Thoughts on STP 2010

I thought I'd share a few thoughts about my 5th STP.

All previous years I have set goals and made plans on how to approach the ride. This year, there was no plan except to meet with Rob at 4:45 AM and then start to ride. I treated this as a training ride in preparation for the Shasta ride in a few weeks. We rolled out - the last to go in the first group. There must have been several hundred riders in front of us plus all those that started early as well.

After catching up with Rob on his exciting Friday of work and getting to Seattle. We started to ride - passing riders slowly. Pacelines don't form till after getting out and away from Lake Washington so we just rode around large groups of riders. When we could get a paceline going, Rob and I had the same thought - ride at the front. In the back, it is like a yo-yo - sprint and then brake and repeat. It drives me crazy. I like a steady, even pace, even if it is uncomfortable. We then moved to the front and began to rotate. Eventually we recruited another rider to help. For about 25 miles, we had a long line of riders behind us, averaging over 20 MPH.

We hit the hill in Puyallup and the group blew up. Rob and I started riding again and another group formed behind us for the next 10 miles into Spanaway. As the other riders peeled off to stop at the rest stop, Rob and I kept going. We then hooked up with a small group of riders with the same fitness level as us. We worked together for the next 35 miles. Along the way, I noticed he lead rider lean over to a rider we were passing with a BYU jersey on. A few miles later, I asked him about it. I found out that he was a 2001 graduate from Vegas and was riding with 3 other BYU graduates. We had a good talk about riding, missions, Cougars, and other things. The miles just flew by. We rolled into Centralia at 10 AM - my earliest time yet! The first century was an incredible ride.

After a Subway and a little rest, we hit the road for the second half. We scored early in the ride. A large cycling club from Renton swept us up and we sat behind them for 30 miles. We sat in their draft and just cruised. They stopped in Vadar and so did we. We left as they were leaving but we got out front and didn't ride with them again until Lexington and then only till we got to the bridge. The group did very well on he flats but the hills blew up their organization.

Usually miles 150 to 175 are my trouble spot. With Rob, this was not the case. We hooked up with 2 other riders and just flew to St. Helens, averaging above 20 MPH. Soon after mile 150, Rob says to me that he needs real food, no more power bars. Maybe the speed was the combination of flat roads, a tailwind, and a hungry rider. The other key was having 4 to work and keep up the pace. We were riding up hills at 18 to 20 MPH that I had a hard time riding up at 15 last year.

We cruised into Portland and across the finish line at 5:15 PM. I am so thankful for a friend and riding companion like Rob. He is my hero. He has this ability to turn off pain and work through it. He was key in getting me through some tough miles. Plus, we had a good time doing it.

Who knows if I will return to do STP next year - the kids are growing up and I had to sacrifice watching water polo games and a swim meet to complete a personal goal. For me, not quite the right answer. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the ride and felt good about the effort. Yet, the kids grow up so fast and I want to be there for them. I can ride more STP's later on.

June

It was a good month for riding. The weather was atrocious in Oregon but that didn't stop me from logging the most miles I have ever done in a month. I knocked out 854 miles on 18 rides. This pales in comparison to what the pros will be doing starting tomorrow but there is a reason they are professional cyclists and I do something different.

This week on vacation, I racked up 230 miles, culminating in a climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon in SLC, UT. I'd say this is probably one of the hardest rides I have ever done. Partly due to the grade - it averages 9.2% over almost 9 miles - and the other part due to the elevation. Riding at sea level and then trying to ride up almost 3,400 feet of elevation gain starting around 5,000 feet causes the lungs to burn a bit. I loved the ride and would do it again. The craziest part was the descent. Recently in Bicycling Magazine, the descent down Little Cottonwood made their top 10 list of the best descents in the US. Crazy it was. I hit my brakes to slow down to the mid 40's. The road is good in some places and suspect in others. I can only imagine the toll the weather takes on that road - freezing multiple times in the fall and winter and then being heated above 100 degrees in the summer. Even with all that, it is the best and craziest descent I have ever done. This was a great way to top off the week of riding.

Only two weeks to STP. I figure one more week at 200 miles and then a taper week to do the STP. Then back on the stick for a few weeks and then Mt. Shasta. Today's ride gives me great confidence to do Shasta. It is all in the head now.

Last note: I rode in 98 degree weather on Monday. It was crazy hot. I was fortunate to have my heart rate monitor with me. I feel that it helped me to not push too hard and keep my cooler. I constantly monitored my heart rate and kept it under 140. Although the ride punished me, I didn't get heat exhaustion or pass out.