100 Miles of Nowhere – Smarter Edition

06.23.2013 | 12:03 pm

The Problem

When the signup for the 2013 100 Miles of Nowhere was coming up, I was excited to participate for the 5^th year, but uncertain about how to approach the ride. Last year, a cavalier attitude regarding a plan and preparation resulted in a 100 Miles of Nowhere but Disappointment experience. The combination of a mountain bike, less than excellent training, extreme heat, and friends who confuse the words “pace” and “race” made for a spectacular explosion after 100 km.

An Idea

Fortunately for me, an old news story was making the rounds locally again. Forbes, in their love of lists, had identified my city of Huntsville, Alabama, as the 9^th smartest city in the world ( http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/03/infrastructure-economy-urban-opinions-columnists-smart-cities-09-joel-kotkin_slide_10.html ). Surely a resident of the world’s 9^th smartest city could come up with a smarter plan for the 100 MoN.

Planning

So, a course was identified in my neighborhood, simplifying logistics and providing for family support. The road bike was tweaked and tested, and the clip on aero bars left installed. An early start was planned, beating the heat and rising possibility of thunderstorms through the day. All smart planning. A big Mexican dinner the night before the ride probably wasn’t smart, but it didn’t prove to be a problem either.

Execution

The ride itself went well. Got a reasonably early 5:30 start and cranked out 9 laps of a 10 miles loop to get things started, all without incident.

Obligatory Start of Ride Selfie

The heat index did increase throughout the day, measured by the miles per water bottle test – two bottles in the first 60 miles, two in the next 30, and one in the last 10. 90 miles solo does provide time to reflect on the ride’s charity purpose and to pray for several friends who are currently battling cancer. I was joined in the final 10 miles by my wife, son, and his dog, for an easy roll through a nearby park. Finishing at an easy pace with the family was a perfect way to complete the ride.

Everyone Joins In

Final Thoughts

Thanks Fatty for organizing the event, Fatties for joining in, sponsors for the nice swag, and God for all this goodness!

- BamaJim