Part 2 – a 6:02 bike

The bike started off with a trip to the changing tent. I had put my helmet, shoes, and clothes in my transition bag, and I grabbed it from the volunteer as I jogged towards the tent. Once inside, I opened up my bag to find the greatest (and most hilarious) photos and quotes from friends and family. There stickers on everything. Photos of the dogs, quotes from friends like “visualize the end: a hot bath, a nap, and a Blizzard” (I’m paraphrasing here). So good. I read them all (I think!) and it was a great addition to what was already a happy day.

The first problem came with trying to put on my sports bra. Whens the last time you tried to put on a sports bra while soaking wet? It didn’t go on easily. Then, I had to figure out which way my shorts went on. I thought I had it right, but more on that in a minute. Then I had to get my heart rate monitor strap on, but I had already pulled my bibs up. So I had to weave it under my bib straps. Then shoes and socks (there was a sandwich in my shoe – I did it, but forgot). Once I had most of my clothing relatively on and in place, I put all my swim gear back in the bag, and rushed outside for some sunscreen.

I got slathered by a volunteer, then ran to grab my bike off the rack. My bottles were filled from that morning, all ready to go. As I ran by Aaron and family, I jokingly asked if my (aer0) helmet was on on the right way. Funny enough, I’d be spending the next 68 miles wondering the same thing about my shorts.

I jumped on the bike and headed out of town. There were tons of people getting on the bike the same I was. So it was a bit crowded on the road going out. There was immediately a motorcycle referee checking spacing, making sure we were 3 bike lengths apart from each other. It seems impossible that anyone was able to follow that rule.

I ate half of a PB&J as soon as I got on the bike. I knew that after the hour long swim I’d get hungry fast, so the first order of business was to get some food. I went by the first aid station less than 10 miles out, and didn’t grab a bottle, and by the second aid station at mile 20 I had just run out of water.

I knew the general layout of the bike course in my head, but I did not pre-ride it or drive it. I had compared the elevation change to rides I’d done at home, and I felt like I was going to be OK out there, but I was a little nervous! People write about this course like it’s super hilly, and I’ve gotten home from some rides in Roanoke barely able to walk because of the hills, let alone run a marathon. So I was a little unsure what to expect. But, the course lent itself nicely to being unsure… it was an out and back course with a little 10 mile out and back thrown in at mile 30, and then a 2x loop (learn the loop the first time, know what to expect the second) before coming back on the same roads you went out on.

The 10 mile out and back was the hardest part of the course. There were some definitely hills. The descents were great, and I got out of the saddle a couple of times to climb on the way back. Then we got back on the main road and headed to the two loop section. You past the special needs bags for the first time around mile 40, and then you see them again around mile 68. The two loop section only had 2 climbs that I had to get out of the big chainring for, and even they were pretty short. The crowds on the course were great!

I ate every hour. First the PB&J, then at 1:00, 160 calories of Honey Stinger chomps. At 2:00 I hate more chomps and had half a bottle of sports drink (160 calories + 80). At 3:00 I had a honey stinger waffle and 1/3 of a banana (160 calories + 40). At 4:00 I had an oatmeal cream pie! (170 calories). Man, was that delicious. At 5:00 I had another waffle (160).

I’ll write up the entire calorie intake on the next post, but my goal was to eat close to 200 calories ever hour on the bike, and I wanted to eat real food. I was saving gels for the run, since I knew I could tolerate those, and I didn’t want to be burnt out on them before I even got there.

So, we’re riding along, about 30 miles into 112. And I realize my shorts are really uncomfortable. And I look down, and start to think that maybe I put my shorts on backwards. I reached back, felt for a tag. Couldn’t find one… I was in aero position most of the way, so feeling around for tags and whatnots makes you a little unstable. Oh, also – about 2 miles into the ride I realized my heartrate monitor strap wasn’t strapped right (it had me at 80 bpm!). So I had to fix that too.

Finally all I could think about fort miles 40-68 was getting off the bike to check to see if my shorts were on backwards. Also, at the same time, I started getting a pretty bad headache, and I made the decision to take the 3 200mg Motrin that I had in my bag in the special needs area.

When I finally got back around to the special needs bags, I handed the guy my bike and went off to the portojohns. I pulled down my shorts… and low and behold they were on the right way. There were just all bunched up since I was so wet when I put them on the first time.

I got the Motrin out of my special needs bag, took a sip of a Coke that I had stashed in there, and took my extra tube and CO2 Cartridge that I had in there and put it in my jersey pocket (waste not want not! You don’t get your special needs bags contents back at the end). I jumped back on the bike, only to realize that the volunteer had accidentally reset my bike computer. Oops. Now I was going  to have to do math the entire rest of the ride.

Oh heeeeeyyy it’s you guys again!

The second loop was uneventful, and as I said I knew what to expect. I got to see everyone at the start of the second loop in LaGrange (photo above). I took a bottle of water at ever aid station (spaced about every 10 miles). Stuck to my water-only plan except for that half bottle I took in the beginning of Perform. I think it all worked out well. I always took a bottle from someone towards the end of the line so I didn’t have to worry about yahoos running into me, and then I emptied the bottles into my aero bottle, and tossed it in the trash at the very end of the line.

One thing I learned – definitely don’t rely on bottle launchers for water source. If you can handle having the weight on your bars and over your front wheel, definitely use a large aero bottle as your only source. I never had to worry about losing anything, I never had to hold onto bottles, and I always had plenty to drink right in front of my nose without having to sit up and grab something.

At the end of the loop there was a big light up road sign that said “in 4 miles, finishers to the right, 2nd loop to the left”. Seeing that sign for the second time was glorious. I was so excited to be headed home. My headache went away just a few miles after taking the motrin, but my left shoulder started aching from being in the aerobars. I’ve NEVER had left shoulder pain – it was so strange. I started stretching out my left shoulder by putting my arm behind my back, and that would help, but it would stiffen up again quickly. Finally I found that if I put my left elbow on the elbow bad, and propped up my chin (picture someone who’s bored in class) that my neck and my shoulder pain both disappeared. So I spent the last 10 miles of the ride riding like a total disinterested asshole.

I passed alot of people on the bike, going from 856th place on the swim to 758th place on the bike. That, plus the time trial start meant that I cruised around lots of folks. I only got passed by 4 women, and 2 of them were pros. I met a really nice guy at one point, and when I asked what the box taped to his arm was, he told me it was his insulin pump. Wow… 112 miles as a Type I diabetic, I can’t even imagine.

About 5 miles out from downtown we sidled up next to the Ohio River again. It was so beautiful by that time of day. Somewhere between 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon, the sun was shining and the river was calm and peaceful. I rode the bike conservatively, trying to save something for the run, and I tried to cool it off even more in the last 20 miles. I coasted in, knowing that there was still a lot of running yet to be done.

As we came into transition there was a giant bump we had to ride over – I hope no one lost it going over that sidewalk. I saw Aaron, Mom, Dad, and Ann and Henry as I was coming back in. Aaron told me I was 13th in my age group on the bike! I was walking slowly, taking it all in. I’m pretty sure one of them told me to get a move on, and I replied with “seriously? you know the run is next, right?”.

So far it had been a flawless day.

Plenty of time left to run. No need to rush.