Suiggy 6 Hour Failure

I participated in my first ever solo race on Saturday, March 14th. It was the Squiggy Classic 6 hour. I’ve participated in a few 50 mile challenges but this was my first real official race. Please note: I didn’t say that I completed my first ever solo race. Just that I participated.

The race was held at Morris Bridge Park near Tampa, Fl with a start time of 10:00 am. Prior to the start of the race all of the bikes were placed about 25 yards in front of the start line. The racers all lined up and waited for the signal to go. Once the signal was given everyone had to run to their bikes, get on, and start riding. I thought this was an interesting way to start a race, but then again, this was my first. The first couple miles were spent weaving in and out of traffic and “warming up”. Once I felt warmed up a little I started riding a little more aggressively. Aside from a pain in my lower back, the first lap went by without incident.

The second lap however was not incident free. The pain in my lower back was much worse than during the first lap, my feet fell horribly asleep, my hands were going numb more than usual, and my tire pressure was way high. To top things off I started having some serious issues with sugar and food. My motivation and morale began rapidly deteriorating. By the time I was half way through my second lap I wasn’t sure I was going to go for a third. Fortunately, while going past the judges table I saw the crowd cheering. This, of course, got my adrenaline going and persuaded me to head out for a third lap.

After passing the judges table I stopped at my self supported pit to refuel. I also dropped my camelbak and threw a water bottle on my bike in hopes of controlling my lower back pain. After polishing off a cliff bar and some water I hit the trail again. It didn’t take me long to realize that a third lap was a bad idea. My back pain seemed to be gone but my foot had been asleep for so long that I started experiencing extreme pain across the ball of it. My energy level seemed to be completely depleted and my morale had hit rock bottom. I had to stop every 1 – 2 miles just to rest and try to get some feeling back in my feet. After pulling into the judges area I threw my bike on the ground and sat on the edge of a fence trying to recover enough to walk over to the water table. This is when I had decided to pull the plug. Things just weren’t going my way.

After recovering enough to walk to the water table I drank some water and Gatorade then headed to the truck to put my bike away (the picture to the left was taken at this time). I changed, ate some food and hung out watching some fellow riders finish the race. It was a great experience but a horrible ride for me. I’m still undecided as to whether or not I’m going to participate again next year or just help out a fellow rider in the transition area.

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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!

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Ididaride Weekend

I participated in IDIDARIDE XV on Jan 31st, 2009. My quest to participate in this event began over a year ago when I stumbled upon the SBA website and found the link for IDIDARIDE. I didn't even know what it was but the name itself spiked my curiosity. After reading the description of the ride I decided that I wanted to give it a shot. Unfortunately my registration for IDIDARIDE XIII was a little late. All the spots had already been filled. I made it a point to find out when registration for IDIDARIDE XV was to open. When the time came I sent my application and registration fee overnight and secured a spot.

The weekend began on Friday when Kevin, Luis and I loaded up the bikes and gear and headed out of town. We made a stop along the way at San Felasco for a pre-IDIDARIDE ride. We met up with Scott (Anthem1) and hit the trails. We rode 21.5 miles of some pretty sweet single track. It was a bit more than I had anticipated but I figured that it would be good training for the upcoming SSSAR. After loading the bikes back up we headed out for White Springs, Fl and the SBA head quarters for pre-registration.

Karlos (Naked Indian) invited us over to the KOA for a bond fire and some good company. The stories were plentiful and the fire was inviting. It was a great end to the day. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

The Temperature was a scorching 31 degrees at the start of the ride. I had all my cold weather riding gear on and was still freezing. My fingers and toes were numb within minutes. I didn't regain feeling in my fingers for about another hour and half. My toes remained numb for a total of about 3 hours. Despite the cold start the weather did warm up to about 60 degrees.

Somewhere between the first and second sags I had an issue with my blood sugar. I had to stop and eat something and I had to do it fast. I was getting very shaky, light headed, and somewhat disoriented. I always Carry a lot of food for this very reason. I reached in my jersey pocket and pulled out a Cliff bar. Once that issue was resolved I started pedaling again.

Aside from the initial temperature and my blood sugar issue everything went smooth. I didn't fall, crash, get cramps, or get lost. All in all, I'd say is was a successful ride. The new Superly performed flawlessly and everyone seemed to really like it.

I finished the ride in approximately 6 hrs with an actual ride time of 5:07:25.

The after ride party was a blast. A huge bond fire, great people, good stories, and a few brewskis proved to be a perfect end to a great weekend.

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My Frst Marathon

I completed my first marathon on Sunday, Jan 11th 2009! I did it with very little training. I'm very sore and very tired. It was not an easy accomplishment but it has left me with an unusual sense of motivation. So much so that I have set a few new, more ambitious goals.

The adventure began almost a year ago with a conversation between my wife, Theresa, and I. Theresa had jokingly told me "Good Luck" after I announced that I thought I could do a Marathon. So, with a few beers in me, I did what any other typical "dude" would do. I signed up for a Marathon, the Disney Marathon to be exact. Over the next year I would change my mind so many times as to whether or not I was actually gong to attempt it I lost count.

The time I took to make my decision was at the cost of my training. I ran more miles during the race than during all my training runs combined. I did three training runs consisting of a 2 miler, 5 miler, and a 10 miler. These training runs all went surprisingly smooth which gave me confidence that I actually could finish it. I made my decision to give the marathon a shot about a month before it was to take place.

Come race day morning I was having quite a mix of feelings and emotions. I was a little nervous about finishing it yet excited at the opportunity to cross the finish line. I was proud of myself for even attempting it but embarrassed that I let my training slip so much. I was worried about getting a permanent injury but confident that I would finish. I rolled out of bed at 3:00 am in order to get a shower, get dressed, and catch the bus to the start line. Once at the start line I was in for a 2 hour wait. The 2 hour wait went by fairly quickly though as most of it was spent walking to my corral and watching the pre-race entertainment.

The course led us by way of the Disney's Highway system and service roads through EPCOT, The Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and back through EPCOT before finishing in the EPCOT parking lot. In typical Disney fashion, there was no a lack of entertainment with music, Disney characters, animals, and cheer stations strategically located along the entire route. Entertainment wasn't the only thing we had though, food, drink, and medical stations were also available to us if we needed them.

My half split (13.1 Miles) was 2:36:48. I was hoping for a 5 hr finish time so I wasn't doing too bad. Unfortunately my IT band started to go around mile 18 so I decided to let up a bit. I started a run / walk routine but it wasn't long until I realized that that my jogging distances were getting shorter and shorter due to the pain on the side of my knee. I made the decision to walk the remainder of the marathon. The next 6 miles I spent trying to figure out how "Power Walkers" do it. My muscles were burning, my knees were shooting pain full reminders of my poor training, and my feet were bruised and swollen. Somehow I managed to start jogging again with about 1/4 mile left. I trotted across the finish line of the 26.2 mile event 6hrs, 10 min, & 15 seconds after it started. It took a bit longer than I would have liked ,but I did it! I finished my first Marathon.

I spent the rest of the day hobbling around EPCOT and "drinking around the world" with my family and friends. Although I felt a sense of pride in wearing my Marathon Medal I couldn't help but admire everyone I saw wearing a Goofy medal and shirt. For those of you who aren't familiar with Disney's Goofy Race and a Half Challenge, It consists of a half marathon followed by a marathon the very next day. I have decided to sign myself up for the 2010 Goofy Race and a Half Challenge. I know I'll have to train hard for this one and I can't be indecisive about participating. It's one of my goals for 2010.

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56 Miles of Broken Bike

I recently participated in my first endurance mountain biking event, the Naked Indian Ride, held on Jan, 3rd. Also known as the NK, the ride led us through some of the most beautiful central Florida country I've ever seen. The terrain ranged from sidewalks to paved trails, single track to rail road beds, and packed dirt roads to sandy power line roads. This ride truly had something for everyone. I'm not going to give a detailed description of the route, mostly because it was a blur to me. I spent most of the time trying not to get drooped or, when I did get dropped, trying not to loose sight of the group. You can see the route here.

I got the chance to ride with a couple of local mountain biking celebrities like Karlos A Rodriguez Bernart (The Naked Indian himself) and Harvey Minton, just to name a few. Check out the pictures below if you don't believe me. I of course spent most of the ride looking at their backs but it was still pretty cool to ride with them. My computer calculated a total distance of 56.3 miles. That's 16.3 miles farther than I'd ever ridden before. I figure my average speed was probably around 13-14 mph. The average speed is due mostly to the paved portions of the route where we were reaching 20 + mph.

I started the ride with a small crack in my frame. About 32 miles into the ride we stopped for lunch. I got every one's opinion on whether or not they thought I should continue riding. The consensus was about 50 - 50. So...I decided to finish the ride and deal with the consequences if the seat tube broke off. You can read more about the frame here.

Once the ride was finished we had all enjoyed some good food, great beer, and great conversation. A great time was had by all and I will definitely be riding the NK again next year.



Things I learned at the NK:

• Karlos is f'ing crazy!
• Everyone that rode was way cool!
• Terodactlys still exist.
  
• Horror movie like small cult towns do exist.
  
• Hammer Gells maintain my blood sugar levels much better than originally thought.
• I'm still VERY weak on my bike!
• I need to learn to stick to my own pace. (This ride was a bit different due to the route. I didn't want to get lost)
  
• I need to drop some weight from my pack.
• I need to ride more!
  

Click here to see all of my event results.

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