2011 Hemet Double Century Ride Report

Distance: 202 miles
Moving Ride Time: 13:15
Total Ride Time: 16:00
Avg Moving Speed: 15.2
Avg Speed: 12.5
Avg Cadence: 69
Avg HR: 146 (75% of VO2)
Max HR: 183 (94% of VO2)

Well, Casey is officially a Triple Crown jersey qualifier, and I am two legs in. Upon finishing, we both decided we need a break from the doubles and that we'll be skipping the Davis and LA Wheelman doubles this year. However, we'll be back in action at the Bass Lake Double in October. Predictably, two days ago we were sick of double centuries, and just now we had a conversation about how the doubles community is so small and we like that we run into people each time, and...that we're looking forward to running into them at some doubles next year. The human capacity to forget pain and re-shape experiences is incredible. But onto the report...

The Hemet Double is very low-key, which was a nice change. We registered in-person the night before the event, for significantly less than the Planet Ultra doubles we've done this year and got some very detailed route information from Jim Watrous, the event organizer. We were alarmed to find that no Hammer, GU or gel products of any kind would be provided, as we'd only brought enough to last us a few hours. If there was one critical thing to improve with the Hemet Double, it would be some kind of energy gel. Most everything else about the ride support was adequate or above-average.

We left our hotel room down the street at just before 4:30am, and during the two minute drive to the start, my engine light went on. Not the way to start a double, especially when there are tennis lessons to teach the following day in Santa Barbara. I spent a good portion of the ride figuring out what to do about my car. However, we were there and we were going to ride, no matter what.

Starting just before 4:45am, we quickly hooked up with a group of riders who we pacelined with for the first 15 miles or so. Eventually, they had to re-group and we went on, but it was nice to warm-up slowly and chat a bit. We reached the first rest-stop without a hitch and were quickly back on our way after some rice-krispy treats and cytomax.

Throughout the day, I was reminded of my college days, not too far away, as we crossed places I had ridden, driven, and visited friends. We crossed the street section of the Santa Ana River Trail route, which I remember distinctly from my ride with Reuben to Huntington Beach and back to school in Redlands. At this point we hooked up with a powerful larger rider sporting a Triple Crown jersey and a smooth-pedaling woman in blue from Marin. We rode with them until the next rest-stop, and a few miles before the stop were absorbed by a group of 8-10 Arizona riders from the Bullshifters club.

We continued on with the Bullshifters and lady-in-blue through the next stop and into lunch. I was impressed with the Bullshifters quick rest-stops, as that can be key to getting on with the ride. The longer you stop, the more you want to stay! Chatted quite a bit with our make-shift group and we made good time, reaching the lunch-stop at 104 miles right around 7 hours into the ride.

Lunch was amazing. Barbequed chicken (fresh off the grill) and pasta awaited us. What an incredible spread for the middle of a cycling event, and we'd get more at the finish. I thought about getting back to that delicious chicken often during the second half of the event. We enjoyed lunch so much that it took us about 45 minutes to get back out on the road (the Bullshifters left about 10 minutes before us), and we were greeted almost immediately with the climb of the day and HEAT!

We knew it was coming. The forecast said 86 degrees, but after seeing a sign reading 77 degrees at 10am, I knew it was going to be a hot one. Several riders with advanced Garmin devices were getting read-outs over 100 degrees, and we hit the 1000ft climb right at the hottest point of the day. In 13 miles I finished two bottles, and we struggled to crest the climb. When we reached the top, 7-8 riders lay strewn about in the shade, resting and taking in water from a SAG van. We grabbed water and continued on without resting. From this point, we were rarely passed, but did a fair amount of passing. By the next stop, we caught the Bullshifters, some of which were tiring and were probably suffering from heat exhaustion. We left the stop with the group, but 15 miles later they stopped at an Arco and we left them behind after using the restroom and grabbing an ice cream bar.

We felt very strong most of the rest of the way, picking up riders one-by-one on long, straight roads. After reaching the rest stop at mile 160 (which was 37 miles after the previous stop -- TOO FAR), we knew we were home free. We kept a solid pace, and though we got lost briefly a few times, we continued to make progress on other riders who had probably gone out a bit too strong. I really appreciated the flatness and good road conditions of the route, as it helped us dose our efforts to perfection.

Shortly after the last rest-stop, we hit the last climb and night fell, leaving us first with a pink sunset and then darkness to ride on mostly empty roads. The last section of any length was a nicely paved, flat road, but had a fair amount of high-speed traffic. At that point, while not slowing, we began to suffer mightily again. Casey and I did calculations over and over in our heads about how much farther and how long it would take. Every position on the bike felt uncomfortable. Even standing up was hurting me, as my right calf and then my left hip began to cramp.

And then it was over. We reached the finish and it was more chicken and pasta for us. Volunteers were there to make sure we had what we needed and we sat inside the Motel 6 conference room, resting and eating and chatting a bit. We ran into one of the Bullshifters, who was very strong and had continued ahead of his group after the big climb of the day. He was from Minnesota, but lived in Arizona during the winter and early spring. Sounds like a smart guy to me! We talked football and cycling, doubles and other things before heading back to face my beat-up car.

Despite 16 hours of hoping the engine light would just turn off when I started the car next, it did not. We had it towed to my parents house in Palm Springs (thank God for AAA Premier Membership), and since my mom has been recovering from surgery, were able to drive her car back to Santa Barbara the next morning. We'll be without our bikes for the next few weeks, but as I mentioned early, a break was in order. We plan to run and swim a bit to keep our aerobic benefits from the Hemet Double, and we needed to start training for the Carpinteria Triathlon and Xterra Trail Racing Series anyway. More on those developments another time...

Hemet Double Preview

I'm making this quick because I have too many other things going on right now. Casey and I are going to Hemet today to get a good night's rest and an early start in the morning. The Hemet course has been altered to exactly 200 miles and just over 5000 feet of elevation gain, making it possibly the fastest double on paper. The temperature is predicted to hit 86 degrees, which could be a factor, so Casey and I will try to leave early and be more than half-way through by noon. We've each bought sunsleeves to keep cool and avoid burns. Will be interesting to see how well they work. Ride recap to follow!