It was a challenge I made for myself after a good deal of soul searching. As I mentioned in a previous post, for the past several years I have been hobbled with a 100% clogged right side iliac artery and a partially blocked left side one, the ones that feeds blood flow into the legs and hip area. After having several stents installed, the blood flow issue was solved which opened up my ability to once again participate in the joys of bicycling.
Today's ride proved to be a real challenge. Weather was almost perfect with light winds and warm temperatures, but cool enough to prevent overheating. My route included a 9 mile beginning loop, then from that point I paced around a 10 mile loop several times before making one final surge for home. I packed along with me a supply of energy bars along with several apple wedges and a scoop or two of peanut butter. I also included two large bottles of fluids, about a 60/40 mix of water and pomegranate/blueberry juice which goes down easy and empties out of the stomach quickly being easily absorbed. Over the first 40 miles or so, about every half hour I'd woof down half an energy bar and take a few swigs of the fluids. Once I reached the 40 mile mark I started using the apple wedges and peanut butter which turned out to be a really good choice as they provided a refreshing treat along with an element of substance.
I felt strong for the first 40 miles or so until I reached the 50 mile point and that's when remnants of the bonk started to set in. I could really feel the effects of the effort catching up with me. "Not to worry", I said to myself, "Only 12 more miles to go." Those last 10 or 12 miles proved to be a struggle as my energy levels were beginning to wane and the wind started to pick up its pace. Even the shallow uphill grades began to feel longer and steeper.
When I made the final turn for home, my legs still felt pretty strong, but they were beginning to tire a bit. What bothered me the most was my neck and shoulders which were tight and feeling quite uncomfortable. What slowed me down was simply my energy level. In spite of the extra energy bars and apple wedges, I burned off a lot of carbohydrates on this ride and what I managed to ingest along the way proved to be helpful, but slightly under calculated for what was required.
Completing the 100 kilometer ride was very satisfying in its own right, and yes, it proved to be a tough ride for me. What did I prove by doing so? Not much really except maybe I proved to myself that I'm not used up yet and I can still accomplish something that most people, even much younger people, would probably not be able to do. Will I do it again? Not in the immediate future, but I'll certainly continue to ride mostly just for the enjoyment of it. So what now? Next logical goal would be to make a 75 mile ride, but that is something I'll have to think long and hard about. Who knows, maybe by the end of the summer I'll give it a try. Until then, I think I'm going to simply enjoy getting out and feeling the wind and sun on my face as I cruise the backroads around where I live. Thanks for joining me on this challenging journey.
