Solvang

After 19 weeks of training...Solvang finally arrived! It seemed surreal...that these strangers that I met, on that Saturday morning in Berkeley at winter kickoff were now my friends and teammates. Together we had learned, laughed, struggled and supported one another through our fears, injuries and tough training schedule all winter season.


So now, here we stand all together in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel...geared up, fueled up and ready to ride! Our ride groups hit the road before dawn, spread out in 15 minute increments. We rolled out to the cheers of our coaches and teammates. The support and encouragement we received all season was one of the keys to us making it here.



As we rolled out of Buellton towards parts unknown, the group found their legs and our pace. We also discovered that the wind was beginning to pick up. Our best defense again the windy conditions would be to have the team pace-line as much as possible to preserve our energy. The idea was for each person to rotate to the lead position about every five minutes. This way we all got a bit of a break.


About 17 miles into the ride after we had cleared the first SAG...the winds began to get vicious. The head winds we were encountering made it feel like we were riding uphill the entire time. Combine that with the occasional gusts...now we were fighting to keep your front tire straight and your bike on the road...yikes!

The team was working together great and by this time we were surrounded by pelotons of cyclists. As we were heading up Highway 1, I was beginning to feel sluggish and out of it...I began to struggle to hold pace with the rest of my team. My coach identified that I was "bonking"! It is a term in cycling letting me know that I was hitting a wall...not a fun experience! I could not believe that today of all days I would have an off ride and experience my first bonk (!@#$)! I was pissed and frustrated with myself! Not enough calories at breakfast and fighting the wind had also attributed to my energy plummeting. I kept going as my coach & teammates slowed the pace and tried to fuel me up until the next SAG.

The second SAG was a rough one for me...I felt drained and defeated. I forced as much food, gels, supplements and water into me as possible in a short amount of time. I wasn't going to let my team down or give-up but I was still feeling weak & dazed as I hopped onto my bike. My saving grace was I knew the next SAG was only 10 miles out...so I focused on that...I could make 10 miles!


My team was awesome, they kept me in the middle of the pack to preserve my energy until we reached the lunch SAG. I was still drained but starting to improve. I was feeling sick from the amount of food I was trying to consume to get my body to recover. I was determined as ever to get through this ride!

By about mile 50 I was beginning to equalize. As the day warmed up and we were hitting tougher climbs...I was amazed to see the amount of people cramping and struggling up the hills. I never felt 100% after the bonk, but I was able to regain my pace and strength enough to not have problems with the climbs. In the later part of the ride most of our issues were other cyclists, traffic and the very rough roads! At times, it felt like we were riding on cobblestone surfaces!


About 3 miles out when we crested the last hill...I finally spotted Solvang! I spent the entire day fighting mentally, physically and emotionally through this ride that seeing Solvang, completely caught me off guard. I tried to be present and take it all in as we rolled into town. Then the emotional realization finally hit me..."Holy Crap...I just rode 100 miles"!

As a team we rode across the finish line to the cheers and cow bells of friends, families, honorees and teammates lining the streets! It was a complete blur of activity and excitement! After we signed in and re-grouped, the team shared their stories and celebrated on the sidelines with shots of tequila!




The ride was one of the toughest and most amazing experiences of my life! In the process, it tested who I was as a person...and I was very pleased with the results:) The feeling of being part Team in Training and completing my first century cannot be explained...only experienced!



Thank you to the LLS staff, Coaches, Mentors, Captains, Honorees, teammates and friends, for making my first season with TNT a success!


Stay tuned...this cyclist adventures have just begun;)