Breathless Agony

http://www.cyclingpros.com/onyx.htm

 

Well, folks just a few days away. I've done some climbing, but not near enough. So with that I think I'll do the early start 6 am or so. I plan on getting there around 5:30 am. I have a compact but there's a few places on the route that have me crying momma.

A lot of this route is the same as Ride Around the Bear, which I did last year and I was a little sick. I'm a little slow on the climbs, but very fast on the descents so I figure with an early start I should have plenty of time to partake of the party back at Slyvan park.

I didn't do that great last year doing RAtB. I finished in just over 9 hours. My next century though I did in 5.5 hours but it was almost flat.

 

Good luck Mike. Yeah, I'm a little freaked out myself what with a virus knocking me out of the Mulholland Challenge and now I have a itsy-bitsy sore throat and heavy fatigue! Oh please god please don't let me be getting sick AGAIN!!!!](*,)

 

Liz, I'll be getting the early start, what time are you people going out? I plan on a easy start so you might catch me if you don't start to long after me. I've done similar rides and I'm hoping for around an eight hour finish.

 

Mini RR: I did 3 passes (as planned, ~74 Miles, 8K feet) so as to be able to do some trail running tomorrow. It was a beautiful day, not too hot...not too cold. I tore the sidewall of my brand new tire on Jack Rabbit pass, required a huge boot to fix, thanks to Paul H., my friend and SAG guy. I pushed it on the climbs and felt good, pushed pretty hard on Oak Glen and from Mill Creek to Angelus Oaks since I knew I would be turning around. Used a 39/27 seemed to work OK, had to stand in a few places but the SS definitely helps with that. Really Great day all around. I forgot how fun the Oak Glen descent is; make that really fun.

Left Sylvan at 6:30 and got to Angelus Oak a little after 12:00, I had a friend and waited at each rest stop, or I would have been there probably 30 min or so earlier, but he was suffering for some reason and never even made it there. Overall a great day, got back to Sylvan ~1:20, back home ~3:00, early in one piece and not completely wiped out; Get In, Get Ride, Get Out. Now to get ready for a run tomorrow, trying to get ready for Xterra Temecula.

Trivia Fact: Guess who named "Damnation Alley"?....yup that would be me. I completely melted there the first time I did BA a many years ago, its was thermonuclear hot, it was the first time I ever had to get off my road bike and simply sit down. I DNF'd (first ride ever for me). The next year I needed "revenge"; I focused and finished. I was very excited with my accomplishment and I wrote a ride report for my road bike club (Veloce Santiago) and said that I wasn't gonna let "Damnation Alley" get me again. Thats what it felt like the year before (there is also a bad 70s movie named that). They printed the RR in the club newsletter and the name stuck. So every time I ride BA or see it I get to remember how awful I felt in that section, but I think the name fits so I will suffer with the memories But not this year I pretty much just ground up it, passed lots of folks (of course they were probably going further so that doesn't really count)

Hope everyone did well, survived and got to the top and down the mountain safe.

 

Pain Freak that post seemed to end suddenly
(and yes I had to let some non-humans go as well)
And Dirtmistress how did your day go?

 

Breathless....no

Agony....Hell yes!

My ride started about the same time as yours. I ended up with a group who was going out slow and easy and when you've got 12,000+ feet to climb, you don't want to blow yourself up in the beginning of the ride. We all rode all the way to Jack Rabbit and then the group kind of splintered. I was with the front guys and feeling strong. I felt a familiar pain in my quad though and thought it would be best to take it down a notch. So I let the aliens ( they have to be from some other planet as no human can keep the pace they were doing) Now I fell back with the mere mortals where I belonged to begin with. The cramp went away as long as I didn't push to hard, but we were getting to Hwy 38 and although this isn't really all that steep it will wear on you. I got into a group which I really enjoyed riding with and the miles started to click on by. Things were okay till I got my first flat and since I didn't come with any of this group I didn't expect them to wait for me and they didn't. I got my stuff out and had the tire changed and inflated in just under 5 minutes. I was thinking I've got a shot to catch the group. I went out hard and within four miles the cramps came back with a vengence. Down went my speed. I had maintained a steady 16 mph and had passed a lot of people in that short time, but now I couldn't even do 10 mph without the cramp coming back. So I settled on 9 to 10 mph and continued the climb. But it seemed like everytime I took it up just a little, the freekin cramps came back. I still had plenty of energy, I was not tired and I wasn't even breathing the least bit hard. At this point I was seriously considering on bailing out at control number 3 and calling it a day. I sat there for a good 15 minutes then decided if it got to bad I could just turn around at any point and go back down as we were going to be doing this same route back anyways. I was probably there the same time as you. I got in at 12:10pm

So the last climb to Onyx summit was either going to break me or at the very least punish the hell out of me and it did. As I started to climb I thought to myself....I've never not finished a ride. I've always managed to do the whole damn thing. I'm going to give it the ol college try and give it my all. Well going up was slow, and I mean real slow. There were times I was climbing as slow as 4.5 mph and if I pushed just the slightest bit harder, the cramps in one or both legs would kick in. So I rode like this for I don't know how many miles, but I made it. Got to the top and the Grim Reaper gave me my medal. It's a cool looking one too.

Now after I sat around for a while, because the clock stops when you get to the top, not when the ride is finished. They explained it, that they don't want people racing down the hill because at the speeds we hit, somebody is going to die if they crash. Still we almost all hit this downhill with vim and vigor. I mean we just plain kick ass coming down. In a lot of places cars are getting in our way. I maintained over 40+ mph for over 10 miles. I couldn't quit smiling, even after getting a number of bugs in my mouth and eyes.

Next up is Heartbreak 100 (2 weeks), then Ride around the Bear (2 weeks after HB100). All of these are around 10K of climbing and over 100 miles.

Even though it's very difficult to ride these they are a lot of fun. When you do these events there is no roadie mentality, just a lot of comraderie and a lot of joking.

We did lose one of our riders. Here brand new Cannondale crack and sent her into a crash. She was to hurt to finish the ride and her husband was coming to get her. She was going to get her back looked at as she thinks her tail bone may be broke.

Sorry I was typing and it disappeared I didn't know it got posted. I deleted it and started over.

 

Congrats PF. Job well done. That last climb to Onyx is an A$$ kicker for sure. I may have been at RS #2 with you. I saw a girl with a broken 'Dale but, maybe it was the same, her rear dérailleur has torn right off. Yeah the folks that ride these endurance rides are a pretty good set. I know the folks that put BA on; Chuck Bramwell is really cool/nice guy, he is the one that started the whole Grim Reaper thing. I rode with some nice folks too. I worked the top Rest Stop last year, it was very cold, I imagine it was cool but nice today. And Wow you got some big rides coming up, have fun and good luck.

 

Yup, that was her. Not cold up top for a change, but as soon as you start the descent it is way to cold. I was one of the smart ones and brought a windbreaked and sleeves and I was still freezing, so I just started peddaling even harder.

 

Well I think I did ok. I finished and I really didn't think it was as hard as the Mulholland Challenge.
Keep in mind that I could not do the Mulholland challenge this year due to a virus so my memory is of last year.
My training had some big set backs due to illness and STR Idyllwild trips and Chilao and my mom and pretty much lots of stuff tempting me away from what you need to do to come away feeling good from something like this.
We rolled at 6:30 am. It was Madame Dabalot, myself and lurker Lauren aka Huckno!
The weather was nice. Still, I stuffed my jersey with 8 gu's, a jacket, beanie, vest, energy powder,camera, and other assorted goodies. It was stuffed and heavy.
My gears were 39x 27. I spent most time in 25 and 27.
We had a great tailwind on some of the climbs and every now and then I felt awesome and was in my 39x23.
The ride starts fairly flat. 2 and 3 % grades. Jack Rabbit trail is just one big ridiculous pot hole.
Beth(Madame Dabalot) is extremely fit right now and spent lots of time motoring away from us.

Oak Glen climb was 10%,11% pretty consistently. It was over very quickly though and although it was tough, when it was over, I was surprised at how short it was.
I think on that climb, I got hit with a huge wave of nausea that was overpowering. I wasn't sure why and was concerned about finishing if it kept up.Fortunately it passed.
Thrilled to death to get to Angelus Oaks, Some of you know that as the beginning of the SART trail.

The ride was broken down into 4 passes. The 4 pass option finished at around 12,000 feet elevation gain in like 75 miles. Then a 40 mile downhill to finish for a total of 114 miles.
My friend at Angelus Oaks told me that when I saw the 8000 foot sign that there was still about a mile plus to go. I was alone by this time. Beth had gotten a second wind and motored away. My left hamstring was cramping, once it was bad enough that I had to get off the bike and stretch. Some of you experience cramps fairly often but I never get them so I was freaked about it for sure! It worked out and luckily did not come back.
The climb was a constant at 6 and 7%.
It reminded me of Mt. Ventoux in France that is relentless with no breaks. Although that is more like 9 and 10 % consistently.
There were more cars than I was comfortable with. Lots of Big Bear recreation people and even a couple of semi's to spice things up.
The downhill was fast and fun and I LOVE carving turns on a road bike. I really dig technical descents!
So when it was all over,would I do it again? No. Endurance events just aren't my thing.
Today, now that I've gotten out of bed at 10 am and my back and legs are extremely sore, would I do it again? Maybe. It has to be perfect weather though.
I know for certain that I would not have finished this years Mulholland Challenge. It was averaging over 90 degrees and that just freaks me out. I don't do well in hot! Or cold.Or big rain. It's different on a mountain bike though. Don't know why!
Anyway, today I'm just chillin' and looking forward to fun on the mountain bike!
Many thanks to Beth for joining me on this and props to Lauren for finishing after and very revealing MRI that showed lots of disc degeneration and bulging discs. Finally explaining why she's had a loss of power in her legs! Good job!!

 

Liz, I seen you guys taking that picture at the sign.I didn't realize it was you. I was down the hill waiting for that big group to take off so I could get to ride with them. I got tired of waiting and did the dh with a few other guys.

 

I was alone on much of the downhill at the start. I got a bug in my eye and had to stop. It still hurts today.

 

nice work you guys! that's quite an accomplishment.

 

Nicely Done DirtMistress. I am pretty sure I saw you on Jack Rabbit you were riding and taking pictures right? I think you rode past me while I was fixing my flat by the sag pickup. I will say the weather was darn near perfect, other years it is either way hot at the lower elevations or down right freezing up top.

BTW I keep reading your sig as "bich-on-sand-buddies":?:

 

:lol::lol: That's funny!!

 

There were a lot of flats. I got a total of 4 and all were caused by some little black stickers that I've never seen before???

 

Great RR's! You both make me want to try this next year and maybe try some doubles and such even sooner. After my 545 mile ride I'll be doing in 4 weeks I'm sure I'll be closer to having some Pain Freak-like endurance.

 

The photo's and results are out.
I have a penalty next to my name. :?:
What the heck? And they have a friend of mine that came in after me ahead of me. :?::?::?:
What the hell? I could swear I checked in at all the stops!
Oh well, there's always next year! :lol::lol::lol: NOT!!

 

I'll put in a good word for you with Chuck, oh wait that would probably make it worse! You can inquire and find out, he is a really good guy. Did your friend leave after you?

 

I'm not that concerned about it really.
I finished albeit not gracefully and i got some nice socks.
If I'd been racing for time I'd be bothered but i just wanted to finish and have fun.
Maybe in a few months when the buzz dies down I'll ask him. I'm sure he's going to be busy now that it's all posted.