THE CYCLING LEG–56 MILES
Quickly stripping the wetsuit off, I threw on my bicycle gear and began the jog out of the transition area. A glance at my watch told me that I was getting out of the transition area in under an hour. To hit my goal of a sub 6 hour goal I had planned a 1 hour swim, a 3 hour ride and a 2 hour run. I was glad to see that so far I was sticking to my goal. As soon as I crossed the line I mounted my bike and headed out for the 56 mile bike ride.
After the first turn the road quickly turned upward and we began the slow climb out of the lakeside area and up into the hills. Mindful of the drafting rules, I checked my watch and quickly began overtaking people who had passed me on my swim. It wasn’t long before I’d made my way back into my own age group and swim wave.
Following the first climb and quick descent I made the left hand turn to what would be the largest climb on the course. The hill rose up before us and the pace of the group quickly slowed down. I continued to push on trying to pass people yet keep my heart rate in check.
It wasn’t too long before we heard sirens coming down the hill. Professional Andy Potts came behind the lead vehicle tucked into a tight aerodynamic position. Glancing at my watch I noted the time and did the math to realize what a rapid pace he had to be riding to already be on the return leg of the bicycle race. It was almost 4 minutes later that his next closest competitor came behind him.
By the time I crested the hill I was in a comfortable rhythm. The descent was rapid and I made the left turn into the valley. Continuing up the valley, the long loop began. Just like the swim, the bike ride was long enough that I could view the surroundings and enjoy the sights.
One of my recurring issues in longer events is my ability to stay hydrated. I was trying a new drink mix to avoid dehydration. Ever quarter hour I was on a set schedule of drinking perpetuem and then drinking water at 7.5 minutes intervals between the shots of perpetuem. The water stations were strategically placed and easy to access. I was able to maintain a great pace heading up the valley and the ride was almost without incident as I headed towards the turn around.
As I headed into the last water station mischief struck. On a slight bend in the road, I found myself going much faster than I anticipated. As I took my right hand off of the handlebars to grab my next water bottle I hit another bottle that had rolled out into the street. My bike jumped to the right and headed right towards the man handing out water bottles. Quickly grabbing the brakes, I swerved around the now frightened man who was scrambling out of my way. I grabbed the next water bottle and powered out of the water station.
Making the turn around I’ll admit that I noticed it was within a few miles of the hotel that we were staying in. The thought did cross my mind that being that close to the hotel was a welcome sight, and could save a great deal of pain going forward if I just rode straight back to our room. Luckily, my determination won out over exhaustion. I completed the turn around and began heading back down the valley.
Another reality that had run through my head was that I had already paid my entrance fee and I had a desire to earn the shirt and medal I would be given at the end. It brought to mind the old saying: “pain is temporary, quitting is forever.” With the mantras of “one more mile” and “stick to the plan” repeating through my mind I continued to turn my legs over, settling onto the aero bars. Periodically I thought “stay tight, good form and big gear” as the pavement became a blur under my wheels.
Heading back down the valley, I make the hard right for the final large climb of the day. As we came across the top I find myself in a give and take with another gentleman. We pass each other several times. As we head down the final hill I bomb past the fellow that I have been jockeying with over the past few miles. He must have been angered that I finally made it around him because he pulled up beside me on the final turn back, passing me on the left which was a clear violation of the rules. I passed him on the next climb and started the descent back into the park area.
Finishing my descent, I head into the transition area, dismount from the bike and run into the racks. Racking my bike, I take a moment to notice that I am again ahead of schedule. I needed to finish the ride in less than 3 hours and had managed to do so. Changing into my running gear I head back out and make the turn onto the run course. Making a hard right, I head onto the approximately 6.5 mile loop along the lake shore.
