C2K- 155 miles and 15,000 feet of Climbing
A 9 year Dream Come True!
I was dating Jennifer in 2009 and training for my first ever Climb to Kaiser. I had done the shorter version of this ride, the Tollhouse Century, the year before just to prepare and see what it was like. Two weeks before race day, I got sick and was in bed for 5 days straight. All that to say, I lost a lot of training and was in no shape to ride the C2K.
Every year after that, there was always something that got in the way. Whether it was school, or being on my actual wedding day (2011), or just laziness and a lack of training, I was unable to do it until now. This was going to be my year. I said no to teaching summer school, I was riding a lot, and my wife got in my ear so much about not worrying about "training enough" and just to go do it!
I did everything right the day before race day. It's befitting that my dog Mandy woke us up every couple of hours because she wanted to go outside. I woke up on time and left he house just to make it to the finish line 2 minutes before the start. I told myself I meant to do that so I had the least amount of time to sit around and be nervous. I was in such a hurry that I forgot my water bottles in the car.
20 seconds into the ride, I looked down and did not see my bottles and immediately raced back to the car and got back on the road. I am just thankful I looked down at 20 seconds rather than at 20 minutes. Even so, I was riding by myself the first part of the route as I like to go slow and warm up my legs. The last thing I wanted to do was go too fast too soon and tire out my legs-maybe it was a good thing I did not go with the group and try and "keep up."
The first climb, Wildcat, came and went pretty much all by myself. I stopped to fill up my water bottles and a little nervous to get going as I was 3rd from last at this point. Was I going too slow?
A little further along, I saw a few familiar faces and chatted a bit with them. The next climb was Tollhouse, where I started seeing more riders and stayed with Bill for a while. We were riding about the same pace and decided to go together. Near the top I saw John Torres, a family friend who ran next to me until I stopped at the rest area. We chatted a bit, I drank a V8, and then was on my way.
The next section was the one I was most worried about- the Shaver 6. These 6 miles to Shaver Lake has a very little shoulder and is very busy with cars and trailers. To my surprise, there were no close calls and the climbing went by pretty quickly. I got to the Shaver rest stop and was able to refuel and get a quick break. The "Killer Bees" at this stop were AWESOME and very helpful and encouraging.
I got back on my bike and started for the infamous "Big Creek" Climb. I had ridden this section only 5 days before, but not with all the climbing in my legs that I had already done that day. All that to say, I rode much slower than anticipated and took more breaks than I have before. Usually I don't have to stop and rest, but if I wanted to last all day, I knew I needed to. The heat was definitely noticeable, but nothing that was different from my training rides. I made it a point to ride in the afternoons on hot days to get my body accustomed to the heat.
I rode slowly into the Huntington Lake rest stop tired, legs very heavy, and my mind wondering if I should keep going. I knew I wanted to accomplish this, but I also knew I had never ridden this far before, climbed this much before, and need to be cautious and listen to my body. My stomach was hurting for the last hour or so and I had not eaten as much as I needed. Even at this rest stop, it was hard to put down a much needed sandwich and some electrolytes. The lady in charge of the rest stop was my life saver; after telling her how tired I was and thinking of not going to the top, she made me take some sport leg pills for cramping, packed my pockets with electrolytes, and said "You are too close to not finish." It was that sentence that kicked my butt and mind into gear to pedal on. She had the comfort and encouragement of a mother-she was truly a godsend!
I left Huntington, turned left on Kaiser Pass Road, and started climbing. By now I had to throw out my initial time goals and just spin. I had wanted to be at the top in 8 hours, but I was already at 8.5 hours and still 7 miles away. I put the time out of my mind and just wanted to get to the top. My stomach was still hurting and I now officially had to poop so bad! I had signal in one spot and decided to call Jennifer to let her know how it was going. Hands down, she was my biggest fan and encouragement throughout this journey. She text me prayers throughout the day and again got in my ear about staying positive and continuing on.
I got to the one lane road which meant only one thing: 2 more miles, steep miles, but only 2 of them! I saw a lot of riders descending which was encouraging knowing that I was close to a lot of riders. I heard the music, turned the corner, saw the flags, and had a huge smile on my face. I was at the top. My eyes were getting watery as I knew this was the peak of a 9 year dream. I still had 70+ miles to ride, but the majority of the climbing was over.
I was able to eat a lot of food, drink a Coke, and felt a lot better after my time at this rest stop. I decided to head back now. I descended down to Highway 168, took 2 more sport leg pills as I had one more extended climb to Tamarack Ridge, and got back into the saddle.
My legs were feeling pretty good and I rode to the Shaver Lake rest stop where I was able to meet up with a few other riders for the next descent. After eating and feeling a lot better than I had at Huntington Lake, I took off with this group for the next 30+ miles of downhill. I eventually fell off the back of this group, but made it to the hot Millerton Lake rest stop.
At this point, I decided to look at my back tire to see how it was holding up and I found a shred in the rubber with very little tread on it. I saw this a few days before the race and thought about getting a new one, but eventually convinced myself that it was okay. Come to find out, it was almost ready to pop. I was still ready to keep riding on it, but my hero Steve at the aid station pretty much told me he was going to change it for me and just needed my permission. I conceded, took of the wheel, and handed it to him. He gave me a tire, a tube, and fixed it while I ate some food. He was another godsend and who knows what would have happened if I did not take his advice.
I said thank you, quickly got back on my bike, and speedily down the hill. I knew I needed to go quick as it was getting dark, I only had my prescription sunglasses and could not wear those in the dark, and my rear light was going to run out of battery soon. I was surprised at how strong my legs felt and was able to ride in at 18-20 mph. I had to take off my sunglasses with about 5 miles left, but my front light was bright enough that lit up the entire road which helped my vision. My back light eventually went out with 2 miles to go, but again, my front light was so bright that I was definitely visible.
I was one left turn and one right turn away from the finish line and I saw my wife waiting for me and my parents cheering me in: a glorious and wonderful sight! I was so thankful they were there to see me finish and congratulate me! I looked down the time said 15 hours, 54 minutes. My initial goal was 12 hours, but I told myself that I would be okay with 14 hours. After realizing that 14 hours was not going to happen, I then told myself 16 hours would be okay, but really just wanted to finish at that point.
I put my bike on the rack, sate with my family, and ate a meal and drank a coke to finish off the day's food. I was very thankful for all the volunteers who helped me with my bike, with food, with cheers, and with smiles.
I owe a very special thank you to my wife Jennifer, for being my biggest cheerleader. Something she said to me the day before replayed in my mind quite a bit throughout it all: "If you don't ride all 155 miles and cross that finish line, I'm going to punch you!" Although she was joking and is not abusive whatsoever, I knew what she meant. She really wanted me to do this, to finish, to press on, to persist, and to accomplish something that was difficult. I am truly so grateful for my partner, my love, my best friend.
From this experience, I learned and was reminded that when life is easy, I don't rely on God because I feel as if I don't need him. When life is difficult, I normally give up so I don't have to do the hard work and thus don't need to rely on God. I am hoping that this experience allows me to trust in God through every moment, whether it is easy or hard.
