I rode the Tour de Foothills this past Saturday. I thought I was prepared, I had ridden over 70 miles 2-3 weeks ago. I rode from home to Clear Creek station and felt great the Saturday before and a 15 mile mountain bike ride at altitude that Sunday again feeling strong.
I took Monday off and a light ride with work friends on Tuesday (about 20 miles). My normal gym day on Wednesday. I usually ride on Thursdays but took that day off in prep for Saturday’s century. I thought I ate ok leading up to the ride that morning and I felt very, very good for the first 20-plus miles. Then around mile 21-24 I started to feel weaker, less strong in my legs. Nothing to worry about I thought, but a little worrying as I approached the Glendora Mountain Road climb. I hit the timing start of the climb at a great time of 9:12AM. In the past I have done this climb in about an hour or so.
But today as I started the switchbacks I hit bottom. In several senses of the word. I didn’t feel particular bad, but I had no power in my legs and found myself stopping. After a couple of stops I made sure I ate. I wasn’t hungry but I needed something.
Each time I stopped and got back on, I felt fine for maybe 2-300 meters before BOOM, legs went away again. I sucked it up for mile after mile, stopped a bit and then went on. Eventually it was easier to walk then ride and I HATE walking on a not-real-hard climb. I have done GMR and it’s not hard. It’s long and never ending, but not hard.
As I continued on several passing riders asked if I was ok, mostly I said, fine. If they asked if they could help, I said no, since there was nothing a rider could do. At one point a ride marshall asked and I told him that I just didn’t have the legs today, I was having a bad day and if he saw the SAG wagon to tell them I needed a ride. As the time kept on ticking away I knew I’d be lucky if there were still people at the KOM rest stop.
I jumped at every sound just hoping to see that sign on a vehicle, but to no avail. Several more riders appeared and disappeared, most asking if I was OK. No dammit I wasn’t, but they couldn’t help.
Eventually I made the top and said no more. I felt bad, but if I continued I knew at some point I would not be able to continue. I had some lightheadedness and there a was a fast and technical descent just ahead and I didn’t want to risk a crash.
So I caught a ride with volunteers Jim and Betty back to the start/finish line in Upland. I grabbed some food and a beer and soaked up the atmosphere, but it felt wrong, I didn’t finish. It felt kinda like cheating. I wasn’t I paid my fee. But it felt wrong.
Sunday I woke up and still felt wrong. Two days later I still feel as if something is missing. I had to get out Sunday for some kind of ride, just to make up for the missing parts of giving up on Saturday. My head knows it was the right decision but my gut is really disappointed in my head.
I checked the times published after the ride and I was a full 40 minutes the slowest on the climb with my time at 2:32:19. To my head that makes my decision to stop the right one.
I have another century in Palm Springs in February, so I have a chance to make it up to my ‘gut.’