My First 300K Brevet … Or, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday than riding my bike for 14 hrs. straight (Comments: 3)

(Jason sez: Please welcome the first — but not the last! — essay by our newest contributor, Jenn Clunie. When she’s not riding ridiculous distances, Jenn is the Program Manager of the New York Bicycling Coalition. Welcome, Jenn!)

That’s me in the background

In my continual quest to push my endurance, stamina and (some would argue) sanity to its utmost limits, I set off at O’DARK THIRTY this past Sunday morning, April 27th, to accomplish my first 300K Brevet, presented by Adirondack Ultra Cycling. For those unfamiliar or yet to be initiated into the world of LSD (Long Slow Distance), let me offer a quick definition supplied by RUSA:

Randonneuring: Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.

Enjoying a snack on the ride

It was a bit of a cold start when the six hardy souls rolled out of Schuylerville 4:15am Sunday morning to temps hovering around 40 degrees and light rain. Cycling in the pitch dark, except for the too-dim wattage of commuter lights (note to self: next time, bring your Nightrider HID, no matter how heavy it is) offered an almost surreal experience as fog and mist swirled around our tires and projected eerie shadows back up at our lights. Being able to take over the roads all the way to Fort Edward was an empowering experience for cyclists all too often forced to hug the curb or take our chances with the treacherous objects lying in the shoulder as cars whiz by and refuse to share the road. Having that extra room to navigate proved especially fortuitous when I made the mistake of getting too close to the white line so slick with rain I hydroplaned straight into a crevice between the line and shoulder theretofore unseen in the darkness and it took all of my bike-handling skills learned on the trail to bring that front wheel back and stay upright. “Ahhhhh!!!! Whoa. That was close. Thank GOD I’m a mountain-biker. Everybody awake now?” :)

Luckily, the first hour and a half of dark rain yielded to muted daylight and cloudy skies; when the sun broke through around noon (?), we finally started to shed layers and dry off. It turned out to be a beautiful day to ride one’s bike and for those who cried “uncle” when they saw rain in the forecast, I’m sorry they missed out. The ride around Sacandaga Lake was astoundingly beautiful, especially when we climbed up to Hadley and enjoyed a brief peek at the overlook before continuing onwards to Corinth, Moreau, rural Saratoga county and finally back to our home base in Schuylerville.

Gorgeous!

While I was experiencing serious sleep-deprivation (couldn’t get more than 3 hrs. the night before–nerves/anxiety/excitement?) and started throwing coffee down the hatch at every Stewart’s checkpoint to jazz myself up, I don’t recall feeling really physically fatigued until ~174 miles in. Considering my longest ride to date was the ADK 200K 27 days prior, I felt this to be a major breakthrough. Even more notable: managed to ride the entire course in my first 2 chain rings, even the bitch of a hill around mile 165 that brought me to granny last month. Dig deep, push, and…you’re up! You’re there! Let’s GO! Clearly all that spring training “Belgian knee warmer style” with my racing friends who kick my butt each and every time we ride together has paid off.

191.51 miles in 11:59 hrs ride time, 14:25 hrs. time out on the road. Not too shabby, considering our slow start in the darkness, 2 flats, 9 control checkpoints/stops and needing to stop at least half a dozen times to fiddle with my front brake that kept rubbing against the rim (grrr).

Yes, I’m tired. Yes, I’m sore as hell. I woke up Monday morning and every joint, sinew and muscle fiber in my body ached. But knowing this exhaustion was well-earned makes it somehow all worthwhile.

As Steve Young says, “The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.”

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