Week #17 RECOVERY!!!

 

Week #17 - 235 miles

This week was about trying to get myself recovered from IWAR so I can do it all over again at Unbound XL. For the most part, I feel like my legs have come around. I still have been really tired most of the week and having a hard time getting much sleep. Hopefully that will improve this coming week. On Saturday we got in a real easy 66 mile ride. I had it planned to be a little further but I am glad I didn't. This coming week I will bump things up just a little. Trying to make sure that I am rested and I will get my second covid shot also. I really hope that the shot doesn't mess up training but I am thankful I am getting it.

Week #16 Iowa Wind And Rock - 5th Overall

 

Week #16 - 484 miles

Iowa Wind and Rock

is hands down the hardest gravel race in the US. With elevation of over 27,000 feet and being completely self-supported makes for a great adventure. I want to thank

Sarah

and

Steve

along with all the volunteers for doing an amazing job!!

The race started out at 4am with a little drizzle and cool temps. Luckily we only had a couple muddy roads to deal with early on but they did some real damage for a lot of folks. I spent almost 20 minutes trying to get my chain to stay on since it was caked in mud. Once everything dried out the day was going great. Somewhere around mile 140 my stomach started to bother me. I thought I had been eating and drinking well throughout the day. Once I got into the second checkpoint at mile 190, I was struggling, I mean really struggling. I tried to eat and drink, but nothing was working. After taking a little extra time, I figured I better try to continue, but I really wanted to just pull the plug. I was hoping that was I got back on the bike I would start to feel a little better. My goal was to get to mile 250ish where there was the next town and I could stop at a C-store. When I made it there my stomach was feeling a little better but I still hadn't had much fuel in me. Ginger ale and hot chocolate somehow made me feel better. The strangest thing was I probably felt the best in the last 75 miles of the race. Pretty sure that I have ate and drank more in a 100 miles ride than I did for the 340 miles, so why I didn't bonk is beyond me.

I finished 5th overall but the biggest accomplishment was to finish. Just over 50 people started the race and 12 finished, which was the most finishers ever! I have two more ultra races this year with Unbound XL (350 miles) and Gravel Worlds - The Long Voyage (300 miles). The midwest ultra gravel trifecta!

Week #15 Well if I ain't ready now, I'm never going to be.

 

Week #15 - 319 miles

Less than one week until Iowa Wind and Rock! I believe I am way more prepared this time than a couple years ago. I am really glad that I have had the experience of completing this race even though I didn't make the time cut. Just knowing how hard it is and that so many things have to go right just to finish. Finishing is my main goal. I then have six weeks to recover and do Unbound XL. If I do finish all three of these races this year, I will be very happy. The weather is looking good, but as we all know things can change in a flash. It's supposed to be windy there for the next couple of days so that should dry things out. They keep saying a slight chance of rain on Friday or Saturday - depending on what hour you check. No matter what, everyone has to ride in the same conditions. 

Week #14 Time to rest - IWAR is coming up

 

Week #14 - 374 miles

March - 1638 miles

Saturday was my last ride over 100 miles before Iowa Wind and Rock. I got in 115 miles and everything feels really good. It helps that it was such a nice day - warm and not that much wind to deal with. We had a good group and the pace got a little faster on the way back. Today was my 465th consecutive day on the bike. I was a bit tired today (ok I got up at 4:30 to watch a bike race) but overall my body is feeling good. It is nice that the weather has warmed up and that makes everything feel good. Plus I get my 1st Covid shot next week! Just a little excited about that and I have a new bike coming!!!