great support along the route, the exhausted riders sprawled out in Carhaix, and the great spirit of the event from all the riders along the way.

Transcription

1 PBP 2015 Recap It s hard to know where to start when you want to do a recap of PBP. There s so much to the experience that is, to use an overused word these days, epic. It s never just about the ride itself; there s the training, the equipment selection, months of qualifying brevets, goals and strategy. There s the logistics of getting your bike to Paris, and where you re going to stay when you get there. There are plans for what you want to do the days leading up to the ride, and what you want to do after the ride. There s all of that, and then there s the ride: this long, hard ride in France (where they speak French and you barely know the basics), with people from all over the world. It s hillier than anyone ever warned you about, and twice as long as you re longest qualifying ride. It takes about 4 days to do, and it s going to push you physically and mentally beyond what you would experience in almost any other situation. So, yeah, I guess I d say epic is a pretty apt word to use with describe the PBP experience when you look at it holistically. This was the second time attempting PBP. In 2011 I finished in 88:37 - during which time I slept approximately 4.5 hours. I wanted to do better in 2015, and ultimately I set my goal at somewhere in the mid 70 hour range; 72 hours at the best case scenario, but if things went awry, I wanted to at least finish, so I chose the 90 hour start time. I wanted a rando specific bike, so I bought a new one, and had to figure out how I wanted to build it out. I had a lot of anxiety about the components for my bike. Every review you read has the positives and negatives, and the financial consequences of choosing something wrong are substantial. I ultimately selected a fairly non-conventional drivetrain, and it worked out well. I chose a 1x11 setup (40x11x32), and I grew to really appreciate it. I m sure I would have been equally happy with a more traditional drivetrain, but I wouldn t hesitate to recommend the setup to anyone that s curious about it. My wife and I decided to make our own arrangements for lodging and transportation to avoid some of the expense of going through Claus. We got an apartment through Airbnb midway between the velodrome and Versailles, and we were very happy with it. It turns out there were 5 apartments in our building, and each was filled with randonneurs from around the globe: Great Britain, Australia, Malaysia and Taiwan. There were other randonneurs staying in the area as well, and we would bump into them at the nearby markets, patisseries and restaurants. There was a real sense of community around the event. The multinational experience is probably the best part of PBP, and it s really fun and interesting to talk to so many people from around world. I had the benefit of having ridden PBP in 2011, so I knew many of the things to expect along the route. That is not to say that I had the same experience. My memory of the route was different than what I experienced this time around. Part of that may be that I was about 12 hours ahead of my pace last time, so places I had ridden in the night in 2011 were ridden during daylight hours this time around. The things that I remember from 2011 that were the same were the

2 great support along the route, the exhausted riders sprawled out in Carhaix, and the great spirit of the event from all the riders along the way. As for my strategy, I broke the ride into 3 pieces by having a hotel in St. Mean - roughly at the 395 km mark on the way out and the 835 km mark on the way back. It was good for me to be able to split it up this way both physically and mentally because I was never more than 20 to 24 hours away from a rest spot, and it gave me a goal to shoot for everyday. When I felt like I wanted to stop, I would take a short break and reserve the longer breaks for the hotel - it kept me moving. Because of that, I remember the ride in three distinct phases. My facts might not be 100% accurate, but the following is the best I can do to recall how the ride unfolded. Phase 1: The Start. Entering the starting corral at the velodrome, I was immediately called over by Mike, Micah and Steve: the Wisconsin boys. It was great to see familiar faces, and their enthusiasm for the ride was contagious. They had a very solid plan in place: stick together, stay in control, ride steady, and finish in the 90 hour limit. They are strong riders, and you could tell they were going to be just fine. We rolled out together, and stayed in contact for the first few hours. I then caught on with a large paceline and lost contact with them. Night was descending, and my attention turned to getting to Mortagne au Perche to restock my food supply. I was able to strike up conversations with quite a few riders. Most knew at least some english, and I was able to attempt some of my very rough french. Mostly, the people I talked to would immediately recognize that I was an American, and would just answer me in english. Micah Garb and me at the beginning of the ride

3 When I got to Mortagne, I realized that the food line was way too long, so I bought some energy bars for my pockets, and got back on the road to Villaines la Juhel. In Mortagne, I cooled off really quickly, and was downright cold going down the hill out of town. However, if you get cold at PBP it usually won t be long before there s an uphill climb to warm you back up! I arrived in Villaines la Juhel at about 3:00 AM, and I was pretty sleepy and a bit hungry. I decided to get a hot meal and take a quick catnap. I got my food and was looking for a place to sit when I heard the familiar voice of Jonas Nygard calling me over to sit with Bob Heath and him. It was fun to see them. They were just finishing up, and were heading back out on the road. I was tempted to strike out with them, but decided that the rolled up carpet at the end of the dining hall looked like a good place to lie down for a few minutes. After a 20 minute nap, I felt refreshed and was ready to get back on the bike. I ran into Glenn and Brent Seager on my way out, and after some quick chit chat, I was on my way. A few hours later I got to Fougeres, and ran into Bob Heath again. Bob and Jonas had gotten separated during the night, and he was wondering if I had seen him. It was very dark, so I could have been riding right next to him and not known it. Bob waited around a bit, and sat with me while I grabbed a quick bite to eat. I needed a 10 minute catnap, so Bob took off down the road and I closed my eyes while sitting at the table. I didn t want to spend too much time there, but felt that I needed to just take the edge off with a quick nap. This was a pattern that repeated itself over the course of the ride: fill water bottles, eat some food, sleep for 10 minutes, and hit the road. I spent very little time at Tinteniac because my hotel was only about 18 miles from the control, but I did stay long enough to get a sandwich au jambon and a coke! I was off again, and on to St. Mien to get to the hotel for a hot meal and some rest. I rolled into St. Mien at about 2:00 in the afternoon. I was hungry, but the catnaps must have really helped because I wasn t sleepy at all. I decided that I would eat, shower and try to sleep for an hour. The hotel staff at Hotel Brit were fabulous. There were quite a few riders that were staying there, and we were all treated like kings. Upon my arrival, I was asked if I would like some pasta bolognaise and a beer! I asked if I could shower first, and they assured me that it would be ready when I came back downstairs. My wife was there, and it was so great to see her. It gave me a big boost. After eating, I tried to sleep, but woke up after only about 45 minutes. I got dressed and was on the road again by 5:00. Phase 2: St. Mien to Brest and back. This was the hardest stretch for me. The gentle rollers turned more jagged, and the effects of the being on the road for a second night were starting to take hold. I rolled into Loudeac and noted that there were a lot of bikes in the racks, but not a lot of people around. I guess a lot of people were taking their sleep stop here. I ate a Galette Saucisse drank a coke, and headed off into the night.

4 I rode a lot of this stretch by myself. It was very dark, and there were some intersections where the arrows weren t immediately visible. I still don t know how it happened, but I was riding along after the Secret Control on what I thought was the correct route, and came to a road where bikers were streaming past on their way to Carhaix. I must have missed a turn, but was fortunate enough that the road I was on intersected with the correct route. I turned and a short time later, I was in Carhaix. The control at Carhaix can only be described as the control of the living dead. Sleeping bodies are strewn everywhere, in every possible position and in any available spot. I found it hard on morale, so I got some food, ate it quickly, and headed out into the night to tackle Roc h Trevezel. I spent most of the next few hours climbing in the dark. Every once in awhile, I would see a red tail light, and try to make out where the next bend was coming. It was cool, but not cold (that would come later), and it was really a nice peaceful night. Eventually, I came to the summit and saw a wall of fog on the back side of the climb. Coming down the backside of the Roc, I got really cold and began to shiver to the point where I was having trouble controlling the bike. The fog clouded my glasses, and I couldn t see, so I was forced to stop. I cleaned my glasses, and put on every bit of clothing I had: rain jacket, arm warmers, knee warmers, long fingered gloves and a wool stocking hat. It helped a lot, and I was able to cautiously continue the descent to Brest. Coming into Brest, I anticipated the famous suspension bridge to be all lit up, but I was disappointed to discover that it was not. I crossed into Brest with a handful of other riders in the dark, and started the climb to the control. I took some time in Brest to eat and take a 15 minute power nap. When I woke up, I was sitting next to who I later came to realize was Ian Hands. He told me how he had intended to go for a Charly Miller time, but realized that he wasn t going to make it, so he stopped and slept for 9 hours in Brest. He was waiting for some friends before heading out again. I borrowed the control mechanic s floor pump, put a few pumps of air in my tires, and headed back toward Carhaix just as the sun was beginning to rise. It was a beautiful morning, and heading into the rising sun really energized me. I found an Italian rider that matched my pace well, and the two of us worked together as we climbed back up the Roc.

5 The sunrise leaving Brest From Carhaix back to St. Mien was a struggle. I knew there was a secret control shortly after Carhaix, and I just focused on getting there. Then I just focused on getting to Loudeac. Then I just focused on getting to St. Mien where I planned to take a little longer break. I arrived at the hotel at about 6:30PM on Tuesday night; 25 and a half hours after I left. I was really ready for a break. I got a good meal and talked to some of the other randonneurs in the dining room, but I really wanted to take a nap. I asked my wife, Denise, to wake me in 2 hours, but after an hour and half I was awake and ready to go again. I really wanted to sleep more, but something in me wouldn t allow it. Phase 3: The final stretch: I left the hotel at 12:05 AM Wednesday and headed for Tinteniac. I didn t linger long at Tinteniac, I grabbed a sandwich and coke, as I recall, but really, most of the last day is a blur. I remember coming into controls, getting something to eat, maybe taking a quick catnap, and then heading back out. After Fougeres, I started to formulate time goals for each control and was thinking that I could possibly finish by around 10:30PM. I wanted to get to Villaines la Juhel by 11:00 AM, and I got there around 11:10. Then I wanted to get to Mortagne au Perche by 3:00, and I got there around 3:10. It was during that stretch that I started to lose my mind a little

6 bit. Thankfully, I recognized that I was having trouble, and stopped at a brasserie for some hot chocolate and some rest. After a few minutes I felt much better, and rolled on to Mortagne au Perche. I think I stopped at just the right time to maintain my sanity. I don t remember much about the stretch to Dreux except that the road was flatter, and the wind was at my back. I caught on with a strong French rider, and we powered to Dreux. When we pulled into the control at around 7:00 PM, I thanked him for all the pulling he did. He said, Don t thank me, thank the wind! The goal of finishing at 10:30 was still attainable, and I knew there was some tough hills between Dreux and the finish, so after a coke, sandwich au jambon and pain au chocolat, I headed out. I remember thinking that whatever hills were between Dreux and the finish couldn t be worse than anything we d already climbed, but I was wrong. I had forgotten how steep some of the climbs in the park were - some more than 10% grade. I got out of the saddle and just plowed up them the best I could. What else was there to do? By this time, I was fairly cooked, but the thought that the finish line was close was enough to get me over the next few miles. It was dark as another rider and I quietly came into the outskirts of town, and through the park and finally to the backside of the velodrome. I crossed the line at 10:41 - a little behind my 10:30 goal, but I ll take it! Officially, my time was 76:09:30 - more than 12 hours faster than my finish in I was greeted by my wife and friends, and as I entered the bike corral, Rob Welsh was waiting for me! Then a few minutes later, Brent Seager came in. He was only behind me by a few minutes. Had I known, I would have waited and ridden with him; it would have been nice to have someone to ride with.

7 Brent Seager, Rob Welsh and me at the finish Conclusion: I feel I had a very successful ride. I stayed within myself and finished the ride very comfortably. I came away with a sense of how special and unique this event is. The people of France were so warm, supportive and generous. The riders from all around the world are inspiring. Overall, the training, expense, and logistics are well worth it to be able to be a part of it. The other take away from doing this again is how much I appreciate the support and understanding of my wife through all of the training, expenditures and preparations. It would have been impossible to do it without her.

8 My wife, Denise, and me at the finish