mostly downhill) miles to the intersection at Rte 88 and Rte 4. I panicked (http://community.active.com/thread/69181/thanks-to-the-tri-bike-female-death-rider-who-helped-me-near-turtle-rock/0/15) and dropped the hammer, suddenly realizing that I could get turned back.
I got to Woodford’s with a couple of minutes to spare. Had a Coke and headed to Pickett’s which was 8 miles and 1,500 feet of climbing. I started out pretty fast, as I did not want to miss the next cutoff at 5:15. The road was a little scary, being open to vehicles. A real state highway with crappy shoulders. Got buzzed by an RV towing a car trailer. Scared me good. Seemed about a foot away. Grunted and Grinded and got to Pickett’s Junction in 45 minuteswhere Rte 88 and Rte 89 meet). There the wind was picking up and the western horizon was starting to look cross, with dark clouds hanging over the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Word came down on the radio that it was raining hard at Carson Pass. Of course, I did not have the poncho the Death Ride gave us in case of emergency. I started looking around as a few tentative drops probed the area. I saw a guy with a plastic trash bag and bee lined it to the woman who had the box. I poked some holes and put it on just as the rain started in earnest. The first few miles from Pickett’s Junction is flat. The headwind pushed big rain drops in our faces and things started getting serious. Luckily, the rain only lasted for about 30 minutes, and then the sun came out and the tarmac steamed as the last few aimed for the pass. Once it started climbing, I could not remember how it ended. I kept looking around every corner to be the last. I was anxious to get to the top and the climb would not end. Finally, I saw the sign and remembered the area. 110 miles so far, and 15,000 feet of climbing, Ihad been thinking about it for years, but alot over the winter, when I need a distraction from my challengng job at Squaw Valley.
I had a fudge bar at the top and then the cloud began to thicken again. I capitalized on my newfound energy and got the hell out of there. The ride back was quick-19 miles in less than an hour, with a few hundred feet of climbing. I took it easy-not too fast, but I still had legs and I wanted to finish, so I hauled. Got back to the car at 7:25 PM. My workstand and tarp were still there, happily, so I packed it up, went to the office (they ran out of stickers and pins at the top of Carson). Got my pin and claimed my raffle prize, which was GU Recovery mix. I’ll drink to that
