Bike
Comments: The start was slightly uneventful...we all just left, though there was a high school band playing music. First few miles weren't bad. It wasn't too crowded. But once we left the downtown area, the winds picked up...and boy was it crazy! First it was major sidewind. Nothing I've ever been in. Then we made a left and faced headwind. Unfortunately we weren't in any sort of pack, so it was hard to make decent time. Chris was urging me on, but I was having great difficulty. I think my heart rate was in the high 150s for that period...which did not seem promising for the rest of the ride! A couple more turns with wind...and at some point we were going uphill into the wind, crested and then went downhill into the wind. I swear I could stop pedaling at that point and the wind would've stopped me on the downhill ride! We had one more uphill climb with sidewind, and then a long straightaway with sidewind. At times, I could feel myself having to lean to my left to keep upright. Once I wanted to grab a sip of water, so. Lifted up my left hand and immediately felt the bike swerve. So much for water! One hour and a measly 10 miles in, we made a right turn and now had tailwind. Thank god! It was then an awesome straightaway with a slight descent and tailwind. We hit 40 mph at that point. The descent was nice and long. Had a nice long stretch of good wind and speed as well as straightways. I tried taking advantage of getting in aerobars when I could. We came across little groups of riders here and there. We bypassed the first sag stop...and even the second. Around the second sag stop, we were on a lot of little rollers. I don't know if I'd call them hills, but it was a lot of small ups and downs. At one point we joined a large group that came up on us. We stayed with them for a good while, but at some point I couldn't hold on any longer, so Chris dropped off with me. After that it was pretty much just the two of us for a good stretch. At the third sag stop (a TA travel center), we stopped. Shared a pb&j sandwich, some m&ms, chex mix and refilled our water. I also went to the restroom. Was still feeling pretty good at that point. After the third sag stop (our first stop we took), Chris and I took turns pulling. At first it was mostly him pulling, but towards the end I started pulling a little more. We passed a few couple of riders here and there. At this point I think we arrived in Coachella and Indio. A large group of riders came upon us and we were able to keep up with them for a good while. Then we came across our next sag stop at mile 75. We stopped and I grabbed some fig newtons and had a Honey Stinger. At that point we also finished our perpetuem, filled one bottle with water and another with nuun. My back water bottle cage broke at that stop, so I ended up having to carry one of the bottles in my back jersey pocket the rest of the ride. Whenever we leave a stop, it always takes me a little while to get back into it..as my legs feel a little stiff. At the start of this segment, there was a bit of a climb, where i managed to pass quite a few guys. Soon, after all the hills, we happened upon a group of riders we were able to draft off of. The we just under 20mph. After riding behind them for a good while, we passed them. This period was when I felt my strongest. I was riding 22mph roughly (was I being helped by the wind?!)...and was helping to pull not just Chris but other riders a few times. I even passed guys in fancier bikes. :) At that point, we were seeing the same group of 20ish riders here and there. One was a couple in a tandem bike who would ding every time they passed someone. We were slowly riding more and more into "the city". Unfortunately in the city there was a lot more stopping. I wasn't smart about gearing down at each stop. By the time we had joined up with the 55 mile riders, my left knee was giving me serious pain. It was especially bad when we stopped and I had to muscle the power to go again. The last 10 miles were brutal for this reason and our speed dropped quite a bit because of me. Soon enough my right knee was bothering me too. Coming across slower riders from the 55 mile group didn't help either. I tried my best to bare through it...but all the stops were killing me! Soon though we hit 100 on my watch and I knew we were close. Once I could hear the music playing, I was relieved! At the finisher's chute, we got our shirts, walked down and got some food. We had a spinach empanada, 3 tacos and blue cheese fries from an Argentinian food truck. We sat, ate and relaxed for awhile...then headed back to the hotel. Post race
Event comments: Overall a great event with ample volunteers and course support. Loved the camaraderie of all the cyclists. The only complaint I have is that the post-race festivities were a little lacking. I would've liked to have received something a little extra for completing the century (maybe century riders get a special medal...when compared to the 55 mile and 25 mile riders). Last updated: 2013-02-12 12:00 AM
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United States
Tour de Palm Springs
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Woke up at 5:20. Had half an English muffin with peanut butter and half a banana. Got ready with Chris...putting clothes on and packing the food.
We left the hotel at about 6:10 for the half mile ride to the start. Had to pick up printed maps before the race started.