SILVER STATE 508 - Sept. 15-16, 2017
In an upside down year, full of waaaaay too much real life, I find myself once more poised to race the SS508. Two years ago a friend of Seana’s asked if I might be interested in racing this with her. My first reaction was, “Are you kidding?! That's nuts!!” But I was irresistibly intrigued from the moment it came up. Patti Jo Struve took me under her wing and we did most of the course (yes, 508 miles!) as a training ride. I survived, loved it in fact, and we raced it a few weeks later. It was an awesome, empowering experience, harder than anything I'd ever raced. Even a race like this is never as hard as the challenges of real life, but doing it makes me tough enough to handle it, and the sanity to face it.
And so, I was hooked. I have been mentored by the best…Seana always patiently listens to my issues and offers advice. I raced the 12-hour Worlds a few months later and shocked myself with the women's overall win. So, 2016 was sure to be Mo Betta.
And while 2016 was awesome, it left much to be desired in terms of performance. I finished three “Weasly Ultras” (my term for the short version of these monsterously long races !). I raced HooDoo 300 stage race (an ultra in which you get to SLEEP at night!), and set a course record, in spite of puking for hours. Three weeks later, Hammer teammate and friend Karin Weller teamed up with me and we set a new course record, again, with more puking. But we had a terrific time and planned to return and go faster. Six weeks later I returned to beautiful Boreggo Springs, fit and ready to top 200 miles in 12 hours. Annoyingly, eight hours in….more puking and dizziness, and I pulled out early. I won my AG, but was unfulfilled.
I entered 2018 determined that I could overcome this puking issue, after all, my legs felt great- it was my stomach that was distressed. After a chat with Steve Born (Hammer Nutrition) I received some input from other ultra riders, whose main suggestion was, “You've got to train not just your legs, but your gut!”. I've been successfully using Sustained Energy and Hammer Gel for seven hour rides and I've put in my time on the Sierra passes (7000’+). Having analyzed my recent HooDoo 300 (in which I yet again spent hours barfing, or as crew chief Louise Hose put it, “spitting up”), I now believe my main issue is that I just have not trained anything more than seven hours. My plan to earn my CA Triple Crown (three double centuries in one season) was derailed due to life issues, and so it goes. Real life is, well, real, and bike racing is, well, what I'd do for sanity and fun. I have 10,000 mile on my legs this year, so I go with that and know that I do have the strength to endure.
And so, three weeks out from a successful (another win), yet failed ( puking for hours), HooDoo300, I am here and ready to race the 508. My Hammer Buddy, Karin, had to withdraw and my brother in law has stepped in. This will be different - I've never raced the coed division. I'm super happy Dave can do this with me and can’t wait to get this show on the road! An immense amount of planning goes into this type of race. Time sheets determine what you'll wear in each stage (time of day and weather forecast), Needs Schedule helps me bag up what I need before, during, and after each stage, as well as alerting crew members how they can assist. Then there's condensing everything so that we can share the vehicle! It’s done. I've been hanging out at 5000’ for 5 days, enjoying the lush Carson Valley (at my sister Alison’s) and the stark Dayton Valley, site of the race (at Louise’s). I'm ready to race!
REGISTRATION and inspection - a breeze - Dave and our crew - Brian “the Nak” and newbie Sandra Mueller are ready for a brief racer meeting and dinner, and we turn in early in anticipation of a great race ~ I am looking forward to racing with my brother in law - I don't have any brothers, but if I did, I’d choose Dave. We are set to have fun and my goals are simple: NO BARFING! Come into stage 8 feeling capable and competent. Cross the finish line without someone asking if I need to get to the ER.
Stage 1 is Dave’s and I get to watch the energy without actually being on the start line. Works for me! We see him off and head up the road to meet him at the 24 mile mark. Once he passes, we are on leapfrog support, with time stations (TS) at the only lonely towns along the route to eastern Nevada. The stage 1 highlight (for me): seeing a construction zone potty along the way! YAHOO! - a potty before I ride! I thank the construction crew and ask how long their zone is - maybe all the way to Eureka? HAHA! He laughs, and cannot believe we are racing across the state!
Stage 2 - I am READY for some fun! And suddenly we are at a construction zone stop! Holy cow! But- But - the TS is in sight! The long line of cars, mostly racer cars, starts pouring out riders and crew and we are zipping along on foot to TS1. Pedestrians are let through; cars are not. And so I await Dave’s arrival and an exchange of Spotty (our tracker, which goes from Dave’s back pocket to mine, and back again at each TS.) Sandra takes a quick photo (while we still look fresh and cheery) and I race off in TT mode to Fallon. Headwind and chip seal best describe this stage - I passed three riders, but averaged only 18 MPH. TS 2 is in sight and we make another quick exchange and Dave is off on his 106.
Stage 3 - While Dave rides, my game plan is simple: RECOVERITE. EAT. COMPEX. SLEEP. I down tuna, cheese, my renown #CommonGrounds Banana Bread, applesauce, and under Sandra’s insistence, three cold baby potatoes, a staple for the ultra runners she is used to crewing. It is a day full of sunshine, my fave riding conditions, and I’m wearing a sleep mask so I can get some rest before my night shift.
Stage 4 - I follow my Racer Notes and prepare for my 6pm - 10pm stage. If I didn’t write it out, I’d have to think, and as the race wears on, my thinking ability diminishes rapidly. After being cooped up all day, I joyfully hop on my bike at 6:20 and climb out of Austin. Garmin always tells me whether my recovery is “good” or “fair, but today the screen says “POOR”! I’ve never seen THAT before…and I guess it is a combination of altitude and the 9% pitch I’m on before I’m even warmed up. I choose to ignore this bad news and pedal on, happy tunes carrying me into dusk. I sip on Hamer Sustained Energy as the day melts into dark…and soon it is DARK - Black Cat Halloween Dark - and I’m feeling cole and disoriented. It’s 32 degrees as my car leapfrogs ahead, and although my night light is lighting up the road, I still have no feel for the terrain, the miles, the time, the speed…nothing. No moon. No jackrabbits. “Night time riding is serene”, they said. “You’ll love how quiet and peaceful it is”. No, actually, nighttime riding is cold, and Just Plain Weird, and even my music doesn't help. At one point I pull over, Brian asks, “What do you need, and my reply is “I’m lonely”. I stand there a moment and we chat, and I roll up the road. Sensory deprivation. Another new challenge. Not so bad the last two years - this year not so good. With 10 to go, crew rolls by and I assure them a ducky could do this - I don’t know where that even comes from, but my legs feel great, and I meet them in Eureka after yet another 5 mile climb. In the dark. It’s 11:07 and we make the exchange. I’d passed 5 racers, and seen 11 headed back.
Stage 5 - We are half-way done! Crew heats up some rice and cheese and we are now on direct follow as Dave heads back to Austin. My job is to drink RECOVERITE, EAT, and SLEEP. Although my eyes are heavy and begging for sleep, I chow down everything on the list before checking out. My stomach is doing much better than last year! I’m all for that and get a little pretend sleep as Dave rides on. When I awake, we are a little behind schedule - but since I’ll be getting back on the bike in the dark, I’m fine with that!
Stage 6 - My 113 is here! Two years ago I started this stage at daylight and was joyous. Today, well, it is not even DAY yet, and I put on layers of night gear and step out into The Black Night, knowing that there is only two hours till I see daylight. I do enjoy direct follow, but within 5 miles I am shivering so badly, I pull over. I didn’t know it, but many racers were sitting in their warm cars right about now. After a bit, I added layers and rode on…for a mere 10 miles. Once more into the car, so frozen I couldn't think. I wondered if I’d have to pull out, not even realizing all I had to do was warm up and then ride on. But with the temp now at 18 degrees (yes, 18 degrees! Isn’t it against the law too ride when it’s that cold?!?!) it took over an hour to warm up. Sandra offered me the shirt off her back - a down jacket - and if not for that I would still be sitting in the car! It was dawn, and we replaced the frozen water bottle (and the SE, which was now a Slushy), and I finally headed out on the remaining 98 miles. I was grateful that the climb started just another 20 miles away and I knew I’d someday be warm again. I LOVE the 113 stage and finally settled in and enjoyed the day, looking forward to the 44 mile mark, where a 15 mile downhill stretch into Hwy. 50 is the reward for two long climbs. I love climbing, and finally this year, enjoy descending. Today I was met with fresh chip seal, black, still oily, and filled with mystery potholes and hidden gravel…meaning it now had to be ridden with caution. I was annoyed, but my tunes kept me going, and I hit Hwy 50 still feeling good. Chewing gum was my new friend, along with ginger tabs, which kept my stomach calm and happy. I rolled onto Hwy. 50, amazed at how light the traffic was! Nice!! Thirty minutes later…road construction. Major Road Construction, which I will now refer to as The Gravel Party. Cars were stopped; bike let through. Another gal was right ahead of me and we were directed to ride the gravel section, cars flying by us on the pavement. When there were breaks, we’d sneak over to the good stuff, then back onto the chunky gravel - the largest, thickest road gravel I’ve ever seen. At the summit, she (Patricia George AKA Ginger Cat, the soon to be women’s solo winner) confidently rode down, and I thought, “I can do this”…for about 30 seconds! Cars, hay trucks, and construction trucks continued to whiz by, pitting my face wit gravel. “Don’t chip my paint,” I thought! I got OFF my bike and WALKED. It was that bad. Then I got annoyed, clipped one foot in, and gingerly coasted another mile to the end of The Gravel Party. My crew was waiting for me, and Brian knew just what to say. “I’m so so proud of you”. I blew him off and cussed a little, then felt ridiculous for shouting at them. They were all “we said all those things!” As I rolled out onto fresh chip seal, I looked back and said, “I’m not barfing. I’m not dizzy. Life is good.” 40 miles to the hand-off and I felt human. Patricia and I leapfrogged a few times and I told her she rode that section like a pro. I was humbled to be on the road with her. Next stop - Fallon. The miles clicked by, and in Nevada, there is no sign of an upcoming town. It just appears. And so, hitting all the red lights in Fallon, I hit TS 6 and gave Spotty to Dave.
Stage 7 - I was overjoyed at how human I felt. I was not Road Kill! I was not barfing! I knew I could ride a strong finish. I had only about an hour, so I chowed down a Hammer Bar, Sandra massaged my legs, and we leapfrogged to Silver Springs. In contrast with last year, I could hardly wait to get on my bike. I WAS SMILING - NOT PASSING OUT!
Stage 8 - 17 miles of tailwind is a great way to start the last stage, a welcome reward after 200+ miles of racing. I gobbled it up, made the turn onto Six Mile Canyon, got a surprise wave from my sister and rolled right onto the canyon road. This is so much more fun than stopping to barf! I had a strong and steady ride through the canyon, and the cooler temps were welcome here. All of my strongest tunes were playing (Girl On Fire, I’m Still Standing, I Will Survive, Invincible, Born To Be Wild, Great Day To Be Alive), and that meant my friends were right there with me - they’d replied to my post asking for new tunes, and some were from former students. Their support felt just AWESOME! The last half mile was STEEP (whereas the first 5 1/2 miles was 8-14%), too steep to look at Garmin, and I stood and pedaled through to the top, rounding the corner where I’d nearly passed out last year. My crew assumed I’d stop to recover, but I rode by and told them I see them at the highway summit. My legs felt pretty good and my heart was joyous ~ Gieger Summit was only 4 highway grade miles away, and I couldn't wait to hit the descent. We joined in a quick prayer for joy and safety, got windbreaker and a new piece of gum and set out to enjoy the final miles into Reno.
IT WAS AWESOME! I had trained 10,000 miles for this moment, worked on nutrition, refined my climbing and descending, and finally persevered thru the unexpected elements and here I was, confidently descending 9 miles into Reno to finish this race with Dave! I couldn't contain my joy and he joined me at the finish to roll across the line together. The four of us posed for photos and soaked in the joy of the moment.
It is now all a blur - another fabulous life changing sense of achievement. There is no way to express how grateful I am for the support of my sponsors, friends, and family. I’ve met new friends and look forward to new adventures. I am far more joyous than I am tired. #HammerNutrition, #RudyProjects, #VolerApparel, #TBFRacing, #FolsomBikes - THANK YOU ~ our race car stood out with all our sponsor stickers and drew a lot off attention. Friends and family - you know who you are and your patience and enthusiasm mean the world to me.
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure JOY…whenever you face trials…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. The Lord is with you.
In an upside down year, full of waaaaay too much real life, I find myself once more poised to race the SS508. Two years ago a friend of Seana’s asked if I might be interested in racing this with her. My first reaction was, “Are you kidding?! That's nuts!!” But I was irresistibly intrigued from the moment it came up. Patti Jo Struve took me under her wing and we did most of the course (yes, 508 miles!) as a training ride. I survived, loved it in fact, and we raced it a few weeks later. It was an awesome, empowering experience, harder than anything I'd ever raced. Even a race like this is never as hard as the challenges of real life, but doing it makes me tough enough to handle it, and the sanity to face it.
And so, I was hooked. I have been mentored by the best…Seana always patiently listens to my issues and offers advice. I raced the 12-hour Worlds a few months later and shocked myself with the women's overall win. So, 2016 was sure to be Mo Betta.
And while 2016 was awesome, it left much to be desired in terms of performance. I finished three “Weasly Ultras” (my term for the short version of these monsterously long races !). I raced HooDoo 300 stage race (an ultra in which you get to SLEEP at night!), and set a course record, in spite of puking for hours. Three weeks later, Hammer teammate and friend Karin Weller teamed up with me and we set a new course record, again, with more puking. But we had a terrific time and planned to return and go faster. Six weeks later I returned to beautiful Boreggo Springs, fit and ready to top 200 miles in 12 hours. Annoyingly, eight hours in….more puking and dizziness, and I pulled out early. I won my AG, but was unfulfilled.
I entered 2018 determined that I could overcome this puking issue, after all, my legs felt great- it was my stomach that was distressed. After a chat with Steve Born (Hammer Nutrition) I received some input from other ultra riders, whose main suggestion was, “You've got to train not just your legs, but your gut!”. I've been successfully using Sustained Energy and Hammer Gel for seven hour rides and I've put in my time on the Sierra passes (7000’+). Having analyzed my recent HooDoo 300 (in which I yet again spent hours barfing, or as crew chief Louise Hose put it, “spitting up”), I now believe my main issue is that I just have not trained anything more than seven hours. My plan to earn my CA Triple Crown (three double centuries in one season) was derailed due to life issues, and so it goes. Real life is, well, real, and bike racing is, well, what I'd do for sanity and fun. I have 10,000 mile on my legs this year, so I go with that and know that I do have the strength to endure.
And so, three weeks out from a successful (another win), yet failed ( puking for hours), HooDoo300, I am here and ready to race the 508. My Hammer Buddy, Karin, had to withdraw and my brother in law has stepped in. This will be different - I've never raced the coed division. I'm super happy Dave can do this with me and can’t wait to get this show on the road! An immense amount of planning goes into this type of race. Time sheets determine what you'll wear in each stage (time of day and weather forecast), Needs Schedule helps me bag up what I need before, during, and after each stage, as well as alerting crew members how they can assist. Then there's condensing everything so that we can share the vehicle! It’s done. I've been hanging out at 5000’ for 5 days, enjoying the lush Carson Valley (at my sister Alison’s) and the stark Dayton Valley, site of the race (at Louise’s). I'm ready to race!
REGISTRATION and inspection - a breeze - Dave and our crew - Brian “the Nak” and newbie Sandra Mueller are ready for a brief racer meeting and dinner, and we turn in early in anticipation of a great race ~ I am looking forward to racing with my brother in law - I don't have any brothers, but if I did, I’d choose Dave. We are set to have fun and my goals are simple: NO BARFING! Come into stage 8 feeling capable and competent. Cross the finish line without someone asking if I need to get to the ER.
Stage 1 is Dave’s and I get to watch the energy without actually being on the start line. Works for me! We see him off and head up the road to meet him at the 24 mile mark. Once he passes, we are on leapfrog support, with time stations (TS) at the only lonely towns along the route to eastern Nevada. The stage 1 highlight (for me): seeing a construction zone potty along the way! YAHOO! - a potty before I ride! I thank the construction crew and ask how long their zone is - maybe all the way to Eureka? HAHA! He laughs, and cannot believe we are racing across the state!
Stage 2 - I am READY for some fun! And suddenly we are at a construction zone stop! Holy cow! But- But - the TS is in sight! The long line of cars, mostly racer cars, starts pouring out riders and crew and we are zipping along on foot to TS1. Pedestrians are let through; cars are not. And so I await Dave’s arrival and an exchange of Spotty (our tracker, which goes from Dave’s back pocket to mine, and back again at each TS.) Sandra takes a quick photo (while we still look fresh and cheery) and I race off in TT mode to Fallon. Headwind and chip seal best describe this stage - I passed three riders, but averaged only 18 MPH. TS 2 is in sight and we make another quick exchange and Dave is off on his 106.
Stage 3 - While Dave rides, my game plan is simple: RECOVERITE. EAT. COMPEX. SLEEP. I down tuna, cheese, my renown #CommonGrounds Banana Bread, applesauce, and under Sandra’s insistence, three cold baby potatoes, a staple for the ultra runners she is used to crewing. It is a day full of sunshine, my fave riding conditions, and I’m wearing a sleep mask so I can get some rest before my night shift.
Stage 4 - I follow my Racer Notes and prepare for my 6pm - 10pm stage. If I didn’t write it out, I’d have to think, and as the race wears on, my thinking ability diminishes rapidly. After being cooped up all day, I joyfully hop on my bike at 6:20 and climb out of Austin. Garmin always tells me whether my recovery is “good” or “fair, but today the screen says “POOR”! I’ve never seen THAT before…and I guess it is a combination of altitude and the 9% pitch I’m on before I’m even warmed up. I choose to ignore this bad news and pedal on, happy tunes carrying me into dusk. I sip on Hamer Sustained Energy as the day melts into dark…and soon it is DARK - Black Cat Halloween Dark - and I’m feeling cole and disoriented. It’s 32 degrees as my car leapfrogs ahead, and although my night light is lighting up the road, I still have no feel for the terrain, the miles, the time, the speed…nothing. No moon. No jackrabbits. “Night time riding is serene”, they said. “You’ll love how quiet and peaceful it is”. No, actually, nighttime riding is cold, and Just Plain Weird, and even my music doesn't help. At one point I pull over, Brian asks, “What do you need, and my reply is “I’m lonely”. I stand there a moment and we chat, and I roll up the road. Sensory deprivation. Another new challenge. Not so bad the last two years - this year not so good. With 10 to go, crew rolls by and I assure them a ducky could do this - I don’t know where that even comes from, but my legs feel great, and I meet them in Eureka after yet another 5 mile climb. In the dark. It’s 11:07 and we make the exchange. I’d passed 5 racers, and seen 11 headed back.
Stage 5 - We are half-way done! Crew heats up some rice and cheese and we are now on direct follow as Dave heads back to Austin. My job is to drink RECOVERITE, EAT, and SLEEP. Although my eyes are heavy and begging for sleep, I chow down everything on the list before checking out. My stomach is doing much better than last year! I’m all for that and get a little pretend sleep as Dave rides on. When I awake, we are a little behind schedule - but since I’ll be getting back on the bike in the dark, I’m fine with that!
Stage 6 - My 113 is here! Two years ago I started this stage at daylight and was joyous. Today, well, it is not even DAY yet, and I put on layers of night gear and step out into The Black Night, knowing that there is only two hours till I see daylight. I do enjoy direct follow, but within 5 miles I am shivering so badly, I pull over. I didn’t know it, but many racers were sitting in their warm cars right about now. After a bit, I added layers and rode on…for a mere 10 miles. Once more into the car, so frozen I couldn't think. I wondered if I’d have to pull out, not even realizing all I had to do was warm up and then ride on. But with the temp now at 18 degrees (yes, 18 degrees! Isn’t it against the law too ride when it’s that cold?!?!) it took over an hour to warm up. Sandra offered me the shirt off her back - a down jacket - and if not for that I would still be sitting in the car! It was dawn, and we replaced the frozen water bottle (and the SE, which was now a Slushy), and I finally headed out on the remaining 98 miles. I was grateful that the climb started just another 20 miles away and I knew I’d someday be warm again. I LOVE the 113 stage and finally settled in and enjoyed the day, looking forward to the 44 mile mark, where a 15 mile downhill stretch into Hwy. 50 is the reward for two long climbs. I love climbing, and finally this year, enjoy descending. Today I was met with fresh chip seal, black, still oily, and filled with mystery potholes and hidden gravel…meaning it now had to be ridden with caution. I was annoyed, but my tunes kept me going, and I hit Hwy 50 still feeling good. Chewing gum was my new friend, along with ginger tabs, which kept my stomach calm and happy. I rolled onto Hwy. 50, amazed at how light the traffic was! Nice!! Thirty minutes later…road construction. Major Road Construction, which I will now refer to as The Gravel Party. Cars were stopped; bike let through. Another gal was right ahead of me and we were directed to ride the gravel section, cars flying by us on the pavement. When there were breaks, we’d sneak over to the good stuff, then back onto the chunky gravel - the largest, thickest road gravel I’ve ever seen. At the summit, she (Patricia George AKA Ginger Cat, the soon to be women’s solo winner) confidently rode down, and I thought, “I can do this”…for about 30 seconds! Cars, hay trucks, and construction trucks continued to whiz by, pitting my face wit gravel. “Don’t chip my paint,” I thought! I got OFF my bike and WALKED. It was that bad. Then I got annoyed, clipped one foot in, and gingerly coasted another mile to the end of The Gravel Party. My crew was waiting for me, and Brian knew just what to say. “I’m so so proud of you”. I blew him off and cussed a little, then felt ridiculous for shouting at them. They were all “we said all those things!” As I rolled out onto fresh chip seal, I looked back and said, “I’m not barfing. I’m not dizzy. Life is good.” 40 miles to the hand-off and I felt human. Patricia and I leapfrogged a few times and I told her she rode that section like a pro. I was humbled to be on the road with her. Next stop - Fallon. The miles clicked by, and in Nevada, there is no sign of an upcoming town. It just appears. And so, hitting all the red lights in Fallon, I hit TS 6 and gave Spotty to Dave.
Stage 7 - I was overjoyed at how human I felt. I was not Road Kill! I was not barfing! I knew I could ride a strong finish. I had only about an hour, so I chowed down a Hammer Bar, Sandra massaged my legs, and we leapfrogged to Silver Springs. In contrast with last year, I could hardly wait to get on my bike. I WAS SMILING - NOT PASSING OUT!
Stage 8 - 17 miles of tailwind is a great way to start the last stage, a welcome reward after 200+ miles of racing. I gobbled it up, made the turn onto Six Mile Canyon, got a surprise wave from my sister and rolled right onto the canyon road. This is so much more fun than stopping to barf! I had a strong and steady ride through the canyon, and the cooler temps were welcome here. All of my strongest tunes were playing (Girl On Fire, I’m Still Standing, I Will Survive, Invincible, Born To Be Wild, Great Day To Be Alive), and that meant my friends were right there with me - they’d replied to my post asking for new tunes, and some were from former students. Their support felt just AWESOME! The last half mile was STEEP (whereas the first 5 1/2 miles was 8-14%), too steep to look at Garmin, and I stood and pedaled through to the top, rounding the corner where I’d nearly passed out last year. My crew assumed I’d stop to recover, but I rode by and told them I see them at the highway summit. My legs felt pretty good and my heart was joyous ~ Gieger Summit was only 4 highway grade miles away, and I couldn't wait to hit the descent. We joined in a quick prayer for joy and safety, got windbreaker and a new piece of gum and set out to enjoy the final miles into Reno.
IT WAS AWESOME! I had trained 10,000 miles for this moment, worked on nutrition, refined my climbing and descending, and finally persevered thru the unexpected elements and here I was, confidently descending 9 miles into Reno to finish this race with Dave! I couldn't contain my joy and he joined me at the finish to roll across the line together. The four of us posed for photos and soaked in the joy of the moment.
It is now all a blur - another fabulous life changing sense of achievement. There is no way to express how grateful I am for the support of my sponsors, friends, and family. I’ve met new friends and look forward to new adventures. I am far more joyous than I am tired. #HammerNutrition, #RudyProjects, #VolerApparel, #TBFRacing, #FolsomBikes - THANK YOU ~ our race car stood out with all our sponsor stickers and drew a lot off attention. Friends and family - you know who you are and your patience and enthusiasm mean the world to me.
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure JOY…whenever you face trials…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. The Lord is with you.