Reflections of Cycling TdF (after 8 stages)

Bottom line- it's hard, it's really, really hard. The depth of the challenge is almost inexplicable. The stats so far...

Distance cycled: 980 miles

Climbing: 20,112 meters, ~66,000 feet

Riding Time: 66 hours 30 minutes

Average daily saddle time: 8 hours 30 minutes

My eating, breathing, and thinking is basically centered around my bike and figuring out how I can push through the upcoming miles. That said, we have arrived in Tigne, our first rest day, and I'm enjoying a cup of hot chocoate with my feet up. I can once again say that life is good!

The Challenges
Despite excessive preparation, both mentally and physically, I would argue that it's nearly impossible to really understand the difficulty of the Tour de France (and we're not even racing!). The most straight forward part of preparing is putting in the miles and getting the legs ready. The difficulty that one can't prepare for is the unexpected struggles along the way that are ofted unrelated to fitness. Those challenges include the elements, the body and general logistics.

The Elements

Packing for the trip, I decided at the last minute to throw in clothes such as winter gloves, leg warmers, and long sleeved jerseys. It is July afterall, I thought, there's no way I'll need this stuff, but I'll throw it in just in case. I expected to be dying of heat. Thank goodness I did bring along winter gear. Suntans and sunscreen certainly haven't been a factor so far. Cycling for 8 hours is tough in perfect conditions. Cycling 8 hours in pouring rain takes a unique breed of human!

In addition to the cold weather and rain, the wind is something that is hard to prepare for mentally. It can be discouraging to push the pedals as hard as possible and look down to see that you're moving 15 mph on a flat section. Although it seems like months ago, we spent the first 3 days riding in a paceline attempting to take turns shielding the wind from one another.

The Body

(please don't read if you're grossed out easily. Mom, definitely don't read!)

The body can break down in ways that are completely unexpected. I'm not surprised that my knees are starting to ache a bit and that my quads, hamstrings and glutes talk to me when walking up stairs or stepping out of the camper van. The unexpected soreness such as blisters on my feet ?? (from the rain, perhaps) and the bum area have taken me by surprise. I have certainly heard about the dreaded lower region issues; however, I didn't realize just how difficult they can make a day on the bike. During the endless riding hours I've had time to analyze the various issues that one can have in that region. I've broken it down into 3 unique issues. I feel as though I'm an expert since I sadly have experienced all 3 i.e. butt cuts, chafing, saddle soars. Perhaps Matt Denman described it best when he stated that he feels as though he's been attacked by a cheese grater in that region. It has become an open and frequent discussion among the group and we can't keep enough of the chamois cream and anticeptic on hand!

Logistical Challenges

Camper van life

Living in such a small space with 6 people can be a challenge. That said, I'm impressed with how well everyone seems to be working together. Matt's dad, Brian, has really made the trip. He cleans the camper van, helps with laundry, does the shopping, prepares the lunches and snack breaks, meets us every 30 or so miles, encourages up climbs and offers a smile every time we reach him. There is absolutely no way we could survive without him.

Although the space is confined, I'm sleeping very well in my little bunk bed/cave (must have something to do with the fact that I'm riding my bike >8 hours a day).

It does take the group ages to get ready in the morning. Despite waking up around 6 am, we struggle to get on the road before 8.

Punctures

Punctures are simply a fact of riding; however, at the wrong moment, they can be completely demoralizing. Running totals: Mark 4, Matt 4, Kyle 3, Laura 1. I have been fortunate enough not to have 1 puncture the entire time (thanks again to Matt's work on my bike prior to the trip). Now I'm guaranteed to get one due to bragging and overconfidence!

Navigation

Mark and Matt have done a phenomenal job of mapping out the exact tour course and downloading it to their GPS. That said, we do have a few missed turns that often add on a couple unnecessary miles. On a 120 mile day, I start to look forward to the end around mile 115. When it doesn't arrive until mile 125, I often come close to sense of humor failures!

The Good Stuff (and there is a lot of it!)

The highlight of every day is getting out of my cycling shorts and enjoying a bottle of 'chocolate milk', which I begin to look forward to about 20 miles from the end of every ride. The 'chocolate milk' is actually chocolate flavored Endurox (i.e. recovery drink that supposedly has the right balance of proteins, carbs and fats for post exercise). There is nothing better than relaxing in the van knowing that I don't need to get on my bike for approximately 12 hours.

It would be impossible to list all of the wonderful things that we've been able to experience over the past 9 days. When I'm suffering the most, I force my mind to think of all the things that I am so lucky to be doing, seeing, experiencing, etc. To name a couple: seeing the entire country of France, being outside 12 hours a day, feeling fit, eating as many pastries/pizzas/breads/candies/desserts, etc. as I want (and then some), not going to work, spending time with friends, being uninjured, glimpsing a piece of what the hardest men in the world (i.e. pro cyclists) undergo, hearing encouraging words from the people we meet and our friends and family, showering after 12 hours in the rain, viewing the towns and villages decked out in tour decorations, reaching the top of a summit that I feared for days, the sun peaking through the clouds after hours of rain, flying down long descents after surviving a climb, receiving phone calls/texts/email from Matt, family, friends with their complete support.

Despite the suffering, challenges and periodic low morale scores, I am grateful to have this opportunity, and recognize that it may be one of the greatest experiences of my life.