EPIC TRAINING SYSTEMS
Endure, Excel, Achieve
2009 San Diego 300km Brevet
We help athletes
achieve their goals
to win, race, or be
fit, and to discover
for themselves our
passion for cycling.
achieve their goals
to win, race, or be
fit, and to discover
for themselves our
passion for cycling.
Sportquest for their Carbo1200 and CarboPro, Motor Tabs for their electrolyte tablets, Woolistic for their high quality Merino wool and Niterider for their lighting. Alarm goes off at 3:30am. Wait a minute this isn't normal. Do I really want to get up at 3:30am? Do I really want to go on a 180 mile 13,000 feet of climbing on a tandem? Urrg! Little did I know it would be a day of mechanicals and 17 hours and 20 minutes on the bike. That's how my day, OUR day began. Brandy and I were all snuggled-up in our warm bed when that alarm went off. Even though I haven't asked her I'm sure the same thoughts went through her pretty light head---it's too early, it's too cold it's too far of a ride etc...We have an hour to get dressed, load up the truck, make bottles, check weather again (something we neglected to do on the 200km or we would have put fenders on the tandem) and get on the road. Ok just one more "snooze". 4:30am First order of business FUEL! The truck needed fuel and the Captain and Stoker needed fuel as well. What's open at 4:30am? Jack in the Box. I had a sausage and egg biscuit -- not bad. Brandy had a breakfast burrito and then we shared a croissant with egg or something in it and two large coffees. At that time of the morning I just didn't care how it tasted. The average American shouldn't have that much calorie and fat laden food. But then again Brandy and I are not average and we are about to endeavor on a 300km event with a lot of climbing. The average American won't burn half the calories we will today. Two hours later we arrived at the ride start in Chula Vista. I felt rushed and I hoped I wasn't forgetting anything. We took care of the administrative matters and lined up with at least 25 other riders. I was surprised to see so many riders on a 300km in January. The weather couldn't be more perfect-- clear skies and high 40's F at the start. Before we rolled Brandy began medicating for a sore knee and her cold symptoms-- something she would have to do regularly throughout the day. 7:00 am We roll out of the Von's parking lot as Tail End Charlie, was it an omen? The first two blocks was up a slight grade (1-2%) and we begin to pass riders. I felt a duty, a responsibility, as the only tandem, that we should lead out the ride through Otay Lakes Rd until the first climb--Honey Springs Rd. But on the first little dip I tried working the Rear Der down the cassette and got NOTHING. We pulled over and I began the usual troubleshooting. I think I've fixed it and we roll again. The pack is long gone by now. Once on the road I realized it's still not fixed and we pulled over again. This time I take a little more time to troubleshoot. I find the culprit. The cable housing under the bike (under the Captain's Bottom Bracket) is seized around the rear der cable. I break if free and try to reposition the cable and housing in the cable stops but the plastic inner sleeve has separated from the cable housing. I then remembered that I was carrying a Swiss Army knife that my friend from Switzerland (no-- really!) gave to me as a present--thank you Lukas. I typically don't bring a knife on my rides, but this morning as I was taking the trash out I passed by my car and remembered I had a knife in my trunk I've never used and said Hmmm...maybe I should take a knife. I cut the sleeve and reinstalled the cable. Why was the cable seized up? It had rained on us on the 200km. I had washed the bike and lubed the chains (talkin' about a tandem here--folks) but apparently I needed to lube the cables as well after rainy and muddy rides. We are now more than 45 minutes behind the last rider. It is only 1.5 miles in to brevet. Mentally I'm going through the scenarios of how late tonight we will finsh. Also my goal was to get to the base of Hwy 67 (about 60 miles with about 4,500 ft) before it got too hot. It is a long slog of a climb from Lakeside to Ramona and then to Santa Ysabel. It is 30 miles of up and up with rollers but basically it climb up to 3,000 feet from below 500ft. I even considered calling it a day since the day was not off to a good start. On Dehesa Rd we run into our friend Pete Masiel. We stopped and took pictures since we were so behind the pack what was the point on killing ourselves (another 10 minutes). |
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