Solvang Double 2011: My First Completed Double Century

It's been a couple days now since I finished my first 200+ mile ride and the significance of it continues to hit me slowly. My legs feel a bit sore, but pretty good really. I had quite a bit of chafing all over my "nether regions," which I think was due to friction from my tights and the softening of my skin from the constant wetness of a rain-ride. I continue to have weird cravings for foods I would not normally take in very often (garlic, chocolate, soda) and until about two days after, I didn't really enjoy anything I ate. I wonder if anyone else has had these experiences?

Before I get into my ride recap, I have to document the fact that after finishing this double, I feel like I've gone as far into Ultra-Endurance Cycling (distance-wise) as I will ever go. Maybe it's the rainy experiences or maybe it's that post-ride lull before the itch to push farther starts to come, but I feel like I may be done with doubles for a while after this season. I will press on for the Triple Crown Jersey because that's what I set out to do, but after that, I think I'm going to make some changes in my cycling habits. Clearly I'm masochist enough to make it in the doubles world, but I'd like to get back into tennis tournaments and I miss riding for fun more with my fiance. I've also started running once or twice a week and plan to compete in the Carpinteria Triathlon this September. But alas, I want that Triple Crown Jersey to go with my KOM Jersey from last year, so I'll put off those things a few more months.

Ride Stats

198 miles
14.3 mph average moving speed
13 mph average speed overall
14:00 riding time
15:25 overall time
176/379 event placing

Ride Recap

We started with an extra five miles (not included in Ride Stats) from Casey's dad's house in Alisol Ranch, during which we were passed by numerous riders headed out in the other direction having already started. That was kind of depressing, but we didn't let it affect us. We got to the start 15 minutes ahead of our planned 6am go time, and that was a good thing as many had already left!

We arrived at the first checkpoint right on schedule with about 2:40 ride time in the first 41 miles. This was my favorite part of the ride because of the scenery, seen first by bike-light only, and then by a slow-moving dawn. Wine country truly is a beautiful area and it was very peaceful with just the whirring of cranks and chains.

Checkpoint two was reached on time as well, but we suffered some minor morale hits during the section. I had to stop roadside for a leak and we were passed by a large group of riders that we decided would be ideal for the flat-ish terrain ahead. I hustled back to the bike, but mud had surrounded my cleats and I couldn't clip in. By the time I got the mud out, they were almost a minute up the road. We gave chase for a few minutes, but realized we'd never catch a group of 20 with just us two and we let up. The second morale dropper was the arrival of the rain, which would stay with us from mile 70 to the finish. We were wet for about 11 hours and it sucked!

The ride to the lunch stop saw us out to Morro Bay and back towards San Luis Obispo and this section was littered with riders stopped for flats. Casey had the good sense to by some puncture resistant tires, so we're both a equipped with Gatorskins or Armadillos. No such trouble for us! I don't understand why people make such a big fuss about the extra weight of puncture-resistant tires. One flat costs more time than the extra rotational weight, and over a 200-mile course, who comes out without a flat? I put gators on this bike when I bought it 16 months and about 6,000 miles ago and I've gotten 2 flats in all that time. No-brainer!!! But I digress...

Checkpoint 3 to checkpoint 5 is where we fell off pace. We were shooting for 14:30 total time, and we lost 90% of the extra hour here. The headwind couldn't have been more than 10 mph, yet it felt like we were going uphill the whole time. Casey and I were both battling bouts of hunger and then fullness, with a few minutes of good riding in-between. I know a lot about nutrition, but it's still hard to get it right while riding. After a while, it starts to become challenging to reach into the back pockets for food, and the drinks just don't taste good anymore.

After getting some mandatory cup-of-noodles and getting to see Johanna at checkpoint 5, we were revived and ready to bring it home. Casey and I both started feeling good a few miles after the stop, and we started passing struggling riders at a consistent rate. I would say this is the only section of the ride where we passed more than passed us, but I was happy because it suggested we dosed our efforts correctly. The climbs in the last section weren't so bad and the thrill of being so close to the finish took over. We had it dialed in. In fact, the adrenaline kicked in so much that I didn't even notice my new sunglasses fall from my jersey (bummer!!!). As we turned off Ballard Canyon onto the main road to the finish, I and a few others let out a relieved yelp. It came so suddenly, after 200 miles of waiting. Casey and I mustered what sprint we had left to get to the finish.

After we got back to Casey's place, the adrenaline wore off, and quick! By the time I was getting into the shower, I was physically incapable of taking my clothes off. My hands were worn out from gripping the handlebars all day and my joints tightened up. I was shaking from the cold, too, as Johanna helped me into the shower. But I survived to write this post...
Next stop: Hemet Double, three weeks!

Solvang Double Gameplan

Casey and I plan to leave his dad's place in Alisol Ranch at 5:30am in order to be at the start a little before 6am. As opposed to starting with the stronger riders at 6:30am like we did for the Camino Double, we'll take an extra half-hour since Planet Ultra is offering it to us. I figure the start is mostly uphill anyway and we'll take a good long while to really warm up properly instead of risking over-extending early on. By the time the fast groups catch us, we'll be primed to follow. The route is supposed to be 198 miles total, but with our extra 4 miles to the start, we'll top 200 officially! Our predicted schedule is as follows:

5am - Up and at 'em
5:30am - On the road towards Buellton and the start

6am - Official start @ Mile 0
2:00 ride time - Top of Foxen Canyon climb (27 miles, almost 2200ft elevation gain)
0:40 ride time - Reach Sisquoc (14 miles all downhill)

8:40am-8:50am - Rest Stop 1: Sisquoc @ Mile 41
2:40 ride time - Top of third minor climb since Sisquoc (45 miles, 1200ft elevation gain)

11:30am-11:40am - Rest Stop 2: San Luis Obispo Park @ Mile 86
1:40 ride time - Rollers with one minor descent (27 miles, 1000ft elevation gain)

1:20pm-1:40pm - Rest Stop 3: Lake Laguna Golf Course @ Mile 113
1:50 ride time - More rollers and possible headwind (28 miles, 1000ft elevation gain)

3:30pm - 3:45pm - Rest Stop 4: Leroy Park @ Mile 141
1:50 ride time - Mostly uphill with a 400ft climb and a 200ft climb (27 miles, 800ft elevation gain)

5:35pm - 5:50pm - Rest Stop 5: Collins Market @ Mile 168
2:25 ride time - Extended 1000ft climb, followed by long descent with a few minor climbs (30 miles, 2100ft elevation gain)

8:15pm - Official Finish @ Mile 198

13 hours ride time (15.25mph)
14 hours total time (14.15mph)

Solvang Double Century Lead-up

Well, it's been a month and here I am again preparing to bag my first double. Since the Camino Double (where I road 145 miles before abandoning) I've ridden a grand total of 153 miles.

After having to focus on my tennis business for a few weeks following the Camino, Casey and I got out on the road and blasted our way from Carpinteria to Malibu (62 miles) at an average speed of 19mph. Things were looking good and we felt stronger for having ridden the Camino Double. The next day though, we pushed our way through 15-20mph winds to Ventura (45 miles) at an average speed of 14.5mph and then my body said enough. Within a few hours, whatever virus has been going around had overtaken me and I didn't leave the apartment for several days. For the last few days, now that I'm recovered, I've been somewhat thwarted by rain and wind, but I'm very happy to see the forecast no longer calls for rain this Saturday.

In fact, despite these inconveniences and breakdowns in my training schedule, I'm feeling good about this one. The whole point of ultra-endurance events is to push past what you know and what is comfortable. If anything, I'm more resolved than ever to bag my first double. I'm young and fit, have a beast of a riding partner in Casey, a solid ally at the rest stops in Johanna, and I know many of the roads we'll be riding on. We will prevail!