Wow, just Wow.
I bought a gravel bike in 2019 with 0 experience on the dirt. I signed up for the Belgian Waffle Ride, a 132-mile adventure of gravel and road racing. My plan for 2020 was no triathlon and learn to ride in the dirt. Well, there was no triathlon due to Covid, and I did my best to learn. I can ride a road bike, a tri bike, but man, this gravel thing was hard. I felt under tired (as in not enough tread in the dirt) and overtired (too much tired on the road). Welcome to BWR.
I headed to BWR on Ironman training with a few long rides in the dirt and 2 weeks of panic training on the dirt sections. I did not commit to the dirt, as I was always scared, but I rode off and on. When it was clear, or sort of clear BWR 2021 was happening, I recommitted; however, I managed to sign up for an Ironman 3 weeks prior; after 18 months of no triathlon, my heart was with swim/bike/run, and gravel became my back up training.
I was honored to the line with Matt and Kristin, 6x finishers, and they invited me to ride with them; I was nervous AF! I filled my pockets and bag with Precision Hydration Tabs (750mg sodium per tablet), another 1500 mg of salt tablets, bags of Spring Energy Drink Mix, PBnJ's, and some caffeine tabs. With temps predicted to be over 100, hello Coeur d'Alene, I was armed for the heat. After not dying in CdA, I was feeling confident about the heat.
We rolled out at 7:10, 2nd wave with all the BWR Women. 40 or so and a tight group, the plan was to stay with the group to the dirt. Tight group and surges, and I was nervous. I was so afraid of going down. The 14 miles flew by as I was hanging on and paying attention.
We hit Lemon Twist, and I was so stressed as there are technical parts, and I was afraid that everyone would be flying over the rocks and I would be the lame-ass holding everyone up; turns out there were many who were less skilled than I, and we walked the sections I was scared about, a sigh of relief. I wanted to get through Hodges and then relax. We hauled ass when we could actually passing others on the dirt; I was smiling ear to ear, thinking, ha, look at me passing people on the dirt.
Water crossing, yes yes yes the bridge was up, popped up on it and over! Another huge sigh of relief. Aid station 1, finished my 2nd bottle, 1000 mg sodium, and 400 calories; it was already hot! Mule trail was fine, fast, and only a few sandy spin-outs and up Highland Valley. We managed out watts here for the 11-mile beastly climb. Rolling into Ramona, it was close to 100, and we were out of water.
Aid station # 2 heading into Black Canyon, I guzzled 24 oz and filled up 48 oz, 1500 mg sodium and 300 calories, and 1/2 lukewarm coke. The water was tepid, but it was wet! Where was the ICE???
Black Canyon 6.7 miles of gravel, dirt, washboard, and over 1500 ft of elevation and now well over 101. Shit got real here, HOT, and hard. I slowed way down here; it was time to manage the watts. People were literally stopping in tiny shade spots, hung over their bikes, not looking good, and no SAG out there. The aid station was at the top and was a war zone, bikes laid all over, people under tables, any viable fluid was being drunk. I downed 24 oz water, filled up 48 oz more, and the poured 24 oz over my head. 3000 mg sodium (combo PH + salt tabs), 1/2 coke, PBJ, fig newton - yuck, spit that out, and some other calories. No ice, warm coke, but it was liquid. People were dropping, lost K here on the brink of heat exhaustion, I am guessing; she was grey and not well. Thankfully Matt agreed to keep going.
Hit Mesa Grande, and he says, "we need to make up time" He slaps his ass, as in getting on my wheel, and damn, he drilled it hard. He was into the headwind, and I was holding on for dear life. Around Santa Isabel and nice descent, it was like riding into a hairdryer, but it was at least moving air and the back into Black Canyon. We had to climb back out, and it was so hot and dusty, and the washboard was jarring. This was my first thought of; I am not having so much fun right now. My teeth were chattering from the washboard, my arms are tired, and I started yelling fuck a lot; that seemed to help. Every turn, I was sure I would see the aid station. Finally, there it was, more tepid water and well more of the same. This was a very low point; please, where is the ice and anything cold. I started eating PB Pretzels and slugging coke. 2000 mg sodium and more caffeine. I peed while waiting for water; the idea of taking off my jersey and going to a porta-potty was overwhelming.
Okay, out of Ramona and down the 76, slight reprieve! Up next to Sandy Bandy Canyon, it was hot and well sandy. I was having less fun at this point, blister forming on my hands, and the dirt was getting hard. We pooped out on Bandy Canyon Road for a hot climb out, and there was Les and Jen. OMG, ice? Ice? Ice? They had cold La Croix and went to get ice. On we went, it was feeling a bit like a death march on the Mule Trail but alas, an aid station and the golden vision of friends with ice. 3000mg sodium, cold water, and cold Dr. Pepper, and I was like a new person. I took 100mg caffene tab + the DrP.
Back to Hodges, and I could tell I was waning, losing focus, and my eyes felt like there filled with gravel. Somewhere around 110, I was doing my best to stay with Mat,t and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, slid out, and BAAM hard. I laid there stunned. Matts stops, looks back, and asks, anything broken? I don't think so, and unclip and wiggle out, ask him for a minute to get my witts. My left shoulder, elbow, thigh, and calf are on fire and bleeding. Fuck me! Hop on and go, not really thinking about what happened but really not happy. I think we are getting off the fucking dirt at every turn, every bump hurt, and I was struggling to focus. I just followed Matt. At one point, we did not see anyone else; I said, " are we dead last or what?"
Finally, the road, even though it was climbing Del Dios, I was happy to be on asphalt. Matts says we will chill and DD and then hit it at Elfin; I laugh. Onto Elfin, and I do all I can to suck his wheel; as hard as that was, I at least had a wheel and company. Questhaven, more dirt + aid station. More tepid water slammed a coke, 1000 mg sodium pills, nothing tastes good right now. I cannot chew the pretzels, so I take AwesomeSauce Gel 180 calories. On we go, and the climb was just bloody hard, 23 % at one point; I tried not to think about Double Peak. Soon we turn up Double Peak and stay in the moment, did not look ahead, and slowly tackled the climb up. Tried standing, and that was too painful; I got a push from Jule and saw a few friends. Finally, the top, aid station, more coke, and the steepest bit on the dirt, and I slid out, unclipped the push my bike up the last bump, and then down.
I was delirious and told Matt to go, the final dirt section is slippery, and I knew I would be slow. My mantra was, "stay upright" Man, everything hurt but finally, the road and down toward the finish. The last bit was a Crit through horrible gravel, bumpy dirt, and then the magic finish line!
OMG, that was hard...
Ride Time: 9:25
Elapsed Time: 10:19 Absolutely crazy, I know. We did not waste time, but we had to wait for water, lines of 5 deep, and there was no way I was skipping water in that heat. I want to trim this to 15 min total next year; yes, I said it, next year 😁
Totals for the day:
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