Terrible Two, 2003
Over a year ago, Paul asked me to do the Terrible Two with him on the tandem in order to set a new course record. That year, 2002, I decided to do it solo and set a new women's course record of 11:35.
The Terrible Two (TT) is probably one of the most brutal double centuries (200 miles) in California with over 16,000 feet of climbing and the majority of the climbing in the second half. Some years the sun will increase the difficulty rate by scorching the riders as they climb in the hills without shade. The race starts in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco, runs over several mountain areas as we go from wine country to coast.
Paul and I started planning last year to do the California Triple Crown Stage Race 2003. This stage race included this TT and two other of the hardest double centuries. However, as most of you know, my early season started with a torn ACL and a damaged hamstring. My spring was marked by `one step forward' recovery, and then `two steps back'. One after one, I had to give up my race plans, and finally Paul and I just said, `lets just see if we can do the TT' because that was the one that was Paul's big goal for the season.
First of June, I finally started to feel that my injuries were healing. Paul and I did a metric double century (200 km, 128 miles). I was toast and realized I had a lot of training to do before June 28. I trained really hard for 3 weeks. The week prior TT I went up with Paul and Janet to their house in Truckee and we did a 3 day bike tour. It was great, but my already by then tired legs were toasted. The week after that, the week prior TT, I got soo tired that I got sick. I could not bike and I slept for over 12 hours a night. I was paying for the too intensive training.
I drove up to Paul McKenzie in Richmond, San Fransisco on Friday. We got the tandem set up and went for a short spin to check the set up and just move our muscles a bit. Unfortunately my muscles had been doing nothing fo a week, so the fast start into the hills resulted in a severe muscle pull in one of my quadriceps muscles. Just what I needed!! I tried to massage it lose, but I could feel a tight little roll in my leg and it was hurting. Nothing to do, just hope that it would not interfere with my ability to pedal. I knew I could manage the pain, if it did not stop me from keeping going.
Saturday morning we woke up at 3 am in order to drink our coffee and drive up to Santa Rosa. The race took of at 5:30. We found the strongest tandem field in a long time out there. Doug and Carol was a couple that had been winning lots of doubles in California. Rich and Daryl, two of the strongest triple crown stage race riders, decided to go on tandem, a pro-mountainbiker with a partner was out there too. The first 20 miles are always a bit weird. People are seizing each up, adrenaline, eager to get going. As we get close to first hill, Doug and Carol take off. Not far up the hill, Paul and I, Rich and Daryl, take them over, and we realize that the other tandems are no major competition in the hills, but can pose a threat because they can motor on the flats. We start the climbs. They are tough, but the first ones are not too hot yet. At the top of Geyserss we start going down slowly waiting for Rich and Daryl, but they don't show. (Paul is the fastest captain I know and he is very skilled. No one can go downhill like he can on a tandem) We start to worry that they have flatted. If the captain brakes too much, the rims will overheat and the tires will explode and flat on them. We find out at the finish that they did overheat the rims. My muscles and lower back hurt and I take some ibuprofen. We pull a string of solo bikers into the lunch stop.
The first part of the TT is always completely different from part 2. In the first part there is usually a group of 20 or so fast riders that go out and try to stay together. In the second part, the riders spread out and the ones that went out too fast fade out.
As we reach the lunch stop at mile 106, Janet is there helping Paul and me to refuel. We are in and out in 2 minutes and then hit the Geysers. A long climb in scorching sun, 110-118 degrees. I don't suffer too much being used to Visalia heat, but my captain is not feeling too good in the heat. At the top of the climb we are welcomed with water towels and cold drink. God bless the people working these doubles. We cruise down the hills in super speed. Paul and I are flying.
Paul and I take along a few solo bikes and we have a good time although I am still in quiet some pain. But it is not pain that will stop me from going so I keep taking ibuprofen. A wall hill hits us before we reach the coast. (The stoker wants to snake but the captain wants to go straight. The bike was a bit all over the road.) As we hit the coast, the fog and wind chills us down. A bit too much though because Paul's knee start to hurt. We motor down the coast and then attack the last major climb, Fort Ross, which is quiet a wall. My back hurts and my legs hurt, I take more ibuprofen. Then we have 40 miles to finish. We need to keep pace up. I scoot back on the saddle, bend over, close my eyes and motor. Breath, pedal, breath, pedal, don't listen to pain, just go.
We finish at 11:42. We broke the course record for mixed tandem by 40 minutes and we also broke the male tandem record by 10 minutes. I am toast, I realize that I have consumed more than 3 gram of ibuprofen (not good for my kidneys and liver).
Bill Oetinger- the organizer- looks at me and says that I looked fresher last year. I was in better shape, I had not been toast the week before and solo bike is easier on this course.
Paul and I are pleased. It was a hard TT. Lots of really strong rider really got toasted by the sun that day and did not do too well. The other tandem was at least 2 hours behind, and one tandem dropped out. Rich and Daryl came in laughing in 14 hours, they had had soo many flats and mishaps, but still in very good mood.
Paul and I are pleased with our effort. We worked hard, we were only of the bike for approximately 10 minutes to refuel, pee and get food. We saw beautiful scenery, found some nice solo bikers to chat with, and kept gaining in on people. We finished approximately 5th overall out of 250 bikers. Then we hung around the rest of the night at the finish. Chatted etc.
Today, recovery. My back is still stiff like steel and I think I will have to find myself a masseuse. The pulled muscle is still rolling around in my thigh. No efforts today, washed car, baked, washed bikes, had Timmy over for lunch, napped a bit, and now I am going to hit the sack because tomorrow morning I am going to be out on a dairy working with calves.