Easy saturdays are over for awhile. Today was the first of a number of very painful sufferfests on the calendar. Mulholland Challenge. Got up at 5 and drove the 60 miles to Calabassas to start at 7:15am.
I heard the plan was to not push the hills, take advantage of the downhills and work the flats. That plan went out the window at mile 31. I was already dead. I got the first check in stop. No food. I was hungry. No food till the 2nd stop 21 miles later. That was the first WTF. I looked at the ride sheet and thought I was misreading the total mileage--116 miles. 2nd WTF. I thought this was supposed to be a century. Not a century plus 16 miles. I figured that it had to add least an hour + onto the ride for the day. Okay 3rd WTF.
I made it to check in stop 2. Somewhere around mile 51-52. I can't remember. I wolfed down 3 PBJs and a muffin. Took some heed forgetting that I hate Heed. Not that I like Sustained Energy any better. Headed off for another 13 miles of tough riding with some gnarly downhill on broken asphalt to pacific ocean north of Leo Carrillo Beach. Thought I was going to die on the way down. Braking was not easy and in a lot of spots, the incline was negative 15%.
Funny enough, after check in spot 3 on PCH, I ended up with the same 3 guys as the first time I was on PCH many hours earlier. We headed down PCH to Decker, which climbs straight off PCH and into 11-15% grade. Made it to 4th check in stop at mile 83 or so. Ate some more and didn't stay long. Climbed another 3-4 miles to the top of Mulholland. I was totally bonking. I pulled over and guzzled all my liquids and ate the M&Ms I had grabbed at the 2nd stop. I stood down for 5 minutes then headed off.
Made it down mulholland to the 5th check in just past Strauss ranch. Made it to mile 90 and there was confustion by cyclists on which way to go. Took the right as the sign said, but could hear riders on the other side saying "wrong way, wrong way." About a half mile in, Jesse passed by the other way, so I flipped it. He gave me some gu chomps. I took out my iphone and mapped the finishing spot where we parked. 7 miles. F&*^ this I said. I'm heading back. I figured that would put me at 98 miles, 7 hours of riding, and 10,000 feet of climbing. I'm outta here. I raised my arms at the THQ parking lot in celebration that I made it back to the car.
Brutal ride. Definitely needed more food and better hydration on that ride. It seemed harder than an Ironman. Felt about the same afterward. Well, maybe not that bad.
Next up Stage 6 of the ToC, then Breathless Agony, then Hearbreak 100. And in between, some climbing. Lots of climbing. Hey, where's Allen?
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