MS150 training has been interesting to say the least. Two rides.
Ride one. - I knew it'd be rough because, lets be real, haven't been on a bike in a year. It indeed was. Cold, overcast and out of shape. Though I guess I can't blame that last one on the ride.
Ride two today - I foolishly signed up for this. Because I need to get on the bike. Of course it was in Montgomery Co. Home of HILLS.
Mother effing Hills. Ugh. I mean I escaped last year without hill training. Did that MS150 fine. But didn't think I should wing it like that this year.
So signed up for 47 on Saturday. By Sat night I was already thinking that was ambitious since this was hills, tons of hills. And it was a chance of rain.
By Sunday morning, i was mentally committed to 25. I usually feel 25 is a waste of time..but I didn't spend too much on the race reg so whatever. Also I really don't do biking in the rain. MS150 training is scary enough with people of varying levels of group riding experience....with rain too...um no.
So committed to 25. Actually got Lillie and Dorine committed to 25 as well, seeing as it was raining before we even started.
Start off. About 7 or 8 miles in I get that bumpy riding feeling. Crap. Flat.
Changing a flat for me is challenging enough. Changing a flat on wet crappy road. Um no. Ride marshall's...who we're only slightly better than me at changing a flat...help. Nevermind I lost half a co2 cartridge so I knew my tire wasnt nearly as inflated as it should be when a set off....Whatever, only needed to make it to the SAG stop.
Get there and get in line for the bike pump....Seriously sir, you have 2 bikepumps and you're only lending out one at a time. WHATS THE POINT OF HAVING TWO BIKEPUMPS!?!? Definitely only doing 25. Looking forward to getting back to my car.
Set off on the next/supposed to be last section. Lillie makes a comment at some point that the people riding around us look real serious, like 47 or 60-whatever milers. About a mile or so later I see the sign directing those routes
MOTHEREFFER. We took the wrong turn from the SAG stop. I'm never listening to Lillie's navigating again. To her credit some lady pointed her in the wrong direction.
Dont let me ever see you in the street lady. It wouldn't be pretty.
So ugh. fine. We're gonna have to make some decisions. Only a few more miles to the SAG.
Somewhere in between that point and SAG stop a dog decided to get bold and chase Dorine and I. Great. I ain't got time and/or energy to sprint past you dog. I'm also not bold enough to get my water bottle out to spray on this slippery wet road. With
Gravel-Ahead!! warning signs. Luckily he backed off before the gravel. I'm certain that would've ended poorly.
We then get to the next SAG stop and figure we'll make it to the 30 something stop and then decide.
Shortly after leaving it starts raining again, and harder than before. Over. It. Did I mention the hills. Still there. Still sucky. Ok. 10 more miles till re-evaluation time.
Correction 2 miles till re-evaluation time. aka my second flat. Beyond over this. And me and back tire flats are heinous. Luckily ride marshall who helped this time was way better at changing flats. I did manage to get the tire off the back wheel and off the rim.
Final rest stop. I mean....I hate SAG'ing out. Literally the last time I SAG'ed a ride was Vegas 2012, but whatever. Lillie was over it, Dorine was over it and at that point I was over it and out of tubes in case I got another flat. (Apparently when it's wet, it happens a lot more because rocks stick to tires and then puncture/cause flats) But our SAG driver was super cool, and I have to say I learned a ton about ham radio operators.
All in all, I'm fairly certain day one of MS150 has like 30 miles of hills in it. So thats like all the hill training I needed. Hopefully.
