Race Week: Custers Last Stand TT

 As we roll through October I have my final event of the season approaching. The leaves are starting to fall, the hunters are starting to take over the woods, and the weather is turning cooler. Temps are still pretty warm, but the feel of the air is different. 

Many people will finish their season at Iceman in November, but mine will conclude at Fort Custer where I will take on Custers Last Stand Time Trial. 

Funny thing about this event....I have been signed up, but I have never raced. I don't even remember what year it was, but I have a shirt.....lol. Weird.

Anyway....

This race is at the one and only Fort Custer in Augusta, MI. A relatively flat course overall. Solid mix of open trails with a few tight sections. Might as well dive in.

The start is from the Upper Pavilion at Eagle lake. A common start spot with the Fort Custer Stampede. The difference here is that the event is a Time Trial, and is run in the opposite direction. You take off out of the parking lot and loop around the pavilion before crossing the entry road and diving into the Green Trail. 

This first section is flowy with some small uphill root sections. You loop around and take the descent down towards the boat launch on Eagle Lake. Pretty fast first mile. Stick along the lake for a bit before diving back into the woods and finding some of the first climbs. Nothing terrible.

Continue on the green trail with a few minor roots and smaller climbs. Eventually you reach the second creek crossing and this is where the climbing is condensed. There is a short punch climb, followed by a sandy climb right out of a corner. Once that is cleared you get a breather before the switchback climb out. This is probably the hardest section of the whole course. Each corner feels harder as you finally reach the top and can settle back into pace.

The minor climbs keep coming until you end up at Erin's Rock. Take the switchback carefully and smash the last singletrack before you spit out on a 2-track. This is a good passing spot (if there are people around you). If you can work with someone here that is even better. It is only half a mile long, but it trends uphill so your legs are screaming. Any help is appreciated here!

As the trails converge, take a left up a sandy climb. This is the Yellow trail connector that will dump you into the Red trail. This is where the speed comes in. There is really only 2 climbs in this entire section. The first one is a bit longer with a minor kick. The second is before the camel humps, and if you carry speed its not a bad climb at all. 

After the camel humps, it is hauling ass all the way towards the parking lot. Hold the right line and you can carry speed to the Yellow/Red intersection. Here is another passing spot if needed. Its a wider part of the trail taking you back towards the road. One narrow section and you are next to the road and heading back to the Start/finish area.

As you ride behind the building you can see the last climb on the lap. Not awful, but after riding across the grass it can hurt a bit. Smash the small climb, hang a right, and you are done with your lap....or your race. Strava says 9.21 miles with 573 feet of climbing. Seems pretty close.

I have ridden the race course twice in the last 3 weekends. I wanted to get a good idea of what I am facing. While I know Custer very well, I haven't ridden there in a while so I wanted to ensure fresh knowledge. A few weeks ago I turned in a solid second lap. Last weekend I went out solo on a race style ride. No stops, just letting it rip for the entire time. I set my PR and 2nd overall times on the segment. So that is good leading into a race. I have a good grasp on the course. I am feeling pretty good.

My goal is simple.....PODIUM. I don't care what my time is, as long as am standing on the steps at the end of the day. Based on finishing times from last year, my last training ride would have landed me very close to 1st place. I do believe that Chris is coming, so unless he has a mechanical he is likely the winner. His time last year was 15 minutes faster. lol. 

I will go into the race fresh and hope for the best. I am guaranteed 3rd in the Michigan Off Road Championship series, so there is no pressure there. I simply want a 3rd podium for this season. This is not only my last change, but it is my best chance. As of this post there are only 4 signed up. Chris is not one of those guys. So at the moment I have a 25% chance of podium. If he shows, that drops to 20%. All I can do is what I can do and hope for the best. 

See you Saturday. 

Striving for 100 - Part 3

 If a model train comes off the tracks....you don't throw it away. You pick it up, see if there is any damage, and put it back on the tracks. Seems simple enough. 

I am the train....and while sometimes I am a trainwreck.....I can still get back on track. You get it....

Anyway, here is my update on how things are going on my journey to losing 100 pounds. As of this morning I am down 86 pounds, leaving just 14 pounds to reach the century. 

Last week I had my follow up appointment with my nutritionist and behavioralist. These appointments came at precisely the right time for me. I have been struggling with things. Talking through them with the specialists was very helpful.

Nutritionally, I am doing what I need to do. However, I have been 'grazing' and adding in extra calories that have stalled my weight loss. Simple enough. Just eat what you are supposed to right? Well, I did just that the remainder of the week and thru the weekend. The result.....I feel better and I am actually less hungry than when I was eating too much. Wild. 

The bad habits that got me to 309 pounds are still part of my mental makeup. While I am aware of those negative habits, I also have not done a lot to fight them off. Talking with the counselor I was able to identify the habits and was reminded that it won't get easier. However, being aware is a big part of the battle. Stopping those habits is important. But, knowing that you can have one bad day and bounce back is also helpful. I just can't have a bad day and then say 'fuck it' and let those bad days pile up on each other....or I will end up back at 300 pounds. I had the self awareness to know that I was self sabotaging myself....and that I don't want to continue to do that. 

After these brief conversations I left the office feeling recharged. My sense of purpose renewed so to speak. I took that feeling into the rest of the week and managed a nearly 3 pound weight loss. Amazing what happens when I don't eat junk or pile in calories that I just don't need. My mood is better. I feel better. I am better.

I know I will have hard days. I know it won't be easy. I know some days the wheels will come off. All I can do is try to limit those days. If the wheels do come off, put them back on the next day. Don't let the days add up and stall my progress again. 

With my last race coming in less than 2 weeks I will have the focus to stay away from the junk. I would love to be a few pounds lighter going into that race and end the season with a high finish. 5 pounds lighter than now would awesome. But I am just over 2 pounds away from teens.....and that number can actually be reached this week. 

Just need to keep Striving. 

Traverse City Trails Festival Race Recap

 Sometimes it who you know....and not what you know. I happen to know people that live in the Fife Lake area. So instead of getting up a 4am on Saturday, I was able to get up at 6:30am. They own a small cabin on a pond. I headed up after work on Friday to cut my drive from 2:45 down to 30 minutes. 

With views like this....the accommodations were excellent. 

I made the drive up and stopped for Dinner at Fife Lake inn. I had some Shrimp Primavera. It was really good, what I was able to eat of it. After dinner I headed to the Pond House. After getting my stuff inside I camped out in one of these chairs and read some. No electricity. No plumbing. Nothing but nature. 

Here is a peek at the inside. 

Hard to see but there is a bed up there in the loft. Very cool little place that my friends graciously let me stay in for free. Saves me time and money. Very very much appreciated my friends! 

In the morning I was up, had some cereal, and headed the last jaunt to Timber Ridge. I wanted to get there early and scope out the finish of the course. I rolled in around 7:30. I found a place to park and tracked down the Start/finish area. Here is where the chaos started. The email said the plate pickup would be by the main lodge. Wrong. And there were zero signs showing the Start area. Just kind of stumbled across it. No big deal, just a sign of things to come. 

I got my plate and headed back to gear up for a warm up. I rolled out the start and found where the route rejoins on the way back in. This wasn't terrible....and I won't spoil the fun with any description here. lol. I was warmed up and just rolling around waiting for the start. When it got to be 9am I headed up to watch the Full Pint waves go. My start was wave 4 at 9:19 (remember this) so I had plenty of time.

The first wave headed out, and wave 2 was right behind them. A minute later, wave 3. Then I hear the announcer call Wave 4. I looked at my number plate again to make sure I wasn't delusional. I wasn't. Wave 4 was in the chute and ready to go. I saw a fellow Clyde names Chris and swung up to chat with him when the announcer says "3, 2, 1, GO"....and my response was "he is kidding right?". He wasn't....wave 4 started 15 minutes early. I wasn't really ready.....

I dropped my gel. Chris handed it back to me and we were off. If I had to guess I would say anywhere between 75-100 people shot off the line. The first part of the course is 2-track so there is plenty of room. But the sand was making people slow and weave and it was very chaotic. Making it thru unscathed, I spied Chris and took off after him. He had passed me a little bit before, but there were so many people it was hard to find speed. Eventually the traffic started to spread out, but it was far from gone.

The two tracks ended. As the bodies piled up in the singletrack I settled in behind a few guys. The line of people in the woods was long. I would guess I was probably 40-50 people deep in the line on this section. As you can imagine....it was slow...fast...slow...fast...slow....fast....as people were trying to find their rhythms. It was difficult....

After the first section of singletrack the roads opened again. I jumped on with another guy and we picked off 3 people before the next section of singletrack. Small gaps were forming now as we got a bit further into the race. I was locked in with a super awesome dude. We snuck past another ride and closed to the next group. At one point he got past a rider and it took me a bit longer. But I closed him down again after I got past. 

I stuck with the Blue Jersey guy for this section as we finally had space to ride. After a few minutes we bridged back to another big group. There was a lot of SLOWING.....and SLOWING...as the trail closed down. Someone crashed and you can hear a guy yelling for people to calm down. This rubber banding in tight quarters lasted for quite a while. We are pushing 6 miles into the race at this point. 

Not wanting to be part of the problem, we settled in with this group. It was smooth at points, but very chaotic most of the time. Tight races like this on narrow trails can be frustrating. When the people slowing you down are not part of your class....its more frustrating. I just settled in and did my best to stick to Blue's wheel. Eventually the trail opened up again to two track. I thanked Blue for letting me chase and took off.....but our day was far from over.

This is where the hills started. I was able to gain some ground on a few people and made some passes. We dropped down a hill before the climbing started. A mix of singletrack and fire roads followed. I actually hit a steep hill I had to walk. I was going pretty hard up to this point and just couldn't settle in. So I walked up a climb and got back on. At this point, Blue Jersey passed me again. We joined up with a woman and attacked the hills that followed. Eventually on a long climb she peeled off and I joined back with Blue. 

I found out he is 69 years young. He knew the course so well that I felt like I knew what was coming at all times. The Trail split (half pint, my race and full pint...the long race) and we made the left back into the singletrack. This is where we really started talking. Great guy and fun to hang out with for almost this entire race. 

This section of trail was amazing. Felt like we were flying. Even with the climbing starting to add up. We reeled in a few more people and a few passed us from time to time. Our group grew to about 10 and we hit some open section by the power lines. The miles were ticking by now. The VASA didn't disappoint. Awesome trails. 

We were rapidly approaching the finish section. Blue Jersey and I reeled in another ride on the two tracks leading into the final climb. There is a preview climb and then a nice down hill before the Wood Chip climb. Yes....that nasty climb at the end of Iceman. Finally the last climb was in sight. I passed my blue jersey friend and reeled in 2 more riders before reaching the top. Well, almost the top. It keeps going for a minute. Then you hang a right and are almost to the finish. One final little push to the line and I was done. 

I felt like I did pretty solid overall. The traffic was rough in the first part and then again towards the end we had some that could have slowed us down. I did have to walk a hill, but that was the only thing that went wrong. I feel like if they had started each group in their own wave that it would have been better....but....it is what it is.

I cross the line is 1:20 which was a full 9 minutes behind Chris. He is a beast, but he crushed me in the last 8 miles. With a chaotic start....I will take my results. I ended up in a solid 7th place. However, I do have one major fucking gripe. Had I started at 9:19.....with only 30 people.....the traffic would have been much much different. Instead, I was in a conga line for the first 5 miles. And then again the last 3 or so. I talked to another guy that started at 9:19 and he never said a word about traffic. So it does piss me off that the races were not considered equal. I will share my thoughts with the promoter and hope they make improvements. They did see entries double from last year....and they clearly were NOT ready for that. Unfortunately, I believe it did have an affect on my outcome. 

Anyway, I will say that this was a fun event. The VASA is such a great trail system, and the trails were in amazing shape. So kudos to the NMMBA for their work up there! I didn't do as good as I had hoped, but hey.....I will take my finish and move onto the next. I am planted firmly in 3rd for the series. I can possibly move into 2nd place....with one race to go....but we will let that play out the way it does.  

Speaking of the next......its coming in 2 weeks at Fort Custer. You better bet your ass that I will turn myself inside out to take another podium on my home course. I will have some videos posted soon. 

Until then.....keep moving forward. 

Next Event, Traverse City Trails fest

 It has been many many years since I have ridden north of Big M. The last time I did Iceman was well over 10 years ago. Before that was the Boyne Marathon......and I don't even know what year that was.

TRAVERSE CITY TRAILS FESTIVAL

Click here to check out the event and see what the Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association (NMMBA) is up to! 

This will be my first time for this event. From what I see on the site listed above it appears that this started back in 2017. You might think that isn't very long ago....but it is already 8 years.....ugh....time flies.

There are two distances to choose from with a Full Pint (30ish miles) and the Half Pint (15 miles). For the Michigan Off road championship the Sport riders must ride the Half Pint. So it looks like a mix of the Vasa singletrack and some connecting fire roads. I looked around for videos, but the latest versions were the original course layout. So, basically going to be flying blind.

The climbing doesn't seem terrible. There is only 696 feet of gain over 15 miles. This is about 46.4 feet/mile. In comparison, my last ride at Custer was 51.6 feet/mile. The course profile makes it seem like there is some climbing in the middle and then some at the end. This doesn't give me too much concern. 

The concern comes from other places. First off, riding a trail blind. I have a big of an idea, by watching videos of the Vasa trail system. The first few miles should be flat and crazy fast. From what I can see the trail isn't technical. It is flowy and open singletrack that just lets you ride. Nothing really sneaks up on you. This is a bonus, because at high speed with an elevated heart rate the vision isn't always the best ;). It makes it a bit easier when riding in a paceline too. Tight and twisty doesn't work well with groups. See Island lake recap for my reasoning there. 

Another concern is the amount of Clydes signed up. At the time of this post there are 12. I know for sure I can beat 1 of them. I know one is a beast and another is pretty even with me, as we are pretty close every race. The unknown locals will have the course advantage here for sure. I don't really know how the start will be. It could be wide and then narrow down to singletrack, or it could be narrow and cause a major issue right away. 

So what is my strategy? 

Seek out Chris......line up behind him.....and hold onto his wheel until I no longer can. This dude is a beast. He had beat me by 13 minutes at the Stampede (my 2nd lap was in the rain....he was almost done) and at the Luton TT by 6 minutes. I know he is stronger, and I have watched him ride away from me in nearly every race we have done together. I never saw him at Yankee, because he started way before I did. I just know he will be fast no matter what, and I know if I can hold onto his wheel that the group could be decimated in the first 5 miles. The longer I hold on, the better my chances are. As a historically slow starter this might not work.....but I have to try.

After my last ride at Custer I am feeling pretty good overall. My speed was good and my endurance was where it needs to be. I was able to push hard for 20 miles and carry a strong pace to the finish. I did an easy ride at the Allegan State game area on Monday. I did a zwift ride last night. Both of those rides were good to keep the legs moving. Now I will rest until Saturday.

So I will chase Chris. I will work with anyone else I can to get to the finish as fast as possible. Sounds perfect right....

Also....on Saturday morning I will scope out the start and finish so I have an idea of what is coming. I will figure out where to line up at the start (other than behind Chris) so I can take the right approach in the group. I want to see the last mile of the course too, so if there is a sprint situation that I will know when to go.

Goals

I have a few goals for this event. Mainly I want to win. I know with Chris there that it just got considerably more difficult, but that won't stop me from trying. Realistically I am hoping for another podium. With the unknowns......I will settle for a top 5. Again, I am going to try to win.....but my hard floor is 5th. 

Well.....there is one caveat to that 5th place finish. I need to be ahead of CP. He has beat me once, and I have beat him once. We are fairly even riders. He is a good dude, but I want to beat him. He is currently in 1st place in the MORC series. CP, Chris, and myself make up the top 3 for Sport Clyde. So we have a solid group of guys heading to this race as we get near the end of the series. I need to finish ahead of CP in the next two races to move up. We shall see!

I am heading up to Fife Lake tomorrow to stay at my friends cabin. This will pull well over 2 hours out of my drive in the morning. That means I can be up at a decent time, eat some food, and head over to do my recon. 

Check back next week to see how it goes! 

Striving for 100 - Part 2

 Well, it has been a couple of weeks and I suppose it is time for an update.

Short story.....not great. 

But the long story might explain why. Or maybe it won't. I am confident it will sound like a laundry list of excuses. So I will give the medium story.

Riding has been ok, but not as much as I would prefer. I had a good ride at Merrell. A solid ride with the guys at Kal-Haven. Then a decent ride at Cannonsburg. A few trainer rides were sprinkled in there as well. Overall, feeling decent on the bike. All I can do is hope for the best at the race coming in a few weeks.

Food. Bad. I eat too much. Or I eat what I shouldn't. I did better towards the end of last week. Today I have to stay on track. 

Weights...non-existent. I have to get back into this. It is important for longevity. 

In a nutshell, I am now 17 pounds away from that 100 pound mark. I am up a few pounds. Weeks of terrible eating and inconsistent exercise will do that.

So all I can do is try again. I am off to a good start this week. I had a good food day yesterday and I was able to get out for a quick ride. Today I will avoid those pitfalls of the vending machine and any unnecessary garbage that I don't need. I plan to ride the trainer tonight, just to keep moving.

Every day is a different challenge. I need to ride to those challenges and not get stuck in a downward spiral. 

Keep striving! 

Hard to explain

 It's really hard to explain where I am both mentally and physically these days. It feels like a roller coaster for sure. Its hard to even put it into words, but I will try.

August had my 2nd highest amount of training hours this year. This was also my highest amount of saddle hours since January. The trend has been more on the trainer than outside. Its odd, but it is what it is. 6 of the 11 rides were indoors. Crazy for August. And....only 11 rides out of 31 days.....also not great. 

September isn't going much better. A whopping 4 rides out of 12 days so far. 3 of those rides have been in the basement. I have a race coming in 2 weeks. Ugh, not great.

So what seems to be the issue?

I really wish I knew. I could chalk it up to bad habits. Being lazy. Lack of discipline. No motivation. Some weather. The list of excuses is never ending. I just can't seem to get going. Its not like my rides are going bad. I had a great ride with friends on Kal-Haven. I had a solid ride at Cannonsburg Ski area. My Zwift rides are all stable. I have even been going after routes with more climbing. 

But here I am.....

Weigh has fluctuated a bit. Nothing major, but its never good to see an uptick when you are trying to lose. Before you start harping on me about how "weight will fluctuate so just keep going" I already know. I have seen 4 pound gains from water weight. I have seen weeks where 7 pounds have come off too. My weight is directly related to what garbage I have been ramrodding into my stomach. Nothing good. I do great for a minute, but then I find myself eating ice cream. Then the next night its more. And more, and more and more junk. One little trigger where a sweet is allowed in.....and it feels like the flood gates open. 

This, I fully understand, is due to my lack of mental fortitude. My emotional state has been all over the place. Why am I being lazy and heading to the basement instead of outside in this gorgeous weather? I don't know. Laziness I suppose. Just easier to gear up and head to the bike than it is to load up, drive somewhere, and enjoy the outside. Its dumb really. All winter i want to get outside. Now I can be outside and I choose to head to the boring trainer. 

I do love being out there. My ride with Lisa was great. We did some Allegan State game area trails. Was good to hang with my sister and get some miles in. The Kal-Haven ride with Brian, Jay, and Scott was also great. The weather was awesome and the company just as good. Even my suffering ride at Cannonsburg was good. The ride at Merrell was solid. I have felt just fine on the bike. Maybe not as strong as I would like, but comfortable with how the rides have gone. 

What I do know is that I have had some additional stress these past few months. While that stress is starting to go away, I know I did a terrible job of managing it. Instead of powering thru, I let old habits resurface. Extra snacks on the way home from work. Snagging something out of the vending machine at work instead of eating what I bring from home. Letting those habits that landed me at 3 bills show their ugly fucking faces again. 

This week, I did finally put a stop to that. I had to. Empty calories are stupid. They are stupidly atrocious worthless life sucking and delicious. Bad combo. I made much better choices this week. I avoided the vending machine at work. I didn't stop to or from work for anything. I did get gas yesterday, and I grabbed a non sugar drink along with a beef stick. Better choice than a pop and bag of chips or candy bar. 

It has just been a struggle. I am hanging in there. My weight is a byproduct of my effort. My effort has been lacking. My effort is lacking because of my mental state. My mental state has been trash because I allowed it to. Instead of fighting, I let it sink in like a comforting hug. It is the path most chosen. Least resistance. Downhill. Easy.

....but its the wrong path.

Now I am here looking at the valley walls trying to make a plan to get out. I will not get stuck here. I will find a way to climb my way out. 

In the Dark Knight movie Bruce falls into a well. His dad eventually makes it there to rescue him. He asks a very important question....

"Why do we fall Bruce?"

The answer is "So we can learn how to pick ourselves up"

I am still learning. We will fall many times. We just have to keep getting back up. Rocky did it time after time. No quit. Even when things seemed bleak. He got back up and kept swinging. I am right there. I am learning how to pick myself up again. I know its not easy. But I have to take it one day at a time.

But I gotta go....my ride is here......

Striving for 100. Part 1

 Striving for 100

Part 1

The plan is to do a recap weekly until I eclipse the 100 pound weight loss. This is how it starts.

Why 100?

Its a funny story actually. I worked with a guy that was a big weight lifter. He was trying to bulk up, and I was in the constant struggle to lose. I was around 290 at this time. He asked what my goal weight was, which remains at sub 200. One day he said

 "you should just get over 300 and then start your weight loss. That way when you get under 200 you can say you lost 100 pounds!"

Well....unintentionally I did pass the 300 mark. If you don't know, I maxed out at 309 once upon a time. Ugh. Heavy. 

Fast forward to today....his comments have resurfaced. Back then that 100 pound mark seemed so far away. To fathom losing that much was difficult. How does a person go about it? Turns out that losing the weight is the same way you gain it.....a little at a time. 

Yes it is much easier to gain than to lose, anyone and everyone knows this. I can gain 50 pounds in what feels like a week. And it can take years to lose that same weight. Anyway, getting off track.

Reaching 100 pounds will be incredible. As of this week I am around 15 pounds away. Yes that is up from last week. But....I was likely dehydrated last week after Fast Fitty and the warm temps. Weight will fluctuate every week. While my trend is still moving down, I simply don't lose every week. Body needs time to reset and find balance. Next week will be trend down again. Water weight can be 3-4 pounds week....in either direction. Crazy, but true. 

So I am 'striving' for 100 pounds down. Why 'striving'? Well, my Exercise Physiologist finishes his emails with 'keep striving' and it has stuck with me.  The definition means to "make great efforts to achieve or obtain something". It is a great term for this situation. Its actually a great term for this entire weight loss journey. 

I need to 'strive' for the 100 right now. Its a short term goal that I have. I have to be more consistent on the bike. I have to take extreme care with what I put into my body. I have to make the great efforts to reach this goal. I am right there, and I have the tools to make it. I just need to use them. Follow along as Week 1 gets started. Check back next week to see how it went and what the plan moving ahead will be. 

Constant adjustment. Stay focused. Be better today than you were yesterday. Keep moving forward. Lets Strive together. 

One year later....

 

Hard to believe that a year ago I was pulling into the parking lot of the surgery center for a procedure that would start me on my journey to today. 

How it started....

I know I have said this before, but I wanted to go back to where it started. In 1999, when my oldest daughter was born, I was in the best shape of my life. I was 180 lbs. I was playing basketball 3-4 days a week and working out every day. It was 9-9-1999 when I broke my foot and lost that shape. My weight shot to nearly 220. Then the long drive to work, buffet lunches, yada yada.

Fast forward to 2019. My terrible eating habits added on top of a very stressful divorce culminated with a 4 day stay in the hospital due to a pulmonary embolism. All good things.....not. I maxed out at a whopping 309 pounds during that stretch. Depression, sedentary lifestyle, snacks, stress, and general laziness landed me nearly dead. 

But in many conversations last year the idea of assistance came to mind. I ran it past my doctor and he immediately pushed through a referral. No discussion, it was something that was needed for my current and future health. Under the knife I went to start me on this new journey.

How it's going...

Well, I am alive...so that's good. It did start fairly rough. The night of the surgery I wanted to die. The pain in my shoulders was the worst. Imagine Hulk Hogan (may he rest in peace) grabbing you by the top of the shoulders and squeezing. But he doesn't let go....he just holds on for endless hours in a pain that you just can't get away from. Once that night was over things improved slowly. The infusion I got was the ultimate game changer. I wasn't drinking enough and I was dehydrated, so my body was not great. Once I got the fluids I felt so much better and things started to improve.

I got sick from one bite too many.

I got sick from eating too fast.

I got sick from a drink of water after dinner.

I started to learn.

I still get yucky feeling if I eat too much or too fast. 

I am still learning. 

At this point I am down nearly 87 pounds from my heaviest. For those that don't like math....I am sitting at 222. This is close to the weight that I was after I broke my foot in 1999. I feel better. I move better. I just had my yearly checkup and my doctor told me that my numbers were looking better. I am faster on the bike than I can ever remember. Things are going pretty good overall.

Still hard to believe that it has been a year. I am closing in on that 100 pound loss mark, which is mind blowing to me. At the 103 mark that will be 1/3 of my body that is no longer in existence. Crazy. Stay tuned for the "Striving for 100" series that I will be starting next week. It will be a combo of short videos and blogs covering the final push to losing 100 lbs. Only 13 to go! 

How it will end...

I know I have room for improvement. I want (and need) to be consistent with working out and my time spent on the bike. I have been managing my stress fairly well, and those levels should be smoothing out here in the next few months. My eating is pretty good overall, but I know I need to choose healthier snacks and even limit those. My ultimate goal is 185. I am still around 37 pounds to that number. My goal is to reach that number by my 50th birthday in June of 2026. Again....ULTIMATE GOAL.

Short term is the "Strive to 100". I know its not easy. I know it won't be easy. None of this has been easy. People that believe having surgery is 'taking the easy way out' should try it. Or maybe take the time to talk to the people that have been through it. There has been nothing easy about this process. Yes it looks dramatic to lose that amount of weight in a relatively short period of time. Yes the surgery was helpful. It was a tool to help me reach my goals. Nothing easy.

I will continue to work towards my Ultimate goal. Along the way I will pass the 100 pound mark. I will work to be stronger and healthier as I work through the rest of my journey.

Its been a wild ride so far. No reason to give up. Stay tuned to see what happens next.

Until then....

Keep moving forward.

Keep striving.

Fast Fitty Race Recap

Here comes the Fast Fitty race recap. 

I checked the weather before I went to bed on Friday and I was already waffling. While it wasn't a huge chance of rain....pushing 50% for thunderstorms was making me pause a bit. 

I checked in the morning to find good news with a green light to load up and head to Charlotte.

I learned that this was the 6th edition of this race. It would be my 4th attempt. I was hoping for the best, but honestly my confidence was waning. My riding has been down and....well.....probably shouldn't bother to start with excuses. Lets just get into it. 

I drew a very misleading number plate. All this means is that I was the 6th person to sign up....and nothing more. lol. It was, however, funny to get glances in the starting pen. One guy looked at my number, then slowly looked up at me.....with just a blank stare. I am not sure if he was trying to sort out who I was or if he was wondering why I was towards the back of the start area. lol. 

I got to the start chute about 10 minutes before go time. I rolled in and found my spot. I was feeling decent. As ready as I could be. It was time to go. They announced a 'controlled start'....but it felt like anything but. I jumped onto a wheel and we were cruising. The start being pavement helps to spread things out. I saw the main group make the left onto the gravel and I was settling in. I found a people riding my pace and we made the left into the gravel, and the wind.

The wind wasn't bad, but I was thankful to have someone to tuck in behind. I don't think he liked it much, because he tried to accelerate and drop me. But 2 others latched on with me. We had a small group of 4. My heart rate was doing good, but the pace was pretty high (even in the group). We made the next left back onto the pavement and the destruction started. With all different levels of climbers the group spread out pretty quick. I was in the middle, holding my pace over the top. After a fast descent, the pavement ends and dumps you back into gravel.....and it got ugly quick.

Right off the pavement it was pure washboard. I couldn't avoid it. It was high speed, and it sucked. We had built the group to around 10 at this point. People scattered. I ripped into the bumps and got slung out of the group. This was where my problems started. Not a major impact, but just a rough segment. I tried to bridge back to the group. 

I caught back up but the group was thinned down and spread out for the next 15 miles. There were people here and there. But every hill would break us apart. Consistent climbers would leave me behind and the gaps just kept getting bigger. 

Around mile 20 I was riding alone. I had a guy catch me. He moved ahead of me and waved me to follow. We worked together for the next few miles trying to catch people ahead of us. It was exactly what I needed and what I wanted to do. Work with people towards the finish line. Unfortunately he was stronger and I couldn't hang on a long climb. He slowly churned away and I was alone again. 

Not exactly sure where.....but I had two incidents with potholes in this stretch towards mile 30. The transitions into the shadows are where they happened. One was a descent where I was stretching my legs. I was eyeing my computer and slammed into a deep hole. I didn't crash, but it did send some shivers up into my left shoulder (which is still uncomfortable as I type this). Not great, and this will come up again later. 

The second incident I was just cruising along when I smacked another one. This time I hit so hard that it clanked my teeth. Simply just didn't see the hole as the sun shifted to shade in the trees. Not great. But not anything that killed my ride. Just factors that were starting to pile up.

Maybe I cooked the start. Trying to hard to keep up with people faster than me. Maybe it was the surging of a group pace that I haven't been training for. Maybe it was a lot of things. I started to fade at mile 30. Mentally I was doing ok, telling myself to just keep going. But the body was starting to break down.

My shoulder was bothering me to the point that my hand was going numb. I kept having to let go and just shake it out, work the shoulder around to try to loosen it up. Stomach started to feel full. I wasn't processing my Perpetuem the way I needed to. I was feeling full....and that isn't great when you need to keep water intake up due to the heat. I was trying to drink more, but was starting to feel like I couldn't get any more in. Then my feet started to hurt. Again, something I have experienced before....but not at all this year. 

Then my mind broke. 

My speed started to tank from all of the factors above. When I started to wonder how many miles I had left, it was over. I got to an aid station and stopped for a water that I couldn't drink. I took a sip, poured some on my body to try and cool down. I walked up and across the road before trying to pedal again. I was ready to quit here.....35 miles in. I pressed on as much as I could but I was just gassed. I passed another aid station at mile 42. I was going to keep going, but I simply pulled off and found a giant oak tree to sit under in the shade. A volunteer came up to check and make sure I was ok. I was ok....and not ok. 

I was done and dusted. 

Looking back at the aid station and crossing where I finally gave up. 

My trusty steed, waiting patiently to be picked up.

It was dry and dusty out....

42 miles in and I couldn't do anything but find some shade and relax. I was ready to puke. Legs were toast. It was hot, so I was pouring water over myself (since I still wasn't able to drink much). I just sat and hung out until the SAG vehicle got there. I got back to the car and I cleaned up. I had some crackers and a protein shake waiting. It was good to get some solid food into my system. I got a DNF, but I lived. I heard one person had to leave in the ambulance. The heat must have gotten them. It got me too, on top of everything else that happened.

I was sick earlier in the week. I was hoping for the best here, but I HAD to listen to my body and shut it down. Pulling the plug was the smartest thing I did on this day. I could have pushed on and potentially done some damage. Or I could have pushed and left in an ambulance. There are worse things than a DNF. The decision was made easier by the laundry list of things that happened in the many miles leading up to where I stopped.

Still, 42 miles was rough. But, those tough 42 miles were better than sitting on the couch. I did that Sunday. lol. 

Bike was super dusty after being hauled on the back of a van for many miles. 

One of the worst parts is that if I had hit my average speed goal I likely would have been on the podium. That is a tough one to think about. But a 'what if' won't get me anywhere. Would have been cool to hit a podium in a gravel race though. I just have to remember that there is always next year. 

I am only a year removed from my surgery. I have been riding a lot, but not as much as I would like. My focus and motivation have been all over the place. I have thankfully been dropping a little more weight and I am currently at the lightest I have been since my surgery. With only a year of training I am doing pretty good overall. I only have a few rides that hit 40 plus miles, and only 1 that touched the 50 mile mark. So this event was going to be a huge test. 

Reach for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~Norman Vincent Peale

This quote above came to mind. I tried. And even though I didn't reach my goal.....I was out there doing my best. It sucks that this was my 4th time at this event and my first DNF. I was hoping for more, but I know that shutting down was the best choice. Looking at the last 12 miles I did have around 1000 feet of climbing left....so I am glad I bailed. haha! 

Its a fun event that is growing every year. This year just under 500 people were there. Give it a look if you are interested in a flatter gravel race. There is a reason they call it 'fast'. Plus its for a great cause. And....if you finish on time there is free beer. So....incentive.

Maybe next year I will do a shorter distance, maybe not. All I know is that I have to keep moving forward. We don't do this for money or fame. Its about health for me. Sure being fast is cool, but being healthy is the goal. Gotta keep that in mind when things go sideways.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for the support! As always....keep moving forward. 

 

Week update, and Fast Fitty Course

 Last week was an indoor week for me. As weird as it is....I only have one outdoor ride in August. 

Wait...August?!? Yes, its the middle of August already and I have only ridden outside one time. 

What I did instead was find some challenging rides on Zwift to keep my legs going. I passed on riding outdoors this past weekend for a few reasons. Mainly, motivation. Secondly, other things going on. So, at least I did get on the trainer to get some miles into my legs. 

Early in the week I did some mixed bag style of rides. Knocking off and completing routes. LaGuardia Afterparty in New York was one. Finishes with a brutal climb after a few laps around the park. After that ride I joined a pacer bot to spin the legs out and get more distance in. Great plan. Felt good afterwards. 

I had planned a Dirty Donut on Saturday morning. Instead I slept in, which is what my body truly needed. Sunday I was up early, but just not in the mood to go out and ride. Lazy? Unmotivated? Unsure. In the evening I finally decided I better get down to the basement and turn the cranks. This time I dialed up Richmond Loop around. 27ish miles with 1800 feet of climbing. Should be bad right? 

Well, its not awful. The climbs are just punchy. Because this was a tune up for Fast Fitty, I wanted something to challenge my legs while not keeping me on the bike all night. This was a perfect course. It started downhill before the first kicker. Only .68 miles at a low 3.5% wasn't bad the first time around. A short recovery and then pop number 2. Only .42 miles with a 3.6% grade. Easy. I cleared the first two climbs and continued on. 

A few miles later there is another climb that is 3.5% that is under a mile long. Just a grind that kicks towards the end up to 7 or 8%. This was the first part of the course. Not awful. The issue....it was going to happen 3 more times. After the last climb there is a flat and then a descent down that loops you back to the first punchy climb. Again, not terrible....but the speed was coming down. The climbs are stacked and my legs were starting to feel them. Over the top, and one more time down before looping in again to the punchy duo. 

I cleared those punchy climbs and got to the grind with no issues. Here it flattens out for a while and you loop out and back before the roads spill you backwards into the hills I had been climbing. The descent was welcome, because the punchy climbs in reverse are worse. The first one is only .39 miles long, but the grade averages 6.2%. At this point I was 23ish miles in and the legs were feeling it. Short descent, then a killer of a climb at 10.2%. Thankfully its short, but what a way to suck the remaining life out of my legs. AND, this wasn't the end. Another short 6% grade before the roads flatten out and the route is done. I still had enough gas to put the hammer down and pull away from a guy before the finish.....but I was cooked. Great indoor ride, but I gotta get outside.

I need to get outside and out of my head. Its a weird thing for me to choose the trainer instead of heading outside. Not really sure what the deal is. Stress. Boring gravel. Maybe just being lazy. Just not excited as I usually am for a gravel race this time of year. Motivation is all over the place too. But....here I am....plugging away.

Fast Fitty Course Preview

Start

This event has a great start. You roll under the banner and onto a mile of blacktop. Good place to sort out the groups before hanging a left onto the gravel where the fun begins. Around 3 miles in there is another paved section. Short climb before a nice descent that eventually dumps you back into the gravel.

Mile 5

Rolling gravel is welcome here. It will probably be into the wind for a few miles, so tuck into a group and suck some wheels. Closer to 9 miles in the course turns South and is more protected from a Westerly wind. 

Mile 10

Another paved section. Black top? Chip seal? Not gravel. More rollers, but nothing ugly. The solid roads continue for the next mile before going back to gravel. Again at mile 12 there is stretch of blacktop. Enjoy the downhill before a hill. Then a left back to the gravel. 

Mile 15

Likely heading straight into the wind, this stretch will be tough. Sometimes protected from the wind, other times wide open, a group will be helpful here too. This part to the West is fairly flat, but not a lot of trees. Its early in the race, but if the heat is ramping up you will feel this section. The rollers are getting bigger here. Instead of 2-3% the hills can touch 5 or 6%. 

Mile 20

Still heading West the rollers just continue. Because the road is straight, you can see them coming. Nothing too serious. Thank your course Marshall at the intersections as you fly thru. 

Mile 25

Finally time to turn North. While its paved, the road is uphill. Not steep, just another grind. Seems like a long stretch of road here. Enjoy it as you are nearing the halfway point. When the curves start....be ready for another hill. Again, not steep....just another hill. After a few miles, its back to gravel. This is the last turn to the West. Everything else will take you back East (or North and eventually South)

Mile 30

Keep rolling with the punches. This course is always fast, because the hills are not super tough. The distance starts adding up and the elevation keeps creeping. 

Mile 35

Less than 20 miles to go now. A climb will hit 7% grade, then flatten into 3-4% for a while. It flattens out after bit and you hang a left before another climb that reaches 6%. 

Mile 40

We are getting there! Keep smashing the rollers. Hold your pace and keep working with a group (if you are in one). Another grinder takes you over the top around mile 41. Just keep pushing.

Mile 45

Be aware of traffic from the shorter races now. Things seemingly flatten out here as the finish approaches. Don't quote me on that....there are still some hills.....

Mile 50

Speeds are likely picking up now, as people get set up for the finish. The fast guys are long gone and likely done already....but we still have a few miles to go. Around mile 52 is a kicker. More rollers. Left turn at the cemetery and you are almost done. That left marks the last stretch before the pavement roll into the finish. Take your last right onto the pavement, and you are a mile from the end.

Finish

Pavement finish makes it interesting. There is a little grind up, but you are rewarded by a fast roll to the finish line. Be aware, the roads are open here....so don't ride left of center. Don't want to get waxed on the home stretch. If you can, kill it to the finish and hang a left onto the gravel and under the banner. 

Fast Fitty preview

 Well, my next event is about a week and a half out. It will be my longest race of the year, and my longest ride of the year all rolled into one. 

Fast Fitty is a gravel race that is exactly what the title says. It is 50 miles...and it is fast. But I am only half-fast....so.....a half-fast finish is expected.  haha!

There are other options to choose from. You can do the Shorty, that comes in around 20 miles. Or you can do the Speedy, which clocks around 36 miles. I am a sucker for pain, so I do the long course....Fast Fitty. Ironically enough, its closer to 54 miles....but what are a few miles between friends? 

As of right now there are 8 clydes signed up for the Fitty. Last year there were only 4 finishers. The winner averaged 16.5 mph. The gap to 2nd place was a full mile per hour...or a 15.5 average. The time difference was about 13 minutes between the top 2 steps. Third was only a couple minutes later, with a 15.3 average. So logic tells me....I will have to average at least 15.5 to even stand a chance. To have a better chance, I would need to be closer to 16 mph. 

My time would have to be 3:22 to average that fast. With that in mind, I want to give some context as to why this is a super steep goal. I have done Fast Fitty three times since it started. It has been a mixed bag of results for me over those three attempts. 

First Attempt: 2020

I distinctly remember sitting on the side of the road and waiting for the SAG vehicle to pick me up. I was under 10 miles to the finish....but I was gassed. Eventually when the car didn't come....I struggled my way across the finish line. It was an ugly finishing time over 5 hours. UGLY. It was hot, I was out of shape, it was covid years, yada, yada, yada. 

I finished....but it wasn't by choice. lol. I was forced to finish because a few people were struggling worse than me that year. 

Second attempt: 2021

My second time at this event went much better. I took nearly an hour and fifteen minutes off of my time from 2020. That is taking an average from 11.5 to 14.5. I felt good on the bike that day. While it wasn't easy, I was happy with the results. This gave me hope for better outcomes in the future! 

Third attempt: 2023

This year wasn't terrible either. However, I did backslide. My average speed dipped back to 13.5 and my time was about 15 minutes slower than 2021. That is ok.....my riding has been chaotic over the years. I did this race because its a fun and fairly flat course. 

So that leads us to next weekend. I once again will make the East to Charlotte. I will line up and do what I can. The biggest obstacle...is the 23 minutes from my PR to my new goal time. That is 30 seconds a mile I need to pull in order to achieve my goal. 

30....seconds....a mile. Whew. Seems steep, but not outrageous when I look at things a bit deeper. Here are some things to consider.

1. I am lighter. This is a given at this point. I should be faster just based on that alone.

2. I am faster overall on my gravel rides than I have been in years past.

3. Who cares what the outcome is? Only me.....because my opinion is the only one that matters.

Some factors that bring a steep goal into a realistic perspective are listed next. 

a. my gravel rides have gotten faster, but are still not touching 16 mph when elevation is involved. 

b. My body doesn't cooperate all the time. I have good days and bad. I haven't been riding as much as I would like, so my fitness is ok....but not race level for this distance. 

c. I tend to fade over 30 miles. Its consistent. I get to 25 and the tanks get low....speed dips. Being able to sustain a race pace for 3 hours will be rough. I will try, but that is all I can do if the body has other ideas. 

All I can do is go race. The results will be what they are.

I am hoping to have a good start and latch on to a group. I don't want to ride in a huge group, because I am out of practice. But a group of 5-10 would be great. If I can hang on for the first 30 miles that will be a huge help is holding my speed higher while not blowing all my energy. I HAVE to find a group to ride with. 54 solo miles would be brutal for me. I don't mind stretches of riding alone, and I have done this event pretty much alone every time....I just know a group is going to help. So finding a group is my main goal at the start. I will start as hard as I can without blowing up and then hold on as long as I can until I just can't anymore. Easy enough? lol.

I will make sure I have plenty of nutrition for a 4 hour ride....and enough energy to keep the levels high into the finish. My goal time is officially 3:36. I would love to break 3:30, but I want to be realistic. The goal is 15mph average. If I hit 15.5 or faster it will be icing on the cake. I know it won't be easy, but I will do what I can and see what happens.

If anyone wants to come and pull me for 50 miles that would be greatly appreciated. You can take turns, you can throw a rope out of the back of a truck, you can use a horse and lasso if needed. ROFL! 

Keep the mindset right, and things will fall into place. Even if I miss my goals, I am passing everyone on the couch. I am planning one last test ride this weekend. It will be on the Dirty Donut course. It is shorter and flatter, but will give me a good idea of how my legs will hold up under a higher pace. Wish me luck. 

Keep moving forward.

Step 1: Admitting you have a problem

 Its easy to admit. I won't deny it. I never have. I am what can only be described as an "emotional eater". You would think I was Italian.

Sad....eat...you'll feel better.

Happy.....sweet....lets eat!

Celebrate. Eat.

Bored. Eat. 

Stressed.....eat!!!!

Bury whatever feelings you are having under a pile of food. The sweeter the better. Well, not always. Snacks....chips...crackers and cheese...candy bowl...ice cream....pretzels....peanut butter pretzels....cheese dips...salsas....street corn dip....hell....give a big salad.

As long as I am eating, I am good. 

But that isn't good. Eating like that it what got me to over 300lbs and miserable. I don't really want to go down that road again.

But....some habits die hard. 

We have had a bit of additional stress lately. Many reasons, but all are inconsequential at the moment. Lets say life is happening a little harder than normal right now. Fair?

I bring this up because I am finding it easier to grab a snack here or there and really eat shit that I don't need.....because I find comfort there. That short burst of endorphins helps me get through to the next moment. Unfortunately those also endorphins come with a shit-load of empty calories. 

Do you know what empty calories add up to? 

Its nothing good. 

Add the empty calories into the lack of riding and that makes the deal even worse. Its a perfect storm for shit to go sideways. Thankfully I am fully aware of this situation....and while I have had a few bad days here and there....overall I am doing 'ok'. 

That being said....it was a bit of a panic when I stepped on the scale on Monday. Weight had ticked up by a few pounds from the previous week. While not the end of the world, it was an indicator that I have been partaking in the stress eating more than I should be. In general I cannot eat much, but I can eat every few hours. So if every few hours I put in a candy bar or chips or peanut butter filled pretzels....its not going to end well. 

With another race coming in a few weeks....it is indeed time to buckle down and ramp up. Buckle down on the garbage that I shouldn't be eating. Ramp up on the riding. Keep up with off the bike routine. The formula isn't difficult.....but the struggle is real.

This is a new line in the sand. Kill those old habits. Keep developing new positive habits. Get back into the swing of the weights and cadence of the bike. Eat clean. Be happy.

Big things on the horizon. Just gotta get through the current rough patch. 

Get out and ride! 

A matter of perception

For lunch I usually bring the same thing everyday. More days than not...lets say. I will have this in my lunch box.

Protein Shake

Salad

Salad Dressing (zero sugar)

Cheese Stick

Greek Yogurt

I usually eat a banana on my way into work. Then when I get to work I will drink the protein shake. Around 10 I have the cheese stick. Noon, salad. Then at 3ish I will have my yogurt. This is how I get steady protein every couple of hours and don't get as hungry. 

At my work, we have to go past Security to get into the building. They check bags and, in my case, lunch boxes. Every day for the past few months I get a "good to go" from one of our security guards. But...a few weeks ago it changed.

He looks at my lunch and goes "dude, I gotta ask"....and pauses. 

Here it comes.......the judgement from still being overweight and eating a healthy lunch every day. Like how does that happen. 

after the pause he continues ".....I see you with your protein shake and salad, healthy lunch every day....so what the hell else do you eat.....I mean....don't take this the wrong way but......."

And I cut him off. I smiled at him and told him I knew what he was thinking:

"why is this guy putting all this protein in his system and eating healthy all day just to go home and eat like garbage the rest of the day....this dude could be skinnier if he would eat like this all of the time"

I explained that I eat like this because I am down 80 pounds and I want to continue to lose more. His face changed a bit. I went on to explain that we have chicken, steak, or burgers most nights. But I still eat pizza, and other things...just with extreme moderation. 

He smiled and goes "well that is awesome man.....I was gonna give you some major shit". hahaha. 

His story is that he is a competitive body builder. So he is jacked and he eats a lot of rice and protein. He told me congrats and now asks me how things are going. 

You see people post the picture below floating around facebook.

Its funny how true it is with anything we deal with. He had no clue I was down 80 pounds. He was comfortable enough to ask me, and he found out the history. Not everyone will be open about the history, but I am because this journey is not over. 

Marathon. Not a sprint.

I get closer every day. The goal hasn't changed. I will get there. I just thought it was funny how he approached the conversation and wanted to share.

I had a solid ride on the trainer last night. Might do a spin tonight. I am planning a longer gravel ride tomorrow. Keep moving forward. 

Back at it

 After the Addison Oaks race I took some time off the bike. We had a trip to Cedar Point, and then 4th of July...so it was a busy week. I did walk over 8 miles per day each day we were at Cedar Point, so I still had some calories burned, just not on the bike.

The Sunday after the 4th I decided I needed to get on the trainer for a while. I felt pretty good overall, just getting the legs moving again. I was trying to do a climb portal climb....but it kept kicking me on Col Du Tourmalet....and there is no way I was in the mood for that. lol. Instead I just rode a bit and called it a day.

Wednesday I got out for some local gravel. I have a decent route that I can ride. Not hilly. Minimal car travel. Good gravel. No dogs. I didn't get a location on my computer, so I was riding blind. There is something to be said about that. Riding with no computer, no speed, no heart rate, no idea on distance. I did check my phone eventually to see how far I was. I was roughly 9.7 miles in, so I rode a bit further and turned back. I got home and was pleased with my effort over 22 miles. Not my fastest, but a solid effort.

Sunday I got up and headed to Kal-Haven for a longer ride. My buddy DW was there and off we went. We rode a comfortable pace, navigating our way around other riders, many walkers, a group of runners, and even 2 downed trees. Its always a pleasure to ride with DW. We have both had some health concerns, some worse than others. But we are both grateful to be alive and doing this sport we love. 

When we reached Gobles, about 13 miles in, DW took a breather and headed back towards the car. I soldiered on towards Bloomingdale. They have done a lot of work on the trail here, and the surface is renewed. I pressed onward until I hit the 25 mile mark, and it was time to turn back towards the car.

As I worked my way back towards Kalamazoo my mind started to wander. I was settled into my pace and because this is a rail-trail....its easy to lose focus. Well, not so much losing focus....more or less just checking out and allow the mind to wander to other things. Life, work, the ocean, future jobs, everything. But then my mind would snap back and the calculating was starting.

When I got back to Bloomingdale I knew I had 18 miles to go. Legs felt pretty good here, but I was starting to not feel the best. I ate a mini cliff bar and forged ahead. I was remembering riding this little section with my daughters. How we would ride here, get a snack, and head back. I miss those days. The girls are grown up and being adults....with kids and lives of their own. Just one of those places my mind went.

Eventually I was approaching Gobles. There were to bike packers riding side by side and talking. I called out a pass and scared them. They didn't know I was coming, but startling them wasn't my goal. lol. Still, I snuck past them and rolled into Gobles. This meant about 13 miles to go. The next stretch isn't terrible, with some minor descents to ease up the stress on the legs. This is one of the hardest things about Kal-Haven.....its just flat. You are on the pedals for miles with no real changes. Your legs start to beg for a change, up or down, just to change the feel. 

10 to go, my mind started to tell me that I was going to struggle. It was screaming "you haven't done more than 41 miles recently".....and subtly reminding me that my endurance has been focused on my mountain bike races, and not this longer style of gravel. Then my stomach not feeling great, my stress was growing. 

With 5 to go I was super happy that I was closing in on the finish. I was dreading the final climb out of the river valley, but it isn't awful. I just knew it was coming, so I was preparing for it. When that did start I was running on fumes. I settled into an easy pace and just did what I could. I had to traverse a tree, and then a second one. But those few seconds off of the bike were helpful. It gave me legs a little rest, as well as a mental distraction. The last grind feels long. So a little break was needed. 

I crossed the last road before the parking lot and pressed to the finish. I was done. Gassed. Shaky. Dead. I started the car, cranked the air, and finished loading the bike. I sat there for a good 10 minutes in the AC letting the shakes work their way out through my finger tips. Ugly. Done. 

I had clipped off 50 miles for the first time this year. My longest ride was 41 out on the Dirty Donut course. I don't think the distance was the issue, I think it was just the flat. At least on some of the other routes I ride there are hills. Both ups and downs to give the legs some variety. Sure you push the climbs, but then you get some recovery too. Kal-Haven offers miles of mindless pedal mashing, and it is a love-hate relationship for that very reason. You think it will be easy because there are no hills, but that is the same reason its becomes difficult. Maybe by the end of this year I will attempt a full ride again, but we will see. 

This was my Longest ride since LJ100 in 2023. That is weird to me. I do know I got burned out mentally because of the broken frame and how that season ended. Then in 2024 I had 2 surgeries....but it is crazy that it has been 2 years since I passed the 50 mile mark. I am happy with my ride, but it does show me that I have a lot of work to do. It also shows me how delusional I was to think I could do LJ100 this year. I am very glad I had the capacity to mentally accept where I am, versus where I want to be.

As far as my weight, it is still a work in progress. I am 40 pounds away from my ultimate goal. I am 25 away from my main goal. Slow and steady wins the race. I am far from perfect, but I am so much better than I ever was. I will keep going, keep getting stronger, keep moving forward.