Team Mango

RAMROD 2005 - July 28, 2005

There are no photos of me in this (long) report because I didn’t feel like carrying my camera.

RAMROD stands for “Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day”. I first heard about RAMROD when I happened to be leaving the Paradise parking lot for a summit attempt in 1998 on the day RAMROD was held. I remember thinking it sounded like a crazy thing to do. It’s 154 miles and 10,000 vertical feet of climbing.

I ended up riding RAMROD in 2003. That time I did it with a group of five total and we trained for it pretty systematically, joined by our friend Pierce who didn’t do RAMROD but was training for the even crazier IronMan Canada. This time I didn’t really have a group. Peter from my Saturday riding group was doing the ride, as well as occasional Saturday rider Tom. But we never really coordinated well. Oh, well.

I was also looking forward to riding RAMROD with my friend Michael Jak who now lives in San Francisco, but he had a crash a month or so before RAMROD and severely injured his knee. Michael is well on the way to recovery now, but was unable to train sufficiently for RAMROD. I missed you Michael!

I didn’t train very systematically this year, either, mostly because of lack of a group to train with. I did get in the Inland Empire Century, Tour de Blast, and STP in one day plus plenty of shorter rides. So I had some miles in my legs at least. And after doing all 200 miles of STP in a day, 154 miles should be easy, right?

Okay, so I set my alarm for 2:55 am hoping to be out the door at 3:20. Pierce’s research had shown that the ideal pre-endurance-event meal was something like 700g of carbohydrates three hours before the start. We decided pancakes were the ideal way to get that. So Carol cooked me some the night before while I did other prep, and I heated ‘em up and scarfed them down before hitting the road.

When I got off the elevator in the parking garage of our condo, two scary looking people got on. Remember this is at 3:30 am. The woman looked like a drugged out vampire and the 20-something guy had no shirt on and looked like he had just lost his Ultimate Fighting match.

Peter and Tom and I had swapped cell phone numbers to help us meet up in the dark at 4:30 for a “5:00 am sharp” ride start. But I left my phone on the counter at home, which kind of screwed up that plan. And Peter was the only one I knew by sight, and I had no idea what he’d be wearing. I looked around for them at the starting line at 5:00, but by 5:20 I figured I had missed them so I started out. I was very unexcited about the prospect of riding RAMROD solo, but I told myself I needed to change my attitude or it would be a very long day. Fortunately I was able to do so.

I felt pretty strong for the first 20 miles. Must have been those pancakes. At about mile 20 I heard a weird twang at the rear of my bike, but it was while I was passing some other riders so I wasn’t sure it was my bike that had made the noise. An ongoing intermittent musical note confirmed that I had broken a spoke. But I was about 8 miles from the first rest stop now and too stubborn to stop and it didn’t appear to be doing any damage, so I rode on. In retrospect, I should have noticed something was wrong because I started getting passed by groups that I had passed earlier and I was feeling “weak”. I chalked it up to trying to make the rest stop before eating much more. Then I rode by a boat launch with a restroom and decided to stop to pee. When I got off my bike and walked through the gravel, my rear wheel was dragging. It was far out of true and was seriously rubbing on the brake. Ah, that’s why I feel “weak”. Idiot. So I released the brake clamp and centered the brake as much as I could and the wheel rotated pretty freely. When I got back on my bike, it was a whole new world and it felt like I could fly. I even got out of the saddle and powered up the hill into Eatonville and the first stop.

Up to this point a mechanic van had passed me about once every 20 minutes, but of course after I broke a spoke I didn’t see the guy again for hours.

After Eatonville is the first sustained climb, up to Alder Lake. Then rolling flats along the lake to Elbe before starting the long gradual climb up to the park entrance below Longmire. I found a paceline after Elbe, but it was exhaustingly herky-jerky (I guess they didn’t grok the “pace” part of paceline) and after a few miles I dropped back behind them. It was far more enjoyable by myself, even alone in the wind, than constantly adjusting to their wackiness. Of course, beggars can’t be choosers.

At 60 miles I arrived at the first big food stop just outside the park entrance. There was a fully equipped mechanic stationed there and I attempted to stump him with my problem. My wheels are unusual in that the threaded part of the spokes is at the hub, and they require a special tiny wrench to adjust or replace spokes (plus special spokes). But the mechanic was up to the challenge and in about 10 minutes I had a custom-made replacement spoke and a trued wheel. Mr. Volunteer Mechanic, Thank You! I hope I tipped well enough!

I ate a buttload at the food stop, because immediately thereafter the route enters the park and climbs 18 miles and 3400’ to Paradise – the longest and highest climb of the ride and 2+ hours of nothing but uphill. I ran into Peter who arrived while my wheel was being fixed. I thought we implied we would leave together, but when I was ready to leave Peter was nowhere in sight. Oh well, I’d already ridden a third of the ride solo; I guess I’d ride the other two thirds solo, too.

Just inside the park I found myself on the wheel of a couple of guys with an enjoyable pace and after a while I introduced myself. They were Tom and Vern from Vancouver, WA and this was their 12th RAMROD in a row. They were great company up to Longmire, where they slowed and I rode on.

Just above the Nisqually River bridge I passed a guy jogging slowly along. As I passed him I realized he was carrying a croquet mallet and had a sign on his back that said, “Croquet Around Mt. Rainier in One Day.” At the Nisqually River overlook just above 4000’ I pulled over to stretch and rest for a minute. The croquet guy’s support vehicle was parked there, and he passed me while I stretched.

At this point I should mention what I was wearing: a jersey and shorts from the old Mapei Quick Step pro team. I hardly ever wear the shorts because they’re kinda silly, but I figured it would make me easy for my riding partners (oh, if I only had riding partners) to spot. As I passed the croquet guy a second time, he said, “What’s that you’re wearing? It looks like Walt Disney puked all over you.” Did I mention that I hardly ever wear those shorts? That’s not me in the photo - that’s Paulo Bettini.

So finally after interminable climbing I arrived at Paradise (5400’), I think at about 11:30 am. Paradise is almost exactly the halfway point of the ride, both in terms of mileage and climbing. I stretched a bunch more and drank a bunch and started the fast and fun descent. Then the second climb up to Backbone Ridge, the smallest of the three big climbs of the ride. Just after that is the second big food stop at Upper Box Canyon. I was feeling a little bonked (energy deficit) so I stayed a while and ate a ton: cantaloupe, watermelon, bagel with peanut butter and jelly, chocolate croissant, cooked red potatoes with seasoning salt, a banana and a lot of fluid.

Just before I got to that food stop I passed an ambulance turning around. Apparently a rider had crashed there, hitting a rock that was hiding in the shade (it was a very bright sunny day all day). I watched him get out of the ambulance at the food stop with a bandaged elbow and knee, get back on his bike and continue the ride.

After the food stop was another long fun descent down to the Grove of the Patriarchs (refill water bottles – important!) and then through the Ohanepekosh park gate and a left turn toward Cayuse Pass (4700’).

A bunch of us got halted about a third of the way up Cayuse Pass by road construction with a one-lane zone and pilot car. I drank a bunch while waiting for our turn to go. I should have eaten the banana that was in my pocket, but I forgot. Several miles later there was a water stop and a sign that there were 4 miles to go to the summit. I still had one full bottle so I didn’t stop. Grind, grind, grind. By now it’s 2:00 pm on an 85 degree day and the sun beating on your back all the way up the climb. Hot. Near the top there is a road cut through rock on the right, and that rock was radiating some serious heat – like riding through a sauna. But eventually there’s a “speed zone ahead” sign and then a highway junction sign and next thing you know you’re done with the last climb and gulping down a bunch of fluids.

After Cayuse Pass is another big descent past the Sunrise road and out of the northeast park entrance. Just outside the park is the last food stop, the “RAMROD Deli” where volunteers make deli sandwiches to order. I was pretty bonked when I got there, probably from not eating all the way up Cayuse Pass (I find it really, really hard to eat while I’m climbing). I got off my bike and just sat on the ground for about 10 minutes before even getting any food. I had to force down my ham, turkey and cheese sandwich. Also had a coke, some cookies, and some more melon. Overall I spent more than an hour at that stop. I was not relishing getting back on my bike for the final 30+ miles. The ride down Highway 410 from this stop to the ride finish in Enumclaw is famous for having a headwind all the way, and sure enough it had been blowing strongly before I turned off into the food stop.

I did all my stretches methodically and completely, and that actually made me feel better (along with the food starting to be absorbed). So I finally got back on my bike and started out. Only 1.5-2 hours left. I hoped I’d find a good paceline along the way. Sure enough, I stopped to pee in the woods and when I got back to the shoulder a large group was coming along. I let them pass and then hammered to catch up to their tail. Just as I got there I realized that what I thought was a double paceline was actually one fast line passing a slower one, and I was on the tail of the slower one. Okay, hammer again to pass the slow line and catch up to the fast one. Phew, that was hard. But I’m actually feeling pretty good by now. Food is kicking in.

The paceline was good, but it consisted of five or six guys up front who were rotating haphazardly (i.e. some people taking pulls that were way to long instead of resting while someone else pulls), followed by a tandem, then one other guy, then me. The rotating guys kept slotting in in front of the tandem when they did rotate, so the tandem and we two other riders never had to pull. Heaven. Other than the fact that the line would unpredictably slow suddenly for no apparent reason, it was a mighty fine line. The guy between me and the tamdem was either very tired or inexperienced at paceline riding – he kept riding 10’ behind the tamdem where he was getting no benefit from the draft, and then he’d lose them on any acceleration and he’d have to hammer back up to them. After about 10 miles of that I passed him and got on the tandem’s wheel and he followed 10’ off my wheel. Now it was even more heavenly. I had a nice little chat with the tandem couple while the supermen in front towed us almost all the way home. By the time the line got disorganized making the turn onto Mud Mountain Rd., I was fresh as a daisy and I took a couple of strong long pulls to help get the now exhausted supermen home.

Rode back into the high school parking lot at 6:05 pm. 9:45 riding time and 12:45 clock time for a 15.8mph average speed. Not bad for me, especially doing almost all of it solo.

There was even hot water in the high school showers. Still no cheerleaders soaping up riders. But then the cheeleader-loving body parts were numb anyway.

Pierce had also been recently discussing post-ride nutrition. I took what he said to heart and stopped at McDonalds for a Big Mac and a chocolate shake. “Supersize Me” seems to have had the opposite effect on Carol and me than on most people – it just reminded us how much we liked Big Macs when we were in high school! Then home, where I arrived at 8:30 in time to kiss my daughter goodnight before passing out at 9:30.

Posted by jmethot at July 29, 2005 4:16 PM