STP: Epic Ride

I am proud to say that earlier this month I completed Seattle to Portland (STP)! STP is a 203 mile bicycle ride between the two cities held annually with some 10,000 participants.  Most ride bicycles, but part of the fun was seeing the different contraptions people used to make the trek.  The list of things I saw or heard about include 2 and 3-people tandem bikes, a 3-person wide bicycle, a skateboard, a device that was essentially a moving elliptical machine, and a unicycle.  Yes, a unicycle.

Of the three most popular endurance events (swimming, bicycling, and running), cycling presents a lot of challenges outside of ones physical abilities.  Getting your bike to and from the event has been quite a challenge for me.  Finding good routes can be difficult because they need to span 10’s of miles.  As such it is also quite a time commitment.  And of course, there is the maintenance of your equipment.  Nothing will ruin a perfectly planned day quicker than a flat or a problematic chain.  All of these led me to drag my feet on actually registering for the event.  However, when the event sold-out, it made me really want to do it.  So when they opened a 2^nd round of registrations I got really serious.

By far, the best part of STP was training.  I am fortunate enough to have a friend, Andy, who is very serious about long distance cycling and has been for years.  So when I mentioned I was interested in STP, he egged me on and invited me to join him on a few training rides.  He laid out a couple of 70+ mile day trips that we’d describe as, ‘EPIC!’  It was here that I began to think of him as the ‘Ride Guru’.  His years of cycling made him an endless source of knowledge on everything about cycling.  From bike routes, to best equipment, to bicycle maintenance, to fine cuisine along the route, he knew it all.  During the rides we’d trade tales about life, careers, and interests.  I learned that you had to speak in chapters as the elements around you would occasionally force you to pause and focus on cycling.  From time to time, Andy would say, ‘to make a long story short’ and I’d have to cut him off and tell him, ‘we’ve got 50 more miles, feel free to elaborate!’.  I truly could not have done STP without him.

The morning of the event, I got up at 3:45 to pack and head to the start line at the University of Washington.  At the start line, the announcer said, ‘Give your seat a pat for good luck.  It is going to be your home for the next two days’.  He wasn’t kidding.  That Saturday and Sunday there was close to twelve hours between the times when I got on my bike to start the ride and when I racked it up for the day. 

But I ride fairly slow.  And I definitely stopped to enjoy the event.  Along the way I’d occasionally post my status to Facebook with pictures of what I was seeing.  It was encouraging to see my friends supporting me online throughout the event.  I found my eating habits (and those of most participants) very interesting.  I never really ate a meal until I was done cycling for the day.  Instead I ate a lot of snacks that were mostly carbs.  I guess that makes sense as what you really want is food that can quickly be converted to energy to keep you going.

However, the first day was a challenge.  It was around 100 miles total.  Up to this point, my longest ride was about 80 miles.  I really began to appreciate little things like smooth pavement (less friction means more distance for the same effort) and flat surfaces (uphill is tiring, downhill can be scary).  By the end of the day, I was beat.

The midpoint where most people stopped for the night was Centralia.  Since the town has cyclists stop every year, they’ve gotten good at playing host.  The local college had a small fair set up, plenty of space for tents, and rented out spots in the gym to sleep in.  For dinner, they served pasta and broadcasted the Tour De France on the big screen.

When I woke up on Sunday, I was sore.  It hurt to walk and my legs weren’t trying to do anything that resembled a pedaling motion.  I had no idea how I was going to last.  But surprisingly, day two was actually easier.  In fact, a little after half time, I kind of got into a groove and did some of my best cycling of the event!  I had a lot going for me that I did not expect.  I had the well timed advice of my fellow participants.  Two tips in particular (inflate your tires and pump with your arms to get up hills) made a huge difference.  I also dabbled in some substance that eased the pain (ibuprofen) and got me hyped (Mountain Dew).  Moreover, I was more in tune with what my body needed.  If ever I was at a stop and debated whether or not I should use a restroom, I did.  I drank more fluids, I knew how to tell when I was about to get hungry, and I made good use of the rest stops to stretch, relax, but not get too out of the zone.  And, of course, I knew that at the end of the day, I’d actually reach the goal.

Perhaps the most surreal moment of the event was crossing the Oregon state line.  It really dawned on me how far I had gone.  From there, the last 50 to hit the center of Portland were a lot more relaxed.  All in all an amazing experience.

Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/MrSharps/20100718STP