2022 Hincapie Gran Fondo Greenvillle - event recap

 

The Hincapie Gran Fondo Greenville is one of my favorite events. It comes late in the triathlon season so it's a fun way to finish off the year of racing. Even though I can ride the route anytime I want (it's nice only living 20 minutes away) the event is very professional, the community and volunteer support is incredible and I love the social aspect of seeing familiar faces and making new friends. 

Although I don't train specifically for this event, I've been able to perform well at this event for a few reasons. 

1) Triathlon training builds all around cardiomuscular endurance, strength and resiliency. 
2) I do a lot of group riding throughout the year with the Supra Cycling team and the Greenville Spinners. This helps me improve my bike handling skills and confidence/safety in a group setting. Plus, everyone I ride with is very supportive and nice, which makes group riding much more fun. 
3) I know the course, the tactics of the riders and where to conserve energy by staying in a group or dialing back my effort). Bringing this familiarity to the event allows me to race smart on such a challenging course. 
4) I love testing myself. No matter how I feel going into this race, I want to give my best from start to finish. 
5) I really enjoy the social aspect of cycling events and group riding. It brings the best out of me. 
6) Karel has taught me so much about terrain management, group riding skills and etiquette and knowing how to read the actions of other riders. These skills have helped me tremendously in triathlon racing, as well as in group riding/events. 

I've participated in the event 5 times ('16,'17,'18,'21,'22) and Karel has participated three times ('16,'17,'22). Out of all the times I've raced in this event, I feel that this year was my best. My legs felt amazing from start to finish, I didn't have any low moments, the climbs didn't feel as hard as they did in the past (although still hard, just not as hard), the weather was perfect and I was able to stay with fast groups. The only downside is that Karel and I started way back in the corral so we had to wait a good 5+ minutes before we started to ride. This prevented us from riding near the front, which ultimately affects the entire race. I'm hoping that next year I can figure out a way to get closer to the front as I feel that will make for a completely different race. 

It was fun to ride with Karel as we usually each do our own thing for this event. Karel experienced his typical cramping (happens everytime he does this event) just before the Green River Cove climb so he managed his legs while I rode ahead. I finished ~5 minutes ahead of Karel. 

The best part of the ride was joining the "celebrity" group of riders at the top of Skyuka. After we decended, I was in great company with Bob Jungles, Bobby Julich, Christian Vande Velde and George Hincapie until the rest stop in Saluda. I had one of my best times up the Saluda grade (2nd fatest female) all thanks to this group of guys with tremendous horsepower. I was at my limit at the top of the climb and the rubberband snapped just before the KOM timing mat at the top. 

Karel and I went into this event with the approach to be strategic and competitive throughout the event to see how well I could place. But we also had two other goals - to have fun and to be safe. My best performance is 3rd female (2017) but my goal going into the event this year was top 5. This event attracts top professional riders, as well as my friend and local superstar Debbie Milne (fellow RD, creator of Supra Bars and newly crowned Masters Track World Champion Cyclist). We knew I would be at a disadvantage starting in the middle of the corral but we tried our best to move up as much as we could. 

We arrived to the parking lot around 8am. The warm-up ride from the parking lot to the event was a little chilly (in the 40's) but I dressed warm in joggers and a long sleeve jersey (as well as a buff and gloves). I also had a pair of hot hands in my gloves for the 20 min of waiting in the corral before the start. I removed my layers and placed them in my bag (at the bag corral) and started with light arm warmers and light gloves. I also had a base layer tank under my Trimarni cycling jersey. I specifically wore my Pearl Izumi bibs as they have a droptail design. In other words, I don't have to remove the bibs to go to the bathroom - which makes it quick and easy to pee throughout the ride at the aid stations. I started off with two bottles of 400 calories Skratch SuperFuel and brought along 1 NeverSecond Berry gel, a package of PowerBar chews and a package of my custom Infinit (~240 calories) to refill at the Saluda aid station. I went through everything throughout the event and also had a cup of pepsi. The weather warmed up into the 70's and there was very little wind. 

Karel was able to snake his way through all the riders in the first mile of the event and although I was able to move up, I don't have the skills like he does so we had the plan to regroup at the turn off of Hwy 11. I was able to find myself in a good group from the turn off of Hwy 11 all the way to the base of Saluda. The highlight of the ride was catching a quick glance of a bear cub running across the road after the gas station outside of Tryon. 

I was never passed by any females throughout the entire race and although that had me feeling good about my placement, I also knew it would be hard to catch up to the lead ladies. 

The first 24.2 miles went by fast. I averaged 21.8 mph over 2000 feet of elevation gain. I knew it was going to be a good day when I felt strong on the first few long climbs, as well as the kicker before the lake. 

The Skyuka climb was hard as usual - averaging around 9% for 3.9 miles. It's a tough climb for me as it requires a lot of power. I felt like I could keep my cadence somewhat smooth and I was able to pass a few riders throughout the climb. Karel was ~2 minutes faster than me on the climb. It took me 32.36 minutes to get to the top (7.2 mph) and I was 6th female ranked on the Skyuka climb. We made a quick stop at the aid station knowing that the Hincapie group usually spends a bit of time regrouping up there. I made a quick pee stop in the port o potty (thankful for my bib shorts and not having to remove any gear!) before joining the group for the descend. Although I wasn't able to keep up with Karel on the fast and technical Skyuka descend, I was able to keep myself close to the group so that I could stay with everyone for the next section. 

The group pulled me along at 21.2 mph (13.3 miles) and this was a somewhat easier segment which allowed me to get ready for the Saluda Grade. 

The Saluda Grade is my favorite climb as it suits my style of finding a rhythm. It's not steep but gradual - averaging around 5-6%. We were passing many riders from the medio group and it was awesome to hear and see George Hincapie cheering for everyone. He was also proud that his son Enzo was 3rd in the Junior race. George does a lot for junior riders in this area and this race has a good payout for top 5 in the junior category (male and female). I found the effort of the group manageable for the first 1/2 of the ride but then I started to reach my upper limit. It got hard near the top and I really had to work hard to stay in the group. I managed to stay with the group until the very top of the KOM/QOM section before getting detached. I completed the Saluda grade climb in 18:47 and placed 2nd in the female category for the climb (11.8mph). I just missed first by 11 seconds. The nice part of being in this group is getting a lot of media attention and support vehicles. 

I refilled my bottle and had a few sips of pepsi at the Saluda aid station and made another pee stop. We had covered 45 miles in 2:36 and accumulated ~5000 feet of elevation. At this point, we needed to be strategic and take some risks. Karel decided that it would be best for us to ride together as long as we could in the Green River Cove loop - hoping that we wouldn't be caught by any groups (or other females). The Green River Cove loop can be broken down into 3 segments - the "descend" which also includes 3.5 steep short climbs, a flatish section and then the climb - with 17 switchbacks. 

I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with the guys I was riding with on the descends and steep short climbs so we went ahead instead of waiting for the group. We were caught by a small group at the top of the last steep climb but we also knew that this group would stop again at the next (Church) aid station. I didn't need anything from the aid station so Karel went to the bathroom and then we rode off. This next section was tough as it was a hard push for Karel to pull me for 8 miles. I took the lead a few times to give him a break but we also tried to conserve energy for the last climb. I kept looking over my shoulder anticipating the group to catch us anytime. This was a risk to ride alone as we were only averaging around 21 mph whereas I knew the group would be much faster - but then again, I may not have been able to keep up or burned too many matches. In the end, it was the right call to go ahead as we were caught just as we started the 1.97 mile Green River Cove climb. A few grades over 14% and 17 switchbacks to count down. Suprisingly, my legs felt good but Karel struggled with his inner thighs cramping and back hurting. I went ahead and finished the ride without Karel. I placed 3rd female on the Green River Cove climb in 16:01 (7.5 mph). 

I skipped the Saluda aid station on the way back and rejoined the Hincapie group until the Watershed descend. I was hoping that I could stay with the group to the finish but they attacked the 8+ mile descend faster than I could keep up. With only 15 miles left in the ride, I ended up doing the last 8 miles by myself, which was a special way to end this incredible day of riding. It was me vs me. I gave it what I could. I felt really good at the finish line and received a medal from my athlete Ruthanne.  I joined the Supra Cycling Club while waiting for Karel to finish. We then reunited with some of our athletes who did the medio distance (we are so proud of them for stepping out of their comfort zone!) and then watched the awards. 

Around 3pm we rode our bikes back to the car (~3 miles) and moved our car to the on-site parking area. From 4:45-6:45pm, we volunteered for "tear down" which was a lot of work. It gave me a whole new appreciation for what goes into the events that we do. We arrived home shortly after 7pm. 

I placed 5th overall female in 4:43.I just love this event and all the good energy from participants when it's complete. If you are looking for a challenging but beautiful course with great community and rider support, I highly encourage you to check out this great event. 

Hincapie Gran Fondo - Event Recap

 

When planning my 2021 race season, I had intended on the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and Xterra trail run being my last two events of the season. Although I felt officially finished with my season when returning home from Utah, I've been itching to be back in a competitive atmosphere. 

The itch got stronger over the past two weeks when riding with the Supra Bar Cycling Club. We pre-rode parts of the course (Skyuka and Saluda Grade one week and then Green River Cove switchbacks the next week) during each ride and it made me realize how much I love being around others when I'm on my road bike. 

By the time I decided I wanted to do the Hincapie Gran Fondo for the 4th time, the registration price was at its highest amount. I questioned if I wanted to pay that much and I decided it was too much and instead, I would just volunteer. I signed up for a volunteer shift from 6am-9am at Bag Check as I figured it would be the most "social" activity and I could see some familiar faces. Well, soon after I filled out my volunteer sign-up, I found out from Debbie with Supra that someone was in need of selling his entry (at the original early bird price) so I quickly acted on it and he transferred his entry to me (thankfully that is an option at the Hincapie Gran Fondo event). 

I decided to keep my volunteer slot and help out before starting my event at 9am. 

I went to bed pretty early on Friday and had a fairly good night of sleep. I was really excited for the event but cycling events always give me some nerves as the mass start is always crazy fast and chaotic. Karel is always great at maneuvering his way through the field and I've learned a lot from him. Speaking of Karel, he wasn't interested in participating in the event this year so he rode his mountain bike at Dupont for 3 hours and followed it up with a 35 minute trail run. For me, it's really important to me to be in social settings in the fall/winter whereas Karel is ok doing his own thing and doesn't need the people interaction that I crave. 

I woke up at 5am and left my house around 5:40am. I had some yogurt before I left and a bagel w/ PB and honey during the 20-minute drive to the hotel. Arriving so early to Hotel Domestique gave me a great parking spot near the expo/race start/finish. 

I reported to the bag check at 6am with my bike and cycling gear (and post event clothes) and wasn't really needed until around 7am. By 8am, it got really busy and I was checking in bags by stapling the bag check number of each participant to their bag and then putting it in the respective bib number row on the ground. I saw several friends and a lot of Ironman-branded race bags being checked in. Although I was dressed in layers for the early morning (it was in the 50's), I totally forgot my arm warmers for the event. Thankfully Debbie had an extra pair that she loaned me for the event. 

Around 8:40am, the line started to dwindle down for bag check and I was released of my duties. I quickly put on my cycling shoes, helmet, arm warmers and glasses and stuffed my pockets with sport nutrition (Infinit powder - 2 bags for two refills, PB filled Clif Bar and a packet of Clif Ginger Chews). I rode my bike on the grass field behind the hotel and managed to squeeze into the front of the 2nd corral of riders (juniors and VIP in the front, then another corral of riders). With over 2500 riders between three events (15 mile, 50 mile, 80 mile) there was a long line behind me. After waiting for about 10 minutes, we were finally off. It took a few more minutes to get over the start line and finally, I was off. The first mile is up hill and with all different riding skills ahead of me, I was careful making my way through the riders. I have to give Karel a big thank you for teaching me so many great skills when riding in a group. 

I didn't have a strategy for how I wanted to go about this event but I knew I wanted to give it a solid effort. Anytime I have a timing chip and a bib number, I want to give it my best effort. There's something about being in an event that makes me want to explore my limits. But I also wanted to have fun so it was a careful balance to not be overly focused on results that I couldn't enjoy myself. 

After navigating my way safely through the first 24 miles (1:11) which included some fast miles and a technical section around Lake Lanier near Tryon, I made my way to Skyuka. I found myself by myself for a few miles and just thought about expending too much energy on my own. These cycling events are all about getting in a group and being pulled along. Even though it's still work when you are in a group, it's much faster to be in a group than riding solo.

When I finally got to Skyuka (after getting behind the wheel of a guy and another female rider), I was looking forward to our first official climb. This timed KOM (or QOM) was 3.85 and took me 33:42. I met up with my friend Carley and we rode together and chatted for most of the climb. Near the top, I couldn't keep her pace and she got ahead of me. My legs were working hard and I could feel it. Skyuka is a tough climb as it averages around 9% and has segments over 14%. It's a tough climb that you have to just grind your way up. I found myself passing a few other riders and when I finally got to the top, I was rewarded with one of my favorite views. But I didn't spend too much time enjoying the view as I wanted to get to the aid station stop to refill my bottles and to hopefully join a group. 

A large group left right as I was filling up my bottle and Carley and I tried to catch them. There was a crash right in front of us on one of the tight switchbacks but I felt confident with my descending skills. I've really improved over the years and my Ventum NS1 w/ disc brakes has really helped my confidence when descending, especially with our technical terrain. 

For the next 43 minutes, Carley and I found ourselves alone with no groups around us. There was one other girl with us and another guy but not enough horsepower to move us up to any group ahead of us. We were actually passed by George Hincapie and a few riders with him but we didn't react fast enough to hop on to this train.

Nike and Carley - we rode over 50 miles together and we shared a lot of laughs, convos and cheers.

When we got to the 2nd timed KOM/QOM section on the Saluda Grade, one of the girls we were with rode really strong. I made sure to stay on her wheel but as she was starting to get tired near the top (she was riding really really strong) I took over and pulled my group to the top. We ended up being pulled along by a guy named Nick from Nashville (who helped pull us for a few miles before the Saluda Grade climb). This climb took us 21:22 and was 3.61 miles. I really like this climb because it's a steady climb without any pitchy sections. I can just find my rhythm and if my energy is good, I can hold it. I was doing a great job with my nutrition and trying to take in a bit more than what I would normally take in due to nature of this challenging 80-ish mile course with almost 8000 feet of elevation gain. 

Near the top of the climb, the other girl with us got a boost of energy and took off right before the top of the climb before we got there. We rolled in right after her. We then made a stop at the next aid station in Saluda to refill bottles. I made sure to always refill my bottles so that I wouldn't ration any of my drinks. It was a beautiful day with weather in the upper 60's/low 70's and sunny. A perfect fall day with light wind. 

Next came Green River Cove. This "loop" is around 23 miles and can be broken down into a few distinct sections. The first section includes a lot of fast descending on winding roads. It's fast, fun and scenic. But the descending doesn't last long enough before you are hit with a wall of a climb. There are 3.5 of these "walls" to negotiate over ~10 miles. There's one super sketchy switchback that is more like a u-turn of a curve but they have caution signs notifying the riders of that section. I felt really comfortable descending and even at this point in the race (almost 4 hours in), I still felt really good with my energy. I was coughing a few times but I didn't feel anything concerning in my lungs. 

Next comes a "flat" section that runs along the Green River. These 8-miles are absolutely beautiful and it all reminds me of Lake Placid or somewhere out west. Nick did most of the pulling but Carley and I were there to help out whenever needed. After our next aid station stop at the church before this 8-mile section, we had missed the big group so we knew we were on our way for this stretch. I was hopeful that we could still catch up to some riders but no luck.

And then comes the Green River Switchbacks - the last timed KOM/QOM. Seventeen switchbacks with a few pitchy segments. I like the switchbacks as it breaks up the climb but there are some steep sections that require a strong grind up. With Carley right behind me, she really kept me honest as I was pushing the pace. We did the 2.13 mile climb in 17:29 and it was a relief to have that behind us. On Skyuka climb I had no idea how my legs would make it through the Green River Cove loop but with 15 miles to go, I was still feeling really strong. I had a few sips of Pepsi and a banana before we started the 8-mile section so by the time we got to the switchbacks, I felt like I had really good stable energy. I was also still sipping on my INFINIT custom blend and ended up finishing 4 bottles throughout the ride. 

We stopped at the Saluda aid station one last time and then we made our way through the town of Saluda and up and down a few rollers before a nice 7-mile descend throughout the watershed. Nearing the end of the watershed, we were caught by a small group and there were two females in that group. The two ladies were the ones that I had rode with before Skyuka and on the Saluda Grade. At this point, I felt a bit of a competitive fire in me so my mission was to attack the very last climb to the finish line (1K to go) and give it all I could. I ended up breaking away and finished ahead of the group. All for glory and no awards, I had a lot of fun pushing myself on that final stretch. I knew Karel would be proud of me and if he was there, he would have expected me to sprint at the end with the group behind me - because why not? :)

So thankful I "rode" into Carley on the Skyuka climb. We both pushed each other. She's a great climber and descender. 

I was done at the finish but full of smiles. My soul was happy and I got what I wanted out of the event.

Even though this course is in my backyard and I can ride it anytime, I crave community, positive energy, cheers and memorable experiences as every athletic event I choose is a way to enrich my athletic soul. I was happy that I could volunteer (which always gives me an even bigger appreciation for all that goes on behind the scenes of an endurance event) and could participate in my 4th Hincapie Gran Fondo. I ended up placing 7th overall female and finished in 5:07 (4:56 not including stops). 

I spent some time with my Supra Cycling friends and then headed home. Oh, I was talked into running off the bike with a cycling friend Nate (he's a duathlete) so we ran 6 minutes off the bike - just to remind ourselves of what it feels like :) My first brick run since IM 70.3 World Championship in September. I finished the day with several slices of Sidewall pizza (I picked up 2 pizzas on the way home) and a yummy bowl of Oreo Ice Cream. 

FULL EVENT RESULTS HERE.

Hincapie Gran Fondo '18 Event Recap

Shortly after moving to Greenville in May 2014, Karel and I went out for a ride to check out our new cycling routes. I came home with tears in my eyes "Karel, it's too hilly here. There's no way I'll ever be able to ride here!"

Little did I realize that Greenville was exactly what I needed during such a tough time in my life....I had just lost my dad to Cancer.

After a year of embracing the challenging terrain, I found myself getting stronger. My cycling skills improved and I was riding better than ever before. Most of all, my love of cycling grew incredibly strong and I found myself itching to be outside on my bike for it was the closest way that I could get to nature and enjoy all that Greenville had to offer us.....farm animals, mountains and lots and lots of climbing. Greenville provided us with bike-friendly roads and the bike became a safe, fun and healthy outlet for me to clear my thoughts, work through my emotions of losing my dad and to step (far) outside of my comfort zone. 

Source: Facebook 

George Hincapie has created something special with the Hincapie Gran Fondo. With your registration fee, you get a jersey (for the medio and gran distance), bottle of wine and an incredibly awesome event experience including chip timing, full-stocked SAG stops, bike support, well-marked roads (and climbs), great volunteer support and an amazing feast of food at Hotel Domestique (the start/finish of the event).

While the Gran distance (80 miles, 8100 feet of elevation gain) includes three of our toughest mountain climbs around our area, it's sure to make you feel accomplished when you get to the finish line. There are also two other distances (15 and 50) that are worth trying out as you still get lots of mountain views and a chase to surround yourself with many like-minded individuals.


As for the event itself, I lined up with my athletes (Reid, Meredith, Bryan and Diane.....Dana was a bit behind us) around 7:30am. We took turns going to the bathroom and dropping off our bags at bag check. The start of a cycling event is always a bit crazy so come 9am (after the professional rider shout-outs of Mark Cavendish, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Christian Vande Velde), it was nice to finally get rolling. The temperature was cool but not cold as it was in the upper 50's with a slight midst in the air. I wore an undershirt under my jersey and arm warmers, along with my cycling shorts.

With this being my 3rd consecutive time participating in this event, I knew that the first 10 miles would be really chaotic and my goal was to stay safe. Karel was not participating in the event this year but told me to give it my best effort to leave it all out there.

The first 10 miles were neutral, which meant that the riders on the front who were "racing" could not pass the lead vehicle. There's a lot of vehicle support on this course and it's very well-marked with volunteers all over the course. Although this event brings a lot of "racers" anyone can participate. Only those who choose to "race it" do so but everyone feels the same type of accomplishment at the finish.

After veering off Hwy 11, it wasn't too long later when I heard the sound that you never want to hear when riding in a group. It was a huge crash with the group that I was riding with (the main front group). Luckily, I was able to dodge the crash that occurred right in front of me as I was on the far left of the road (riders can take up both lanes on most of the roads. Although the course is not closed to traffic, only one car passed me over 80-miles). I managed to keep my eyes straight in front of me, instead of looking over at the crash, which allowed me to find room to move my bike to the grass. I am thankful to Karel who has helped me improve my cycling skills over many many years. I eventually jumped back on the pavement and never had to dismount my bike. I didn't look back as I knew that help would be on its way and with so many people tied up in the crash, there was nothing I could do to help. Hopefully everyone was ok. 

Although nothing is flat or easy with the 80-mile route, there are three major climbs. The first is Skyuka mountain which occurs around 24 miles into the 80-mile ride. At this point, I had only been riding about an hour and we had already covered ~1500 elevation gain. Group riding is very tough for me for it's a lot of accelerating and riding someone else's effort (everything that triathlon is not) but I enjoyed the challenge. I was also "racing it" from the gun with no real agenda on strategy but just giving my best and being strategic throughout the event to try to get to the finish as quick as I could. 

Once I started climbing Skyuka, I warmed up really quickly even though the air temp was dropping to the low 50's and it started to drizzle. The Skyuka climb took me 30 minutes and 22 seconds and I placed 5th out of 65 females on that climb (one of two timed climbs). It was a relief to get to the top, enjoy the view, top off my two water bottles and start the descend. While my heart was pumping hard throughout the climb, it only settled a little bit during the technical four-mile descend on wet roads. 

Less than four miles later, it's nearing time for the 2nd major climb of the Gran Fondo. And this climb is the nasty one. Howards Gap is probably the most difficult climb we have around where we live (well I think the 30% grade climb that Karel took me on once ties with this one) as it is two miles of straight road, averaging around 10%. I covered Howards Gap in 16 minutes and 43 seconds, my average speed was 6.9mph, cadence averaged 61 rpm, and it was a relief to get that climb behind me.

While the "main group" (with George and several other notable riders who were not technically racing but still racing from SAG stop to SAG stop) passed me up Skyuka, I went ahead at the top so I could get as far ahead as I could before getting caught again. At this point in the ride, I was feeling strong but certainly my legs were getting a bit tired. I managed to stay with small groups after Skyuka which was good for me to keep pushing a strong effort to keep up with the wheels in front of me.

The Green River Cove loop is one of my favorite routes. It's a little over 20 miles and has beautiful scenery that reminds me of the Lake Placid region. There's a lot of descending and climbing within the loop but you do get several miles of flat to settle into a rhythm. The feature of this route is the Green River Cove Switchback section that comes at the end of the loop and includes 17 (more like 20+ if you counted every single switchback) over 2.4 miles. While the switch backs break up the momentum, the sections between can be rather steep. It's a relief when that climb is complete as you know you are only about 15 miles away from the finish. 

In one of the very steep downhill switchbacks around 5.8 miles into the loop, I was caught by the main group and had a large group of guys around me (who had much better cycling skills than me). This switchback is incredibly steep as you are going downhill and it's a tight 90-degree right hand turn, followed by another sharp left turn. The road was wet and I was trying to ride as safe as I could. Perhaps I was squeezing on my brakes too hard but soon after those two switchbacks, my front tire exploded. It was a super loud pop and it was immediate to me that I had a flat.

My first reaction was sadness because I was having such a strong ride near the front of the race. I was then passed by lots and lots and lots of cyclists, as well as a few girls that I had managed to pass on Skuyka and Howard's Gap. But then I told myself that the longer I wait on the side of the road, the less chance I have to catch back up with the group at the upcoming SAG stop at the church. I changed the tire in less than 4 minutes and jumped back on my bike and thankfully, the group was still at the SAG stop. Just to be safe that I had enough pressure in my tire, I went over to the Boyd Cycling truck and asked for a pump. He pumped it up to 90-95 psi, put the wheel back on my bike and then BOOM. It flatted again. At this point, the tread was ruined and perhaps it was my fault that I pinched it when I was trying to change it or just bad luck but I was in need of a tire or wheel change. I noticed that the group was getting ready to leave so I asked for a wheel change. I received a new wheel, the mechanic adjusted my brake so the wheel would fit and then I thanked him greatly for saving my ride. Thankfully Boyd Cycling is in the area so I can exchange back this demo wheel for my wheel this week.

I managed to hang with a strong group of 4 guys to the start of the Green River climb when we got caught by the main group (more like swallowed). I tried to hang with the climbers but I only lasted about two switchbacks. It was fun suffering while it lasted. Mid-way of the climb, a girl (Austin) caught me and I remembered her from Skyuka (I passed her right at the top). She was riding super strong and we ended up finishing the last 15 miles in a group together. I could not match her strength on two wheels so she got me at the finish line but I was proud to give all I could all the way to the finish line. I completed the Green River Cove climb (timed) in 15:20 and placed 4th out of 46 females.

Despite an eventful event, I had a blast. I suffered, I finished exhausted, I took risks, I had fun and I felt grateful for all that my body allows me to do. Oh and the post event hot shower truck was amazing!

While life has been busy lately, it was nice to be able to escape the daily life stressors and enjoy a few hours on two wheels, on our amazing cycling playground, with 2500+ other people who love riding bikes.

Results: 

4:43.11 (chip time)

4:31.03 (Garmin time)

Place: 7th overall female

3rd AG (35-39)

61st overall (out of 526)

2017 Hincapie Gran Fondo - event recap

I have been looking forward to the 2017 Hincapie Gran Fondo event for the entire past year. The idea of only riding my bike (no swim or run), with lots of other cyclists, on some of the most challenges climbs in and around our area, makes for a great way to spend a Saturday. Plus, I had so much fun in 2016 participating in this event that I couldn't wait to do all 80-miles and 8000 feet of climbing again in 2017. And after completing Ironman Chattanooga in late September, it was motivating for me to have another event on the calendar to conclude my 2017 racing season - even if only a bike event.

Since I didn't know what to expect last year, I was surprised to see my name listed as 4th place overall female. I guess all of the selfies and pictures that I took throughout the race kept me from being on the podium. Going into the event this year, Karel mentioned that if I wanted, he would help pace me during the event to see if I could get on the podium. Although we had no idea who would show up for the Hincapie Gran Fondo (as this event brings out a few professional cyclists and teams), I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do the entire ride behind Karel's wheel. With no pressure on myself as a triathlete and no specific bike training in my off-season, we decided that this year I would "race" the Gran Fondo.

Our assistant coach/athlete/friend Joe drove up from Jacksonville on Thursday so that he could participate in the Gran Fondo with us for the second year in a row. This year we were also joined by our athlete Thomas (who just did his first Ironman in Chatty), along with thousands of other cyclists.

On Saturday morning, we left our house at 7am and by 7:25am, we were parked in a grassy field off Hwy 11, surrounded by cars full of bike racks. The weather was cold but not too cold so we bundled up just enough to stay warm as we rode the 1 mile down the road to the event start at Hotel Domestique.

As soon as we rolled into the staging area, we secured our spot around 7:45am right behind the VIP staging, over an hour before the 9am event start. Although the waiting was a bit boring, we made good use of the time by going to the bathroom, dropping off our bags at the bag drop and walking around as one another held each others bikes.

The start of any mass start bike event is a little chaotic so Karel did not ride too aggressive from the start so that I could stay on his wheel. Although we tried to make our way to the front as quick as possible, it was a good two minutes before we could actually clip in and start riding up the hill.

A few miles later, we were on Hwy 11 and the pace started to pick up as we found ourselves in a small group.

For the first 58 minutes/22 miles, the pace was fast. There were a lot of surges and accelerations which was hard for me to stay on Karel's wheel but thankfully I had Thomas around me to keep me in the pack.

Once we turned off Hwy 11, I had a chance to recover my legs as we had a nice little downhill stretch. I liked the group that we were in and once I realized that there was no larger group ahead of us, I figured that this would be the group that I was stay in for a while.

After we started climbing again, the group kinda broke up and Karel made sure that I was always behind him. Although I had no trouble staying with others on the climb, it was the downhills and surges that were tough for me. A few climbs and descends later, we were nearing Lake Lanier for the twisty and turny flatish switchbacks around the lake. This section included lots of accelerations and it was hard for my legs to respond to all of the sudden efforts from those around me. By this time, I lost Karel's wheel but thankfully he waited for me before we made our way into Tryon.

When we went through the town of Tryon, Karel told me to stay patient. He wanted me to recover and ride as comfortable as possible until we started the Skyuka climb (first KOM timed climb of the event). Thanks to Karel's cycling experience, he was able to scope out the riders around me, which included a few ladies from the Papa John's cycling team. Karel was studying them and he told me that this was the group for us to stay into until the start of the climb and then we would break away. Although I was a little ancy to ride a little harder, I trusted his advice and rode pretty easy near the back of the group until we started the climb. At this time, I noticed that we were also riding with Anthony Sullivan (the pitchman for Oxiclean) which was pretty cool.

Once we started our climb, Karel rode at a steady pace for me so that I could pace my way up the 3.9ish mile climb. With the average grade of this climb around 10%, I just reminded myself that what goes up must come down so once all the suffering of climbing was overwith, I could enjoy the technical descend.

Because the elevation gain of the Skyuka climb is around 1800 feet, it's a leg burner of a climb. I found myself feeling pretty good throughout the climb and I thank Karel for his constant encouragement throughout to the top. Realizing that my hard effort was pretty easy for him, I really appreciated that he was there for me until the top.

Once we got to the top, I gave myself a bit of a breather to shake out my legs and without stopping, took note of the amazing view at the top. But no time for pictures as I needed to keep moving. Karel asked if I needed more nutrition for my bottles and I told him no as I had 1.5 bottles left. But thankfully, Karel stopped at the sag station at the top of Skyuka before the descend as I quickly found myself getting a little bit warmer once I finished the climb.

I was a little nervous about the technical descend but surprisingly, I found it very doable for me as my skills have improved so much over the past year, especially my descending skills. Karel had fun on the descend and even though he stopped to fill up his bottle with EFS at the sag stop, he passed me pretty quickly on the start of the descend and he still had to wait a few minutes for me at the bottom.

Once we connected with each other, we rode in a small group with 4 other guys until we reached Howard's Gap. If there is one climb that is not fun in our area (NC), it is Howard's gap. It's the most frustrating, most brutal climb to do, especially with tired legs but it's one of those climbs that makes you feel so accomplished when you get done with it. And the worst part is that it occurs less than 5 miles after you finish the Skyuka descend and you still have a few hills to navigate over before you start the Howard Gap climb.

Although I am not sure where the "official" start is of the climb, you are actually climbing for about 2.5 miles and for the last 1 mile, the average grade is around 12-13%. There are no switchbacks in this section but just a long, open stretch of pavement as your legs are pedaling at a brisk 4-6 mph. It's brutal!

Karel went ahead of me as he spotted Joe ahead on the climb so once he connected with him, they soft pedaled together until I caught up at the top of the climb. There is actually a little more climbing once you turn off Howard's gap but thankfully it "only" goes down to around 4% so it feels flat.

When we started our descend after the climb, I noticed that we were in a small group with no one behind us and no one in front of us. Karel was able to organize our group of 6 so that everyone was rotating and taking a very short pull at the front. Karel told me to stay at the back and not take any pulls so I stuck on the wheel of whoever was in the back. Although this section was only less than 4 miles, it was nice to have some company, even if just a small group.

At this point in the ride we had covered about 43 miles in 2.5 hours and accumulated close to 5000 feet of climbing. Although two major climbs were behind us, we still had 20 miles of the Green River Cove loop, which included lots of descending along  with 2-3 steep climbs in route to the backside of the loop and then the well-known 17-switchbacks at the end of the loop. I was most looking forward to the backside of the loop as I told myself that once the switchbacks were complete, we would only have around 15 miles left of riding.

My legs were a little tired but my energy level was good. I felt strong on the bike and very well fueled. Learning from Karel and his cycling days, I made sure to stay up on my liquids (I started with INFINIT and then moved to EFS which was on the course) and any extra calories (Skratch chews and Enervitine caffeinated gel), particularly between the climbs and before/after any descends. I had a lot of extra sport nutrition in my pockets so that I could pick and choose as I went along. It was starting to get warm out (low 60's) so I found myself wanting to drink a bit more than in the early parts of the ride.

I was really happy with my descending skills on the Green River loop and although the climbs were tough, I still felt like I was riding well. I had received word from a few volunteers that I was the 2nd female on the course in the Gran division (80-mile) but even though I didn't know if this information was accurate, it was nice to have a little confidence from others that I was in a position to be on the podium. I told Karel that I was in 2nd and he was happy for me as we weren't sure if there were teams of ladies in front of me or if I was near the front of the event but we both knew that in bike racing, it's not over until it's over and we still had a long way to go.

Once we made our way to the backside of the loop, we decided that we would all needed to refill our bottles (me, Karel and Joe). Right before we made our stop, we were caught by the "George Hincapie" group and his team of developmental riders on the Holowesko/Citadel team. Since I rode with this group for most of the ride last year (from Howard's gap until the finish), I knew these guys were just having fun out there and not "racing" but I was more worried about any ladies behind or in this group.

Ours top was super quick (just enough time for a few sips of Pepsi and a quick potty stop for Karel) and then we were off again with topped off water bottles with EFS.

Although I knew that I would be faster in a large group, I was worried about getting dropped from the group and being caught by some strong cyclists behind me. So we made the decisions for Joe and Karel to take pulls and to ride strong until the switchbacks. For the next 7.8 miles, Joe and Karel rode really strong as I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder, worried about being swallowed up by the group of cyclists that caught up to us at the sag stop. Luckily, we were never caught but I still had 2.1 miles of 17 switchbacks (at an average grade of around 8%) next on my to-do list.

Each switchback was marked as 17 out of 17, 16 out of 16, etc. and some are a bit more pitchy than others. Although the switchbacks were nice to change up the rhythm and to stretch the legs out of the saddle, the in between sections of some of the switchbacks were tough. Joe gave a super strong effort until we reached the switchbacks and he told me and Karel to go ahead as he needed to recover. I was so grateful for his help as it really helped us stay away from the pack behind us. Karel was feeling a twinge in his groin so in an effort to prevent his leg from cramping he was managing his effort (which was still tough for me at times!).

When we made it to the top, I was relieved that the last long climb was complete but we still had 15 more miles to go.

As we made our way into Saluda, we did a little more climbing before we finally reached the SC border to start our descend down the watershed. Although this was one of those descends that you still had to "work" for, I was relieved to not have to climb for almost 7 miles as we made our way out of the watershed. By this time, we were connecting with cyclists from the medio division and Karel was hauling it. As I learned from last year (missing the podium by less than 30 seconds), every single second counts. I stayed on Karel's wheel and gave my absolute best as we slowly inched our way to the last climb toward Hotel Domestique. I had no idea of my time until Karel mentioned that we had a chance to break 4:30 (Last year I did 4:45) so I did my version of "sprinting" until I finally crossed that finish line.....in 4:30.40.

After we crossed the finish line, I received a medal for finishing but since my legs felt super empty, I spun my legs around the parking lot with Karel until I felt like I could put my feet on the ground. Karel was really happy for me and I was happy for myself that I was able to put together such a strong ride without any low moments. Plus, regardless of the results, I had so much fun out there.

After Joe and Thomas finished, we hung around the food area to refuel until we heard the final results that I landed on the 3rd spot of the female podium. Yippee - mission accomplished all thanks to Karel (and a huge help from Joe on Green River Cove).

We stayed for the awards at 4pm, where I received my prize for 3rd place (a Michelen tire and a $200 Hincapie Sportsware gift certificate) along with a handshake from Erik Zabel (which Karel thought was super cool as he was one of Karel's cycling idol's when he was younger). It was a great honor for me to stand on the podium with two super strong and talented cyclists and I was proud to represent the triathlon community.

What a great way to finish off the 2017 season and to kick off the 2018 season!

If you are interested in this event, I highly recommend it! 

Results HERE.

Here's a video that I made (10 minutes long) of our adventure on two wheels, which included the Skyuka climb. Taken by our new Garmin VIRB ultra 30 camera.
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The Hincapie Warehouse sale is tomorrow (Friday)!

When we moved to Greenville, SC in May of 2014 (from Jacksonville, FL), our winter riding wardrobe consisted mostly of arm warmers, leg warmers, gloves, shoe covers, ear coverings and a pair of riding tights for those "cold" days in Florida. Sure, we had the basic gear to keep our extremities warm during the cooler days but come December in Greenville, we quickly realized that we needed more gear for comfort, functionality and warmth. I certainly have my limit when it comes to outdoor riding (it needs to be above 40 degrees) but in order to keep my cycling skills sharp and fresh, I need to be outside on my bike over the winter. Thankfully, with the right gear, even those 40-degree rides are not too brutally cold.

In conjunction with packet pickup for the Hincapie Gran Fondo, the Hincapie Warehouse Sale (located at 45 Pete Hollis Blvd, Greenville, SC 29601) is an event not to be missed.

If you are in or near the Greenville area and you are in need of some high quality cycling gear (at extremely affordable prices!), I encourage you to get to the sale early in the morning so that you can stock up on lots of riding gear for your winter riding. Although Karel and I made sure to get a lot of gear in 2015, I always find something at the sale that I really "need" - plus, I can never have too many sporty pairs of socks. And in addition to cycling gear, you can also find stylish jeans and jackets, along with triathlon gear.

See you there!!