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. 

Haute Route Alps Stage 7 - The finale!

 

STAGE 7 

August 27th, 2022

Start: Megeve, France

Finish: Megeve, France

62 miles

4:21 riding time

14.2 mph average

7628 feet

Climbs: Epine (6.9K), Croix Fry (11.3K), Aravis (4.4K)

After 6 days, we didn't think we would make it this far. The final day. All that was between us and becoming an official Haute Route finisher was 62 miles. On any day in Greenville, riding 7600 feet would be a big climbing day but for stage 7, it was a "light" day. Besides the time trial, every stage involed over 10,000 feet of climbing. I was really looking forward to completing this event and I wore my Haute Route jersey (included in our race packet) as a celebration for making it to the last stage. 
At breakfast, I looked at the results and I was safely sitting in 2nd place in my age group. Unless something extreme happened (ex. mechanical or crash), I felt like I could remain 2nd in my age group (40-44). I felt like that was a big accomplishment and I brought that motivation to the stage. I wanted to remain competitive but also enjoy this last day. Karel was very tired and was still a bit worried about not having the energy to get through the stage but he knew he would finish, he just didn't know how much he would suffer. 

With the majority of this stage being timed, I knew it wouldn't be like the previous stages. This would be much more like a group ride with quick stops to refill bottles. Planning for a little over 4 hours of riding, I planned to refill two bottles somewhere half way. Karel didn't refill his bottles throughout the stage. The weather was a bit cool (60) so I started off with my arm warmers but took them off before the start as I knew I would warm up quickly. 

After 14.4k of neutralized riding, we made our way passed the timing system and that was it. From that point until 99k, this would be our last timed segment of the Haute Route Alps. 

Aside from the lead riders, there was a big pack of riders and I was able to stay in the group. But then the road picked up and I could feel myself struggling. I was ok with getting dropped but then Karel rode up to me and said "Marni, don't give up. Just push until the top of the hill and then there is a downhill." I was so thankful that he told me that because all I needed was to make a few hard pedal strokes to get back to the group and even though my legs were burning and my heart was beating out of my chest, I was able to stay with the big group to the top of the climb and recover on the downhill. 

One of the early climbs was a bit rough with loose gravel. I wanted to be extra careful as I didn't want to crash or have a mechanical but I also trusted my skills. I was able to descend safely and made my way to a strong group, with a few strong females. It was a lot of fun to feel like I was finally riding to my potential on the last two stages. I really enjoyed being able to stay with bigger groups and sit on the wheel of strong riders. The middle climb took an hour so I still needed to pace myself. 

Although the climbs were not as long as previous days (thank goodness we didn't have to climb 3+ hours again!), they were still punchy and the legs felt the accumulation of climbing over the past 7 days. Even though the finish line was near, I didn't focus on the finish but instead, just stayed focused on the kilometer that I was in. 

Once again, the scenery was incredible and I really tried to take it all in. My favorite part was the last hour. It reminded me of one of my favorite climbs in our area (Saluda Grade) and I was behind a guy from Canada who was riding really strong. He was not as comfortable descending but super strong on the climbs and flats so we made a good team. I stayed on his wheel for the climbs (he really made me push) and then he told me that he trusted my wheel on the downhills so I would take the lead. I made one pull to give him a break so I was glad that I could contribute. The final 10K was windy and a gradual incline into Megeve but we stayed strong. It was just me and this guy from Canada and we worked really well to get each other to the finish line. 

Once we saw the 1K to go, I felt such relief. We gave each other a fist bump before making the final turn toward the finish line chute. 

When I crossed the finish line, I saw Karel and I couldn't believe we did it. By far, this was the hardest athletic feat that we have ever attempted. 

After 7 days of riding, we were so happy to not have to ride our bikes on Sunday. Although, I was very sad to return my Pinarello as I had fallen in love with my bike over 7 days and I was sad to let it go. Karel took off my crank, saddle and pedals and we returned our bikes back to Jeremey with France Bike Rentals. 

We picked up our finisher polo shirt and then walked back to our hotel (a few minutes away). After taking a shower, we relaxed in bed for an hour - just enoying the moment of knowing that we didn't have to ride our bikes on Sunday. I turned on the TV and could pick from watching cycling, UTMB and Mountain biking - all in French. It was nice to feel like we could finally relax. 

Shortly after, we walked through the cute town of Megeve (which was my favorite town that we visited throughout the Haute Route) and had an amazing meal in the afternoon. It ended up pouring outside during our meal and we couldn't help but think how great weather we had throughout the event. After we ate, we walked around and then back to our hotel to collapse in bed before heading to the athlete award ceremony at 7pm. 

Prior to the awards, we received a notification on our Haute Route app that the top three in each age group would be recognized. That came as a big surprise to us so I was so honored to get on the stage to celebrate. Since the overall winner of the female division was also in my age group, she received a different prize so her prize rolled down to me, which was unexpected. 

Dinner was amazing, especially dessert. After the ceremony, went back to our hotel, ready for bed. 
Even though we were so tired, it was hard to sleep as our bodies were completely empty and sore. But being able to go to sleep knowing that we had nothing to do the next day was a great feeling. 

We ended up going for an easy swim the next day at the swim center (behind our hotel) and it felt really good to float a few laps in the long course pool. We were both extremely tired (and it had been over a week since we swam) so it wasn't a productive swim for fitness but very productive to move some blood. 

We had a great lunch (burgers - veggie for me, it was amazing!!) and then around 3pm we checked out of our hotel and walked next door to the bus stop to board our shuttle bus to take us to the Geneva Airport in Switzerland. 

Although we struggled throughout this event and found it very humbling, we do feel that our long distance triathlon training contributed to a great amount of endurance needed for this event. However, having been through this 7-day experience, we now know how to prepare better and what is needed mentally and physically, to be a bit more competitive throughout this event. 

Thank you for following us along. We really appreciate it. We hope that we have inspired you to step out of your comfort zone to challenge yourself as you explore your capabilities. 

Results

Haute Route Alps Stage 6

 

STAGE 6

August 26th, 2022

Start: Meribel, France

Finish: Megeve, France

85.45 miles

6:10 riding time

11.0 mph average

12,086 feet

Climbs: TRA (9.7K), Cormet de Roselend (19.2K), Saisies (16.3K)

By this point in the event, we had our morning routine nailed down and we started to become a bit more relaxed in the morning. Whereas we had stuck to a strict 2-hour before the event wake-up, we gave ourselves a bit more time to sleep in and woke up at 5:45am instead of 5:30am. We walked across the street to get breakfast and then packed up our room. At this point I was out of Skratch Super Fuel (which I used for the first 4 stages in my first two bottles). I used 2 heaping scoops C30 from Never Second and 1 packet of EFS Salty Watermelon (which was really good) in my other bottle. I also had some chews to give me a bit more calories since my other bottle only had 110 calories. 

Since we didn't have far to go for the staging area (it was right next to our hotel), we made our way to the starting area around 7:15am. Although this stage was our 4th stage of climbing over 10,000 feet, it was also our second to last stage - and our last stage of climbing over 10,000 feet. Certainly knowing that we only had one day left made it a lot easier to look forward to this stage. In looking at the weather on the Epic Ride Weather app, it looked like we may get some rain later on the in the stage but overall, it would be a cool and cloudy day. 

I wore my jacket to start because we had 21.7K neutralized with most of it downhill. After we started, we had a short climb out of the village of Meribel before starting our long descend down the Col de la Loze that we climbed to finish stage 4. After a few minutes of riding, I noticed that my computer wasn't picking up speed, mileage or cadence. The night prior my Garmin froze so I am not sure what happened but it was trouble picking up the satellite. I restarted the computer and still nothing. After a few minutes, Karel and I stopped on the side of the road to try to fix it up but after trying a few things, it was still not picking up the metrics. While I wasn't using power for pacing, it was extremely helpful to know what kilometer I was on as that helped with pacing. Plus, for this epic event, I wanted to make sure every mile was accounted for. Once we got started again, we were at the very back of the group (behind the last vehicle) but after a kilometer of descending, we were back up toward the front of the group. Eventually my computer started working (somewhere in the beginning of the first timed climb) so that was a relief that I finally knew where I was in the climb. 

Once we got a few kilometers away from the first timed section, I stopped to go pee on the side of the road and stuffed my jacket in my jersey pocket. I picked back up with a group just before the first timed section. 

The TRA climb was a great first climb of the day. The road condition, grade and switchbacks reminded me of home and I felt really strong. I was able to stay in a small group and I found myself ahead of a few girls that were always ahead of me in the previous stages. Karel was feeling a bit stronger than in the past few stages thanks to the rest day. It really helped him to have the afternoon off where he could rest and refuel and get a good night of sleep. Karel ended up in a group near the front (not the front front but near the front) and he was really surprised to be in the company of some of the top GC (general classification) riders. 

This stage was a bit different than the first four stages in that much more of the stage was timed, including the downhills. From 21.7 until 75, we made our way up the TRA climb, down the TRA climb, along a rolling/flat section before starting the Roselend climb. Finally at the top of the Roselend climb, the timing stopped and I regrouped with Karel. I decided to refill one bottle at the top of TRA just to ensure that I had enough for the next 45 kilometers. 

The 25K Roseland descend was not timed and Karel went ahead. We didn't spend too much time at the top of Roseland as it was a bit cool and cloudy and we wanted to try to beat the rain. We went through a lot of villages and tunnels on this route and the scenery was amazing. It was becoming much more green and the blue color of the lake took my breathe away - it was incredibly beautiful. 

Although I was tired, I felt like I rode really well on this stage and I was able to stay with groups much more than in the past few stages. I could tell that many of the riders were getting tired and probably went out too hard for the first few stages. It was fun to ride with some new people in the group. 

My favorite part of the day was being so close to the cows and enjoying their company as they enjoyed their grassy field. 

The last climb was Saisies and it was challenging. It was a lot more pitchy than Roselend without much relief. We started off on a super steep incline just after the timing section, before it eventually settled into a 7-12% grade for the next 12K. There was a short drop in the grade (~3%) for a few kilometers before the grade picked up aagain to the top of the climb. 

Karel rode the Saisies climb with our Australian friend Clay (who had nice music jamming from his phone) and while I tried to stay with them for a few kilometers, eventually I needed to drop back. However, I was able to link up with a few other solo riders to keep myself riding strong. I made a quick stop at the last aid station on top of Saisies  before making my way down the descend and into Megeve. 

For this stage, we went through a lot more towns and the roads were a bit more busy at times but there was plenty of support staff keeping us safe. The final 10K was a gradual climb into Megeve and I was thankful to be around a few other riders to finish off strong. I have no idea how we missed the rain but I never got wet. Karel said he got a little rained on but it didn't last long. It felt like we were chasing the rain all day. The cooler weather felt great. It was a much more windy day, which made it tough on the top of the climbs. 

After I finished, Karel and I dropped our bikes off with Jeremy at France Bike Rentals to give them a charge (electronic shifting) before the final day. Karel got a massage while I showered and then we went to get some food. The post event meal was the best meal that we had had all week. It was sooo good. It was so great knowing that we only had one more stage and we would be staying in the same hotel for the next two nights.

We rode a few minutes to our hotel and I instantly fell in love with it. I could not have asked for a better accomodation for our final stay in Megeve. The hotel was super cute and since we had a little more time in the afternoon (with it being just around 3pm), Karel enjoyed a cappuccino at the hotel while I editted my Go Pro footage. We then walked to the nearby grocery store for some food for dinner. 

The rain helped to cool things off which made for a comfortable evening in our room. Although I felt like we had already finished the event and tomorrow was a bonus stage, Karel was exhausted and continued to question how he would finish the last stage. We both slept great in the evening and looked forward to one last ride. Only 62 miles and 7500+ feet between us and the finish line! 

One more day to go!! 

Lessons Learned 
There's something about not giving up. You never know what you are capable of doing unless you try. In a 7-day event, there are going to be bad days. There are going to be tough moments. But if you give up, you don't put yourself in a position to experience the good moments and good days. We never thought we would feel good in any stage but we both had good days throughout this event. Stage 6 was a good stage for us (for the most part) and we rode stronger than we had in the days past. This stage also involved a lot of self-talk. At any point we could have just eased up but we both wanted to give our best, in every stage. That's all you can ask for from your body. Just give your best. 

2021 Thomasville Clay Road Classic - 104-miles of mud, clay, water and sand.

 

**If you'd like to skip the race recap and view a video from the event, JOM from The Gravel Cyclist did a great video recap from the event. Scroll to the bottom to see the footage.**

Around 12pm Thursday, we left for our 6-hour drive down south to Thomasville GA. It was a rainy day for a long road trip but it’s been several months since we had a true “race-cation” road trip so it was somewhat enjoyable to know that we were traveling for an actual event. 

We made good time and arrived to our Airbnb shortly just after 6pm. I was happy to have booked an affordably priced 2-bedroom house just a 1/2 -mile from the race venue but I had no idea how cute of a house we would be staying in. The house had historic bone-structure with a few recent updates. It was one of the best Airbnb stays that I’ve booked, which made for a super comfortable stay.

After a good night sleep on Thursday, we took our time on Friday morning to catch up on work and emails. We ventured outside around 11am to ride the first ~10 miles of the course (out and back). We ended up with around 18 miles (in about 82 miles) and a whole lot of mud and water on our bikes. After several days of rain, the packed clay roads had been filled with water which turned the roads into a muddy mess. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself when I fell into the mud as I attempted to go from a muddy groove up to a muddier section. I’ve only been riding off-road on my gravel bike just a handful of times (4 rides + 1 technical skills session) so every ride is a learning opportunity. I’m still getting a feel of what different textures feel like under my wheel and how to handle my bike through those conditions. Karel is a great teacher. Not only does he instruct me what to do but I also watch him and learn from his exceptional bike-handling skills.

   

 After our ride we biked to the Hubs and Hops bike shop to check out the store and to pick up our packets. While this was technically an event (we paid for it, received an event t-shirt and a bib number), the Thomasville Clay Classic was a self-supported, see-ya-when-you-get-back type of ride. The event host/organizer was very nice and it was to hear that the event brought in over 200 participants to this small charming town of Thomasville.

Since I brought all of our food for our stay, we didn’t have to do any grocery shopping or eating out. Although we did visit the local bagel shop (Empire Bagels) for 6 delicious bagels. Our assistant coach and long time friend Joe arrived to our place around 2:30pm.

We went to bed around 7:30pm and feel asleep just before 9am. I wasn’t nervous for this event but instead, excited to embrace the challenge of riding 100 miles on the clay roads of Thomasville.

 

The alarm woke us up around 5:30am. With all of our gear prepped the night before, all we had to do was eat, gear-up and do some foam rolling to move some blood for the chilly start (~low 30-degrees when we left the house around 6:45am). With the sun just rising, we had just enough light to bike our way to the shop for the start of the event.

There were only ~10 of us doing the 102-mile version (there may have been a few others who started later in the morning). We all started together after the event organizer gave us a pre-course talk and a morning prayer. We started the ride just a few minutes after 7am.

 

The first few miles of the ride were on the road and then we hit the clay trail. Three guys broke away right from the beginning and then there was me, Joe and Karel. And for the next 60-ish miles, we didn’t see any other riders. Although this was a race, there was no timing or competition to race against. We didn’t ride easy but instead, rode a steady strong effort to try to complete the course as “quick” as possible – also taking into consideration that this would be a long ride with a lot of challenges to overcome.

I didn’t feel the best for the first two hours. My hands were cold and my body was not awake. It typically takes me about 60 minutes to feel good on the bike when I start a ride but for this ride, I was struggling for the first 2 hours. At one point, I asked Karel to look at my bike because I couldn’t understand why I was going so slow and why it was so hard to ride. He told me that this was all normal and that it was hard for him as well. Realizing that this was only my 5^th gravel ride, I quickly changed my perspective as I was approaching this ride in the wrong way. I didn’t think the ride would be easy but I had no idea that it would be this hard. It wasn’t that I wasn’t having fun but I didn’t have the right attitude. Once I changed my mindset, I started to ride a bit stronger and better. Because I had the course map on my computer screen, I had no idea what mile were at (there were no course markings) or how long we had been riding. And I didn’t want to know. 

I really enjoyed seeing my map and knowing that our next turn would be in x-miles. It was fun to approach each segment and to feel accomplished after that segment ended. Sometimes a segment would end after a super rough 5-6 miles of rough, bumpy and slow terrain, only to turn onto another 8-9 mile segment of road of even more difficult terrain.

We crossed a few water crossings, which is still a bit nerve-wracking for me as each time I enter the water on my bike I have no idea what to expect. Karel always reminds – keep pedaling, don’t stop pedaling. Nothing good happens when you stop pedaling. There was one water crossing where the road was under water and Karel and Joe decided to ride through it. I like to watch and learn when I see a technical or uneasy section so I stopped far out from the water to watch how Karel and Joe rode through the water. It wasn’t until Karel’s lower leg was nearly covered in water that I realized that this was way too deep for me so I walked my bike around the water on the grass. It was a laughable moment by us all.

Normally the roads are ideal for gravel biking but we have learned that after a rain storm, they become rather difficult for riding. We would be riding along feeling a good rhythm and then we would hit a section of bumps which would knock you around as you tried to dodge the big holes but you would still have to ride over the bumps (which felt like speed bumps). There were very few “nice” sections that were “easy” but plenty of sections of sand and mud which made us feel like our brakes were squeezed tight, we had a parachute behind us and you were riding with a flat tire. Oh, and it was windy too! It’s just the strangest feeling to be riding and then hit these sticky and slow sections and you have to produce a lot of power and a high cadence to keep the momentum going. The roads were fun at times but super exhausting. I’d say that about 85-90 miles of the ride was off-road and only about 15ish miles of pavement. We were always happy when we did hit pavement because it was such a nice change to be able to ride so easy and cover the miles a bit quicker. And then, back to the hard work again.

 

It was incredible to see how many roads were suitable for gravel riding. We had very few cars pass us (maybe 5?) on the clay roads which was great for feeling safe. The only downside of gravel riding is the lack of stops for refilling bottles so we planned our stop for the end of the loop at mile 70 (we passed the store at mile 20 so we knew where we would stop at the end of the loop).

As we were getting close to finishing the loop, we made a turn and saw our local friend Boyd Johnson (of Boyd wheels) riding in the opposite direction – toward us. He was in the front of the ride with the two other guys so we were surprised to see him. He told us that the road was under water and it was really deep (which deep for them meant really really deep for me). He said there was a way around it which would give us a few extra miles but would keep us from being really wet. We all decided that we would take the extra miles on the road to bypass the road under water.

After our store stop for some needed water to refill our bottles (we brought sport drink power to refill and had plenty of snacks for throughout the ride) and a coke, it was time to hit the road again for the last 30-ish miles. At this point, Karel found his rhythm, I was feeling strong and Joe had hit his low moment. We knew that we would all be affected differently by this ride and that we would each have our moments. Karel, however, never hit a low moment and contributed it to taking in more calories than he would in an Ironman on the bike. As we were nearing the last 20 miles, Karel was in the front and then out of sight. Boyd and gotten his energy back after the store stop and Joe was still struggling. We thought we would see Karel at the next turn but he was not there.

 
We rode to the next turn and no Karel. I called and texted Karel but no reply. I was very worried about him and of course, thought the worse – that he had bonked and he was laying in a ditch in the mud half asleep. Joe helped me stay calm as I was super worried about Karel. Part of me knew that he was just fine but I guess when you are exhausted your mind thinks silly things. Karel finally called me and told me that he was feeling good and just kept riding because he didn’t want to lose his rhythm. I was a bit upset at him for not letting me know this as I would have been fine with it but instead, I was worried. Karel’s exhausted brain convinced him that he thought I’d figure it out. Oh Karel - he always keeps me on my toes. 😊

Near the end we had one last creek crossing which I managed to get through successfully, despite the water coming up to my knees. It’s the weirdest feeling pedaling a bike through the water! But this was a nice one as you could see the bottom of the creek and the rocks didn’t get bumpy until the end. And then there was one last super muddy section that forced me off my bike as my legs were just so tired that I didn’t have the power (or willpower) to get through that deep mud.

Joe kept me laughing as he was struggling and anytime he needed to unclip to navigate through a technical section, he decided to just lean over and fall to the ground. He called them his “micronaps” and said it felt really good just to lay down. I was belly laughing at him as he fell twice and both times he could have easily unclipped but in the moment, the easiest thing was just to fall over.

As we made our way on the pavement for the last 2 miles of the event, I was so relieved to be on a smooth road. It was actually a bummer that we didn’t ride on the pavement more often during this ride as the Thomasville and surrounding area roads were super smooth! I finally saw Karel (who had finished about 10 minutes ahead of us) and he rode to the finish of the event with me. There was no official start/finish line but instead, we biked right to the bike racks to hose off our incredibly dirty bikes.

It felt so good to finish the ride. Surprisingly, the ride didn’t feel like 104 miles or just under 7 hours of riding. It was a challenge and an adventure and it was really exhausting. But it was also a huge accomplishment to ride 104 miles on such difficult off-road conditions. At least we had a beautiful sunny day and got to enjoy great scenery with each mile.

After we cleaned off our bikes, we received our post-ride meal of vegetarian stew topped with cheese, sour cream and frittos and a side salad and bread. Oh it was sooo good. During the ride I had 4 bottles of sport drink, 2 bars (Clif PB and chocolate filled bar and a Picky bar), a handful of chews (Skratch and Honey Stinger) and some coke.

After the ride, there was live music and the amphitheater park was filled with local people. There weren’t many cyclists at the finish when we arrived but we did see a few dozen riders out during the last 15 miles. I think most of the riders started around 9am and were riding the shorter versions (25, 50 and 70 miles). There were also options to shorten the ride by taking some of the main roads instead of the clay roads. Like I said before, it was an unofficial, self supported event. Although we had hoped for a bit more socializing before, during and after the event, we still feel like this trip was well worth it. 

 

 We made it back to our rental house around 4:00pm and it felt so good to get out of my cold wet socks and into the warm shower. I was so exhausted after I cleaned up that I barely managed to eat some type of dinner (quinoa vegetable microwave mix with tofu that I brought from home) before collapsing in bed. Wow – I had no idea how hard that would be! It felt like I had just done an Ironman but without the deep aching soreness that comes from running. 

I never grew up a cyclist and really didn’t improve my bike handling skills until we moved to Greenville. Although I still have a lot of skills to learn for gravel riding, it makes me excited to know that I can continue to improve and seek out more adventures on two wheels. Running can be really hard on my body and I just can’t push and test myself when I run like I can when I swim and bike. If I try to push myself running, I get injured so I have to be cautious and careful. Swimming and biking are safe sports for me to feel challenged and to test my limits and abilities. I look forward to more adventures where the focus is on the experience and not on the end result. Don’t get me wrong - I love racing and I love competition. And I LOVE triathlon. But sharing these adventures with Karel – out in nature - makes me so happy. And this type of happiness doesn’t involve a finish line or race results and I'm ok with that. 

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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