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!

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.

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!

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…

It 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.

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.

Meeting my fund raising goal

Things are moving along on this front. I hope to meet my goal before I leave. If I don’t, we are going to continue taking pledges during the time I am on the bike. The plan is for us to be checking the email as I ride. I’ll know when a gift comes in and, believe me, it will be a great encouragement to keep me pedaling. Even if we meet the goal before Monday, I hope some of you will send in a pledge just to give me an extra kick along the way.

View Larger Map – Distance covered: 168 miles / Still to cover: 52 miles / $3,360 raised

Finish planning my route

Believe it or not, I haven’t finished planning out my route. There are multiple ways I can make my entry into Charleston. Right now I am leaning toward a slightly longer route that will allow me to avoid the congestion and elevation of crossing a bridge. It will only add two miles to the distance. My only concern is that it may send me through more traffic lights. The last thing I want to have is stop-and-go efforts at the end!

Prepping the car

We’ve done this before on the 2010 Ride for Mike. I won’t have as much signage on the vehicle this time, but we will have a strobe light on top of the car. Inside we’ll make sure we have plenty of power sources for the various electronic devices that will help us find the way and communicate with you all.

I’ll add some spare wheel holders to the rack so we won’t have to keep them in the car. Speaking of the rack, I’ll need to make sure it is well anchored since it will be carrying two bikes back from Charleston. Coming back from the 2010 Ride for Mike, we had some issues with that!

Lodging

Thankfully, the Beautiful Redhead has already taken care of this. We’ll be staying in a hotel only a half mile from the MUSC Children’s Hospital. I’ll problem just ride on the the hotel since we are not planning on having a welcome committee when we arrive. It is going to be great to just pull up to the hotel and crash!

Equipment

I’m taking my bike over to Sunshine Cycle Shop today to have it looked over. It hasn’t been long since I had a tune-up. I don’t expect anything major, but I’d rather have it discovered now instead of later!

I’ll be taking along my Giant as well. However, I hope I won’t have to take it off the car until we reach the hotel. I like having the backup, but with spare wheels to switch out in case of a flat I don’t think I’ll need it.

I will be running my Kysrium SL wheels when I start out. I’ll have my Elites as my initial back up and the Boyd carbon 50s will be on the Giant. I would start out with the aero wheels except for the fact it is the only carbon set I have. If I have a flat, I would have to switch out the breaks as well as the wheels.

I’ll be riding in the dark when I start off and then again as I come into Charleston. I have a pretty old but good lighting system. I’ll run it until the sun comes up. We’ll start charging it again once we get to Saluda. If everything goes as planned, I will only have to run it again for the final one or two hours of the ride.

Clothing

I’ll be wearing my Low Cadence kit for the ride. I’m sure I’ll start out with arm and leg warmers. Right now the forecast calls for temperatures in the morning of under 50 degrees. It will be a little chilly for me as I start out. However, as the day goes on it is going to be PERFECT riding weather: 0% rain, temperatures getting into the low 70s and manageable wind speeds out of the west.

I plan to take along an extra kit to change into about halfway. I’ll only use it if I am feeling pretty cruddy. Sometimes just getting into some fresh gear makes all the difference in how you feel.

Fuel

Tomorrow’s blog post will deal with how I plan to keep myself fueled on the bike. I won’t deal with it here. I’ve been testing out various types of on-the-bike fueling to see what works best for me. I’ll share it with you on Wednesday.

Other than those things, it is just a matter of taking care of myself. I’m pretty much off the bike this week except for some short spins just to keep my legs limber. I think my body needs the rest. I have some small strains and aches that need the time to ease up. Now is the time to rest, eat and drink fluids. This weekend I will be loading up the carbohydrates and really focusing on hydration.

I have to end by once again saying “Thank you” to all of you who have helped in someway. There certainly is still an opportunity for you to participate through participating in the Family Fun Ride or RFM Warm-up Ride. Of course, there is always the help of giving toward my fund raising goal for Rebekah Grace Ellis.

Here is the plan… There are actually two rides that end up in the same location. I’ll give you the low down on the family ride first.

Family Fun Ride

Families can begin arriving in Greenville’s Cleveland Park at 8 a.m. to meet at shelter 5.  That is the shelter near the dog park. Once there you can receive your stamp that will give you access to the free meal at the end of your ride. Attendees will be at the shelter until 10 a.m. to check in riders and give instructions.

The route will be the length of the Swamp Rabbit Trail from Cleveland Park to Gateway Park in Travelers Rest. Maps will be provided at the shelter for those who have not ridden the trail before. I will also be posting a Google map here on LowCadence.com before Saturday.

The picnic (BBQ and the fixings) will begin at 11:30 a.m. and conclude by 2 p.m. This allows families plenty of time to ride the trail. There will not be a mass start. Just show up with your family and enjoy the trail on a beautiful morning with a goal to arrive in Travelers Rest sometime between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Be prepared, however, to ride the trail back to Greenville. If you do not think you can make the trip back, please have someone bring a vehicle to Gateway Park to pick up you and your family. We would like to provide transportation, but we are unable to do so due to liability issues.

We hope you can join us. Rebekah will not be able to ride with us due to her health. However, she and her family do plan to be at the picnic as long as Rebekah has the strength.

Want to join us? We must have a count by noon on October 19th so we will know how much food we can provide. If you have not already, please confirm your participation using the form at the conclusion of this post.

2011 Ride for Mike Warm-up Ride

Technically, I shouldn’t be doing this, but I want to have the opportunity to ride with many of you who have supported the Ride for Mike. It probably wouldn’t work out too well to have you join me at 6 a.m. on the 24th on the real Ride for Mike, but we can get together earlier. That is the second ride taking place on October 22.

We will leave from the same shelter 5 in Greenville’s Cleveland Park. However, we will need to leave at 8 a.m. sharp. So, have your bikes unloaded and ready to go by that time. We’ll start off on the same route as the Family Fun Ride, but we will continue going past Gateway Park. We’ll then follow some of my favorite training roads in a loop that will bring us back to the Swamp Rabbit Trail and on to Travelers Rest. There we will stop (after nearly 50 miles) to have our lunch.

I say that I shouldn’t do this because my training plan says that I am supposed to do a simple two hour ride that morning. This one is going to be a bit longer at 3 to 4 hours in length. So, that means I am going to have to take it very easy. No attacks or breakaways allowed! We’ll all ride together and the best SAG driver in the world will follow us along the route to help out any who might find the going rough.

Want to join us? Just let me know you plan to come along by contacting me before noon on October 19th. Please use the below form.

– The form is now unavailable due to October 19, 2011 deadline.

You many still participate in the 2011 Ride for Mike by giving to the project.

The fact is, there are needs and compassion expressed in giving is effective. At first I thought it a little uncomfortable to make a public display of raising money for a family. Then I realized that for them it is a lot more than a fund that helps pay their medical bills. It is an emotional shot in the arm. It is a reminder that people care. Seeing many people taking an interest compounds the compassion.

Little Rebekah is at a tough point right now. I’m not a doctor, but I’ll put it as simply as I can. Her heart is not like the hearts of most. Let’s just say that the plumbing leading into, within and going out of her heart is not complete. For this reason she does not have the typical connection from her heart to her right lung. The heart also seems to be routing blood back to itself.

There is the possibility of an operation that would allow the doctors to take the “pipe” that is reconnecting to the hear and connect it to the lung. This would help to relieve pressure on the heart and also get some blood flow to the lung. Frankly, it would be experimental. There are no blueprints to go with because no one else has a heart like Rebekah.

That is why I ride. That is why I raise money. My three children are strong and healthy. However, I can imagine what I would feel if one of my own faced what Rebekah is facing.

I have also seen how doing the Ride for Mike has encouraged Mike’s family over the last few years. I actually did not know them that well before Mike passed, but now (though they are miles away and our contact isn’t constant) I feel a deep connection with them. This endeavor has created a bond that I cherish.

That leads me to my final point. It is amazing how when you set out to help someone you find that you are helped in the process probably more than they are. I am so thankful for the Ride for Mike, because not only has it allowed me to help others — it has helped me to grow.

It is true that money can be the root of all kinds of evil, but when money is used for good it can result in a beautiful flower. I hope that the 2011 Ride for Mike will nurture the spirits of the Ellis family. I pray that the money will help Rebekah to grow and flower.

Thank you to all of you who have given so far. As of this morning, we are at $3,250 of the $4,400 goal. If you would like to participate, give here and learn more here.

View Larger Map

My plan for the first leg is to ride straight through to Saluda. I’ll stop there at a Subway and grab some carbs for the next leg of the trip. I’m thinking that I can arrive there with about an 18 mph average. That would put me in Saluda in about 4 hours.

Of course, there is a part of me that would love to beat that average. It is a balance between keeping my time in the saddle down and not using too much energy. The last time I rode to Saluda I averaged over 19 mph. However, I was putting out wattage consistently around 230 watts.

I do think that I can keep my speed up. The difference this time on this section is that I am not having to hold a consistent wattage. Rather than training with wattage, I’ll be performing with speed. While in training I kill myself on the downhill trying to keep my wattage up, on the actual ride I can just coast down and maintain my speed while conserving energy.

That is my goal: go as fast as I can with the least amount of effort possible.

4:15 a.m. and 240 miles to go!

Today is kind of cool as well because I’m following Steve Sperry as he SAGs for a group of riders who left Greenville at 4:15 a.m. this morning to ride their bikes to Savannah, GA. It is about 240 miles – very close to my target. If you want to follow along, you can check out Steve’s Facebook page. I think they plan to be in Savannah by 8 p.m. tonight.

Google Maps is a pretty good tool to use for this sort of thing. With the Streets View feature, you can actually follow the route — not only as on overhead map, but visually as though you were riding along the road. This has allowed me to find at least one section on my planned route that includes a hard-packed gravel section.

Somewhere near Pelion, South Carolina

I did get burned on last year’s route as I did not have Street View options for every road. In northern Georgia, I ended up on a water eroded descent on a gravel road and ended up with a flat tire. Thankfully, I’m not facing that again this year. All the roads along my route have images from Street View.

So, I know that if I can make it to Orangeburg, South Carolina, I’ll have ridden farther than I have ever gone before in a single day’s ride. No doubt I can make it there. The big question will be how will I feel when I get there.

My coach is trying to work with me to ensure that I will roll into town feeling the best I can. He is using tempo rides to make it happen. I’m also training myself to be more conscious of my calorie intake while on the bike.

I’m finding it hard to get the hang of the tempo training. I’ve trained with intervals for so long, it is hard for me to hold back. My mentality is always to “ride to failure.” You can’t do that when you are riding tempo.

Each ride now has me going steady for an hour or more at 240 – 280 watts. Jim would prefer me to do even longer distances, but my work schedule right now just won’t allow it. I may have to take a couple of vacation days to plan for some longer days in the saddle.

What Jim is trying to do is get my body to find a rhythm that I can sustain for an extended period of time. The goal is to have it become second nature. When I’m not thinking, I should be spinning along at 90 to 95 rpm at around 240 watts.

One thing that is working in my favor is the terrain I will be covering. As I’ve been following the Google Maps route, I’m seeing a lot of flat to gently rolling roads. Even if I average a speed I can typically manage here in more hilly Greenville, I’ll have the worse case scenario of a 14 hour day.

I really do believe that I can manage a 20 mph average. That would have me spending 11 hours in the saddle. I’m laying it out there right now… I’m not above motor-pacing to help keep the average!

My approach is simple. Ride the first 130 miles as best I can and then hang on for the last 90. It really isn’t a matter of WILL I finish, it is just a matter of how LONG will it take. I figure I have 18 hours to finish the ride on October 24. If I have to, I’ll use all of them.

With the help of my friends, coach, and the Beautiful Redhead, I’m not thinking I’ll need that much time.

Please consider giving to the 2011 Ride for Mike. We are currently at $550 raised. Who will help us break past the $1000 mark? You can make a pledge to give your tax deductible gift at the pledge page.

FAMILY FUN RIDE

A longer ride leaving at 8 AM from the same starting point will take the Swamp Rabbit Trail and then follow a route into northern Greenville County for a total of 50 miles. This will be the Ride for Mike 2011 Warm-up Ride. It is a social, “no rider left behind” ride that will also conclude at Gateway Park where participants will enjoy the picnic. A SAG vehicle will be available.

There is no cost for the event. However, we must have a count for those planning to attend the picnic. Please contact us at lowcadence@pait.org to let us know if you plan to attend and how many will be in your party.

Come show your support for the 2011 Ride for Mike supporting Rebekah Grace Ellis and her family while enjoying the beautiful Swamp Rabbit Trail. You can also show your support by giving a tax-deductible gift for the Ellis family by following the instructions at the 2011 Ride for Mike gifting page.