2010 Bike Ms Ride

[Tanya]

Only one week until my ride! Two weeks ago I was feeling confident and ready to go, then I got a sinus infection and haven't been able to ride. *sigh* I'm still having barking competitions with my beagle (and winning, I might add), so, even though it's gorgeous outside, I can't ride today either. (Hard to do the hills in my area when I can't breathe.) Whether better or not, I will be riding next Saturday. I'm nervous and excited!

Jenn, have you picked up your packet yet? I'm going to be at the packet pick-up Friday night and thought you might want to meet up. If not, would you like to meet before the ride? :-) It would be cool to ride part of the way with you, if you want. (I promise not to bark in your general direction.)

I'll update later this week! :-) I hope everyone is having as beautiful a day in your area for riding as it is in Houston.
Tanya

[Happy1]

One week and I feel so unprepared... Tanya, I’m with you, couple weeks ago I was pretty confident but last weekend we were rained out for riding the whole weekend and this weekend my mentor didn’t want to push it too hard so I would be fatigued. So my longest two day ride was 80 miles (50 on Saturday, 30 on Sunday). Not even close to 164.

I’ll be riding, doing my best. It’s hard to explain to DH and mentor that I’m unsure of going “all out” on Saturday because I don’t know what that’s going to do to me for Sunday. With all the training and all my expectations the only thing I want to do is cross the finish line. It may be silly but that’s what I want. so do I go 1/2 day on Saturday and full Sunday. I think when I get there the adrenyline and the people and everything, I’ll be able to do the 86 but what will Sunday be like?

Tanya, that would be great. I’ve picked up my packet but I’m going to go to the expo and do my best to pick up the economy. It’s my first ride, I gotta spend some money on stuff. I got my free jersey but I’d like one that doesn’t scream I HAVE MS THIS IS WHY I RIDE. I mean I like it and I’ll wear it but I need more jerseys!

Anyway, got way off track there, I’d like to meet, it would be nice to put a face with the name (no barking please)

I’m not sure when or where, we were suppose to go to a birthday party but I’m thinking of bowing out. Let’s plan on meeting before the race, we can figure out details later.

Should I ride this week? Anyone? I’m confused on what to do now? I rode 30 miles Sat and 20 miles Sun so should I get out there and give it more time?

Two people have sent me cards, both “I-believe-in-you, you-can-do-it” cards. Just makes me cry and feel grateful. I should be a flat mess by Sunday

Thanks for everything.

Jenn

[AMFADVENTURES]

4/26/10

As per the training schedule, I rode 3 days for 4.75 hrs this week, all of it at a low intensity level of effort, my butt was very grateful for the break. The next period is similar to the last one except the back to back long rides are getting longer and there are more short high intensity rides. By the end of the period, I should be riding 7 days a week. Sunday was the first day of the new period, rode hills as hard as possible for 3.5 hrs., never touched the granny gear and it wasn’t too bad. Could be recovery works!

I ran into a guy on a trike with hand cranks. I had just finished all the hard stuff I’d set out to do, ominous clouds were closing in and I was sitting down to suit up for the impending rain when this guy crests the hill I had just come up and pulls over to ask me if I’m OK.

I hold people who ride with hand cranks in very high regard. The shoulder was never meant to operate like that and anyone who can train their body to do it is a true athlete in my opinion. Without ever discussing injuries or illnesses, we figured out we would both be doing the MS 150. A minute later the sky opened up and the rain came down and we each took off in different directions, vowing as we went to meet up at the 150. I would be honored to get to ride with him for a while.

Tanya, that getting sick within two weeks of the ride stuff seems to happen with uncanny frequency. Hope you’re back in riding form soon. Love your spirit! Good luck girl. :-) Same goes for you too Jenn, hope all is well there.

Pell, good thing for us, we’ve still got some time.

Stay safe,

[AMFADVENTURES]

Jenn,
So sorry, looks like we both posted at the same time. In answer to your question, yes you should ride one or two days during the week prior to the event but at a very easy level for about an hour. It reinforces your muscle memory and will remind your sympathetic nervous system to be on call. Do not push anything and do not ride during the two days preceeding the event. You've done a great job, all you can do now is trust your training (and relax and get some rest if you can).

PS: In case you need just a little bit of help, the SAG wagons will usually drop you where ever you want, like at the last rest stop before the finish for example.

AMF

[Tanya]

After today, do easy rides if you ride. Im not going to ride on Fiday, but the pup and I will be going for a walk. On my way to work. Ill post more later.

[AMFADVENTURES]

May the wind be at your back

Good luck Jenn and Tanya, may the wind be always at your back. I am anxiously waiting to hear your thoughts and share your experience.

Thank you for doing this,

AMF

[Tanya]

Thanks, AMF. I can't believe it's the the day before the ride!! Packet pick-up is tonight, and tomorrow morning I'll be at the start of my very first MS150.

[pawpaw]

Good Luck!!!

Tanya and Jenn- Have a great time and enjoy the ride. You are out there doing it so you have already succeeded.
I ramped up my training this week. For the last 3days I have ridden- 26, 23 and 36 miles. Today's ride was into the wind for the 18 mile ride back and it was a killer. I don't think I feel any worse than my husband, of course he pulled most of the way home. We are both dead. I had to stop several times to rest as my legs just didn't have the strength to keep going.
Rain is forecast for this Derby weekend, so I may do some drills on the trainer in the basement. I can tell that I am stronger on hills due to the single leg drills I did in the winter. I am still slow, but stronger.
75 miles a day still sounds like a stretch, but we will see. I am regaining a bit of my confidence on the bike and that is making it more fun to ride.

Tanya and Jenn- Report on your ride when you can. Have fun!!!

Pell

[AMFADVENTURES]

5/1/10

Got 12 hrs. in 5 days for the week, 3.5 hammering short hills on Sun, 4.5 hrs of recovery riding, and 4 hrs long, steep climbing today (including some 8% stuff). It’s amazing how well these schedules work. I have never felt better climbing than I did today, physicaly or cardio vascularly, both are significantly improved. Kept the heart rate under control and stayed out of the granny gear until the climb got over 5%. I’m also starting to feel like I’ve got a chance. We might be OK yet Pell!

Bet Tanya and Jenn are tired puppies right about now. Overnight recovery is a wonderful thing. Hope you’re having tons of fun girls!

BTW, Happy Derby Day Pell

AMF

[pawpaw]

Tanya and Jenn- How did you do and are you recovering?
AMF- When is your ride? Great job with your training. You are centainly doing a more aggressive training schedule than I plan. I am starting to feel pretty good and my hip pain is fading into the background, so maybe I can pick it up. I need to look at the training schedule my cycling coach suggested and see if I can incorporate some of it into my rides. I can see a trend with my training rides- lower max HR and lower average HR. I definitely need to do some hill drills. Our MS training rides are designed to add hills, but they have all been rained out recently. This week I hope to ride M, W, F, S and maybe Sunday. The Saturday ride is 50 or 74 so that will be a stretch. The ride leaders generally ride a pace I can sustain, so I hope to be able to do it. We figure, with frequent stops, we can handle the 75 miles a day with the MS ride if we can do 50 miles back to back with limited stops. Our MS ride has stops every 10-13 miles.
We have several big event rides just before the MS ride. Ride for the Red with a metric century is the 15th and the following weekend is the Horsey Hundred with multiple ride choices. Last year that was our first group ride and we did 53.
What is your theory on tapering for the week before the MS ride?
Pell

[AMFADVENTURES]

Taper

Pell – The MS 150 training schedule I used last year, which left me in good shape at the end, shows training for the taper week and the week of the ride as follows:
Taper week (week before the ride week) - 1 hr. on Wed, 1 hr. Sat. and 2 hrs. on Sun., easy intensity
Ride week – 1 hr on Wed., easy intensity

The way I read “taper”, basically you don’t want to do anything you can’t fully recover from prior to the event, muscular exertion being the slowest physical attribute to recover, but you do want to remind your lungs, heart and legs what is going to be expected of them.

This link still has several Excel training schedules for download including the MS 150 and the RTR 15 wk schedule I’m using.

http://www.boulderperformance.net/road_cycling.html

The Ride The Rockies event is the week of June 13, the MS 150 is June 26, 27. When/where is your MS 150 ride anyway?

I think we're doing good Pell, AMF

[Happy1]

WAHOOOOOOO. I'm done! Gosh, that was really hard! Met up with Tanya at the third rest stop on the first day, at the Medic tent. I actually just fell over, I can't even call it road rash because I wasn't actually moving - LOL. Scraped up knee and elbow - what a dork! I can't believe it's here and gone and I really can't believe I did it. The hills killed me, by the second day I SAGed on a stretch that was about 6 miles long because of the hills but luckily it gave me enough of a break to finish strong. What a feeling!

Tanya, it was great meeting you! It was wonderful to put a face with the name. I hope you didn't get too sunburned.

Pell, good news on the hip pain. I hope it fades away and never returns. It's really inspirational that you're pushing through.

AMF, thanks for all your advice and good training tips.

Now, the 60 mile Wild Ride in Richardson, I think I'm ready.

OH any tips on recovery? For the next ride? This ride I don't think I did it the right way. I drank a beer and fell into a deep coma like state (sort of, my knee and elbows were hurting) and yesterday, I laid on the couch all day with a little cleanup around the house. What should I be doing this week?

The ride was great, the volunteers were awesome and this web site rocks!

Have a splendid day!

Jenn

[pawpaw]

Jenn, Great job with your ride. I know what you mean about falling over while stopped- been there-done that. I hope I can say I only SAG 6 miles on my ride. You did awesome!!! My recovery is primarily in our hot tub. I head for a hot soak after every ride.
AMF- My ride is June 5/6 so it is coming up soon. We rode yesterday and I felt strong and reasonably confident for the whole ride. It was only a 28 mile ride, but I didn't even check my computer odometer until 23 miles into the ride. We averaged over 16mph even with some hills. I could have ridden much further. I am feeling hopeful.
I am a bit frustrated with the National MS organization. I sent out the emails on their fundraising section. It is very difficult to figure out how to donate from these form email. You have to figure out that you need to click on my home page and then click on the donate link. It would have been far simpler to just put a donate now symbol/link in the email.

Pell

[Tanya]

Finally....

I'm finally reporting in. Sorry about the delay. :-)

Jenn, it was great meeting you!! Riding with you was just the boost I needed that day. Everyone, she was amazing and blew me out of the water on day 1. Don't let her tell y'all she's slow. She's not! I didn't even see her on day 2, so I know she kicked some tail then, too.

I finished the ride in 14 hours. My ave mph was 11.8. I didn't SAG, but I did make up my own break points at the top of several hills and under a shade tree when I was overheating on day 2. Needless to say, I was one of the last to come in on Sunday, but I rode in on my bike. That is all I care. I can't wait until next year!

I will continue to follow as y'all continue to gear up for your ride. I know that y'all will do well in your rides, too. :-)

[AMFADVENTURES]

Well Done

Congratulations Tanya and Jenn, feels good to finish one of those rides doesn’t it, but even better to get off those %$@# bikes at the end, yes? Personally, I never doubted you. You know, doing a multi day ride is more difficult than doing a Century ride. Just thought I’d mention that incase you see any Centuries you just can’t resist. Hey, anybody up for RAGBRAI next year? In addition to our local MS 150’s of course. Thanks for doing this girls, you are fantastic. ;-) Keep on riding, cool things happen when you’re on a bike.

Tanya – DFL beats DNF any day, well done, you both should be proud.

Jenn – A couple of beers sounds like recovery to me. And 60 miles??? I’m sure either one of you can do that before breakfast now. Don’t know about that hot tub though, one of those had a lot to do with my original DX.

Did about 65 miles Monday, nasty head winds, over 1,000 ft. of climbing. Thought about calling DW for a ride when I was still 15 miles out but a quick stop at Starbucks for a hot chocolate and a slice of banana bread finally got me back. 6 hrs. clock time, 5.5 hrs. saddle time, it was grueling.

AMF