A Weekend of Endurance for the Schroders

This weekend was a weekend of endurance for the Schroder Family. I participated in the Croom 50 Challenge and Theresa participated in the Sarasota half marathon. The Croom 50, as I'm sure you've guessed, is a 50 mile mountain bike challenge. The Sarasota half marathon, as I'm sure you've also guessed, is a 13.1 mile course that winds through Sarasota waterfront neighborhoods.

Croom 50 was a pain in the ass! Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the event, but it was difficult. Last year there was an enduro event that tore up many of the trails that the Croom 50 encompass. It was, by far, the most difficult thing I've ever done! I didn't mind the sand for the first 30 miles or so (I later discovered that this was due the higher cadence that I typically spin). But, after 30 miles the sand started to piss me off. This was partially due to the fact that I was getting tired but mostly because of the blood sugar issues I was experiencing. Around mile 30 I started to hit the wall. At mile 32 I just about passed out. I was light headed, disoriented, weak, and shaky. Luckily I had packed plenty of food so I stopped and ate a cliff bar. I was able to control everything until I got to the next sag. As a result of this hypoglycemic issue my pace slowed significantly to somewhere around 6 - 8 mph. Unfortunately the food that I ate at the last sag didn't kick in until I had almost finished the ride. I went the last 15 - 20 miles at a much slower pace than I had planned. I finished the ride after 6 hrs with a total ride time of about 5 hrs.

Although I don't know all the specifics of Theresa's run I do know this: She can't run right now due to a lower back injury and an ankle injury so she has learned to power walk. She finished the half marathon in a record power walking time of 3:02:53. Great Job Theresa!