New year, back at it..... Step out of the comfort zone

It's been a minute since I blogged, it seems my Insta stories are my cathartic release of what is going on, but I miss blogging. As in the past, the longer I go without writing, the longer it takes to start up, because where to do you start? 

I start with Jan 29. Laura and Jen, we game to sign up for local Gracel Race,  Gravel, and Whine. Described as a 79-mile mixed surface bike ride through Temecula. Many challenging climbs, soft sand, and rough roads. I read this as a great ride through Temecula with some dirt and climbing. I have been on my gravel bike 3x since July, yes 3 times, so my skills were rusty at best and gone at worst  I was thinking my 1-hour gravel ride 3 weeks ago was refined; we will be fine.

These Kits....@bettydesigns crushed it again! 
Compliments ALL day!  

We signed up for the Decanter, the 79-mile option because we go long. Leading up to the ride, L asked how long it may take, and when I really looked at the course and thought about it, I realized it could be 6-7 hours, but that still seemed FINE.

We showed up in our fabulous new kits and decided how bad it could be. Totally unlike a Tri, we were in the back, backing up in the back, for the "spirited start"  3 fast miles on the road in 40 degrees was cold AF; the road ended, and the dirt started. Within a few miles, we hit the sand, as in beach sand, 3+ inches thick, people falling over and then pushing their bikes. I was muscling the bike along and then onto some sketchy uphill sections with deep trenches. 10ish miles in, my front wheel in the ditch, and I am off the bike, bloody knee and banged hip. My first thought was my new kit, but thankfully it was just dirty; welcome to Gravel. 

Eventually, we settled into some good gravel and then some roads. How I know I am not 100% a gravel racer, I breathe a sigh when I hit the pavement. But sooner than later, we were climbing and then descending this steep AF gravel hill, cramping hands on the brakes, wishing I could just let it rip, but scared of crashing and repeating the broken pelvis of BWR. I kept repeating it's January, and you have 3 Ironman races this year! My tip-over bent my set screw, so my chain was now dropping on the inside of my rear cassette whenever I was on the steepest part of the climb. Minor meltdown with the 4th dropped chain had to pee and was hangry. Gosh, I love this!  

We hit the aid station mile 24 or actually 28 and had a  "come to Jesus" The Decanter would likely take us 6+ hours. We were cold, not crushing it, and decided to "downgrade" to the Taster and turn around. We both felt wimpy until we hit that massive dirt climb and were once again walking/pushing our bikes up the GD hill.   Back on our bikes and happy that we only had 15 miles to go but not knowing if that meant going back through the "beach."  

 We hit a fork in the road, and a red sign said left, and the blue sign went right. We followed the red sign, forgetting we switched to the blue ride. Up another steep AF road but paved and down again to see a hill on the horizon that could not possibly be meant to ride up, but we could see tiny people pushing bikes up the hill. Mind you, these were the people who were 20+ miles faster than us, and they were pushing their bikes. We did not turn around; then, we decided to go all-in and possibly make it 20 yards before tipping over. After chatting, we decided that walking the remaining .5+ miles up the will would not win us any awards; besides, we were nearly in last place and, of course. One more wrong turn, and we were back on the road headed for the bottomless sandpit.

We finished in just over 4 hours and added did 3+ bonus miles, we did not cross the finish line, and the few who saw our bibs and actually thought we had done the whole 79 miles were a tad surprised, but we assured them that we did NOT.

Was the day fun? Yes

We laughed, swore, and had our asses handed to us. We were passed by nearly everyone and some of them twice.   When I started riding Gravel 2 years ago, it was to get out of my comfort zone, and Saturday was a reminder that I was way out! My confidence as a road rider is high; it is very low in Gravel. It's humbling, scary, and yet invigorating and fun.  

Huge shout out to Shana, whom I coach, who crushed the Taster on a rented bike and her first time on Gravel!  Kudos! 

Thank you to Gravel and Whine for a great local race!  I do not take racing for granted and appreciate a well-fun race.   The Bang at the finish line was magnificent but where was it at the aid station?  

Post-ride was wine tasting and food, none of which was vegan, but I planned for that.  

It was a fun day, and while mid-ride, I was saying n f'ing way, I know we will be back next year and may even do a little recon riding on those hills that do not seem rideable.