NMLE Memorial Ride - CycleOther

Preface: this was a memorial ride, not a race

The start was amazing. Heading out surrounded by law enforcement escorts and fellow riders. We passed 3 "memorial zones" while still in town. These were places where heroes had lost their lives. At each zone a bagpipe played and a member of the local PD stood in their ceremonial gear at parade rest. Incredibly moving! We were asked to sit up and soft pedal through these zones.

As we got out of Albuquerque and headed toward Tijeras the climbs got steeper but were still tolerable. Our first of four aid stations was at the 30k mark, at a police sub-station named in honor of Officer McGrane who was killed in cold blood near-by. The aid station was well done. Lots of options for food and drinks, restrooms inside the station, and valet parking for the bike racks! I grabbed a gatorade to add to my water bottle and a (half) breakfast burrito. There were still lots of people at the station but I really didn't feel a need to rest very long so decided to head out. I asked a volunteer which way to go from the station and she told me to "follow that guy". Follow I did. Not long after the stop my Spidey Sense told me we were going the wrong way but I continued. After a while I stopped and looked at the map on my phone and saw we were WAY off course. I'd passed the other guy long before so as he rode up to me I showed him my map and we headed back. Our "little" detour added about an extra 6 miles! It didn't bother me at first, I just figured I'd turned it in to a 110k, right? By the time we got back to the McGrane station everyone was gone. We were DFL (well technically he was because I was faster :-)

So we continued on the correct trail and I was still in good spirits. I passed a couple people on my way to the second aid station. When I got to the second aid station I stopped only long enough to stand for a few seconds to give the nether region some blood flow, the roads had been pretty rough. Then I headed out again, still didn't feel a need for a break and I think I was still in "race" mode, didn't want to loose the buffer I'd gained between me and DFL.

And the climbs continued, and the rough road continued, more climbs, rougher roads. By the third aid station I was hurting. I sent DH a text that I was "hurtin bad". He asked if I wanted him to pick me up and I told him I'd keep at it. About that time my partner text me that she was driving toward me on the bike route. I added a vitamin water to my bottle and headed out on the road.

My partner caught up to me as I was starting up a hill. She told me it was a big one but from my vantage point it wasn't any worse than the ones I'd been climbing. Then I came around the corner and saw it continued up, and up, and up. As I spun my way up the hill I stopped a couple times and conversed with a guy who was BLM from Las Cruces. We both continued up the hill where my partner waited. As I crested the hill she told me keep going and she ran along side like those crazy Europeans during the bike races on TV (she's Hungarian by birth), I told her about my BLM friend behind me so she waited to encourage him too. Finally we got to enjoy a loooong downhill. I got that little white steed up to 45MPH!!!!!!!!!! Then more hills. Downhills always meant we had to regain it because this ride had a net elevation gain of about 2,000ft.

My partner was waiting at the next aid station. She was encouraging and a site for sore eyes! While resting there I started to feel dizzy. I took in a waffle and realized I'd under-nourished. Over the course of the ride I'd had the half-burrito and one other waffle. I knew the waffle would take a while to kick in so I went in search of a gel. The aid station didn't have one but one of the race organizers was there resting and he gave me one.

After chatting with my partner (and BLM guy) for a while I headed out. Partner told me no more big climbs. Maybe she lied, maybe I was sick of climbing and everything looked big but there was one more doozy to handle (we drove it yesterday, it was noteworthy). By this point I was continually convincing myself to go on. I was tired, my nether was sore from the constant rough road. I can't say my legs ever really burned which makes me wonder how much of my misery was mental, or nutrition related. Regardless, the last 20k was a sufferfest. I pushed on telling myself I could quit at "my" 100k if I wanted. I could call my partner back, or DH, or wait for the SAG wagon (this ride was VERY well supported). Ironically the spot where I hit 62 miles, or "my" 100k, was next to the state prison. Of course I CAN'T stop there. That place is why we do what we do! I'm not showing weakness there of all places! After that I continued on because I didn't want to tell my niece, or my Manatees that I'd quit. So I pedal-ed on. Up more *&^%%$$##@ hills. As I rolled in to Santa Fe I knew it wasn't much further. I kept at it. I knew I wasn't DFL but didn't know how many were behind me.

Finally I saw the flag that I knew flew over the police station and the NM Law Enforcement Memorial. I kept going as if on auto pilot. I'd made it!

I don't know. I don't know if I overestimated my ability, underestimated the challenge of the course, or if my issues were nutrition related. In the days since I've given it a LOT of thought. The legs never really "burned". I had some moments where the excersize induced asthma showed up, but I remember times when mentally the hills were killing me, but not really physically. I rarely felt like I couln't physically continue up the hill.

It was an amazing event, but I don't know if I'll do it again next year. That makes me sad.

Went inside the station. Talked with some of the other late comers. Had some pasta. My partner showed up a few minutes after I got there. The organized plan was to ride the 3 miles back to the train station and take the train back to Albuquerque. I didn't want to deal with my bike on the train and DH had offered to come get me, so I let him.


Don't know. Was my training insufficient? Nutrition? Didn't feel sore at all in the days since which makes me really wonder if it was nutrition related, or mental...


Very very very well put together. The course was well represented in the materials and the volunteers and organizers did an AMAZING job.

On a side note, before the ride started a reporter from the ABQ Journal approached me and said I was "in" her picture and asked for my name. Sunday morning I opened the paper and there was me, practically front page and the focus of the picture! I was glad that the picture showed me/us praying. Prayer is very important to me and I'm glad to be depicted that way.
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2013/05/05/news/bike-ride-for-fallen...