One Hundred Fifty-Eight

Preface

I started cycling (and swimming) in 2002 en route to my first Ironman triathlon. A couple years and several triathlons later, I heard about these crazy guys who were going to race 508 miles through Death Valley on fixed gear bicycles. Who could resist the intrepid combination of fixies and ultra-marathon cycling? I was hooked.

Immediately, my new addiction began to impact me physically and financially. I bought a practically new Van Dessel Country Road Bob for $750 from Jon Puskas, a friend from the Ironheads triathlon team, who tried the single-speed thing and didn’t much care for it. He sort of talked me in to buying a bike that was a little small for me. At the time, I though the money saved was worth it.

After training with a freewheel (38x17) for about a month, I got my first fixed gear cog a week before Ironman Canada 2004 and rode the 112 mile bike leg on the Country Road Bob in 6:54 using a 38x15 gear ratio. With about a year to go before The 508, I put together an ambitious riding and racing schedule that included numerous UMCA Mileage Challenge rides, Race Across Oregon, the Cascade 1200, STP, Torture 10,000, Ring of Fire (24 hr), and the Furnace Creek 508. I rode nearly all of those miles on my Lemond Zurich which I converted to a fixie using a White Industries eccentric hub. The bike was fitted with 42x15 gearing and a snazzy Vanilla fork that allowed me to use an Avid mechanical disc brake and a Shimano long reach caliper brake in the front, with no rear brake.

My DNF at the bottom of Timberline Road in RAO 2005 is now legendary. An award was even given in my “honor” at RAO 2006 to Allesandro Colo who suffered a similar tragic fate at mile 525 due to knee problems. I could give you a hundred excuses for why I quit – rain, cold, exhaustion, crew advice, inexperience, etc. – but they really are just excuses. After the race, Michelle Granger gave me some tough-love coaching advice, introducing me to the phrase “quitting is not an option”. I was instructed never to quit another ultra again if I wanted to have any chance at a career in the sport. I really took Michelle’s words to heart, and I’m proud to say that was the only time I ever quit any race that I started.

Race Across Oregon 2006

For starters, my training plan went AWOL when the Trans-Am 5000 was cancelled and my hopes of riding across the country in under three weeks were dashed. I was really looking forward to the event, since I couldn’t imagine how I’d ever qualify for RAAM, much less finish it on the type of bike I now love to ride. Despite signing up for RAO, I went from determined to lackadaisical overnight. Instead of riding week after week in the rain, I took advantage of the spectacular snow on Mt. Hood and learned to ski with my kids. I also pursued two of my dreams: I got a second job as a part-time morning greenskeeper at The Reserve golf club, and I gave up my driver license.

Early in the season, Doug Peterson and I got together for a couple of rides. Given the way I struggled up some of the hills we rode, he probably wondered if I had a chance at RAO. I know I did. Leading up to the race, I only rode more than 100 miles twice. Once Matthew Rider, crew member extraordinaire, and I rode from Portland up over Hood and then did the last 35 miles of the new RAO course. When we reached the top of Timberline, I was so tired and light headed I thought I might pass out. A few days later I rode from Portland to Seattle. In contrast to the rest of my training, I executed a two week taper brilliantly and went into the race feeling strong and confident.

Since I had been commuting on the Van Dessel for a while, I though it might be fun to mix things up a little and use that bike at RAO instead of the Lemond, which probably would have been more appropriate. (Or perhaps that was just my way of justifying a new Phil Wood Kiss-Off fixed-fixed rear hub.) I really had to work to get the handlebars in a position that I though would be comfortable for such a long ride. I built both wheels myself and installed all the components except for the headset cups. (The "Kent Peterson" style rear fender was especially fun to make and gets lots of attention.) Two weeks before the race, I was still waiting for the Schmidt front hub and some lights to arrive. With only a few days to go, I didn’t have a front brake installed yet, I discovered my bottom bracket was broken, and I noticed that I lost the barrel adjuster for one of my Paul love levers. Almost everything came together at the last minute. But I did end up clamping the rear brake lever shut with a couple of zip ties, since I couldn’t find a barrel adjuster that would fit the lever. Our daughter (and crew member), Xiang, just finished her freshman year at the University of Oregon, and since the zip ties were U of O green and yellow, I decided not to trim them. Xiang thought I was being a dork.

Start to TS 1

This Leg: 120 miles @ 16.5 mph

The first 10 miles were brisk. George says the solo riders always start faster than the relay teams. Maybe the teams know this is their only chance to relax on the bike. Ricky Martin and I chatted for a while. You gotta love a guy who hasn't driver a car in 19 years. I learned he works as a cook too. What a life!

When racing started on the steep climb up Buxton Rd, the pack quickly spread out. I stayed near the back. The finish times prove that some of the guys really are animals. I might do some crazy things, but I wasn't stupid enough to blow up trying to hang with the leaders.

On 26 I started looking for the support vehicle. With my bottle empty and my crew no where in sight, I muttered something about hoping Xiang enjoyed sleeping in. But I also figured it was partly my fault for only having one bottle to start with. A few miles down the road, I stopped and asked Frederick Mulder's crew for some water. Of course, they were happy to help. It wouldn't be the last time the competition came to my rescue.

Climbing Hood, I was a little surprised to see Tom Jacobson. It felt good to know that I hadn't lost touch with someone who rode such a strong race last year. Tom said he was trying not to push too hard at the beginning. I wasn't sprinting, but I wasn't holding back too much either. So I knew that even though I was starting to put some distance on Tom, it wouldn't be long before he caught me.

On 35 I saw some more riders ahead of me. I almost caught up with Ricky, but he knew who I was and he wasn't about to be caught by the fixie. I got pretty close, though. On FR 44 I stopped for the first time to pee. I made sure my crew knew to stop at the top of a hill and to have food ready for me to eat while I was doing my business. I'm guessing I was stopped for about 30 seconds - a minute tops.

Tom finally passed me near Dufur. I didn't expect it to take that long, but once he went by, all I could do was watch him pull farther and farther away. I wasn't gaining anything on him as we climbed 197 to Tygh Summit. My legs were really moving on the five mile descent. I remember the weather was still very pleasant. There were some clouds in the sky and even a few sprinkles.

TS 1 to TS 2

Total: 190.1 miles @ 14.5 mph
This Leg: 70.1 miles @ 12.0 mph

Descending into Maupin, I passed the time station and then noticed Tom again. He had stopped long enough for me to catch up. Tom passed me again before crossing the river and started the climb up Bake Oven in the lead.

A little ways up the hill, Ryan Gardner was all set up to take pictures. I didn't plan it this way, but I just happened to be climbing at a steady, comfortable pace that was a little faster than Tom's speed. Ryan captured a neat (from my perspective, at least) series of shots that show me coming up from behind, then even with, and then in front of Tom.

It was starting to get hot. And just my luck, I was out of water and without a crew again. This time it was the Jacobson crew that saved my bacon. When the support vehicle finally showed up, I gave Julia and Xiang a little lecture about not leaving me out in the heat without making sure I had plenty of water.

Three or four tour buses followed me through the hair pin turns headed into Antelope. I imagine I was a source of entertainment for the passengers. Ben Larson (Team Tartan) caught me on the relatively short climb just before the long descent to the John Day river. We rode together for a few minutes. He and Kenneth ran into me and Matthew Rider a few weeks earlier during a training ride. It was great to swap stories about the race. It also felt good to be riding neck and neck with the lead two man team for a while!

I forget when I first clipped out of the pedals. It might have been on the way down to the John Day river. Unlike the 508, RAO doesn't have any specific rules about what you can and cannot do in the fixed gear "division". I wasn't trying to prove anything by riding a fixed gear, and the idea of giving my legs a break and finishing a little faster was too appealing to resist. I experimented with different positions. Most of the time I sat sort of Indian style with my feet on the top tube.

I knew the last climb before Fossil was going to be tough. I had been riding practically non-stop since the start and I was getting tired. There's a house with a green roof near the top that you keep looking for around every bend. George and Terri were waiting for me when I finally got close. I felt like I was barely moving. George had the video camera to capture some of my slowest riding of the race. He said he wouldn't make me talk. I assured him that talking wasn't a problem - pedalling was!

TS 2 to TS 3

Total: 269.2 miles @ 13.3 mph
This Leg: 79.1 miles @ 11.0 mph

A few miles past Fossil, I finally decided to stop under a tree for a 10 minute cat nap. In the back of my mind I wondered if this was the beginning of the end. Last year I stopped a lot and was shocked to see how much time I spent off the bike when you added up all the minutes. Furnace Creek was a similar situation.

The nap helped, but it was still a long, monotonous ride to Long Creek, especially the last 10 mile climb. More teams passed me. One guy had on a Purdue Cycling Team jersey and shorts. Go Boilers!! Unfortunately, I had neither the wits nor the energy to say anything at the time. I believe this was the section where I passed Doug Peterson on the side of the road. Familiar faces are sooo encouraging.

TS 3 to TS 4

Total: 404.8 miles @ 12.5 mph
This Leg: 135.6 miles @ 11.1 mph

I stopped for another 10 minute nap in Long Creek. It seemed like there were a lot of people milling around at the time station. The clear, crisp air was a wonderful change from last year, when I escaped from the rain for about an hour in the lobby of the Long Creek motel.

Back on the bike, I climbed the next hill without much difficulty. Then we passed through Fox and started the descent to Mount Vernon. I didn't get far before I felt so drousy I decided to stop for some real sleep. Julia and I argued for a couple of minutes about whether I should sleep in the car or just lay down on the side of the road. I was already on the ground and didn't want to get up. She wouldn't give in, though, so I finally crawled in the car just to end the argument. After about an hour, I woke up feeling refreshed. I've gotten used to waking up around 4 AM, so the timing worked out well. My goal was to reach Mount Vernon before 5 AM and log 300 miles in the first 24 hours. We just about made it.

Back on 26, the route is slightly downhill to Dayville. I knew it was going to get hot, and by sleeping at night I had burned some valuable time out of the sun. So I tried to pick up the pace a little while the weather was still nice. Around 7 AM, Matthew arrived to relieve Julia in the support vehicle. Adding a fresh crew member to the team was the next best thing to letting someone else ride the bike. Matthew made sure I kept eating and drinking, and he really boosted my spirits.

The climb after Dayville suits me well. Near the bottom, I was about to stop for a cat nap, but Matthew told me to keep riding for another 20 minutes and then we would "talk". For some reason, that motivated me to pick up the pace. It felt like I was really flying up the hill, which brought back memories of climbing the same hill during a training ride last year when I encountered several riders participating in one of the RAO training camps. Twenty minutes later I was still climbing strong and no longer felt sleepy.

By this point, it was getting HOT. When we descended into Mitchell it was REALLY hot. I had a towel under my helmet and was pouring bottle after bottle of water over my entire body. I tried to keep the seat of my shorts dry, but otherwise, I would soak myself only to dry out in a matter of minutes - sometimes seconds. The sun scorched the parts of my body that were directly exposed to its rays. My black shorts seemed to be laced with electric heating elements.

I remember taking a 10 minutes nap by a cattle guard. Otherwise, it was steady, non-stop riding to Prineville. Xiang has her learners permit and got to drive the van with Matthew for the first time during the race. During one hand-off, she kind of ran me off the road. Near Mitchell, an SUV pulled up next to me. The driver waived a badge and said I had to stay in my bike lane. I thought to myself, "What bike lane?" I guess he said something to Xiang about not holding up traffic too. Fortunately, he seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, so it wasn't a big deal.

TS 4 to TS 5

Total: 529.9 miles @ 12.1 mph
This Leg: 125.1 miles @ 10.9 mph

We stopped for a little while at the time station in Prineville. I went inside to use the rest room. Matthew said I was a fashion disaster. The clerk said that someone else was in earlier looking wobbily. We asked about ice, but there wasn't any left. Matthew did find some across the street, though.

The first long, gradual climb from Prineville towards Madras was brutal. The heat radiated off the pavement and baked my legs. I couldn't go more than a minute without dousing myself with water. A headwind made it feel like I was riding with a blow drier on high heat in front of my face. And there was no shade anywhere. When we crested the summit, my speed finally picked up, but it was still as hot as ever. It felt like a very long ride to Madras.

In Madras, Matthew and Xiang stopped at Dairy Queen and got me an ice creem cone. That tasted great. Occationally, my stomach felt a little queezy during the race - especially in the heat - but for the most part food wasn't a problem. I ate a variety of things including lots of Cliff shot bloks, Hammer drinks, turkey and roast beef sandwiches, fruit, and a few gels.

Julia and the rest of Matthew's family met us on the way out of Madras. Julia got back in the support vehicle and Matthew and his family headed back to Hillsboro. The descent into Warm Springs came and went quickly. Clipping out of the pedals really sped things up.

Julia and Xiang stopped for gas in Warm Springs while I continued on, turning right onto Route 3, passing Alessandro Colo's support vehicle at the turn. Ten or fifteen minutes went by and once again I was running out of water with no crew. Up ahead I could see a racer, apparently stopped half way up the hill. It was Scott Youngren and his crew. I caught up and they gave me water and sprayed my face. Wow, that felt good! I kept climbing ahead of Scott and started to descend before stopping again, wondering how much farther I should keep going. Scott's crew offered to crew for both of us if I could keep up. By this time Scott had passed me, so I raced to catch up with him. Inadvertantly, I got a ways ahead of him when suddenly my crew pulled up behind me. Julia had missed the turn onto Rt 3 and drove quite a ways before realizing what had happend.

With my crew in tow once again, I started to push the pace a little. With riders behind me, the competitive juices started to flow. I didn't press too hard, though, knowing I still had a long ways to go. At the top of the big climb out of Warm Springs I finally stopped to change clothes for the first time during the race. My feet were feeling hot and I wanted fresh socks. When we pulled off my old socks, my feet looked like wrinkled prunes. They had been soaking for hours in all that water I was pouring over my body.

From there, it was a nice, steady, non-stop ride to the bottom of Timberline Road. The whole way I was determined to make the people behind me work if they wanted to catch me. But I was also eating and conserving some energy in case it came down to a race to the finish.

TS 5 to Finish

Total: 535.4 miles @ 12.0 mph
This Leg: 5.5 miles @ 9.1 mph

At the bottom of Timberline Road (a.k.a. Time Station 5), we stopped and I started giving instructions: "Find the phone and call in. Xiang, get me a gel and the paper bag. Just rip it off."

Before the race, I put a zip tie and my "award" from RAO 2005 - a pair of sponge baseballs - in a paper bag labled "Secret Weapon. Do not open until TS 5." My plan was to attach the balls to my fender for the final climb up Timberline. Other than that, I didn't know what would be in store for me for those last 5.5 miles. I came prepared with a 40 tooth inner chainring and a 20 tooth cog just in case I was completely wiped out and couldn't make it up the mountain with my 44x16 gearing.

Four or five minutes elapsed from the time we stopped at 12:53 AM until I started pushing the pedals again. I looked at my watch, which was about 3 minutes faster than official race time, and it read 1:00. For whatever reason - elevated testosterone, perhaps - I felt especially strong and decided I was going to leave it all on the road that night. As I raced up the hill, my breathing got heavier and heavier. I just kept telling myself that I only had to keep this up for another 35-40 minutes. After 44 hours in the saddle, how easy is that?

A mile or two into the sprint, word was getting around that somthing goofy was going on. Crews for other riders appeared and cheered me on. The Larsens drove up along side me with the video camera. Flash bulbs went off. There was no turning back now.

At mile marker 3, I looked at my watch. It read 1:12 and some odd number of seconds. I was cruising. The support van pulled up beside me to hand me a bottle of water. They were too far away or not moving fast enough. I wasn't about to slow down and yelled for them to get closer.

As we got closer to the top, pedalling got harder, but I didn't ease up on my effort. I was snaking wildly back and forth across the road. Afterwards, we joked that I surly set record for the most distance covered during the 5.5 mile climb.

With the finish line in sight, I barrelled down the parking lot, lights blazing on the support vehicle behind me. I broke the tape and slammed on my front brake. A layer of sweat covered my body. Cheers and laughter erupted. It was sweet.