Ride Reports September 2004

2004 Michigan National 24 Hour Challenge
June 19, 2004 by Bill Smith

"Oh! Sweet joy! Wonderful bliss!" I am having the time of my life. Well, not really - it's more the opposite. It's five o'clock in the morning, I've been cycling since eight a.m. yesterday, and the several large blisters that strategically appeared on my posterior a couple of hours ago just broke open. The seat of my shorts is now damp, it's 46 degrees, my right knee hurts when I stand and I have three more hours before I will stop. And the Ibuprofen is wearing off. The words I am muttering under my breath would cost me a great number of "Hail Marys" in a confessional booth.

Does this sound like fun? Perhaps not. But I did not do this for fun.

Each Fathers Day weekend in June brings the annual Michigan National 24-Hour Challenge. It is not a race; it is a "personal best" ride to test a cyclist's mental and physical toughness. I did the ride again this year, as I have four of the last five, in hopes of exceeding my previous high of 332 miles in a twenty-four hour period (2001).

It appeared that this year's ride might begin in the cold and rain, but miraculously, just fifteen minutes before the start, after a windy, cool and rainy night, the clouds gave way to a very strong, warm sun. After the safety instructions from Diane Obermeyer (event co-coordinator, along with spouse John) and traditional bagpiper band send-off, we were on our way. I welcomed the beautiful deep blue sky; something rarely seen in an East Coast summer, but the 20-mph blasting west wind was not wanted. It was, however, preferable to rain and would initially provide us with a strong tailwind. I was not looking forward to the prospect of heading northwest into this wind for the last 55 miles of the initial 126-mile loop - which alone could ruin my chance for a new personal record (PR).

To officially do this ride, you must complete the first 126-mile (daytime) loop within ten hours and then complete at least one 23.5-mile (afternoon) loop before dusk. Completing these two allows you to ride the 7.5-mile loop all night (if you so desire). Passing through various checkpoints along the prescribed route provides verification that you've performed honestly. I calculated, based on previous years, that I must complete the daytime loop and three afternoon loops by dusk (197 miles) to have any chance at a new PR. I was doing quite well until I had the misfortune of daydreaming and making a wrong turn that placed me heading back towards a previous checkpoint around mile 70. As I began to experience the deja vu of cycling the same route again, another rider clued me in to the error of my ways. I lost about 20 minutes riding miles that did not count and decided that I had better pay more attention to the route markings. By the time I had a century in I was surprised at how much it hurt to sit on my saddle, something that I rarely have a problem with. I had no idea how bad it was going to become.

With 197 miles past by 8:45 p.m. (my butt feeling every single one of them), I attached lights to my Trek and began the night loop. At this point my average speed (not including stops) was 17.0 mph (the same as it was at 126 miles). I use two battery-powered lights at night: a Cateye Hyper Halogen (for slower speeds) and a Nite Rider 6W light (for the downhills). Running only one at a time, I was able to go through the entire night without stopping for a battery change, though working the buttons all night gets to be a chore.

During the entire ride I kept my stops very economical - that is, I was rarely off the bike for more than ten minutes at a time, nor did I stop very often. By midnight I had managed to stay on the bike for about 14.75 hours of the sixteen so far. Because of this, I was in good shape for a record distance, despite the fact that my average speed was slowly dropping (losing about 0.1 mph every hour). Speed decay is normal during the night, as it is more difficult to see and one is becoming more fatigued by the hour.

Once you reach the night loop, there's not much to see anyway. The same gray scenery goes past every half-hour and the number of cyclists decreases with each lap, as the less-motivated (more sensible?) riders stop to eat and/or sleep. Staying awake can become a problem - my main weapons in the sleep-deprivation battle were (1) drinking copious amounts of iced tea (my caffeine delivery system of choice), (2) playing back my favorite CDs in my head, (3) keeping warm - the thermometer dropped into the forties and (4) talking with other riders in the dark. The last is the most interesting, because you can learn so much about people during the night loops and not have a clue what they look like; the only recognizable elements being the pattern of lights they use. Then, a few laps later, you might come upon the same person again and get to reintroduce yourselves.

Arrive five o'clock in the morning - and a brand-new adventure in pain. Sitting down is excruciating, but standing hurts my right knee a lot. Alternating sitting and standing is worse, as it takes ten seconds of shifting in my saddle to find the least painful spot to sit on. I had about 303 miles at this point; if I were to beat my old PR it was going to be necessary to endure this for 30 more miles at my current loop pace of 15.1 mph. Rather than give in to the pain and quit, I decided to accept it, cursing under (and over) my breath. I did the last five laps without stopping (37 miles and extremely bonked) and finished at 7:40 a.m. with 340 miles. Since only full laps count, there was no justification in attempting another lap, as I'd need to average 22.5 mph to finish it before the 24 hours ended. I got off my bike with much relief and limped to my car.

I showered (what a wonderful feeling to be clean) and enjoyed the complimentary breakfast provided. I then made my way over to the awards ceremony. The greatest number of miles by a rider was 470; I placed 7th of 45 in my age category and 23rd overall of 108 places (371 riders total).

If you have an interest in taking your cycling to another level, this might be just the ride for you. One of the best things about it is that, once you've finished the first and second loops, you can take your time and do night loops until you've reached 150, 175, 200, 250, or whatever you are shooting for.

The ride is well supported with scores of encouraging volunteers to keep everything running smoothly. It costs about $55, and for a few dollars more you can enjoy a spaghetti dinner the Friday night before and a pancake breakfast the morning of the ride. The high school boosters sell ice and Italian food until about three a.m., and McDonald's provides a free breakfast for the riders Sunday morning. There are numerous door prizes on Sunday morning during the awards presentation. You also get to see the high-mileage winners limping as if they'll never walk again. I usually sleep in the high school gym Friday night, but there is room for RV's and tent camping on the school grounds (perfect for your support crew when they tire on Saturday night). They also take photos during the ride and send you, free, any pictures of you they happened to get.

To get an application for the 2005 Michigan National 24-Hour Challenge, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to National 24-Hour Challenge, 2212 College Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507 on or after February 1 of each year. You may register via the Internet - go to www.N24HC.org - you can also see a history of the ride and rider statistics for the last several years. The drive to Middleville takes about 12 hours from the Frederick area. I am expecting that I'll have a couple of friends heading out there in 2005 with me; anyone and everyone is welcome to join us.

Training resources:

Randonneur Brevet Series (DC): www.dcrand.org
Randonneurs USA: www.RUSA.org. Sponsors brevet rides throughout the USA.
UltraMarathon Cycling Association: www.UltraCycling.com.
    You can subscribe to their magazine and get a treasure trove of useful tips and
    motivational techniques from some very experienced and legendary ultramarathon cyclists.
www.RoadBikeRider.com: A very useful source of road cycling information.

Peach Festival
August 15, 2004 led by John Munns

Five riders took a short ride from Hagerstown to Leitersburg, MD, in Washington County for the 25th anniversary of the Peach Festival on August 15: John Fauerby, Lynne Rosenbusch, non-members Steve and Rebecca Sinko from Silver Spring joined the leader John Munns. The base ride was 29 miles, most in the countryside. John F and Lynne took a longer route and the Sinkos and John M rode the base ride. The Sinkos returned to the Peach Festival in a truck to take advantage of the goods at the Peach Festival. The Peach Festival has become a big event in Washington County. Catch it next August!

Covered Bridges
August 21, 2004 by Brian King

A high probability of rain kept many riders away from this month's edition of the Covered Bridges ride, including the ride leader who is a big wimp when it comes to crashing on wet road surfaces and breaking various and much-needed appendages. The leader (Brian King) did show up to hand out cue sheets and lend words of encouragement to Martha Bush, Mark Anderson and new Frederick Pedalers rider Yo who all decided to head out anyway and take their chances.

The only shower they encountered kept true with biking tradition and started when they were at the furthest point from the ride start - Emmitsburg. Luckily the shower only lasted about 5 minutes, and then it was back to dry roads. The bad weather threat kept the pace fast so they were back in a flash.

Woodsboro-Cascade Loop
August 22, 2004 led by Glenn Angus

Six of us, Bill Smith, Lynn Rosenbusch, John Fauerby, Bill Pakenas, John Munns, Bill Preston, and Glenn Angus, embarked on a challenging but extremely rewarding ride on Sunday, August 22. The weather couldn't have been better -- 74 F., with a completely sun-filled sky. The ride began at 9 AM at Woodsboro Community Park, and took a varied but exciting path. We took in such treats as Bennie Duncan Road, which was lovely as ever. And then, Utica Bridge, turning north along Hessong Bridge, and up Blacks Mill Rd to MD-806, a truly idyllic stretch of road.

After a rest at the Manor Area Visitor's Center, including a tour of the new aviary there, we ascended Catoctin Mountain on Catoctin Hollow Road. For those of you who have not made this pilgrimage yet, you are really missing something. Remember, folks, there is no hill which is too long, or too steep, that it cannot be walked! Due to the fact that the bridge from Cunningham Falls State Park to MD-77 is out, we were sent on a delightful detour, which was quite well-marked. We left Catoctin Hollow Rd, riding on Wigville Rd., to Tower Rd., to Old Catoctin Rd., to Stottlemeyer Rd., where we resumed our cue sheet along Foxville-Deerfield Rd.

We ended up having lunch in Cascade, and began the long, lovely downhill along MD-550, heading towards Thurmont. But, to our surprise and chagrin, after just 2 miles, and with only 1,500 feet of warning, the road abruptly was closed, as a bridge above a small creek, just north of Ft. Ritchie Rd, had been totally removed. And, of course, there was absolutely NO WARNING by the State about this, with no opportunity to take a detour without having first ridden down a long, steep, 2 miles section of road. But, as creative as we are, we were able to plot a path down into the construction, and carry our bikes over the creek. We continued our ride without incident. We concluded our ride with a lovely wandering through both the Roddy Creek and the Loy's Station covered bridges, concluding 62 miles later, back in Woodsboro.

It was an awesome ride for all who participated. For those of you who did not, you really missed a good one this time.