Race Report - Tour de Palm Springs - 2/12/11

To start, the weather in Palm Springs was fantastic today with a low of 48F and a high of 78F. I wore a light thermal and ended up keeping it on through the entire race. People were great and the volunteers were fantastic. Start time was at 7:00am. We ended up staying in Rancho Mirage as we were late setting up accommodations, so morning started at 5:30am. 

Morning Person

I had a little bit of a challenge getting everyone fed and down for bed the night before and as a result, I did not have myself organized as I usually would. Melissa kept asking me if I had everything and I kept running over everything in my mind and kept answering "yes". Which is why 2 miles from the start line I realized that I had forgotten the race wrist band in the hotel room.

I have never done this before and it had me a little freaked out. We were about 25 minutes to race start and there was no way for me to go back and get it. The wristband is the only way the race officials know that you are not a bandit (no bibs at this race).

Melissa and I talked it over and ultimately we decided that she would drop me off and then go back and get the wristband. We would find each other on the course through cell phones and she would get me the wristband that way. This race has registration right up to the start of the event so I stopped by as a final Hail Mary. I explained to a volunteer what I had done and he set me up with a new wristband. Life is good! I called Melissa and she took Lulu back to the hotel for some more sleep.

Of course, no one asked me for my wristband all day (which was hidden by my thermal).

When I did Viva Bike Vegas (115 miles) in October, it took me 7:49:54 to go 115 miles. Coach Cyndee had set my goal time at 7 hours for this ride, so we figured the girls had plenty of time to rest. On the way in I grabbed a course map, I don't know why because the course should be well marked and there are a ton of people out here, how could I possibly get lost? I got myself organized, opened up the rear brake to compensate for an apparent broken spoke in my rear wheel and made the obligatory Porta Potty stop (don't ask...) and then got myself into the start corral.

The ride started right on time (always a good sign) with us alternating out of two corrals. Estimates had been for up to 7,000 people but the Mayor of Palm Springs had announced during his welcome speech that it was closer to 10,000. There are several rides, so I'm not sure how that broke down for the Century ride. The initial promise came to a screeching halt however as soon as I hit the street.

With Viva Bike Vegas we got an escort out of town with the police holding traffic at each intersection. This got the ride both rolling smoothly and spread the field some. Palm Springs had us stopping at every traffic light and had the police calling over motorcycle pa's to move over. This had to obvious effect of bottling up the ride and causing us to creep through town. It took me 15 minutes to go 2 miles.

The second problem was the roads, which were frankly terrible. In the first six miles I saw two serious accidents that required people to be removed from the course and more flats than I saw during the entire Viva Bike Vegas ride. There was a lot of terse communication between riders about holding their line and hand gestures (though most were not unfriendly).

I did not have the opportunity to preview the course before riding it, but I did take the time to try and read some ride reports on the web. The overall feel is that this is a fairly flat ride with the majority of the climbing in the first 15 miles, then a substantial downhill followed by rollers. True.

The ride passes through the windmill fields during the climb out of town.

Team Rwanda - 2/3 of the way up the climb I jumped on my first wheel. Two guys cruising by with one wearing a Team Rwanda jersey. Rwanda and I ended up dropping the other guy and I did my best to pull him through the steepest section at the end of the climb. He was definitely a superior rider, but I did my best and hopefully helped him to SAG #1...which was mayhem. It was like a rock concert in the middle of the road, but without the entertainment. I got off my bike and threaded through the mass of people without stopping. This leg was the slowest part of the race for me: 1:15:19 / 15.24 miles.

The steepest uphill is immediately followed by the steepest downhill and the field began to spread. Where climbing is definitely my weakest point due to my weight, descents are a strength for me for the same reason. I started passing a lot of people. This ends up being the fastest part of the day.

Team Justin Nut Butter - Cruising along feeling good about my pace, this guy blows by me with a substantial pace line in tow like I was standing still. What does this guy eat anyway? At first I figure the pace line is just too fast to catch, but as it continues to pass me like some huge train in the desert, I decide that this is it as I keep looking for the last rider...who turns out to be this rock hard woman wearing a Justin's Nut Butter Jersey. I sprint.

Catching her wheel I am sucked along to just over 40mph. Obviously a triathlete, this woman is an animal. I just put my head down and go all the way to the bottom of the hill. At least I know what she is eating. I am able to stay with everyone through the first couple of rollers and then the pace line starts to fragment with Hercules in the front putting on the turbojets again. I stay with the Justin's Jersey and about a third of the initial pace line until the first really big roller. Not surprisingly, she just walks away from me on the pedals. It was fun while it lasted. Is there a Whole Foods nearby?

The Wasteland - The next stretch is a series of rollers through the desert and I am having a hard time finding anyone to latch onto. the pace is just not right and I end up working my way through several cyclists before finding my next jersey.

Team Adobo Velo - I catch back up to another lady who was in the Justin's pace line. She is surrounded by Team Adobo Velo, a group of Filipino American riders (their identification) who were a wonderful group of people that ran a horribly organized pace line. I followed them through SAG's 2&3. The road between the second and third SAG stop was without a doubt the worst road of a ride filled with terrible roads. I should have been riding a mountain bike. My bottle cages became rocket launchers for both my water bottles and I found myself without water and half my nutrition (coconut water).

I pulled briefly into SAG 3 to grab a bottle of water and the electrolyte drink that they were serving. Something called Gleukos. Seemed to be a well thought out product. I could hear Coach Cyndee in my head telling me that all nutrition is tested before a race. Take nothing in you haven't tried before; during the race. I looked at my empty water bottle cages...time to take a chance. The orange was good. I didn't really care for the lemon which I tried at a later stop. I didn't wait for Team Adobo Velo.

Coming off of SAG 3 was an overpass and I could see a group of about 10 cyclists at the bottom of the overpass waiting at the light. I hustle to catch up and ran into Team Rwanda and Justin Nut Butter. We smile and nod to each other right before the entire group makes a wrong turn.

We realize after about a mile that we are off course and call everyone together to figure out which way to go, but there is disagreement about where to go. Several of us turn around and book it for the overpass where we came from. As we approach, we see cyclists going the other way and chase them down giving us a pace line of between 20-30 people.

Team Pearl Izumi - The last pace line for me during this ride and the most competitive. Definitely the most testosterone (even from the women) during the ride. Most of this was centered around one rider wearing a Pearl Izumi Jersey. I knew at that point that no matter what else happened, I would find a way to beat that rider (we all find our motivations in our own places). Everyone is pushing forward with the last portion of the ride.

I have been checking in with Melissa at each of the SAG stations. Because I am moving along at a pace much faster than I had originally anticipated, she has been playing catchup. By the time I reach the final aid station (91 miles) I am starting to hurt a little and the girls are there waiting for me. I grab a couple orange slices and quarter banana and some water, snap a quick picture, kiss Melissa and take off. I have Mr. Pearl Izumi to deal with...


SAG #5 (photo: Melissa Eichelberger)



Cramping - I'm smiling on the inside. (photo: Melissa Eichelberger)

When I did the Viva Bike Vegas, I started cramping badly at around mile 60. I was a little worried about that because my training has suffered over the last couple weeks. I aborted an 80 mile training ride due to illness and have, in general, not been happy with the quality of my workouts. Both changes in our home environment and stress at work have taken their toll. I made it about 85 miles before the cramps started to kick in. On the positive side, the cramps came much later and were not as severe.
Toward the end, two of the other distances joined the route bringing more riders together. No pace line now, just individual riders grinding it out. I move from one cyclist to the next. Passing 100 miles I just want to get off the bike. I'm tired. Then I remember that the Ironman distance is 112 miles, after a 2.4 mile swim and before a marathon. Suck it up and ride young man.

Still, the finish looked great.

I didn't see how far behind me Pearl Izumi finished.

6:18:43 / 105.34 miles
Garmin Telemetry