Death Ride Recap

Here is Les' recap of the weekend that he sent to family and cycling friends. I've got over 200 photos to work through before I can write mine!! Enjoy...

Wow, what a great weekend! It began with kayaking on Lake Tahoe Friday and ended with hiking above 11,000 feet at the top of Mammoth Mountain on Sunday, with a little bike ride in between.

And about that little bike ride...

As many of you know, I attempted the Death Ride in 2008, and only completed 4 of the 5 passes. I remember thinking at the time that I was not sure I was capable of going the distance, even without the hailstorms that day. It is such a hard ride with many variables that come into play. And so I pushed it to the back of my mind and enjoyed a relaxing year of riding in 2009 with nothing extreme. But toward the end of the year, a nagging feeling of unfinished business began whispering ever more loudly in the back of my mind. And my fate was sealed when Kathy registered me in January for this year's ride.

My training was different this time around. It really started with a 700-mile month in March (thanks to my previous employer), then the 1st annual Georgia Boot Camp in April (thanks to my brother, Lance), a Breathless Agony ticket in May (thanks to Karen and her husband), and a series of solo climbfests in the San Gabriel Mtns in June (thanks to Hammer Gel and Litespeed).

So when the big day arrived (and my weight down to a 25-year low of 135 lbs), I felt I had done everything possible to set me up for success. And waking up Saturday morning at 3:30 am, I was confident about my ride plan and determined to get to the top of the elusive 5th pass. My strategy was to ride my own pace paying attention only to my heart rate, and to keep it averaging around 140 bpm on the climbs. To do this, I would have to forcefully slow down my natural climbing speed (from "slow" to "slower"), but the reduced intensity would result in longer endurance, and it was the end of the day that counted, not the beginning.

I rolled out just before 5:00 am in the dark with the temps around 55. After 30 minutes of riding, I was at the base of Climb 1, the west side of Monitor Pass. There is nothing like being part of a continuous snake of some 3,000 cyclists from all over the world, working our way up a mountain road closed to all motorized traffic while the unseen eastern sun is just beginning to chase away the darkness of the night. I ascending this 2,551 foot 7.9 mile climb in 1:19 and rolled down the east side for my first break.

Climb 2 is back up the east side of Monitor Pass. This climb can be really tough because the sun by this time is hitting full on the side of the mountain and there is very little shade to be found. It is a 3,000 foot climb to the summit and I got up its 9.3 miles in 1:40. I rolled over its 8,314 summit for the 2nd time and bombed down its western flank.

Once at the west base of Monitor Pass, I took my second break. I was exactly 4 hours into my ride, had 2 climbs behind me, and I felt really well. I was on track with all of my hydration, fueling and heart rate goals. The next 4 miles was a gentle incline following the banks of Silver Creek, a beautiful little stream whose source is snow melt from the surrounding mountain peaks. Then the serious climbing begins again with Climb 3.

Climb 3 ascends the eastern approach to Ebbetts Pass. It is 8.5 miles long, climbs about 2,400 feet, and tops out at 8,730 feet above sea level. It's also the highest point in the ride and considered by most riders to be the toughest climb since it includes several short sections of 12-17% grades. I got to the top in 1:17 and rolled down its west side for my third rest stop.

By this time, I was exactly 6 hours and 61 miles into the ride, still feeling very strong and beginning to realize that I was going to complete the ride. In 2008, I really struggled with Climb 3, and had to stop three times on the way up to get my heart rate down. My energy was dropping, I was feeling a bit queasy, and my legs were shaky. But Saturday was the complete opposite. I just cruised up the mountain without stopping or even breaking pace.

Climb 4, coming out of Hermit Valley and back up the west side of Ebbetts Pass, is the shortest climb. I rode its 1,500 feet and 5.2 miles in 51 minutes. And I was ecstatic when no hail enveloped me as I crested the summit as in 2008. From here, it was about 24 miles to the base of the final climb. Most of it was downhill, but there were a few stingers for good measure, and by this time of the day, the temps at the lower elevations (around 5,500') were in the high 80s. This stretch took about 1:15 and I began to feel the toll of the effort, elevation and temps.

And so Climb 5 began, new territory for me in several ways, most importantly the accumulated climbing. I had climbed 12,500' on three previous occasions, but never more than that. The final climb is up to Carson Pass, elevation 8,580'. It is about 17 miles long and ascends over 2,800 feet. It was a long slog with the "bonus" of a head wind all the way up. It took me 2:03 to finally get to the top. It was sunny and a comfortable 75 degrees, but I was feeling somewhat light-headed. I took a short break to regroup before the long descent to the finish line. So the world stopped spinning while I ate an ice cream bar, the first non-liquid fuel I had all day.

The cruise down from Carson Pass was its own reward. I crossed the finish line and arrived back at my car in 11 hours 22 minutes, completing all 5 passes, 129 miles and 15,000+ feet of climbing of the 2010 Death Ride. I'm still euphoric over completing a goal set over 2.5 years ago. Thanks to all of you for the encouragement and riding companionship along the way.

After a little bit of junk food and some rest, I'll be ready to do it again. Any takers to join me for Death Ride 2011?

Ride on,
Les