Gold Rush Randonnee – The preparation

THE GOLDRUSH RANDONEE
or How I prepared myself to conquer a Californian 1200km ride.

The Gold Rush Randonnee is not an easy ride. The information put out by the ride organisation suggests that the ride contains between 26,000 and 29,000 feet of climbing. This compares favourably with the elevation gain on PBP of around 30,000 feet.,but as most randonneurs know these statistics can be very misleading. The climbing on the GRR was all contained in the middle sections. But I am getting ahead of myself.

This adventure started after Martin Haynes returned from his Cascades/Rock Mountains foray in 2008. Over a red wine or two we discussed upcoming 1200km rides. He suggested that Gold Rush would be a great ride to attempt. Never being one to shirk a cycling adventure the ride became an excuse to have a holiday in the USA. Linda and I had previously been to California back in 1994 but had never been to the East Coast.

At the Great Southern in 2008, somewhere in the dark of night, I raised the prospect of GRR with Carol Bell (a New Zealand ex-pat, living in Maryland, and a member of Audax Australia). She agreed nearly immediately. Nothing further happened until January. I received an email alerting me that the interest list for the Gold Rush had opened. I immediately put my name on the list.

This is where the story gets sad. Carol suggested that to make the holiday worthwhile,I should also partake of a new 1200km ride in Canada. This was the Granite Anvil, starting in Ontario about 4 weeks after the GRR finished. The wait list for this ride was also open and I again put my name on the list.

Carol, feeling partly responsible for this predicament also put her name down for both rides. She wanted an International Super Randonneur as well as the CanAm pin that is awarded to riders successfully completing a Canadian 1200 and an American 1200km in the same year. I had not though about the bling, but thought to myself “that’s cool”. To tell the truth I was mainly after the International Super Randonneur Award. During my period at the helm of les Randonneurs Mondiaux, I had affixed the seal to a half a dozen of these awards.

ISR awards
This award is administered by Audax UK on behalf of RM.A rider can complete a Super Randonneur series, that is, 200, 300, 400 and 600km rides under the Randonneur Mondiaux code, with each ride in a different country, over any period of time, and become an International Super Randonneur.

Elevated ISR awards are also recognised, for instance a rider completing three 600km rides in different countries in Europe and one 1000km in North America would be designated a 2 Continents International Super Randonneur 600.

I calculated that I could claim the ISR for four 1200km rides completed in four countries :

PBP 2007 (France)
Great Southern 2008(Australia)
Gold Rush 2009 (USA)
Granite Anvil 2009 (Canada)

This would constitute a 3 continent International Super Randonneur 1200. To see a list of current recipients refer to The Audax AUK site

This is probably not the best reason to ride a 1200km brevet. But then is there ever a good reason to punish your mind and body? We are all different, and the best reason for anybody is “what ever gets you through!.”

Both of these rides required a qualifying Super Series. This is not usually an issue, as one of my aims is to complete a Super Series in each Audax year. But I thought that I really should have a training program. In the past I jut got on the bike and rode. Before the GSR I was commuting to and from work. My current employment situation, meant that this source of mileage was no longer available. At the same time I was aiming to achieve the Audax Year Round award. Well at least I will have a certain consistency for riding brevets.

As the months rolled on, I found I was spending less time on the bike. I was also studying for a BA (internet Communications) via Open University. This was taking up a fair chunk of time. I was studying something that was outside of my immediate comfort zone and needed to come to grips with things such as HTML and CSS and other computer jargon. So my plans to prepare a program went out the window. I went back to what I had done in then past, ride when I could and use my previous experience to finish two 1200km brevets.

With this type of plan, I was bound to be successful. Around this point of time information was being sent out by the Gold Rush organisers. After seeing the route profile, and descriptions I began to worry a little. The route profile looked intimidating.

The Journey Begins

Well actually the journey actually started Sunday afternoon. I was lucky enough to have scored a free night accommodation at the Hilton Hotel at the airport. It made a lot more sense to spend the night at the airport and then just casually walk accross the road to get on the plane.

The room was great, you really get lost on a king size bed. The window ovewrlooked the airport. It was fansinating watching the taxis and people coming and going. All this while enjoying a glass or two of “sparking wine” (I still call it champagne, but the French object).

After a good night’s sleep, we walked across the road to check in our luggage. As I asked the lady behind the counter whether Linda could have a window seat for the domestic flight to Sydney, she informed me that this was our lucky day. We had scored a business class upgrade for the Sydney- San Fransisco leg. (Hope the luck holds for the $90million Tatts draw on Tuesday).

I will publish some photos from the hotel room when I can get onto my own computer to download some photos.

Bags Packed

It is still two days before we leave on our USA adventure and our bags are packed. This must be a record for us. Usually I pack clothes into a backpack only the night before. On the other hand, I do always have the bike packaged up a good few days before we leave. This time I am especially glad that it was done early.

In the months leading up to this trip I had agonised over how the bike was going to be transported. In the past I always used a cardboard Qantas bike box. These have always served well, but the trips were always a return leg form a single airport.This time we were going to travel 10 flight legs on a round-the-world ticket. The bike box, in my opinion, was not going to last. The box also is not easily transportable around airport terminals.

During the January long week-end at Bright, I got to talking and the SciCon AeroComfort Plus was recommended. On investigation it seemed like the perfect answer. The advertising blurb read in part ” The extraordinary ease of stowing the bicycle in Aerocomfort Plus (you only have to remove the wheels), the quicknessof this operation, and the minimum space required make it a truly unique product.” I was especially interested, as most people that know me will attest, I am not particularly handy with tools of any description.

To cut a long story short, I decided to make the investment after Mr Rudd’s generous stimulus package came through.

So on Wednesday, I decided to pack the bike into it’s new packaging bag. I inserted a set of skewers into the Scicon anti-shock frame , removed the wheels from the Baum and “bingo” the Baum was safely fastened to the frame. Now came the test. Zip up the bag. No mater how much I tried The zip would not close over the handle bars. This called for a new strategy. Time for a glass of wine and return in the morning.

A good night’s sleep failed to come up with a solution. I then did waht any good cyclist does in times of crises. I put on the lyrca and went for a bike ride. It was on this ride that I reasoned, That I should remove the handle bars and stow them along the bottom tube. This would, however cause the top of the bag to crumple, the handle bars actually forming part of the bag’s structure (in a manner of speaking). Next issue was to get a narrower set of handle bars to attach to the bike during transport. I put out an appeal on the Audax Australia chat list. This bought forth an immediate response. I am amazed at the various bit and pieces that we keep in case of a rainy day or another cyclist’s needs. Problem solved, a narrow set of bars and the bag zips up nicely.

It only remained to add some additional protection around the rear derailleur and bubble wrap and foam rubber around the frame. I also added some cardboard to the internal wheel bags.

Baum: Packed and ready for transport

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It remains be seen what damage the various baggage handlers can inflict on my precious cargo.

Nervous Apprehension

It’s Thursday morning. Nobody else is awake and I am thinking about our upcoming trip to the USA.
Surely this is a time to be excited? In normal circumstances I would agree. Looking forward to the adventure is a normal reaction. This however is no normal holiday.

Let me take you back. I was enjoying a glass or two of Australian red wine (the style and type is not important, all Australian reds taste good) with good cycling friends. The discussion turned to our cycling plans for the 2009. I had half heartedly thought of completing a 1200km randonnee in the USA. Martin had earlier completed the Cascades ride as well as the Rocky Mountains ride. He suggested that the Gold Rush out of Sacramento sounded like a good ride. My immediate reaction was “ok. lets do it.” A day or so later Carol from Baltimore advised me that the waiting list was open. Not needing a lot of persuasion, I immediately registered my interest in riding.

No problems with that, seven or eight months to qualify for the ride, do the ride in July and then enjoy a holiday. Dear reader, nothing so simple. Carol suggested that to make the trip worthwhile, I should also consider the Granite Anvil in Toronto starting mid August. Well, to cut a long story short, I registered for that one as well. What was I thinking? Two 1200km randonnees in a matter of six weeks!!

The trip was taking a shape I had not imagined. A round the world ticket seemed to make sense. Linda suggested that we could visit a good friend in the UK. A little planning and we could also stop in Singapore and then visit our daughter and family in Perth. It worked well, the son-in-law was about to celebrate a 40th birthday. Great timing!!! A visit to the Qantas travel office and we were the holders of a round the world ticket.

The Itinerary:

• 29 June: Melbourne – Sydney – San Francisco
• 12 July: Sacramento – Baltimore (via Dallas)
• 10 August: Baltimore – Toronto (via Chicago)
• 18 August: Toronto – London
• 22 August: London – Singapore
• 27 August: Singapore – Perth
• 31 August: Perth Melbourne

Our holiday was now book ended by two 1200km bicycle rides. I am lucky that Linda supports me and my hobby, I am doubly lucky because Linda enjoys travelling and discovering new places.

Attitudes towards Cyclists

The Age M Magazine 26 April 2009

I am not normally prone to public ranting about attitudes to cyclists. I generally read or listen to adverse comments, think to myself “That’s sad” and then go about my business.
But this morning the below cartoon got up my nose.
It is often said that many a true word is spoken in jest. This one topped it off. The attitude portrayed is one of disdain to anybody that may get injured due to an accident. Sure we may not like the charity muggers, and it is irksome that cyclists are pedalling on the footpath. But surely if somebody gets hurt, we give assistance and allow the law to deal with any consequences.

Am I being overly sensitive? or should I go and make myself another coffee and continue reading the newspaper and relax on a cold Melbourne morning?

The Ride Of Your Life – Book Review

In the Spring 2000 edition of CHECKPOINT I wrote in President’s Pedals

“Audax riding is about facing and meeting personal challenges. It is not about being the fastest or the best. It is about completing an endurance ride within a specified time limit.
Each year we set our goals……with the release of the new calendar, each of us will sit down and plan our schedule of rides to meet our personal goals. …..for others it will be to complete that first 200km ride and others will be planning to complete a first Audax ride.

I went on in other editions of CHECKPOINT to elaborate on this theme, as well as suggesting that our goals need to be tempered with the plans and aspirations of our families (Spring 2001).

More recently I wrote (CHECKPOINT 21, 2004) about the importance of not only setting goals, but also comparing your achievements with the goals you set. This process of comparison gives you a chance to analyse and evaluate the reasons for any variance to your initial plan.

So what do my past musings all have to do with reviewing a book? This book proposes a system for each and every one of us to achieve our goals and ambitions. It crystallises for me the things that I have been saying and writing about for many years into a set of spreadsheets (the accountant in me loves spreadsheets), that will assist me and many others to maintain focus on the important things in life.

The author, David Rowe, is a long distance cyclist. David has been riding for more than 30 years and like most cyclists has never raced. He says that the main attraction of long distance riding is the reprieve that it brings from the demands of his career as an Internet marketing manager. At the same time, he maintains that the fitness and health that comes from riding helps him be a more significant contributor at work.

His goal in writing this book is to help others to use the bicycle as a means of realising an enhanced sense of personal accomplishment, which comes from completing a long distance cycling event, and to experience the physical and emotional benefits that transcend the rides and increase our appreciation for other aspects of life.

The Ride of your Life is a departure from the normal cycling training books, this book focuses not on the physical preparation but rather it focuses on the mental preparation that in the end makes or breaks a rider’s commitment to their goal.

I have often espoused my theory that the successful completion of a randonnee is mainly in the mind, this book actually bears this out. I am sure that we have all read books on our favourite sporting stars and how they visualised crossing the finishing line, or used all of their mental reserves to overcome adverse conditions. This is all due to a proper mental preparation. I am not saying that there is no physical preparation, but one without the other does not seem to work.

This book gives the rider an 8 step process (complete with worksheets) to setting goals for the short, medium and long term.

1. Clarify your core values
2. Evaluate your past performance
3. Create a wish list
4. Rate the rides
5. Use your value system to evaluate the rides
6. Sort the goals list
7. Chunk it down to one-year milestones
8. Make a plan to achieve each goal.

These are steps that I think we all go through but there is nothing like seeing this on paper.

Step one is important. In this step amongst other things we need to understand how the various components of our life fit together. To quote the author”Riding can be a source of conflict in your life if you let it be.”

It is important that a balance is achieved between your cycling goals and how these will fit into the other aspects of your life such as family and work.

In the past I have never considered writing down my goals and aspirations (in spite of this being one of the rules in goal setting), but this book has inspired my to give it a shot. In the short time available I have started to complete the first worksheet but am finding this the most difficult part of the process to complete, but I am slowly working my way through it.

This book also contains interviews with six riders who have figured out how to balance their personal and professional lives with the demand of training for long distance cycling events.

• Gregory Paley on the Portland-to-Glacier 100
• Jill Homer on Susitna 100
• Del Sharffenberg on the Elite PAC Tour
• Kitty Goursolle on Paris Brest -Paris
• Kent Peterson on Raid Californie – Oregon
• John Spurgeon on Race Across America

One or two of the names may be familiar to some of you, but their stories are worth reading. Ed Pavelka the RoadbikeRider.com president says that “Their stories are the stories of thousands of riders just them. They give us a sense that if they can do it, we can too!”

There are a couple of little quotes from this book that I think are worth reprinting here.

Kent Peterson “I don’t train, I practice.”

Kitty Goursolle (completed PBP in 2007, Cascade 1200 and Rocky Mountains 1200 in 2008.) quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet “For there is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so”

As Molly Meldrum is often quoted as saying “do yourself a favour” and pick up a copy of this book. In my humble opinion this book will help you to clarify and attain your cycling goals what ever they may be.

A 34 page preview edition of this book . But I would encourage you to purchase the full edition for $US19.95 from R2R Publishing Co. www.roadbikerider.com/royl_page.htm

This review appeared in Checkpoint March 2009. Checkpoint is the official magazine of Audax Australia Cycling Cub