The 73 Mile Experiment

I’ve signed up to ride this year’s Grizzly Peaks Metric Century. It is an east bay ride that winds up and around the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, San Pablo Reservoir and Franklin Canyon. It is fantastically organized. And they topped it off with an incredible lunch of grilled chicken, eggplant, couscous, roasted vegetables and freezers stuffed with ice cream. Unfortunately, lunch will be the easiest part of the day.

The experiment is to see whether or not I’ll be sufficiently prepared to ride hard and at a fast pace when it comes down to game day. How much pain will my body be able to endure before it starts putting on the brakes? There is no question I can do it. 73 miles and 5700 feet of climbing is palatable enough. The question is how well will I do it? Will I be able to produce? Will my body give me everything I ask of it, or will it resist and ultimately give me the smack-down? Oh, Lordy!

If you were going to start preparing for a long ride, say 100 miles, most textbooks would put you on a training schedule where you would peak 2 weeks prior to event day. Unfortunately, due to an ill-timed 3 week vacation (I use the word “ill-timed” very loosely), I’ll be peaking 4 weeks prior to event day.

Though several of those weeks will include their fair share of over-indulgence and excess, I do plan to continue some sort of a workout program. For one, I’ll keep up my swimming and yoga. I’ll also throw in a few strenuous runs just for fun. To cap it off, I’ll be enduring a 12 hour, 6000 feet hike up Nicaragua’s largest volcano, San Cristobal. That should be hard, and fun.

Besides the healthy portions of double battered fried chicken, pulled pork and Nicaraguan rum, the time off my bike is what concerns me the most. Sure I’ll be able to maintain my current level of fitness, but nothing gets you more prepared for riding than riding itself. Forget muscles, it’s about getting your body used to a crouched position for 5 or 6 hours. Fortunately, on race day, I won’t be riding on streets maintained by the City of San Francisco, so my body should enjoy a break from having to suffer through broken asphalt, sink holes and 4 inch pot holes. That will make life a little easier.

So, if we happen to cross paths on that fateful day and you happen to see my face knitted in grimace and pain, it’s a good chance this little experiment failed. If it is a success, there is a good chance you won’t see me at all.

I’ll check back in. Keep in touch.