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2012 Ride for Mike, Part One is days away

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

Much thanks to those who have supported my return to the Stars and Stripes Challenge. It is the first part of a two part 2012 Ride for Mike. This one has come about rather quickly and I wasn’t expecting too much. However, the support has already exceeded my expectations. You folks are awesome!

This first part endeavor is to complete as many laps of the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship course as I am allowed. What makes this event special to me is that it was the first ever Ride for Mike. During that first time I was going to try to do three laps. While I finished the first two laps in enough time to start my third attempt, I did not do it. Looking back it is something I regret. I have some unfinished business with this ride!

Please support the 2012 Ride for Mike

Please support me in the Stars and Stripes Challenge on May 28, 2012. It is part of the 2012 Ride for Mike. Click the logo above and designate your gift to Jonathan Pait.

You can still give!Just make sure you choose my name, Jonathan Pait, from the drop-down list when choosing a rider to support. Once you do that, you just complete the rest of the form and submit it. It’s easy!

The ride takes place this Monday, May 28. We’ll be going out on the pro course before the professionals come out for the actual race later in the day. Come on out and cheer us along! You can learn more details at the Palmetto Peloton Project website.

I’m taking Tuesday and Wednesday off the bike to let the old hip and knees recovery a bit. Thursday and Friday I’ll put in a bit of a tougher ride and an easier spin. Saturday and Sunday I’ll spin about a bit to keep the legs loose. Then on Monday, I’ll be ready to roll!

Again, thank you to those who have shown their support!

  • Windell and Linda Pait
  • Nick and Bette Uwarow
  • Bill Thomson
  • Cheryl Slocum
  • The McCaskill Family

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Here is the plan for 2012 Ride for Mike

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

Some call it coincidence. I call it Providence, but there are those times when small things happen that really encourage you along the way or let light into a time of confusion. One of those instances happened to me yesterday.

If you read yesterday’s post, you probably sensed that I have been struggling with how I planned to approach the 2012 Ride for Mike. I hinted at a short-term goal (that I will share this morning), talked about the longer-term goal (idoitfor.org) and then expressed my loss at what to do on a “big scale” as I have in years past. Well, yesterday afternoon someone showed up in my office unexpectedly and cleared it all up for me.

So, here is the plan for the 2012 Ride for Mike.

Stars and Stripes Challenge

The short-term plans for the 2012 Ride for Mike is for me to participate in the 2012 Stars and Stripes Challenge. Yes, I realize that it is less than two weeks away.  You may ask why the sudden decision to make this charity event a focus this year.

The first Ride for Mike website

I need to take you back to the first ever Ride for Mike. Though not called the Stars and Stripes Challenge at that time, September 2, 2007 was the first one. Now, I bring you up to this month when we learned that the US Pro championships would now be leaving Greenville for Chattanooga. While I am sure that the P3 organization will continue to have a charity ride in Greenville, the entire nature of the ride will change because it will not be associated with the Pro race.

That is why I want to make this event part of the 2012 Ride for Mike. It could very well be the last opportunity to repeat that first ride that started all of this! No doubt it will be emotional for me as it brings together so many aspects of the last five or six years.

So, I do ask for your support. If you have enjoyed LowCadence.com over these years, consider a gift. If you want to join in the battle against cancer, consider a gift. I realize the time is short. I realize that finances are tight for many of us. Just know that your gift is appreciated more than you know.

Objective: Finish what I started. In that first ride I set a goal to ride the Pro course three times before the time cutoff. In 2007, I only did two laps. This year (depending on what we are allowed) I want to get in that third lap.

How do you give? Go to the Palmetto Peloton Project’s website and access the giving form. There is a drop down list for participants. Find my name, Jonathan Pait, and then finish filling out the form. Proceeds from the event will support Breakaway from Cancer’s Nonprofit Partners, and the Greenville Hospital System’s Institute of Translational Oncology Research.

I’m excited about that opportunity, but not nearly as excited about the next one! This will help explain what I was talking about in the first paragraph.

Mike Rides a Century for Mike

I was sitting in my office when I heard a familiar voice out in the lobby. The voice said, “Is Jonathan Pait in?” The receptionist came to my door and said, “There is someone here to see you. Are you available to speak with him?” I jokingly replied, “Well, it depends on who it is!” I then stood and approached the door to find Michael T. McCaskill’s dad standing just on the other side.

This was a surprise! I didn’t expect him to come in my door (the McCaskill’s live in Tennessee) — especially on the very day that I wrote the post about the 2012 plans. We talked a bit and then I brought up my blog post and the change of plans from my initial big dreams of a multistaged charity ride in Memphis. I didn’t want to disappoint Mike.

As always, Mike was extremely gracious and understanding. He expressed that he and the family were behind anything that I decided to do. He reaffirmed his desire to see the I Do It For Foundation go forward in his son’s memory.

I then brought up another subject. That subject was his first ever century. We had talked about it during the Family Fun Ride in 2011 and mentioned it in passing since that time. However, this time, I wanted to nail him down on a date.

That is when Mike gave me the best idea of all for the 2012 Ride for Mike. Why not make Michael T.’s dad’s first century ride the 2012 Ride for Mike? Talking about an emotional culmination of purposes! This would be huge!

Mike tied up the loose ends by saying, “Why don’t we do that and use it as the springboard for the I Do It For Foundation?” So, now we had an event with incredible meaning and a cause that would extend that meaning into many other lives. In a future post, I will tell the whole story. When you read that story, you will understand why symbolically that 100 miles means more to me than the hundreds of miles I have ridden over the years for the Ride for Mike.

So, stay tuned! That story will be coming. Also, we’ll be sharing the date and place for the event. Both Mike and I wouldn’t mind having some company should anyone decide to join us. Finally, we’ll be working to provide the logistics of how you can give toward the I Do It For Foundation — the purpose of the funds will go to getting the foundation off the ground and get us started funding the development of the tools the foundation seeks to create to serve others.

Hey, I’m starting to get excited!

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Spinners trials is a fun test

Friday, May 4th, 2012

Time trials. You love them and you hate them. Thanks to the Greenville Spinners, you get the chance to love what you hate several times this summer with their annual time trials series. While riding a time trial can be something you hate, its hard not to love hanging out with the Spinners.

My number for the Spinners Summer Time Trial Series

This Thursday was a trial just getting to the event! I had busted one of my aero wheels and Boyd Johnson let me borrow one of his while he was putting together a permanent replacement. I didn’t get a chance to put the wheel on the bike until 4:30. When I did, I discovered that the rear derailleur was doing something funky — like the chain was hanging up.

This got me out the door late and then it was time for the criterium race through traffic on Pleasantburg Drive — just as everyone was getting off work. I was starting to get a bit nervous because I needed to start early in the queue so that I could get to my son’s baseball practice to pick him up. My window for registering, warming up and getting to the line was shrinking with each delay.

After registering, I unloaded the bike and took it over to The Great Escape mechanic who was there supporting the riders. I got into my skin suit and then went to pick up my bike. A moment of panic flashed into my mind as I realized that my start time was only 15 minutes away! The mechanic was informing me that the chain was not meshing well with the cog on Boyd’s wheel. I told him to get it working the best he could on a particular gear and then I would go with that.

I went out and did my best to get my legs loose before returning to the line. However, I knew it was going to be a painful experience as my legs were complaining to me that they weren’t ready as I rolled up to the line. I figured I was just going to have to use the out portion as my warmup. If I could just hang in there, my legs should come around on the return.

There isn’t much to say about the actual attempt. I almost immediately started to feel that my legs were bricks. The battle was to fight the negative thoughts that I was just wasting my time. Still, each turn closer to the turn around lifted my spirits.

I looked down at the time and saw I was rolling toward the halfway point at around 11 minutes. In the past, I made this point in just over 10 minutes. Considering how I was feeling, that was actually a relief. The turn came and I determined I wouldn’t look at the wattage. I was just going to ride as best I could back to the finish.

My legs did lose that “brick” feeling. However, now they were starting to feel like noodles. As I soldiered on, I could see other riders making their out attempts. I had been passing some riders, but I couldn’t tell for sure if they were on their attempt or just out warming up. Regardless, I tried to use each one as a rabbit to overtake.

I was thankful that the gearing didn’t give me a problem. The bike was shifting well — not that I was doing a lot of it. However, I did go down to a bit harder gear as I made my way within sight of the finish. The clock stopped at 23:32 for the 10 miles.

That wasn’t what I wanted by any stretch. At the same time, I was much better than I felt I did. I had pretty much convinced myself it was going to be a 24:00+ time. Only being 20 some seconds off my best time was a surprise.

Turns out my out portion took about 11:50. That is significantly slower than previous attempts. However, the back portion took around 12:20. That is significantly better than previous attempts. I imagine there is something to learn in there… I’ve just got to figure out what it is an capitalize on it.

I had to leave before the winning times were announced. However, I figured that since I was competing in the Cat. 1/2/3 field that I wouldn’t be seeing “the podium.” Later, I was surprised to get a tweet from my friend, David McQuaid, who informed me that I had taken second by a second. Chris Calder, having returned from racing with the USA development team in Belgium, crushed all of us with a sub-twenty-one minute effort.

We’ll see how things go next time when most likely there will be a few more heavy hitters who I assume were holding off from the time trial in anticipation of the criterium in Spartanburg tonight. Folks like Eric Christophersen and Matt Tebbetts regularly turn 22 and sub-22 minute efforts. I’ll be on the outside looking in at that point!

However, that is what is so fun about the Spinners series. It really is a relaxed atmosphere. Really, for the majority of the participants it is as though we are a support group cheering each other on against the clock. If you are interested in turning your pedals in competition, this is a great venue to start with.

As for me, I’m determined to improve my time during the next few events. I’ll start by making sure I schedule things better!

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US Professional Championships leaving Greenville

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

UPDATE: New story link added

I knew the time would come. Really the presence of the USA Cycling Professional Championships has always been tenuous here in Greenville. Now that tension is broken as word is out that the event will move to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2013.

Perhaps it was the fact that Philadelphia had hosted the event for a couple of decades lulled us into thinking that the event might find a new home that could give it the same longevity. However, the hints came early that the event was more likely to be “shopped” around on a regular basis.

Seems like just yesterday this sign appeared in Cleveland Park

I remember distinctly the behind the scenes movements to get the race to come back to Greenville. It seemed that each year was another crisis. While on the outside it was given a positive spin, behind the scenes it was pretty clear that at any moment the decision could come down from USA Cycling to move to a new venue.

It wasn’t a matter of Greenville being a good venue. The racing was good. The hospitality was great. Medalist Sports clearly stated they liked the Greenville locale. It all seemed to balance on money and exposure. Would USA Cycling keep looking for ever greener grass after getting loose from the corral in Pennsylvania?

Could we have kept the event? Well, the simple answer to that is that with enough money, sure we could have. However, I wonder if ultimately even money could have kept the event here. Beyond money is the opportunity to expose new audiences to the sport and bring the freshness and excitement that a new venue brings.

So, good for you, Chattanooga. Having the USA Cycling Professional Road and Time Trial Championships in your city will be something you will enjoy. It is a wonderful opportunity for you and as one friend said, “At least it will stay in the south!”

We shouldn’t mind too much here in Greenville. We enjoyed the race for several years. We’ve proven we can handle world class cycling events. Who knows, if USA Cycling continues to take this approach, we may see the pros racing down Main Street once again.

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I’m so dizzy

Monday, March 19th, 2012

Wow. Five hours is a long time on a bike. Five hours on a bike going around a .85 mile course is a very long time on a bike. Five hours on a bike trying to average 20 mph around a .85 mile course is a very, very long time on a bike.

That is what I attempted on Saturday. I’d like to say I pulled it off, but unfortunately I can’t. However, I did manage to finish with 93 miles for my fund raising goal.

As I rolled out from my home to head over to campus for the ride, the rain was faintly spitting. The morning was cool, but comfortable. Running late, I made it just before the start and lined up with the seven or so other guys who were going to participate.

We stayed pretty much together for the first lap, but I knew I couldn’t keep that pace if I planned to get my target of 100 miles. I would have to get it going and thankfully Dave McQuaid was there to help me out. By the second lap the two of us started to ramp it up. A couple of other riders joined up for a short time to form a pace line.

It wasn’t long before it was just the two of us. Lap after lap passed and we were able to watch the average speed climb. After one hour in, we were averaging 20.1 mph. Best of all, I was feeling pretty good.

At two hours in we were holding our 20 mph average. Behind me I heard Dave say, “Two hours. 20 mph. I’m toast.” We nursed each other along for a bit, but I started growing concerned that we couldn’t maintain the average this way. So, I struck out on my own.

At three hours in, I was still at 20 mph. However, now it was starting to fluctuate. On certain portions of the course where it was flat or downhill, the average would tick over 20 mph. Then on a portion where there was a nice little hill, the average would drop to 19.9 mph.

Then I finished a lap that never saw 20 mph. I knew I couldn’t push it or I would end up worse off. So, I tried to just hold 19.9 and hope that I would have something left near the end to raise it.

At 3:30 in, I knew it was a lost cause. The computer ticked down to 19.8 mph average and I knew I would raise it from there. It was simple math. Unless I got a second wind, there was no way I would reach 100 miles.

Not only that, but I was starting to feel it. My legs weren’t cramping, but the lactate was building up to make my quads feel like bricks. My legs were sore. My recurring hip pain started to come back. From my hip, the pain was starting to work its way up my back. The old neck injury was also unhappy with me.

With one hour to go, I was dropping down to a 19 mph average. It was now just a matter of having the will to go to the end. I altered my goal and figured I would be happy just to hit 90 miles.

I’ve done it before. Actually, my very first century on the bicycle was a 5 hour century. Of course, that was on the flat roads of eastern North Carolina. Those little spikes each lap where I had to come close to 400 watts to get up that hill really took a toll.

At the same time, this is the third time I’ve participated in this ride. Saturday was the most miles I’ve managed. Perhaps I didn’t meet the goal, but by trying for the goal I exceeded any of my previous attempts.

By the way, remember Dave McQuaid? Well, he slowed a bit after the second hour. I managed to lap him once. However, I never passed him again. Once I did catch him, but I was so beat I couldn’t stay with him. He ended up finishing with 92 miles! Hey, not bad for a couple of 44 year old guys.

When I first started the Time-Crunched Cyclist training plan, the book mentioned that while the plan would help in the short criterium style races it would not be much of a help training you for longer endurance rides. Well, you can say that again! It is amazing how good I felt for those first two hours. It was amazing how bad I felt the last two!

Special thanks to all the guys who showed up — especially those who came expressly to help take the wind for us (like Matt Jaeggli). You don’t know how helpful it was to have you pacing us in those early laps. Also, thanks to Eric Ritchardson and his family who organized and supported everyone throughout the day. Through all the pain, it was a blast!

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A little help, please!

Sunday, March 11th, 2012

Each March for the last couple years, I have participated in a ride that raises money for a particular capital project on the Bob Jones University campus, where I work in the Alumni Association. Well, this coming Saturday (March 17, 2012) I’ll be back out there on the .8 mile circuit turning laps for 5 hours. What does this have to do with you? Maybe nothing… but maybe something.

I need some folks to sponsor me. You can sponsor me per mile. I’ll just go ahead and tell you that I have averaged about 90 miles over the last two years. Of course, you can pledge any amount per mile.

A photograph from the March 2011 BJU The Ride

A photograph from the March 2011 BJU The Ride

Here are some stories from the past events…

This could very well be the last time BJU The Ride will take place. The organizer for the last several years is now graduating and unless someone else steps forward to take his place, this will be it. So, I want to give it a good go of it.

Pledging is easy. Just go to BJUTheRide.org and fill out the form. You will find my name listed in the drop down list under “Choose a ride to sponsor.”

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Breaking the chain — link by link

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

I’ve been off the bike for a while now. I’m only getting out for a spin when I feel compelled to do so. Here is a good reason to get out on a winter’s day. Cheers to Blair LaMarche for putting this event together. I hope you can participate.


Join together with the Greenville cycling community on December 11th, 2011 for a benefit ride for a family that lives and breathes cycling in the Carolinas, the McCurdy’s.

Renee McCurdy has been battling cancer for quite some time. Through her battles with the cancer it’s brought a good deal of hardship on the McCurdy family. The physical, mental, emotional and the financial strain on their family have been great.

With the help of the cyclists throughout the Carolinas we have the opportunity to give back to one of the families that has given wholeheartedly to the cycling community with their participation in the P3 ride to Austin, numerous other charity rides, and Mike’s work with many teams, rides, races, and triathlons for all their computer needs.

We will be riding in conjunction with the Greenville Cycle Center’s ROGCC ride. There will be the 55 mile ROGCC route as well as a 28 mile ride. Both rides will be leaving from Ride On Bicycles on Woodruff Rd.

Registration/donations can be made for any amount at www.pre-reg.com, as well as in person the day of the ride. You can register with pre-reg.com and once registered people will be able to click on your name and donate to a great cause under your name. Join together on a great ride for a great cause to help an incredible person and family!

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Ride for Mike Family Fun Ride a success

Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

I won’t do this again. It really was not smart for me to plan a group ride and picnic the Saturday before Ride for Mike. Had it not been for the great help I had, I think I would be in even worse shape! However, let me hasten to say that the ride ended up being great fun.

The only negative is that I was on pins and needles hoping that everything would come together. I don’t think I realized just how much it was weighing on me until it was over. It was as though all the tension just melted away and I was very tired.

Late Friday afternoon was spent trying to firm up exactly who was going to show up and when. We had planned for a “rolling start” for the families in Cleveland Park. However, as I checked with more and more people, I started to realize that almost all of the families either planned to just drive to the picnic or would ride a shorter distance on the trail from a point closer to the park.

Well, I didn’t want my volunteers to have to wait out there for just one or two people to show up. I started trying to get ahold of the folks planning on doing the entire trail to let them know there would not be support at the starting point. Finally, by 5:15 I had gotten that sorted out.

While I was doing that, I was loading chairs into the back of the Suburban to take out to TR. Annette was at home trying to pull together the other last minute details. Finally, we had as much done as we could and we went out with the McCaskills for dinner.

Ride for Mike 50 Mile Warm-up Ride

Some of the hearty souls starting out on the 50-miler

Getting up in the morning it was a shock to walk outside and feel how cold it was! Thankfully, there was basically no wind. However, down in Cleveland Park it had to be just touching 40 degrees. Once we started rolling, it felt even colder!

We rode out on the trail while members of the Community Service Council from Bob Jones University took a van and the Suburban out to TR to set up for the picnic. David McQuaid and his family were so kind to ride with my children out to TR. That was the one piece of the puzzle I was concerned about. So thankful for friends who took a load off my mind!

The sun came out when we reached Travelers Rest. It was now time to get off the trail and head out on the roads. It was certainly a learning time for the group. Not everyone had ridden in a group — even one this small.

It was also the beginning of the challenge of the hills. On one particularly extended climb a couple of the riders decided to get in the SAG. That filled up our rack and the seats in the little Honda Fit. However, we were once again on our way picking up a bit on our average speed.

Just as I thought we were getting in a rhythm I heard a chain drop. I went back to help the rider get it back on and then we started off. However, the bike was making a weird grinding sound. So, we pulled over once again to learn that his derailleur appeared to be bent.

We tried to straighten it and then started off again. Immediately there was another problem. We pulled over again. This time I took a closer look at it and realized that whole mechanism seemed to be dangling from the braze-on. I tried to tighten it and then we got back on the bike to ride. Almost immediately the problem returned. After more examination it appeared that the threads were striped. So, it was impossible to tighten.

Ooooo, what to do? The car was full. I knew if one of the riders in the car got out to ride and this rider got in, it would make our average drop. We were already getting close to being late for the picnic. I was stumped.

Kraig then said that he would call his wife to come and get him and for us to go on to the picnic. He would have her pick him up and take the back to the shop. I told him to please come out to the picnic and bring his wife with him. We then left him with me feeling like heel!

Okay, that issue was now out of the way. It was time to get the lead out and move down the road! I had to fight not to push the pace too much. All the while I was thinking through the route to find out where I could take a corner off the loop and get us to the park faster.

Suddenly, I started to feel the rear of my bike begin to go soft. I looked back. Yep, I was starting to get a slow flat. Several times along the way I would instruct Annette to drive ahead of us and get the pump ready. I would stop pump up the tire and then we would be off with very little delay. I just did not want to take the time to change the tube!

We pumped it up for the last time at Herdkoltz Park. I decided to take the group down Rutherford to Buncombe. Meanwhile, I sent Annette to our house to get a new rear wheel for me. She would meet us somewhere on Buncombe to make a wheel change. It was my job to make it there!

It was close! I probably had 20 pounds of air in the tire when we pulled over for the change. The Beautiful Redhead was awesome! I was already waiting with the wheel off and she jumped out, handed me the new wheel, and relieved me of the flat one. We were back on the road in no time and it appeared we would make it to the picnic!

Indeed we did! When we got there, we found a number of the folks still hanging around. Chuck Binns, with The Pit Crew BBQ, was there with his smoker! I hadn’t expected that. We had arranged for him to just have some BBQ delivered, but this made it very special.

Then I saw Kraig there with his wife. I was so glad he decided to come. He found out that the part was under warranty and he would be back on the bike in no time.

As I looked around, everyone was having fun and little Rebekah had been there the whole time. What a cutie! She patiently posed for picture after picture and performed numerous fist bumps, high fives, and “give me some skin.” She also gave out some very special hugs!

Mike McCaskill, Jonathan Pait, Rebekah, Drew and Nancy Ellis

The princess of the picnic!

The students with CSC took away any responsibilities I had at the event. It was fun to not have to worry and just enjoy the time of fellowship and good food. Before I knew it, it was time to pack everything up and head back home.

Of course, on the way I had to stop by Sunshine Cycle Shop to try to solve the mystery of the tire. Still not sure of the exact cause. There was a slight puncture, but there was nothing lodged in my tire. It must have just been something that went through the rubber and fell out. Whatever the case, they got my tire changed and gave me some spare parts to take with me on Monday.

Wow. I have such great friends. Thank you so much to all of you who support me in ways that don’t cease to amaze me. I love you all.

Now I just need to rest up for Monday…

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Directions for the Family Fun Ride

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Little Rebekah Grace Ellis has now learned that her heart operation will be December 14, 2011. Knowing that she will be entering this very crucial time of her young life gives me renewed desire to be an encouragement to her and her family. I hope you will join me in the cause.

PhotobucketIt has been a joy to see so many people get involved. Just the other day I was talking with someone whose wife knew about the ride through him. As they talked about it a little more, she realized that she had worked on the team that cared for Rebekah at the GHS Children’s Hospital! Suddenly the ride took on a whole new meaning for her.

As you have an experience with someone close to you who is going through a trial. It is amazing how it alters your view of the trial. Sometimes we are so disconnected from the needs of others because we are not close enough to them. Well, take sometime to get close to someone with a need. It might change your life.

Well, here is the purpose for this post. I want to give some last instructions for those planning to attend the Family Fun Ride or the Ride for Mike Warm-up Ride. We’ll cover the later first since it is the simplest.

Ride for Mike Warm-up Ride

Meet at shelter 5 in Cleveland Park early enough to be ready to roll out by 8 AM. We need to get going to leave plenty of time to make it to Gateway Park in Travelers Rest before lunch concludes. Dress in layers and make sure you start off with some water.

We’ll follow the route I have planned which includes the full length of the Swamp Rabbit Trail and then looping back north of the trail back into Greenville where we will connect with the trail once again and finish the ride over the same course we started out on.

At least half of the ride will be on the SRT. So, you only have to worry about the hills in the middle section. This will not be an overly easy ride, but not an epic one either. If you have never ridden 50 miles before, you may find this tough.

We will have a SAG vehicle following us for refills on water or food. We can place some of the layers you wear there as well should we start to get warm. We will also have room for two (maybe three) riders to bail out and finish the ride in the vehicle… but don’t plan on it!

Family Fun Ride

Okay, we’re going to start with the conclusion of the ride to help explain the beginning. Lunch starts at 11:30 AM and will run until 1:30 PM. Families can start their rides at any time between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. A 10 mph average will have you covering the trail in 1:30. So, judge your start time on how long you think it will take you to reach Travelers Rest.

Of course, if you leave early and find you are making good time, let me suggest that you stop at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery. It is located about a fourth of the way along the planned route. We will have a water stop just as you reach Sulphur Springs Road (near an old railway car). If you find you arrive in Travelers Rest before 11:30 AM, you can grab a warm drink at Leopard Forest Coffee or stop in a Cafe at Williams Hardware.

There are also some play areas in the park where we will hold the picnic. So, there will be things for your family to do if you arrive early. Take your time. Enjoy the trail. Learn a little bit about Travelers Rest.

You can get a general idea of the trail by looking at this Google Map. Please be aware that there are several road crossing along the trail. Be very careful when crossing. Also note that as you enter Falls Park it is best to follow Howe Street and then rejoin the trail at the main entrance off of Howe Street.

The entrance to Gateway Park is beside Sunrift Adventures. You may see a bunch of tents and stuff set up near the entrance. That would be the Travelers Rest Farmers Market (another thing you might enjoy!) Our event will be deeper in the park. You will go past the restroom area and then you will see our location. If you are driving to the picnic, Sunrift offers some helpful directions to their location.

Thank you for joining us! I hope you will have fun with your family and enjoy the BBQ and fellowship with the Ellis family. It looks like God is going to bless us with a beautiful day! I look forward to spending some time with those who will be there when our longer ride concludes.

If you have any questions, please contact me at lowcadence@pait.org.

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I’ll have that to go, please

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Preparation for the 2011 Ride for Mike continues. We’re counting down the days with 5 more days until launch! Still, got plenty to do, but everything is coming together.

Last night I worked some more on the bike. My chief mechanic, John James at Sunshine Cycle Shop, gave the bike a thumbs up in the morning. I’m pretty confident in the Felt AR.

I did make some changes. After Phil’s comment yesterday, I decided to go back to the aero wheels. I also installed my lighting system.

The lighting system makes me laugh. It is a dual light set-up that is intended for mountain bikes. The battery is so large, you have to put it in your bottle cage. The system also has a helmet mounted lamp that runs off a nicad battery you keep in your jersey pocket. However, when people see me coming down the road they are going to think a motorcycle is coming at them! And that is just fine with me!

The battery is supposed to last up to 3.5 hours. That’s plenty of energy for the time I’ll need lights. The question that has really been weighing on my mind is will my body have enough energy to keep my legs moving for the time I need to turn them?

Nutrition strategy

I’ve been doing more that a century every weekend for the past 5 weeks. One of the reasons for this is to get miles in my legs. Another reason is to test out various types of on-the-bike fuel. I think I’ve settled on what works best for me and a plan that will help give me the energy I need to not only make it to Charleston, but also to be able to recovery quickly afterward.

I’ve divided the ride into three sections. Each of those sections will be approximately 4 hours in length. I’ll be basing my fueling on that schedule.

Each hour I will consume a Honey Stinger waffle. I’ve tried all the other types of bars, but I find these to be the easiest for me to eat and they set well on my stomach. In the last four (or more) hours I may accelerate that time frame.

Between the waffles, I will suck on or chew the GU or Honey Stinger chews. I tried Shot Blocs first, but something about them just didn’t sit well with me. It could be the size and the consistency of them.

Obviously, I’ll be drinking water all this time. I plan on downing one to two bottles each hour. I will also be drinking a “meal bottle” mixture that combines Cytomax with a simple carbohydrate powder. Each of those bottles tops out at around 400 calories and the sugars in it should take the fast train to my muscles. The Cytomax will also provide me with some electrolytes – as will the chews.

After the first four hours, I will stop and eat a sandwich at Subway. Then it will be back on the bike with my predetermined routine. I do have a tendency to forget to eat like I should in the beginning of a ride. So, I’ll set the alarm on my Garmin to alert me when I am supposed to eat. Toward the end of a ride, I tend to not feel like eating. That is where Annette comes in. She’ll be there to encourage me to stick with the plan.

We’ll stop again in Orangeburg where I’ll eat another sandwich. Hopefully, it will be around 2:30 p.m. at that time. I’ll have four or five hours more to ride. If I have fueled correctly up to this point, I believe those last hours won’t be as painful. I’ll be eating to maintain my strength by that point. The most important fueling will take place earlier in the ride.

I can’t forget about the prep work though. Fueling will start a couple of days before the ride. Rest, hydration, and carbohydrates are the order. I need to be getting in bed early and sleeping well in the days before the ride. If you see me around a couple of days before, you will find me walking around with a water bottle in my hand. I’ll be eating pasta and other forms of carbohydrates as well.

The need for proper fueling was the most important lesson I learned from the 2010 Ride for Mike. I nearly blew it early on in the endeavor and it made some of those days much harder than they needed to be. I lost 16 pounds during that week long trip! There were several days where I rode through a bonk to finish.

This time, I don’t want to just finish. I want to finish strong.

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