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| 2 Month | 25 Day | 2007 Year |
| 5 Hour | 18 Minute | PM |
Sufferfest 07 Day 4: 68 Mile Bike, Good Weather
07:09:17 AM: Woke up and found this in my inbox:
This morning's race has been cancelled due to severe weather. If itIt has nothing to do with Sufferfest... it was sent out by the race director of a trail race that Tri-Atlanta was putting on... Cheetham Hill. Checking weather.com, they've extended the rainy period by two hours and added little clouds with lightning bolts... not sure what that's all about but I'm sure we'll find out.
were just rain, we would still have the race. However, there will be
thunderstorm conditions, so in consideration of everyone's safety we
will have the race another day.
07:46:02 AM: Hectic already this morning. Fixed bike (I think). Getting some maps in order. Trying to figure out H20-proofing strategy. Working the body glide for saddle sores. Need to eat some oatmeal and vitamins. Etc.
05:18:36 PM: Done with today's ride and with Sufferfest 07. 360 miles in four days. We're beat.
07:47:23 PM: Back home but heading out with Terp & Aves. Ride summary: weather turned nice and we dressed properly or were a little overdressed which was 100% better than underdressed. The Coppermine loop was a nice 55 miler with some rollers that kicked all of us. Some dog chasing. Some stomach issues. Donuts at the rest stop. Finish on the Comet for 12 miles. Made it to the end of our 360 mile journey at Coot's Lake and spent a few moments basking in the sun, reflecting. Lots was learned. Many observations to make, many of which won't become fully formed for a while. I've got to run right now but suffice it to say that I'm very thankful to Marc, Dana, Matthew for being great riding buddies. And to Terp & Aves, Leslie & Aidan, Chris & Brit & CJ for being very supportive families. And to everybody else who supported us via email, phone and blog throughout the journey. I've got some family time ahead and I'll get back to share some thoughts soon.
Four days. 360 miles. Wind, cold, climbs, rollers. 22.5 hours in the saddle. Sunrise to sunset.
Sufferfest 07: done!
Dana's summary:
4 days and 360 miles…Done!
The weather today was just the reward we needed for the long hard miles over the past few days. We were prepared to ride in the rain. We headed out to do a Taylorsville route which included about 18 miles of the Comet. The weather turned out to be amazing. After all the suffering from yesterday, we welcomed the sun and even the (warm) wind. We were very thankful that it wasn’t raining and cold. The weather was a major morale booster because we were all exhausted. I mean like in a drowsy beat down ‘beyond the bonk’ kinda way.
Today was about getting through the miles so we could reach our goal without getting hurt. The pain wasn’t pleasant but we worked together and our bodies got us through it. The main focus was fighting exhaustion. Handling skills and even conversation became challenging. It got to the point where we were allowing each other to speak only partial pieces of information before jumping in on a comment so the other person didn’t have to finish the entire sentence (now that’s teamwork!) Even opening plastic baggies to get fuel seemed like a major task. My only complaint today other than the general exhaustion was nausea. I had motion sickness (motion Mom…not morning!) There were several times when I thought I was going to toss some cookies but the food was stuck. Marc and Joe devoured powdered donuts at some gas station.
We finished around 5 something and toasted our recovery drinks to a job well done.
I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. I pushed limits, conquered demons, laughed, complained, suffered but most importantly…endured. I don’t think I could’ve made it without the excellent energy from within our group and the support from our families in friends.
Taking time to do the things you love is important. That’s why we work hard…so we can play harder. Now it’s time to focus on our highest priorities, our families. It was stressful on our families as they picked up the slack at home to allow us to pursue this crazy idea and they were with us the whole time in spirit (or via cell phones). Thanks also to the peeps who left emails and messages. It meant more than you know!
And Marc's:
Coppermine loop w/ celebratory 12 miles on Silver Comet - 68 miles, 4 hours 19 min, 4417 calories burned, avg heart rate 129, 3346 feet of climbing.
Goal achieved - 360 miles in 4 days. Another consistent day for all 4 riders (Dana, Joe, Matthew and I), more strong riding on our beat-to-death corpse of bodies. Lots of fun, lots of work, happy to have finished… until next time.
A HUGE thank you to Leslie, Aidan, Heather, Ava, Brit, CJ and Chris for putting up with us, holding down the fort, supporting, and letting us go off do something that was really important each of us. This would not have been possible without you. Durring this process, I know I have not said this enough. This was a big eye opening experience for me. It pushed me mentally, physically and challenged me go beyond anything I’ve tried before. You can’t really understand what we went though based on our descriptions of the events. You kind of have to be in the trenches and go through it. I hope this makes me a better rider but even if it doesn’t, the experience was worth it.
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