Tour To Tanglewood Double Century ( 2 Day Event) and Salem Lake 30K
TTT
The Tour to Tanglewood is a fundraising bike ride for MS and has lots of route options from 20 up to 100 miles and all of those route options are choices on both day.
When we got "recruited" to do this ride and agreed to it, we were drawn to the double century. Had we ever rode our bikes after riding 100 miles in one day? Absolutely not, but that did not stop us from thinking we could do 200 miles in two days, I mean, we have done two organized centuries and countless on our own so this would be easy, or at least doable, right? Unlike many, I feel, that do this double century deal, we trained for it, HARD. We are use to training for stuff so we popped it right into our training plan in July and never looked back. The last two weeks was HARD! We were not just training for the double century but also a marathon so every weekend was HARD. When it was a heavy bike we laid off the run and vice versa. My body had completely gone into freak out mode! It thought I was trying to starve it and make it work too hard for what I was giving it, but that doesn't just take a physical toll with the exhaustion and constant hunger, it also plays a mental toll.
My brain is a funny work of wonders. I don't understand at all. I do not understand some of the thoughts my brain has come to accept that I think are absolutely not true when I say them out loud, but my brain has come to know them as true. Okay so for example, "You should not be this hungry, you need to stop eating all this food (vegetables, nuts, and fruit)." "You are gaining weight, what is wrong with you, you have no self control (Lost 5% body fat)!" "You can't hang out and ride with these people, you are too slow, too fat, too dumb, too whatever other ugly name I can call myself." The Brain Demon was in full force. The week of TTT I found myself multiple days being in a rut scared I would fail. Knowing I had completely trained and prepared for this, but scared I wouldn't finish and that the Brain Demon would win.
Friday, 9/21/18 rolls around and I am preparing for war. This Double Century will happen... but I am scared to death of failing. I go about my normal event rituals. I knew Saturday would be fine, I never had doubts about that, 5000+ feet of climbing was a scary ambition but the first 100 I felt was a given unless mechanical issues we could not foresee happened. It was day 2, the 100-200 that scared me the most.
Saturday goes off without a hitch! The first century was completed in a little over 6 hours with 6 other awesome people averaging 15.9mph over 100.4 miles and climbing 5032 feet.
After the ride Saturday we headed back to the team tent for a dinner , or three, and a little time to get ourselves together. We did find the shower trailer which was the best thing since sliced bread! We went to bed Saturday night tired, scared, and hopeful.
When I woke up Sunday morning the first thing I said to myself was, "You are finishing this shit!". I knew right away I was going to be fine and we were going to finish conquering the mountain! We completed 100.5 miles and 5344 feet of elevation in about 6.5 hours at 15.2mph average. We rocked! We met the best people and had the best four man team ever on Sunday! We supported each other, pushed each other, and embraced the suck together! It was amazing and thrilling and extraordinary accomplishment!
Salem Lake 30K
Scheduling another event 6 days after a hugely epic event, could probably be considered piss poor planning on my part. I registered for Salem Lake 30K way before I knew we were doing TTT so I could have a fun supported long run at one of my favorite running places! As what normally happens, the running passe saw I was going a decided to join!
My week was HARD. I have been working too much, resting too little, judging myself for my hunger and exhaustion levels, and completely neglecting what my mind, body, and soul have been telling me. The Brain Demon by Thursday was ready to let me have it because it this point, he may even be a voice of reason. Thursday I call my mom after an attempt to run. I ran all of 500ft and everything hurt... I call her and as soon as I hear her voice I fall apart... the waterworks begin to flow. Though I don't always listen to the Brain Demon because I know he is wrong, I also know that when he rears his ugly head in these cases I brought it upon myself. Mom assures me I will be fine lets me cry a little about my life falling a part and then I continue on with my day with very low expectations for 9/29's upcoming 30K race.
Friday I do my normal pre-race prep: shakeout run, an easy workout (in this case swim),and have my sweet potato with dinner. I am feeling better about the odds of at least completing this baby in the 4 hour time limit. I always set a goal so I do a little pace calculating and decide I am shooting for a 3hr 40 min finish time. Pretty push but maintainable pace for me. I had planned my nutrition in advance because this was my first long run of this training cycle with no planned stops.
Saturday morning I wake up groggy and unmotivated but decided I refused to stay that way. Once I got moving I was fine and listened to a cool audible original on the way to the race site. I pull in to the race site and my mom and C are right behind me in the line! Awesome! I get my bib number ready to waltz to packet pick up, 719... that's a pretty lucky number! Race morning continues as usual with prep, poop, and positive thinking! As we started off I knew, this is going to be a good day if I make it that way. I did have some Brain Demon play around mile 11-14 but refused to let it slow me down, yesterday wasn't my best day, but I cam in at 3hr and 28min! I was happy with that, not only was my time good, but it was our first race representing the SPAZ Movement! What an awesome day! Through sharing the photos on our personal pages and the SPAZ page I got questions about SPAZ which is amazing! That is what this is all about!
Keep Your Head High and Your Love and Support for Others Higher!
Our Story ;sn't Over, No Matter What the Brain Demon Says!
P<3