Armadillo Hill Country Classic Ride Report

This past Saturday Glenda, Gina, Triscuit, and I headed up to Liberty Hill for the annual ACA Armadillo Hill Country Classic. We all met up in the beginning and headed out on our varying routes. Gina was doing the 60, Triscuit was doing the 80, Glenda was doing the 105, and I was wavering between the 80 and 105. At the start it was already getting warm with the humidity creeping up there, luckily the sun was behind the clouds, but this would not last long.

Everyone started off pretty easy except for Gina who must have remembered she left the oven on as she took off from the start. After corralling her in we all rode together until the 'Dillo door where she turned off for the 60 mile route. For the next 15 miles or so it was just Triscuit, Glenda, and I and the pretty rolling farm roads Northwest of Austin. At the 43 mile rest stop I had to make my decision, turn around and do the 80 as originally planned or push on with Glenda for the 105. Unfortunately for me the sun was still behind the clouds at this point and I decided to push ahead with Glenda. This would prove to be the wrong decision.

As most people know Glenda is an amazing rider and I was very impressed that I was able to ride with her for about the first 60+ miles but after that she had to go and I simply could not keep up. And by this time the sun had burned through the clouds and the heat was coming on in waves. So for the next 30 or so miles I was really hurting and just giving it everything I had to keep going.

After a few rest stops, some water, and a clif bar I was feeling a little better but the heat and the distance was starting to get to me. Every few minutes I had to change positions on the bike as my back, hands, arms, and shoulders were starting to seriously hurt. Also due to the heat (the high for the day ended up being 97 degrees) and the fact that I could not see anyone in front or behind me I was starting to get very bored on the bike. This led to the mind wandering and negative thoughts creeping into my dome...boy you are tired, man it is hot, boy your body hurts, etc. So I was not in the greatest frame of mind. Then the oasis of a rest stop at mile 93.

I thought if I just sit and rest here for a bit I will be okay and finish the route, however I had mentally convinced myself that I only had about 7 more miles for an even 100, of course I knew this was not true but sometimes those little tricks keep you going. So when I asked the rest stop worker how much further and he said "Only about 14 miles with a headwind most of the way", I knew I was finished. So for the first time in my life I sagged to the finish. Of course this was where the real adventure began.

Instead of taking me to the finish and dropping me off we had to sweep the course and try to find another rider to go in with me. So we headed back out on the course in the opposite direction for 1.5 hours looking for someone. Every rider we passed I was glad they were okay but secretly wanted them to need to sag as well. The A/C in the van was cold but I sure wish I would have been able to go right to the finish, jump in my car and head home.

When I finally got back to the finish Glenda had been waiting for me to make sure I was okay. Thank you, thank you, thank you Glenda.

So lessons learned...

- Stick to your original riding goal
- 97 degrees in early May is hot
- 6.5 hours on the bike plus 1.5 hours in the sag wagon make for a long day
- Carry cell phone numbers of everyone you are riding with
- Don't ask the distance to the finish line