Still unfinished business or move on?
It has been forever since I updated the blog and perhaps I'm starting at the wrong end of things.
I've been back from the 2017 Tour Divide Grand Depart for 2 weeks now. The 1st to Antelope Wells, Brian Lucido has been home for a week while the back of the pack relegated to touring are still making their way.
As long as I'm at the end of things, I'll relate how it ended. I woke up Thursday before the race with a sore throat. The kind of sore throat that you don't even pretend is allergies. I gathered all the cold remedies I could find and hoped the next morning I would at least not be any worse. Friday morning I was running a fever and had other fairly gross signs of infection. I texted my doctor cousin Steve and begged for a Zpack to be phoned into any pharmacy in Fernie, BC - 2 days away.
Maybe not the hardest 2 days of my life but contenders. Got the Rx and climbed into a hotel bed for a day to burn it out. We left Fernie with me on the mend but slow and struggling. By Whitefish, I did not want to burn vacation for a finish.
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Now, the back story and the adventure:
Of course after last year I wanted to go back and try again. Last year, I was happy with my training as being stronger than 2011 or 2014 and never saw the knee thing coming (details related already in post from last year). It took forever to get over that injury. Tendinitis is just a slow thing to begin with, but add that I kept trying to ride the Fargo not realizing that incorrect length cranks were on it.
It was fall by the time I was back on the bike if only for brief, rather flat rides. I went to Big Bend as planned in December but most of the rides were cut short when my knee began to complain. As I related before, I eventually got it all sorted but in terms of fitness, the calendar was already speeding by. I went back to Big Bend in February for the annual Desert Fest. I consider this long weekend of mountain biking that includes the 60 mile Epic loop a benchmark of fitness. It wasn't pretty. I finished the Epic but was super slow. It was February! Doubts about my being able to do the divide were already starting to creep in but I ignored them.
March. Still wanting to pull it off, I contacted Billy Rice. Billy agreed to take me on and put together what he called the "emergency plan". I'm sure most of his athletes work with him for a year or more before attempting the TD. We hoped that my depth of experience would give me points in the black.
What ensued was 3 months of interval training. I can say, that without question, I worked harder and got stronger than I would have left to my own devices. But the hours of saddle time to dial a bike and body can not be replaced. Getting sick was just the nail. To be honest with myself, I should have waited a year. My biggest regret is SheilaT coming along for the ill-fated jaunt.
Every year on the divide is unique. 2011 had snow and fire detours. 2014 had a bridge out and a river ford while snowing in the first 5 miles, plus rain every day. 2016 had rain early but zero snow. For 2017, everyone will talk about "the re-route". With bridges out on route, an epic hike a bike alternate just before Elkford was put in place. It was so epic that I'm sure it will become part of the TD challenge going forward. Cuz that's how they roll.
With on and off rain and my being sick, not to mention bear country, we rode past the re-route and into Elkford the 1st night though that meant backtracking some miles in the morning. Just as last year, no hotels were available so a quiet bathroom floor provided a few hours sleep. We rolled at sun up, stopped at a gas station where there was no food but hot coffee, did some bike maintenance, forgot my gloves and moved on.
I could describe the re-route over a mountain pass, through snow melt river "trails" while it was sleeting and me running a fever but you would not get the magnitude.
We made Fernie by midnight Saturday (almost colliding a moose in the dark) and were grateful to find 1 restaurant open. Inside were 3 other riders looking just as shell shocked as we felt.
Notes from Fernie:
Best Western no longer allows bikes in the rooms.
Canadian pharmacies will not fill an Rx from a US doctor.
Has super nice people!
Though sick, certain things still have to get done while in a town. Food for the next leg, any bike repairs... But we took Sunday off so I could rest and I did a lot of that. Sleeping hard and sipping hot lemon water. My fever finally let go Sunday night and Monday morning none to early we left.
Scary trucks on Lodgepole Rd.
Harvey Pass.
Cabin Pass.
Moon rise.
Cold ramen.
Slept with mice.
Rolling - moon gone.
The wall with the sun.
Every time I ascend the wall, I brainstorm some possible way to make it easier. This year it was so slick and worn off-camber, I could only think of installing climbing protection and hooking up from 1 pitch to the next.
Galton Pass was dry.
The border guard was cute.
In Eureka there was pie....and a storm brewing. A really big one. We just happened to check the weather. It was only noon-thirty and our plan had been to re-supply and roll. With the local news warning residents to tie down their children, we opted for a room and a wee hours departure. Such a good call. We were in bed at 2pm and hotel was being rattled by 5. Rolled in the dark.
Whitefish divide
Climb more to Red Meadow
Soft snow pushing.
It's hard. I've been struggling.
Whitefish.
Steep, never-ending hills into town. So much more difficult than I remember. SheilaT ahead seeming unfazed.
I stopped here. Took in the bluebird day and made a decision.
Critter Report:
1 Moose, 2 black bears, 1 grizzly, 1 golden eagle, marmots, ground squirrels, mice and some bird that whistled every sunrise and sunset.
The bike and gear:
I ride a 2015 Salsa Fargo Ti size small. I'm still not 100% certain if I should be on a medium instead. I was still trying to dial bike fit in the 11th hour.
Working with a fit guru, I replaced the stock Salsa lay-back seatpost with a zero setback. A much longer stem as well. Bike seems fairly maxed out and if in the next month or 2 I'm still not in love, I will replace it.
I outfitted the bike with a mix of hardy and light. Stans rims rolling Specalized FastTracks, SON dyno upfront, RaceFace Next cranks on a 2x10 drivetrain, XTR cassette. I kept the Woodchipper bars but cut off the sweep as I never use the drops. I still use the same Syntace aerobars that I first used in 2011. Off the dyno I have a K-lite, Sinewave and cache battery. I carry my phone on airplane mode and use an ipod for music. Loaded with some food and water - just over 44lbs.
There is some miscellaneous gear that, after all this time should be dialed but isn't. The Terry saddles I started with in 2011 are now garbage and after trying 1/2 dozen different alternatives have settled on the Specialized Oura - for now. Perl Izumi dumbed down the AlpX line of womens shoes so I'm still trying to find a stiff shoe that is narrow enough and yet walk-able.
