The best way to approach a long distance event such as the #SCRTR is through a six month, properly planned, concerted effort. Well if you’ve been following along, you know that I don’t have that luxury. Most of the riders would likely start their training efforts in January or February and gradually up their mileage until a week to ten days before the big event, then taper down. You don’t want to do a big effort a few days before a huge effort. Trust me.
Since I’m short of time, I’m concentrating on saddle time and sheer grunt. Saddle time because I need to toughen up all those body parts that will take a beating over three days, and grunt to get me mentally prepared. I know cyclists that spend a lot of time in spin classes or on the Swamp Rabbit Trail in the belief that this is enough training to get them through the #SCRTR. Maybe so, but that’s not going to work for me. So this morning I did a double of Paris Mountain. And good gosh almighty was it hot and muggy.
Why a double? Once you’ve climbed over a mountain, any mountain, it feels great to get to the bottom. And it’s tough to convince yourself to turn around and climb the damn thing again. It’s quite the mental challenge and the first couple hundred feet really hurt. It’d be much easier to roll into the 7-11 and grab a Gatorade. So that’s why I do it.
Because no spin class, no trainer time, no cross-fit session, and no treadmill can instill the desire to force yourself back up a mountain you’ve just climbed. Especially when it’s 91 degrees and 80% humidity and all you want is a Gatorade and an ice cold swimming pool. There’s just no substitute for the road.
So I turned around at the bottom of Altamont and pushed myself back over that damn mountain. Was it hard? Yes it was. But imagine the amount of suffering and trauma a family goes through when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. So I turned around and climbed that damn mountain. Again.
The Ride to Remember (#SCRTR) is a 250+ mile bike ride across South Carolina and it’s the largest fundraiser for the SC Alzheimer’s Association. Would you like to join me on my mission to be a cog in the wheel of the mechanism that finds a cure for #ALZ? You don’t have to climb Paris Mountain with me, you can make a donation, any amount will do, and it’ll go to the Alzheimer’s Association. And your donation will be the fuel I need to get me across South Carolina.
11 Days before we ride and I’m feeling more confident.
And if you need a reminder of why I’m doing this, your answer is right here.
