Training Log Archive: kgeisen

Event: Spotted Horse Gravel Ultra
 

Rode the Fargo set up SS geared 34x16. Partly bc I've been singlespeed curious for gravel for a while, partly bc there were no women registered for the 150 SS, and partly bc I was hoping it would be a good excuse to DNF, break my finish streak there, and be able to not go back again. I mean, I'm the only girl who's finished every year. That means something to me.

So, my fourth SH, my third in truly shitty conditions, and my fourth finish. So much for THAT plan. I was thinking I'd just make this my last year anyway, but it was such a good day that I'm reconsidering.

I 100% didn't want to start this race. The forecast was for another miserable day, and while I've done that plenty I'm over riding in the rain for hours and carrying my bike down muddy B roads. For all my dread and whining on the way there, I was perfectly happy to be riding once we started (after a 40 minute storm/lightning delay).

There were a few hours with light/medium rain, making me skittish early on the sloppy gravel, then a break in the weather, then another line of storms that came through with a steady, cold rain. And always a steady wind. Finally it cleared after about 5-6 hours total, and eventually the sun even came out for a few hours. I got warm enough to think about taking off my wool base layer but never enough to actually do it.

I think riding SS actually helped. I was focused on that rather than the rain or the wind, plus I had less worry about tearing up my bike with fewer parts to tear up. I still had to walk some hills but I don't think I walked any more than in previous years. I was definitely climbing faster than on gears, and it was interesting to see myself close gaps on uphills. I'm not a big spinner so any time I spun out I just coasted (and the coastable parts of SH are few indeed), and I think the mini-breaks helped. No shifting meant no sore hands at the end.

And speaking of the end, I didn't have my typical end-of-race meltdown where I'm just creeping along feeling sorry for myself. I was tired, for sure, and ready to be done, but I felt good and strong the whole time, and though I didn't -- and didn't care to -- make the 200-mile cutoff, if you'd told me at the end I had another 50 miles to ride I could have done it.

My official race time was 15:57 (my total time includes time stopped at the finish line and then riding the last mile or so back to the start), which is my fastest of any year there including the one nice year. I was not only first (and only) singlespeed woman, I was also second overall woman. I had a little over an hour of non-moving time, so I definitely could have been more efficient, but overall I'm thrilled with the race, especially after the beating my confidence took last weekend on the mountain bike.

C • Awesome job 4

To gym. Ride home plans were derailed by a malfunctioning lock that we eventually had to use bolt cutters on. :-/

Not into it tonight.

Part recovery ride, part just trying to get back in the habit of riding more than once a week.

Won 2/3 but vs the worst team in the league. We played almost as badly as they did except in game 1 when we were worse. Kind of a bummer when we’ve played pretty well (for us) this year.

SWIC before Jacob's tryout.