USAT Duathlon National Championships

Competing in a National Championship for your country is an incredible experience and I feel very fortunate to have raced in three events this past weekend: the USAT Standard, Sprint, and Draft-Legal Sprint Duathlons. In total there were 800 competitors this year, with only 22 competing in all three events. These races weren’t originally on my calendar but with the easing of COVID restrictions and some personal schedule changes I was able to register about ten days out. Given the short notice, I hadn’t done any race-specific training but I was confident I could compete in all three events. My goals were to finish in the Top Ten for my Age Group in each race. That would earn USAT “All-American” recognition and qualify for Team USA in both the Standard and Draft-Legal World Championships in the Netherlands (Sep 2021) and Australia (Aug 2022).

I arrived in Tuscaloosa Friday afternoon to pick up my race packets. The city is well-known for hosting high-level events including the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for triathlon and numerous other championship races. The 2021 USAT National races were all centered around the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater which had plenty of space for packet pickup, race expo, bike transition area, and awards ceremony. There are also several hotels within walking distance of the race venue which made race day logistics easy. 

Saturday started for me at 4:15 am. As a general rule, I don’t eat three hours prior to exercise. This gave me 20 minutes to eat and an hour to finish my race preps which included mixing my nutrition, checking over my gear, changing into my Team RWB kit, Salming Enroute 3 running shoes, and applying four race number tattoos to my arms and legs. I checked-in for the Standard Duathlon at 5:30 and set up my transition area. For all three races I used one water bottle for my bike and one small 6 ounce bottle for the second run. Both had a mixture of Hammer Nutrition Heed and Endurolytes Extreme. I laid out my transition mat, helmet, and clipped my bike shoes onto the pedals for a flying bike mount out of transition.

Standard Duathlon

The first race started at 7:30 and my wave crossed the starting line at 7:35. Temps were already in the 70’s and would climb well into the 80’s before the race was over. Race day excitement got the best of me and I ran that first mile in 6:26. While it felt good, the run-walk shuffle I experienced a few weeks ago in Seabring was still fresh in my mind and I dialed it back and finished the first 10K with a somewhat conservative average pace of 6:51. That was fast enough to be in sixth place for my age group headed into the bike transition. The bike course was a two loop 12.2 mile route with rolling hills. I inserted a few sprint efforts to pass some riders and take advantage of tailwinds, but otherwise it was a relatively smooth and consistent 213 watt effort to stay well within the top ten. The second run, and final portion of the race was a 5K. I could begin to feel a few tight spots developing in my legs and I took this run relatively easy. I was confident at this point of qualifying and needed to leave enough in the tank for the next race. I ended up finishing with a total race time of 2 hours, 20 min. Good enough for a sixth place age group finish, All-American recognition, and qualify for Team USA! The podium runs five deep at Nationals. Fifth finished about 2.5 minutes ahead of me. I may have been able to catch him, but I probably would’ve paid for it exponentially in later races.  Given where I placed in races 2 and 3, I think I made the right decision.

Upon finishing I headed directly back to my hotel room, arriving at 10:30 or about 2.5 hours before the start of the Sprint race. The first thing I did was mix a Hammer Nutrition Vegan Recoverite shake, eat a small lunch, and hydrate. Yes, this was violating my rule of not eating three hours before a race, but there really wasn’t anything I could do about it. I had to replenish what I could. According to my Garmin watch I just burned 2,100 calories in the first race! Next I used my Normatech compression boots for 35 minutes to enhance blood flow in my legs and speed recovery. That left me just enough time to change into my Team M.O.B. kit, lace up a fresh pair of Salming Enroute 3s, scrub off and apply new race tattoos, mix some fresh nutrition bottles, and head back to the race venue.

I returned to the transition area and moved my bike into my assigned spot, applied two new race stickers to my helmet and one to my bike, refilled my water bottles and replenished my top tube bag with Hammer Gels and Endurolytes. I had about thirty minutes to rest in the shade before my Sprint race. wave began at 1:05 pm.

Sprint Duathlon

The Sprint race was along the same course as the Standard, but half the distance. I had planned on going out easy, settling in to the race, and then speeding up as necessary to finish in the top ten. The race announcer was all fired up, the music was blasting, and the crowd support was strong, so of course I went out faster than intended. My legs felt okay, but after about 1/2 mile, my side started to ache and I backed off slightly. Fortunately a lot of racers were slowing as well. It was in the high 90’s with the heat index and many were taking a conservative approach to that first run. I finished the first run in sixth place (again) and I was relieved to get back on the bike course. After jumping on the bike, pedaling up to speed and fastening my shoes, I tucked into aero position and hammered on the pedals. Unfortunately I began to hear a loud creaking and crunching sound from my bottom bracket. I eased up but the sound was still there. Nothing I could do in the middle of a race, so I tuned it out of my mind and just pedaled on. Although I was very familiar with the course at this point, the winds had increased and changed direction from earlier in the day. What used to be a crosswind going out was now almost a direct headwind. With the changing winds and the heat, the first half of the ride felt like a different course, and slow.  On the flip side, the return trip was a blast. With a good descent and a tailwind, my max speed hit 40 mph. I finished the bike segment in fifth place, moved through transition quickly, and got back to running. It was incredibly hot and I grabbed two water bottles at every aid station - one to sip from, one to pour over my head to cool off. The run was only 1.8 miles and I couldn’t see anyone from my age group around. I settled into a somewhat uncomfortable pace and finished the race with a total time of 1:19, good enough for fifth place and a podium finish! Fourth was three minutes ahead of me and sixth was three minutes behind me.  I was thrilled to finish in fifth! With multiple races to manage and a very competitive field, I didn’t think a podium finish was possible at Nationals. 

Once I could retrieve my bike from transition, I headed back to the hotel for a couple hours before the awards ceremony.  Same race recovery routine as before... Hammer Nutrition Vegan Recoverite shake, another meal, and quality time in my compression boots.

Sprint Duathlon Awards Ceremony

The awards ceremony was well organized and the announcer and crowd brought a lot of energy. Overall winners were recognized first and then the age groups from oldest to youngest. While the finishing times and associated efforts of the overall race winners was very impressive, the most inspirational for me was watching the winners of the 80-84 year old categories claim their prizes. They were out there on the same course as the rest of us, giving it their absolute best. Their relative effort was probably just as great or greater than those half their age. Slower finishing times doesn’t mean a lesser effort.  It meant they endured the heat and gave it their all longer than most of us had to.  I want to be like them when I grow up. 

I spent the evening after the ceremony getting my Bianchi Infinito road bike ready for the Draft-Legal Sprint on Sunday morning. This would be my first draft-legal race. The biggest difference is the bike portion which is done on a road bike with no aerobars and drafting is allowed. For standard duathlon, there are drafting penalties if you ride within 3 to 5 bike lengths of another competitor.  It is very much meant to be an individual sport with no one benefiting from another’s draft. In draft-legal, not only is it allowed, but to do well it’s the only way to compete. Riding in a pack and rotating off the front saves significant energy for the entire group. I’ve rode in many group rides but this would be my first in a race format.

Sunday morning race prep was a repeat of Saturday.  Up at 4:15 for breakfast, changed into my Hammer Nutrition race kit, laced up my Salming running shoes, applied another set of race number body markings, and walked my bike to the race venue. 

Draft-Legal Sprint Duathlon

The race started at 7:30. I was positioned toward the back of wave 1 with 5 runners starting every 5 seconds. While I did a small warmup, I wasn’t really sure how my legs would hold up for the first 5K. Fortunately my legs were feeling strong and I ran the same pace I did on Saturday for the Standard distance race. My initial plan was to finish the run with a group of others so we could quickly build a pack for the bike portion. As it turned out, runners spread out far on the course over the 3.1 miles and I went through bike transition with nobody around me. Once I got comfortable in the saddle, I saw a few cyclists ahead so I sprinted up to join them. Our group started off small, only 3-4 riders. We all took turns working together and pulling up front. It didn’t take long for the group to grow. For every rider who dropped off the back, we’d catch two to three more who were in front of us. In total, we probably grew to about 25-30 riders. This is when you can really experience the benefits of drafting. Of the three races, this was my fastest average pace at 22.5 mph yet my average power was 13% lower than the other two races. My legs (and my mind) really appreciated the fast but easier effort which allowed me to run hard off the bike. I wasn't sure what place he was in at the time, but I noticed someone in my age group who wasn't far ahead of me and I made it my goal to catch him. With nothing to lose, I emptied the tank and that last run was the best I felt all weekend. As it turns out, he was in fifth place and passing him clinched another podium finish! My finish time for the draft-legal race was 1:09, exactly ten minutes faster than yesterday!

I headed back to the hotel immediately after the race to clean up, pack up all my gear and check out of my room. After one more recovery shake and a short session with my compression boots I headed back to the race venue for the awards ceremony.  It was another fun, energetic, and inspiring awards ceremony, but at this point in the day it was very hot and sitting in the uncovered seats at the amphitheater ultimately zapped whatever energy I had left. After receiving my 5th place medal and hobbling around the finish line for a few more photos, it was time to head home.  Looking back, I'm not sure what was worse on my legs, three races in 24 hours or sitting in the car for the 8 hour drive home.

Thank you to Hammer Nutrition and Salming Running North America for the continued support. And as always, a big thank you to my family for supporting my multi-sport way of life.

Everesting Mount Etna

"Fiendishly simple, yet brutally hard.

Everesting is the most difficult climbing challenge in the world."

The concept of Everesting is fiendishly simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and ride repeats of it in a single activity with no sleep until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest.

I first came across the concept of Everesting in Oct 2018 while researching the route for my Sicily Endurance Ride. Everesting intrigued me and Mount Etna immediately came to mind. I had climbed the volcano once and I was good with that, but now that I was exposed to the idea of Everesting, I couldn't help but wonder if I could do it too. It wasn't long before I started making plans to make it happen. The first step I took was to begin training on my CycleOps Hammer smart trainer to complete a Virtual Everesting event, or vEveresting on Zwift. If nothing else, I figured it would be good training for the big ride around the island I was planning in the Spring.

Two months after I first learned of vEveresting, I found myself on the Innsbruck Zwift course completing 25 hill repeats on the King of the Mountain Forward segment. On that ride I continued on to 33,009 feet (excess of 10,000 meters) to join the High Rouleurs Society. The average simulated grade was 5.4% and the total elapsed time was 23 hours and 47 minutes. It was extremely difficult, but I survived and it would later serve as a good baseline to plan an actual Everest attempt on Mount Etna.

I kept the thought of Everesting Etna in the back of my mind and shifted my attention to riding the circumference of Sicily for my 40th birthday. The details of that ride are here. I built up a tremendous amount of fitness from that, but unfortunately there was no way to maintain that level of riding intensity all summer long. I also had other goals such as completing my first triathlon in May, a Half Ironman in Austria, and running a 58 mile ultra race on Mount Etna in July. Once I made it through all that, it was time I refocus on Everesting.

Selecting a Segment:
Easier said than done. The segment is one of the most important parts of the ride. Pick a route too steep and you'll destroy your legs with too low of a cadence and too high power output.  Pick a ride too shallow and you'll be putting in some serious mileage to get the elevation needed which can make for a very, very long day. Somewhere between too steep and too flat is the perfect segment. Training and experience will reveal what's best.

Other factors I considered -
- The longer the climb, the longer the descent. How long of a "break" do I want to give my legs while descending? After many laps, it can be hard to wake up the legs after a long descent.
- How much water and food will I need to carry? A shorter duration climb means less supplies (and less weight) to haul up the climb.
- How safe is the road at night? Are there potholes and uneven surfaces, heavy traffic, wildlife?
- Is the route inspiring? If I'm going to be riding 24 hrs, I had better enjoy the scenery.

I knew I wanted to ride on Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Europe. It's an iconic climb featured in multiple Giro d'Italia races. I rode all three routes on the southern side of the mountain during my training rides and narrowed my segment selection down to the climb along SP92. That route has the best paved roads and I enjoyed the Piano Bottara to Etna Sud Strava segment, however, it had a few issues. The segment starts at a blind turn and finishes in the middle of the road with no easy turn-around point just shy of the summit. Neither point seemed safe for an Everesting attempt. I made my own Strava segment to shift the start to a nearby parking lot at the base of the Piano Bottara climb and shifted the finish higher up the mountain at the "Welcome to Nicolosi Nord" sign which is located at a scenic pull off area where I could easily turn around.

Once the segment was determined, I used the Everesting Cycling Calculator to determine how many laps I needed to reach 29,029 feet. Sure, you can do the math on your own, but the calculator is great. With just a few inputs, it'll calculate laps, distance, elevation, and estimated time as well as power and calories. You can also factor in break times. For my 5.8 mile segment with an average grade of 6.2%, it takes 15.2 laps to Everest.

My Segment - Benvenuti in Etna Nicolosi Nord

Training:
I started training specifically for Everesting in late July. I still had a good base level of fitness from the Half Ironman training and ultra running throughout the summer, but I hadn't spent a lot of time climbing on the bike. I put in some quality hours on Zwift in August doing hill repeats during the week days and building up my ride time and elevation even more on the weekends. I completed several training rides on Etna in September and October with increasing difficulty. In the last five weeks leading up the the attempt, I had logged over 800 miles with 70K feet of climbing. The biggest ride was just over 100 miles with 15,000 feet of ascent. Not a lot really, but with my experience from the 313 mile ultra endurance ride in 2017, the vEverest on Zwift in 2018, and my big Sicily endurance ride in the spring, I knew my mind and body were ready.

Final Preps:
My last training ride on Etna was the week prior to the attempt. I did three laps along my Benvenuti in Etna Nicolosi Nord segment beginning just before sunset and going well into the night hours. This would be my second time riding in the dark on Etna and a good chance to double check my plan and gear. The ride was perfect and helped reaffirm this was the right segment for me. I took it fairly easy the rest of the week cutting back my cycling and running miles. Looking back I should've checked over the mechanics of my bike earlier in the week, but I didn't get to it until Wednesday. As I was cleaning the bike, I realized the pads on my rear disc brake were severely worn. In fact I had very little stopping power, with the brake lever squeezed I could still roll the wheel. Not good. Fortunately my wife was able to drop off my bike at the shop Thursday and they assured her it would be ready Friday afternoon (Rule #58, Support your local bike shop). I kept faith it would be done, but there was a level of uncertainty until I had it back in my possession. Thankfully the shop came through and the Bianchi was ready to roll by 5:30 pm on Friday. I packed up the car that evening, ate dinner with my family, and took a nap from 7:30 to 9:00 pm before making the drive out to Etna.

Base Camp:
I arrived at the parking lot of the segment start at 11:30 pm. It took about 20 minutes to organize the car, put on the rest of my kit, and review my ride plan and Everesting ride rules. My goal was to start rolling exactly at 12 am on Saturday. That gave me 10 minutes to relax and clear my mind...

Velominati Rule #6, Free your mind and your legs will follow. Your mind is your worst enemy. Do all your thinking before you start riding your bike. Once the pedals start to turn, wrap yourself in the sensations of the ride – the smell of the air, the sound of the tires, the feeling of flight as the bicycle rolls over the road.

Lap #1: 12:00 am - 1:22 am
I was clipped into my pedals and ready to go at 11:59 pm. As soon as the clock rolled to 12:00 am I started the Garmin Edge cycling computer and my Forerunner watch (backup computer) and away I went. I was amped up and had to consciously work to manage a light effort. It was going to be a very loooong day and I didn't want to blow up my legs right away. All was going well until about halfway up the climb when I spotted the glowing green eyes of a pack of stray dogs. There were at least 8 of them walking down the middle of the road toward me and a few had started to bark. I reached for my pepper spray in my jersey pocket and turned my headlight up to the brightest setting which is 1200 lumens. For comparison, most automobile headlights are 700 lumens on low beam and 1200 on high beam. At the same time my Garmin alarm started to beep letting me know I'd exceeded my Zone 2 heart rate. Fight or Flight mode had kicked in. I thought there's no way I could out run them while climbing up a 9% grade at that point in the segment. If I turned around, I could get away, but then I'd have to start the ride over as each lap of an Everesting must be a full lap. I decided to continue forward, popped the top off the pepper spray, and aimed toward the closest dog. Thankfully I didn't have to spray. As it turns out, they were not interested in chasing me down that night, or if they were, they changed their minds when I blinded them with my light. The dogs tucked their heads and tails down and scurried off into the lava fields. That was the last I saw of them.

The remainder of the climb was uneventful. It took a few minutes to put the excitement from the dogs behind me, settle my heart rate, and focus back on the ride. I reached the summit in 59:47, right on target pace of 1 hour per climb. I leaned my bike next to the Welcome to Etna Nicolosi Nord sign and took a picture of the Garmin screen with the elapsed time and elevation gained for evidence incase anything were to happen with my bike computer (more on that later). Then I zipped up my jacket, put my gloves on, and rode down the mountain in 17:15 to complete my first lap. Upon returning to my car at base camp, I grabbed a full water bottle and took a few swigs of iced coffee. I also texted my wife "1", meaning 1 lap done. That was our system. In addition to using Strava Beacon to track my progress, I texted her the lap number each time I returned to the car.

Lap 1 complete

Laps #2-5: 1:22 am - 7:13 am
As I began lap 2 I reminded myself that to successfully Everest it would take 15.2 laps. That's too big of a number to focus on at once, so my plan was to break it down into three sets of five laps. Of course it's all the same, but it's easier to concentrate on smaller numbers and celebrate more milestones along the journey. Lap 2 started around 1:22 am and there was virtually no traffic until 5 am. I owned that 5.8 mile stretch of road and enjoyed every minute of it. Of the four laps left in this set, I completed two without seeing a single vehicle. All the tourist shops are closed and other than a few hotels at the summit, there's really no reason to be out at these hours of the night unless you're crazy, err, passionate enough to be Everesting. When I reached the summit on laps 2 and 3, I paused long enough to take a picture of the bike computer, increase the intensity of my headlight for the fast descent, and rolled back down the mountain. After 5,800 feet of climbing in a little over four hours, I was starting to get sleepy. I knew once the sun came up I'd be good as my natural body rhythm would kick in. I rarely listen to music while I ride, but for laps 4 and 5 I broke out my "Run Fast, Bike Faster" playlist on my phone that I typically use on the treadmill and bike trainer and then kept moving on. The music was a welcome distraction. I reached the summit on lap 5 at 6:49 am, just in time to see the sun come up over the horizon. One-third done!

Sunshine, a welcome site. Base Camp after lap 5.

Laps #6-10: 7:13 am - 3:15 pm
With the sun up and temperatures rising, lap 6 felt great! My friend Jon met me as I was descending and after a quick turn at base camp he joined me for climb #7. We reached the summit in 59:47, perfect timing. After a few pictures we flew back down the mountain. I hit my top speed for the day at 45.2 mph. Back at base camp, Jon grabbed my headlight battery and a couple battery boosters and took them further down the mountain to his house to recharge them. Meanwhile I set out for lap #8.  A few minutes into the lap I noticed that my Garmin Edge had froze. The timer had stopped and was now about 20 minutes behind what my Forerunner was showing. Even worse, I was climbing but the elevation wasn't changing. I fumbled with it for awhile and eventually held down the power button to restart it. My assumption was that I'd lose my entire ride up to that point, but thankfully when it powered back on all my ride data was still there. I hit start again and the computer resumed recording. In total I missed 25 minutes of elapsed time (most of it between laps at base camp) and about 300 feet of climbing. No big deal, that's why you carry a back-up. My Forerunner 935 watch just became the primary computer.

When I returned from lap 8, I changed my kit (Rule 53, Keep your kit clean and new) and Jon had returned for one more climb to the top. This ascent took 1:04:53. My times were starting to slow, but nothing to be concerned with, I still felt strong. When we reached the top I attached a battery booster to my Forerunner as the battery was getting low. The great thing about the Forerunner is that it will continue to record data while it's charging. This was the main selling point for me and specifically why I bought this watch. Unfortunately, I had grabbed a generic charger and not the Garmin brand charger. Looking at it now, it appears the connections are slightly different. Whatever the reason, when I connected the charger, the device abruptly ended the ride! I was pretty sure it had saved the data up to that point, but I did have concerns. There's a saying, "if it's not on Strava, it didn't happen." I wouldn't know until I was done with the ride whether or not that data was lost. Frustrating to say the least. I had to shake it off and move on. I couldn't afford to waste energy worrying about it. That's why I took pictures every lap to document this epic event incase something like this happened. With the watch low on power and no longer recording, the Garmin Edge bike computer just became the primary device again. I knew it was off by about 25 minutes and 300-ish feet of elevation. Regardless of what it was showing, I knew from my planning that it takes 15.2 laps to Everest and that's what I continued to pursue. Down the volcano and back up again. Climb #10 was finished by 2:47 pm. Two-thirds done!

Approaching the summit on lap 9

Laps #11-14: 3:15 pm - 10:16 pm
These were tough. Simple as that. Seeing the elevation roll over 20K feet on the computer during lap 11 was inspiring, but the thought of only being 2/3 done was daunting. Weather conditions were changing frequently and it was hard to determine what clothing to wear. The climbs were warm and sunny and then clouds would roll in below me and I'd freeze going through them on the descents. When I returned to base camp after lap 11, I found my fully charged headlight battery and boosters waiting for me. Thanks again Jon. I took a few minutes to reattach the battery to my bike frame and prepare for night ops. Then I grabbed a handful of beef jerky and headed back up the volcano. I was starting to run out of food at base camp. Fortunately my wife had messaged me that she and the boys were going to come out to see me and bring more food. Knowing they were on the way kept me going.

About half way up lap 12 a local rider caught up to me and slowed down to offer a few words of encouragement. He could tell I was suffering and kept saying, "legs tired, ride with heart, legs tired, ride with heart." I appreciated it and told him I'd been riding with heart for about 17 hours now. I tried to explain that I had been climbing for 6,700 meters, but I don't think he fully understood. Any other day, I would've picked up the pace to keep up with him, but not now. I really had to manage my effort and let him go on ahead. He eventually dropped me but passed by again as I was approaching the summit. He was flying back down the volcano yelling, "legs tired, ride with heart!"

Shortly after arriving at the summit on lap 12, my wife and kids arrived which boosted my spirits. Seeing their excitement as they hopped out of the car to greet me really made my day. They had brought me pizza, coffee, and plenty of snacks to get through the night. We talked for a few minutes and then they followed me back down the mountain to base camp. They've seen me race and they've seen me ride around Sicily, but they hadn't seen me fly down a volcano before. This was also a good chance to introduce them to Rule #23, Tuck only after reaching Escape Velocity.

When we returned to base camp I took a long break to warm up in the car, chat with family, and eat a few slices of pizza. My kids later said it was awesome seeing me out there and they can't believe a person can ride up and down Etna that many times. I really cherished being able to share my passion with them. If this ride does anything, I hope it has inspired them to go after big goals and relentlessly pursue their dreams.

Warm from the car heater and with a stomach full of pizza, I ventured out for lap #13 at 6:46 pm. By now it was taking me about 1:05 to 1:10 to reach the summit. My cadence had slowed and I would stop and stretch about halfway through the lap. My back was starting to get a little sore. Part of that was probably due to the supplies in my jersey pockets, and part of it was just due to the fatigue of being on the bike for so long. Other than that, I don't remember too many details about the ascents on laps 13 and 14. At that point I was in a meditative state just focused on making forward progress. I do very clearly remember how cold the descents were! The temperature had dropped to the low 40's at the summit, My whole body was shivering by the time I returned to base camp. I took longer breaks between laps to warm up in the car with the heater blasting but had to be mindful that the longer I sat in the car getting warm, the harder it was going to be to get started again.

Clouds rolling in

Laps #15-15.2: 10:16 pm - 11:45 pm
This was it, the final lap. In actuality I still had to turn around and do .2 more, but I was ignoring that at the moment. I was feeling strong again from the excitement of almost being done and knew if I picked up the effort I could finish in under 24 hours elapsed time. Lap 15 turned out to be my second fastest ascent of the entire ride reaching the top in 57:40. I took it relatively slow on the way back down. I knew the fatigue was really building up and was extra cautious to get down the volcano safely. This was the only lap in which I didn't stop at the car. I rode right around it and headed back up to complete the remaining .2 lap. The climb is a little steeper in the lower portion of the segment, so it didn't take long to climb the next 300 feet to officially Everest. I stopped to take a picture of my bike computer when the total ascent rolled over 29,029 feet, but I wasn't able to unclip from my pedals in time and ended up tipping over and falling off the bike! The pedal and my left hip took the brunt of the fall. I laid there for a minute and started laughing. Rookie mistake, but it goes to show just how tired I was. I picked myself back up, took the photo, and climbed a couple more hundred feet just for good measure and then headed back to the car. Everesting complete!

Laps 1-7 (lap 2 pic didn't turn out)

Laps 8-15.2

Post Ride:
I packed up the car and headed home as quickly as I could. It's about an hour drive from the mountain to where I live. Once I got home I downloaded all the Garmin data and was relieved that between the Edge and Forerunner I was able to splice together a complete ride. I took the first 8 laps from the Forerunner before it quit recording and combined it with the last 7 laps from the Edge which was after it had froze up for those 25 minutes. Once I had the complete file, I uploaded it to Strava and submitted the ride to Hells 500 via the Veloviewer website. By the time all that was done, it was about 3 am Sunday morning.

I woke up Sunday afternoon to a message from Hells 500 stating my ride had been approved and accepted into the Everesting Hall of Fame! That's when the magnitude of the ride really sunk in.  Turns out that in the great cycling mecca of Sicily, I'm only the third known person to Everest Mount Etna, and the first to do so on the short segment beginning from Piano Bottara. As such, I picked up a few Everesting badges:

- First Known Ascent: first to claim the short climb segment from Piano Bottara to the summit

- Significant: Mount Etna is categorized as an Iconic climb

HELLS 500

Gear:
- Bike: Bianchi Infinito CV Disc with compact crank and Ultegra Di2 components
- Computer: Garmin Edge 1030 with Forerunner 935 watch as backup
- Heart Rate Monitor: Garmin HRM-Tri
- Lights: NiteRider Pro 1200 Headlight, Black Diamond 300 lumen Headlamp, Garmin Varia Rearview Radar, LED vest
- Saddle: ISM PN 2.1 40
- Pedals: PowerTap P1 with dual sided measurement
- Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 clinchers, 700x28
- Hydration: One frame mounted water bottle
- Storage: Apidura Expedition 1L Top Tube Pack
- Supplies on the Bike: Two spare tubes and CO2 cartridges, tire patches, tire levers, multi-tool with chain breaker, wet wipes, 6000mAh battery pack, iPhone and Garmin chargers, ID, 40 euros
- Supplies at Base Camp: Three additional battery packs, three spare tubes and CO2 cartridges, tire pump, chain lube, spare rear derailleur hanger, tools, rags, electrical tape, zip ties, and first aid kit

Night Riding:
Riding at night is inherently dangerous, but so is riding during the day. In my experience there are usually less vehicles on the road at night and those drivers who are out are more courteous and give you plenty of space when passing. The winds are typically calmer in the wee hours of the morning and with less people on the road, it's generally a very enjoyable and peaceful time to be out riding. Like anything new, riding in the dark can be a little frightening at first, but with the right lighting and clothing it doesn't have to be. I've experimented with a few lighting options, and this is what has worked best for me. I use a NiteRider Pro 1200 headlight with an external battery pack that will last upwards of 10 hours. When climbing at low speeds I use the lowest light power setting and increase the power as needed during faster descents. I also wear a 300 lumen headlamp which fits nicely above my eyewear and below the rim of my helmet. While the headlight of the bike always faces forward, the headlamp will light up whatever direction I'm looking in. Very useful when looking to the left or the right outside the beam of the headlight. Next, I also wear an LED vest that flashes in a variety of different colors. The main light is on the back, but it has strands of LEDs that run across my chest as well. The color pattern and unusual lighting causes people and wildlife to slow down and really focus to determine just what exactly they are looking at. On my seat post is the Garmin Varia Rearview Radar. In addition to alerting me of approaching vehicles (up to 8 at one time), it also flashes a bright red light to get the attention of drivers. And last, I wear a yellow reflective band around each ankle. More than anything on the bike, your feet make the most motion with each pedal stroke and that up and down circular movement helps drivers identify you as a cyclist.

Summiting in the dark

Nutrition on the Bike:
I mixed my first 5 water bottles at home to keep the transition between laps 1-5 quick and efficient. Each water bottle had 1 scoop of Hammer Nutrition Sustained Energy and 1 scoop of Heed which is approx 210 calories per bottle. I consumed between half to 1 full bottle per lap. I also ate one small bite of a Cliff Bar or Hammer Bar every 20 minutes which is another 70-90 calories per hour. I set an alarm on my Garmin to remind me when to eat. I also took one Endurolytes capsule every 60-90 minutes to avoid muscle cramps. I did not consume anything on the descents in order to stay completely focused on getting down the volcano safely.

Nutrition off the Bike:
I consumed a variety of foods and drinks between laps. In total I had 4 liters of Pedialyte, 48 ounces of iced coffee, four bottles of Ensure, two packages of beef jerky, four bagels (two with Nutella), mixed nuts, and gummy snacks. Later in the ride my family dropped off additional supplies including pizza, crackers, twizzlers, and coffee. While at the car I ate and drank based on feel. Overall this strategy worked for me. I didn't experience any stomach issues, nor did I feel like I ever bonked. According to Strava, I burned 9,984 calories.

Transition between laps:
The transition time between laps was very short and efficient at first, but grew longer as the day went on. At the end of each lap I'd dismount my bike, unlock the car, swap out water bottles, grab a snack, lock the car, text my wife, and roll out. As mentioned above, the transition for laps 1-5 was quick in part to having pre-mixed water bottles. I would've prepared more, but with a small amount of protein and no preservatives, you can't mix too far in advance or the bottle can go bad. As such, the transition times got longer as I had to mix bottles for the last 10 laps. I also changed out my cycling kit after lap 8. At lap 10 I cleaned my chain and rear cassette (Rule 65, Maintain and respect your machine). And when the temperatures started to drop after lap 12, I spent a few extra minutes in the car with the heater on to warm up. As the fatigue built up, I noticed I was moving slower between each lap. My riding time was 20:05 and total elapsed time of the ride was 23:45. So over the course of 15.2 laps I had 3 hours and 40 minutes of downtime between transitions, taking pictures, changing my kit, cleaning my bike, meeting with family, eating, warming up in the car, and taking bathroom breaks.

Recovery and Way Forward:
Overall I fared well for so many hours on the bike. Of all things, my right shoulder was the sorest. That's probably from tucking in and pushing down on the handlebars more than I needed to on the descents. My lower back and legs were sore, but nothing beyond what's to be expected. Monday morning I completed a 25 minute ride on Zwift and went for a 4.3 mile run in the afternoon. It felt great, but I know I need to keep the effort low for the remainder of the week. That'll be a challenge, because mentally I'm ready to go. I have a few events on the horizon including the Athens Marathon in two weeks, the Malta Marathon next spring, and my first full Ironman next summer. While I'll enjoy those events and the training leading up to them, my passion lies with the big epic rides that fall way outside the norm of a standard race. The sense of accomplishment and the thrill of completing a big ride knowing all the planning, training, and preparation that went into it is like nothing else. I'm already contemplating the next big ride... perhaps an epic 10,000 meter High Rouleurs Society ride or a Double Everesting attempt. In the meantime, it's back to training. Keep moving forward.

Etna Trail ASD 94K Ultra Run

Running 58.2 miles and climbing 15,761 feet on an active volcano in the middle of summer is as spectacular and miserable as it sounds.  I completed a few training runs on Mount Etna in the weeks leading up to the race to test out my gear, but my weekly mileage was nowhere near what it needed to be.  Knowing that going into the run, my only goal was to start and finish the race with my friend Ryan.

Required gear - running vest, gaiters, cell phone, reusable cup, water bottles and/or camel backs with 1.5 liter capacity, headlamp with spare batteries, changing socks, thermal cloth, whistle, elastic bandage, food, wind resistant jacket.

Additional gear - trekking poles, power pack and cables to charge phone and watch, heart rate monitor, gloves, sunscreen, chamois cream.

The Etna Trail 94K Ultra started promptly at 11 pm on Friday night in the small town of Linguaglossa, located on the northern side of Mount Etna.  You could feel the energy build as the start time approached.  The loud music, bright lights, and cheering crowd created an atmosphere that made us all feel like rockstars.  Race organizers counted down to 0 in Italian and we headed off into the night.  The city lights faded quickly and we found ourselves running through an orange tree farm with hidden roots, rocks, and prickly weeds. After making our way past the farm we were treated to loose cobblestone paths with rocks the size of your fists. And this was just the first mile.  Running on such varied and technical terrain in the dark demands your full attention to avoid tripping or rolling an ankle.  These surfaces would make up the majority of the first 15 miles before transitioning to loose lava rock which is slightly easier on the joints and feet, but still requires the same level of focus.  Trekking poles helped with balance and I consider it a "win" that I only fell twice during the entire race.

Now is probably a good time to explain that the words "Trail" and "Run" in the title of the race are misleading.

"Trail" - There isn't an established trail system on Mount Etna.  It's more of a choose your own adventure, or in this case, follow the red and white streamers, reflective stickers, and orange flags scattered along the course.  The race organizers did a great job of laying out the course and for the most part it was easy to follow, but you always had to be on the lookout for the next course marker.  Even though you could see the next marker, there wasn't always a clear path how to get there and it was up to the individual to figure that part out.  Just one more thing to add to the fun and mental challenge of this race.

"Run" - Rarely could you run. The steep grades up to 46% and loose lava rock at the high altitudes and the uneven cobblestone paths at the lower elevations really limit how much you can actually run. My fastest mile was just under 11 minutes and my slowest was over an hour.  As the race went on, it became frustrating not having a clear and solid path to truly run.

Back to the race.  We went out conservatively and stopped to take pictures along the way.  This is a once, or maybe twice in a lifetime opportunity and we wanted to capture it with pictures and video.  At the time it didn't feel like we had stopped very long at any given spot, but over the duration of the race, the photo breaks, aid station stops, and "dump the lava rocks out of your shoes" stops added up quickly.  Our total moving time was approximately 19 hours, and total elapsed time was 24 hours, 31 minutes.

The first 23 miles of the race are uphill taking you from an elevation of 1,808 feet to 8,998 feet.  I'm sure the scenery was beautiful, but the majority of these miles were run in the dark.  Although humid, the weather conditions throughout the night were favorable. Temperatures were cool and there was little to no wind.  I don't recall a lot of the details during this portion of the race.  It was early on, I was feeling good, and Ryan and I passed the time by talking and sharing stories.  There were four aid stations and we topped off our water and grabbed a few snacks each time.  We witnessed a beautiful sunrise and a minor volcanic eruption on the way up the first major climb of the day.  Having climbed over 7,000 feet to reach mile 23, my calves were screaming for mercy.  At this point in the race, I could finally give them a break and destroy my quads instead.  The next two miles were straight down the volcano with a -7 to -43% gradient.

I was feeling strong through the first half of the race.  I set an alarm on my Garmin watch to remind me to eat and drink every 15 minutes and had done well sticking to that plan.  I carried a significant amount of food and 2 liters of water in my running vest which felt like an endless supply throughout the night, but that wasn't the case once the temperature started to rise in the morning.  The distance between water stops 4 and 5 was about 8 miles.  Normally that wouldn't be an issue, but taking into account that we had multiple miles that took greater than 45 min each, the time between water stops was too much.  I ran out of water at mile 27, just before the second major ascent.

It was at this point when the race took a turn for the worst. I was really concerned about how to minimize the dehydration I was beginning to experience.  My mouth was dry and I wasn't sweating as much as I should have. I knew it wouldn't be possible to fully recover during the race, but wanted to do whatever I could to minimize the severity of it. I refilled my water when we finally made it to the next aid station at mile 28, but did not drink enough at the aid station so I went through my supply quickly when we started moving again.  Lesson learned.  I was also beginning to experience another issue which was not getting enough food. With a dry mouth, it was becoming tough to eat.  I had to force down whatever food I could but it wasn't enough.  I also carried energy gel with me, but I need to chase it down with water to avoid an upset stomach. With a limited water supply, I had to limit the gel. The last thing I needed was a stomach ache.

Miles 28 to 30 were steep with approximately 2,000 feet of climbing.  We took it slow and steady not wanting to overexert ourselves in the daytime heat.  Our plan was to take it somewhat easy during the day and then make up the time in the evening when the temps would be cooler and when the course is primarily downhill.  At this point in the day I think we forgot how treacherous the cobblestone terrain and uneven farmland was leaving Linguaglossa.  Although the course would be downhill, running down it on tired legs wouldn't be easy.

After reaching the peak of the second climb, it was approximately four miles to the next water stop.  Unfortunately I ran out of water about 45 minutes prior to arriving there.  Ryan had shared his water with me, but at this point I was really starting to bonk.  My energy levels were dropping, my pace was slowing significantly, and mentally I was starting to unravel.  It was becoming uncertain if I'd be able to finish the race.  I didn't want to be a liability to Ryan or the race organizers.  I'm accustomed to pushing my body farther than it wants to go, but if something happened to me, there's no easy way to get help up there.  I had to focus internally and as a result, I really didn't say much for the next several hours.

After leaving the water station at mile 34, we started to get concerned about cut-off times.  We needed to reach the next checkpoint at mile 39 by 4 pm or risk getting pulled from the course.  It should be relatively easy, but we knew we'd have to limit photo stops and any extra breaks.  As it turned out, the terrain through this section was particularly difficult with a lot of steep up and down sections over larger lava rock formations.  There were also several instances were we had to pause to look for the next orange flag to stay on course.  We would spot the next flag, but often times there was no obvious trail or clear path how to get to there.  Time began slipping away rather quickly.  I was really feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically drained through this section.  I still wasn't consuming enough food or water.  Thoughts of dropping from the race were becoming stronger and I really wasn't sure how much more my body could withstand.  I turned to my mantras, "relentless forward progress" and "keep moving forward."  I kept repeating them to myself and we eventually made it to the next checkpoint with 9 minutes to spare.  While we were at the checkpoint we saw one person drop out from the race.  They looked relieved, but disappointed.  I didn't want that.

It was tough getting started again from the water stop knowing we had some very steep climbs ahead of us.  Miles 39 to 43 take you from 8,000 feet up to 9,800 feet and then back down to 8,000 feet with grades as steep as 43%.  It goes without saying, but these miles were the most difficult.  Ryan led the way.  I often found myself falling behind and then struggling to catch back up.  I knew I was slowing him down and appreciated him not dropping me.

As we were approaching the summit, we heard a few explosions and saw smoke and ash billowing from above.  This was just one of numerous eruptions we saw and heard throughout the day.  What made this one different was that the wind was really picking up and blowing the ash and sulfur in our direction. The skies were dark with ash and it was also starting to sprinkle.  The light rain felt refreshing, but was causing the blowing lava ash and dust to stick to our skin.  When we reached the highest point on the course, there was a man from the race crew waiting for us.  I was really struggling and was secretly hoping he was there to pull us off the course for unsafe conditions.  Mentally I was checking out and looking for a reason to be done.  As it turned out, he was just there to direct us to the next set of flags to follow down the volcano.  Relentless forward progress.

It's all downhill from here.  The remaining 15 miles of the course descend from 9,800 feet to 1,800 feet.  I started to feel better during the descent and finally made the decision that I would finish no matter what.  Ryan was offering words of support and talking about how our families would be there to see us finish.  Ultimately I didn't want my kids to see me fail, so I had no option but to finish.  We stopped at the mile 46 water station at Piano Provenzana and took several minutes to prepare for night running.  I put a fresh set of batteries in my headlamp, changed my socks, refilled my water and stocked my running vest with food.  At this point I was in a much better condition mentally and physically.  My energy level was rising and mentally I was ready to run.

Leaving the water stop we found ourselves in a unique position.  We were two of the last four runners on the course.  Everyone else behind us had dropped out.  A group of four race volunteers asked if we were going to finish.  Of course we were.  They said their job was to escort the final finisher and we all started off together.  As somebody who normally finishes in the front or middle of the pack, this was a new experience and one I really appreciated.

Some of our fastest miles were during this last stretch to the finish line.  We ended up catching and passing a few other runners still on the course.  As a result we lost our entourage of volunteer runners as they dropped back to stay with the last person.  It was fun while we had them.

We wanted to finish the race within 24 hours, but that didn't happen.  We pushed hard those last 12 miles, but once I realized we weren't going to make it by 11 pm, I slowed the pace way down.  I was running out of water again and my legs and mind were fatigued.  I was tripping over rocks every few steps.  I knew it was only a matter of time before I stumbled over a rock and injured myself.  This close to the finish, I didn't want to push my luck.  We eventually made our way through the orange tree farmland and back into town.

Once we were back on paved roads and could see the city lights we ran to the finish line where we were welcomed with cheers and greeted by our families.  My sons and our dog accompanied me across the line while my wife took photos and video.  Seeing how proud and excited my family was to see me finish was well worth the struggle.

Recovery time.  By the time I crossed the finish line, I had been up for 42 straight hours.  I woke up at 6 am on race day and had planned on taking a nap prior to the 11 pm start time, but it didn't work out that way.  I didn't stick around long after finishing the race and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.  All things considered, I woke up feeling pretty good the next morning.  All my joints were sore, but my hips and ankles were the most noticeable.  What hurt the most was the bottoms of my feet.  They were bruised from all the small rocks and lava dust in my shoes and from the impact of running on large rocks and lava stone.  After three days off from all activities, I'm ready to get back to training.  I have no desire to run off road anytime soon, but a nice easy run on a flat track or smooth road sounds pretty good.  Keep moving forward.

Ironman 70.3 St Pölten Austria

First triathlon finished! 🏊🏻‍♂️🚴🏼🏃🏼

I hadn’t planned on the first one being a Half Ironman but that’s how it played out.  Goals were simple: 

Swim 1.2 miles - don’t drown.  Unfortunately I drank more lake water on the swim and relied on the backstroke more than I would’ve preferred, but I made it.

Bike 56 miles - drop the hammer.  The bike course was awesome with several miles on a closed interstate, sooo fast! I moved up 184 spots in my age group and nobody overtook me.

Run 13.1 miles - finish strong.  Finish strong quickly became, just finish.  My legs were fine and heart rate was under control but I had bubble guts the entire time. Very uncomfortable and nothing helped to relive it. Ended up walking a good portion and lost a lot of those places I gained on the bike. 

All in all it was an incredible experience. The best part was training and preparing for this with my wife and cheering her to the finish line. So proud of her!

RMHC Red Shoe Half Marathon

Nothing new on race day? More like everything 

new on race day! New Salming bold print shirt,

speed shorts, performance socks, Miles Lite

shoes, and a new personal record!

I really wasn’t sure how serious to treat this race going into it. Would it be a training run or should I go for a PR?

Reasons to take it easy - I haven’t run long or fast in several weeks and not really sure what “race pace” is at the moment.

I just finished my ride around Sicily two weeks ago and I know it takes more time to fully recover from a 630 mile bike ride.

The race is in Iowa City which is 7 hours behind Sicily. I haven’t adjusted to the time change as well as I usually do which has contributed to overall fatigue.

The St. Polten Half Ironman is three weeks out, is that enough time to recover? Hmm.

Reasons to push it - this is my first race in my new age group and I’ve only run three half marathon races prior to this so my chance of a PR is fairly high.

Although this event is in it’s 35th year, it attracts far more 5K run/walkers than half marathoners which means there’s a descent chance for a guy like me to place. 

This is as close to a “hometown” race as I can get and my parents will be there to cheer me on.

The weather is forecasted to be favorable.

I like to run fast.

With those factors in mind I decided to go for a PR. I haven’t pushed myself on a run or a race in quite some time and I wanted to see what I could do.

The race started at 8:30 in the morning. The course is described by the locals as “hilly” with 485 ft of climbing, but I would describe it more as “flat” by Sicilian standards. Temps were cool with overcast skies, a perfect morning for a half marathon. I was filled with race excitement of course. It’s hard to believe my last organized race was 8 months ago!

My race strategy wasn’t much of anything. I set out to run a 7:10/mile pace for the first mile and then “run by feel” from there. The first mile went by in 7:02. It’s been said many times that you shouldn’t trust the first mile but I was feeling confident and decided to continue on at that effort knowing I’d either blow up or set a PR.

Running at that pace kept me in third place for much of the race. First and second we’re about 1/8 mile ahead and fourth was losing ground on me. Somewhere around mile 3 or 4 the lead bike took a wrong turn which ended up cutting the course short by about .6 miles. It wasn’t apparent that any mistake was made until the mile markers no longer matched the distance on my watch. Everyone followed the person in front of them and I don’t think anyone actually ran the full 13.1 miles.

I caught up with second place around mile 8.5 when the course became hilly. I was thankful for all that hill training in Sicily as I felt strong. The runner now in third sprinted down the hills to catch back up with me and then fell behind on the next up hill. We continued this over 2 or 3 rolling hills and then I pulled ahead and didn’t see him again.

I finished the 12.5 miles in a time of 1:27:27, an average pace of 7:01/mile and a new PR for that distance. It was a little disappointing to come up short on the course because had that not happened, I would’ve set a true half marathon PR and probably under 7:00/min pace as I had more speed available. Regardless, it was a great race. Placing second was awesome but I know in a larger event this time is nothing special. What is special is that it’s a new PR and my dad was there to see it.

Sicily Endurance Ride - Around the island in four days!

If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you’re not constantly demanding more from yourself—expanding and learning as you go—you’re choosing a numb existence. You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip. -Dean Karnazes

The thought of cycling the circumference of Sicily first came to me in October 2018. My time on the island is limited and I wanted to do something truly memorable while I'm here. I also wanted to do something big for my 40th birthday in the spring. I typically run my age, so this year would be a 40 mile run. Normally that would be enough, but I wanted more for the big 4-0. With the Sicily ride in mind and knowing my birthday was going to fall on a holiday weekend, I realized there might be an opportunity to combine the two. I spent the next six months planning and preparing to make this dream a reality.

Route Planning and Preparation:
I chose a counter clockwise route starting near Brucoli which is on the east side of the island south of Catania. I went this direction in order to do the majority of the climbing and get through the major cities such as Catania, Messina, and Palermo early in the ride so the last day would be slightly easier in terms of climbing and traffic. I created the course using the Popularity Routing feature on the Garmin Connect website. Basically you select points along the route and the software will pick the roads most commonly traveled by cyclists. General speaking, the more popular the route, the better the road conditions are.

After the route was created in Garmin, I used Google Maps to zoom in on the roads and look at the route mile by mile and made a few adjustments as needed. Overall this worked well with only one surprise gravel road during the actual ride which I was able to avoid by making a small detour.

The total distance came out to be just over 630 miles. Although my bike would have lights, my goal was to ride during daylight hours only. With about 13 hours of sunlight this time of year, I did the math and determined I could complete the ride in four days if I cover 158 miles per day averaging 15 mph moving speed and taking no more than 2 hours of rest breaks during the day.

My wife and I decided that she would drive the family around the island while I rode my bike. I would be self-supported during the day, but they would stop to cheer me on at various points along the route and we'd all meet up at hotels in the evening. The next step was finding pet-friendly hotels approximately every 158 miles that would accommodate all of us. With the ride taking place over Easter weekend, I wanted to get rooms booked early and made final arrangements three months out.

Training:
This would be my first multi-day event of any significant length. I've done a few back to back long rides, but nothing longer than two days. The longest single day ride I've done is 313 miles, but that was 18 months ago. I also completed a virtual Everesting challenge about 4 months earlier on the bike trainer which consisted of 33K feet of climbing over 235 miles and 21 hours of ride time. More than anything else, I think those two events prepared me mentally for the challenges this ride would bring.

In the months leading up to the ride I steadily increased my weekly mileage to 225 miles per week. About half those miles were during the weekdays with one long ride of 100+ miles on the weekends. That may not sound like a lot to prepare for the big ride around Sicily, but I was also running 50 miles and swimming three times per week so my training load was very high and I was accustomed to fighting through the fatigue. I ran a 40 miler (early birthday run) about two weeks before the ride and then tapered back my ride and run mileage significantly.

Morning Routine:
I refined my morning routine during training rides and tried to stick to the same schedule each day of the ride. For me, it's best to eat half my breakfast and enjoy a cup of coffee immediately upon waking. Next I mix my nutrition for my water bottles and go for a one-mile run. The short run is an opportunity to evaluate how I'm feeling physically and mentally and give the coffee a chance to work its magic. For breakfast I had one bottle of high-calorie Ensure, one banana, and half of a bagel with Nutella.  After the run I drank a second bottle of Ensure, another banana, a couple handfuls of pretzels and the other half of the bagel. After breakfast I double check the bike is ready to go, change into my cycling gear, and review the route before departing.

Wake Up: 4:35
Coffee/Breakfast: 4:45
Mix water bottles: 5:00
Run: 5:10
Breakfast part two: 5:25
Final bike preps: 5:40
Ride: 6:15

Day 1 - 19 April 2019, Brucoli to Sant'Agata di Militello
To say I was excited to get on the road and start this journey would be an understatement. I was ready to roll ahead of my morning timeline and had to wait for enough sunlight to come over the horizon. Sunrise this time of year is about 6:20 am and I felt comfortable setting off at 6:04 am. Getting through Catania can be a challenge and I was glad to be passing through relatively early in the morning before the city woke up. Traffic was light, I was feeling strong, and the pedals were turning over easy. I'm very familiar with the first 50 miles up to Taormina as I've ridden the same route on a few of my training rides. No matter how many times I ride through, I always have to stop for a photo there. This time was no different, but I was eager to keep moving as it would be all new roads and scenery from here on out. Other than a couple quick bathroom breaks, stop and go traffic and another photo in Messina, my first real break was at mile 97 for pistachio gelato, water, and a can of Coke.

My next big stop of the day came at mile 128 for an arancini ragu - stuffed rice balls with meat, coated with bread crumbs and deep fried. Yes, they taste as amazing as they sound and are packed with plenty of calories for a long ride. I ate those and gelato everyday for lunch.

The remainder of the ride that afternoon was breathtaking. I think some of the best scenery of the entire journey was along the north side of the island along route SS113. The weather was perfect and with little traffic it was a very peaceful way to end a wonderful first day.

While I was out riding all day, my family was at work and school. They packed up the car and arrived at Hotel Palazzo Fortunato at 5:20 pm - about 5 minutes after I rolled into town. Perfect timing!  After getting checked in I charged up my bike computer, lights, battery pack, and phone. I also cleaned up the bike, made my sandwiches for tomorrow, and set out my cycling kit for the next day.

That evening we walked downtown exploring the city and consuming large amounts of pizza and gelato. There was an Easter procession taking place which was interesting to observe. When Sicilians celebrate, they go big. It was difficult to get good rest that evening - partially due to the events going on outside the hotel and because I was still amped up from the ride and thinking about tomorrow. In total I probably had 4 hours of sleep that night.

Taormina with Mt Etna behind me

Mile 97 stop for gelato and Coke

Mile 128 stop for arancini

Done with Day 1

Day 2 - 20 April 2019, Sant'Agata di Militello to Castelluzzo
I woke up feeling strong and my one mile run with the dog felt easy. I had to concentrate on holding back the pace. The morning routine went as planned and I was ready to head out at 6:05 am, but my Garmin wasn't. It took several minutes to acquire satellites and calculate the route. Once it was ready to navigate, a local Italian drove by and stopped to chat about my bike and cycling in general. It was fun to chat, but I was ready to get the day started. I ended up stepping off at 6:18 am.

It was another beautiful morning with bright blue skies and blue water all around. The miles went by even quicker than yesterday, but I was feeling extra hungry and stopped for a croissant and an espresso in Cefalu which was about 38 miles into the ride. After fueling up my next stop came at mile 76 to refill my water and apply extra chamois cream before venturing into Palermo. Getting through the biggest city in Sicily was a challenge with all the stop and go traffic and navigating through the city streets. Riding through any city in Sicily can be a real challenge. The narrow streets, double and sometimes triple parked cars, busses, and scooters everywhere can be mentally draining. With so many moving pieces around you and cobblestones and potholes to avoid you absolutely have to be alert at all times and ready for anything.

Randonée della provincia di Palermo was taking place that day, an organized bike ride around Palermo with 100K and 200K route options which equate to roughly 62 or 124 miles. I remember thinking, "that's cute, I've already ridden 85 miles this morning just to get to Palermo." It was a big event involving hundreds of cyclists. We shared some of the same route and there were a few times I'd end up riding several miles with various groups.

As I was making my way out of town, I had a cyclist yell something at me in Italian. I stopped and he spoke English once he realized I was American. He was trying to tell me that I was going the wrong way on the bike route. I tried to explain that I wasn't part of the event. He asked where I was going and I said Catania, which at the point was a couple hundred miles away no matter which direction you go. I know I confused him. He tilted his head and looked at me funny and had nothing else to say. I'm sure he was thinking, "stupid Americano, he doesn't know where he's going." Our interaction gave me a good laugh and we both went on our way.

I hit mile 100 around 12:40 pm and stopped in Carini for my gelato fix shortly after. Fragola and limone in a brioche this time (strawberry and lemon in a sweet bread roll). That would fuel me to mile 133 where I stopped for more water and Coke after some big climbs. At this point in the day Rae and the boys had caught up with me and stopped to check on me as I was getting ready to head back out. Rae said the boys were commenting, "poor dad, those are some big hills!" Once I got back on the road they headed to the hotel to swim and I continued on my way. I actually had to pass by the hotel that afternoon and go an additional 6 miles up to the Faro Capo San Vito lighthouse, the northern most point of my journey. After a quick stop for a photo, I turned around and rode the 6 miles back to the hotel. The winds had started to pick up that evening and gave me a hint of the punishment to come in the days ahead.

We stayed at Hotel Oasi in Castelluzzo that night. It's a beach town with not much going on in April. Fortunately the hotel had a restaurant and the staff was very accommodating. Of course pasta was the recovery meal of choice. I had a big bowl of spaghetti, half of my son's spaghetti, and some pizza leftovers. I slept much better that night.

Stop in Carini for gelato and brioche

Climbing in Altavilla Milici

San Vito Lo Capo Lighthouse

My son gave me these before the
ride and told me to take them when I
needed extra energy. Thanks Cade!

Day 3 - 21 April 2019, Castelluzzo to Licata
Up at 4:35 am again. Although it was Easter, it was starting to feel more like Groundhog Day. I followed the morning routine as usual and felt great on the run. The hotel is at the base of a long slow climb, so my run was a half mile up hill, and a half mile down hill. My legs were still feeling good. Before rolling out I hid a couple dozen Easter eggs around the hotel room for my kids to find later that morning. I appreciated my family's support and was mindful of the sacrifice they were making to support me. I know several long days in the car isn't a lot of fun and I wanted to do what I could to keep their spirits up. It was fun listening to their story of the Easter Bunny finding them when they caught up to me later in the day.

The Garmin came to life quickly this morning and I rolled out at 6:17 am. The ride started with two big climbs. Today's route had the most elevation and I was happy to get a good chunk of it out of the way early. I made my first stop in Marsala at mile 35 around 8:30 am. I was happy with my average speed at this point, but I knew it would slow. The winds were picking up as I headed southeast and the forecast wasn't pretty. Most of the southern side of the island was under a wind advisory for the next two days. Winds were forecast to be in the mid 20's and gusting to 40 mph. After a quick stop for some photos I continued on and by 9:40 I was battling some serious headwinds. There were times I was putting down 180 watts on flat roads and only going 7 mph. I could have easily of been going 18+ mph on roads like that in calm conditions. I had several instances where the bike and I were pelted with sand and rocks from the wind. My face will heal, but I was concerned about wrecking that beautiful celeste paint on my bike. She has a few nicks and scratches now. Battle wounds and souveniers I guess.

My next stop was in Mazara at mile 59. I propped the bike up while I ate one of my bagels and the wind grabbed a hold of it and threw her to the ground. As a result the chain derailed and chipped the paint near the bottom bracket. Unfortunately this was a turning point in the ride and I spent the rest of the day angry at the wind and weather conditions we'd been fighting. Looking back at text messages to my wife, it took me 1 hour and 8 minutes to go from mile 85 to 95. Based on my pace yesterday that distance would've taken me only 35 minutes.

Self doubt started to creep in as the miles barely ticked by. I wasn't going to quit, but all of a sudden it didn't feel like completing all four days during daylight hours was a certainty anymore. The chance of failure seemed so much higher now and that changed the ride entirely. I wrestled with that mentally for the rest of the ride. It didn't help that I was off my nutrition plan too. My Garmin would remind me to take in nutrition every 15 minutes, but there were many times that I didn't feel comfortable taking one hand off the handlebar for even a few seconds to grab a bite to eat. As the time passed, I fell further behind and was getting hungry. Eventually I just had to stop and get off the bike to eat. I started to feel a little better after doing that, but once you fall behind your nutrition plan, you really can't catch back up. My other concern was that it was going to be a very long day in the saddle at the rate I was going which made me hesitant to stop and eat. I really wasn't sure if I'd make it to Licata before dark.

I told myself I'd make one longer stop and then push through the rest of the way. Around 5:10 pm I found a cafe near Agrigento and grabbed some gelato, water, and Powerade. That was just what I needed. Other than a couple short stops to put on my jacket and lighted vest, I was able to ride straight to the hotel. I arrived just before 7:30 pm which is after sunset, but before nightfall. Thankfully today had the shortest distance of 150 miles. If this had been a 160 mile day, I would've arrived after dark. My average moving speed that day ended up being 12.4 mph, more than 4 mph slower than days 1 and 2. The frustrating part was that my average power output was higher. I felt beat up mentally and physically, but glad to have finished.

We stayed at Hotel Al Faro in the heart of Licata. The accommodations were great but we were surprised by the abundance of stray dogs in the city. Sicily has a stray dog problem, but they are usually out in the farmland, not in the middle of a major town. A few dogs followed us around to dinner. It was another pizza and gelato night. As we were walking back to the hotel, I remember thinking that I'd better not run with our dog in the morning. The last thing I want is to get into a dog fight.

Marsala

Fighting the winds in Menfi

Mazara

Glad to be done with Day 3

Day 4 - 22 April 2019, Licata to Brucoli
I chose to run solo this morning and I'm glad I did. I ran by a park and woke up a pack of stray dogs. My body went into fight or flight mode not knowing what they would do. Fortunately all they did was bark. After three days on the bike I must have looked too skinny to bite into. Had my dog been with me, I think things would've gotten interesting. My legs were a little stiff on the run but other than the dog encounter, my heart rate was right where I wanted it to be. I was feeling good and consciously working to get in the right frame of mind. The winds were as strong as they were the night before and I wasn't looking forward to another day of headwinds. I told myself I just have to get to mile 93 and life would get better when I turn north towards home. It was also my 40th birthday and I wanted my memory of this day to be completing an epic ride around Sicily, not falling short because of some crummy weather. After my run I finished preparing the bike and reviewed The Rules of cycling for some motivation. The most applicable for today were -

Rule #5 - Harden the F*ck Up
Rule #6 - Free your mind and your legs will follow. Your mind is your worst enemy. Do all your thinking before you start riding your bike.  Once the pedals start to turn, wrap yourself in the sensations of the ride – the smell of the air, the sound of the tires, the feeling of flight as the bicycle rolls over the road.
Rule #9 - If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period. Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.
Rule #20 - There are only three remedies for pain. These are:
 - If your quads start to burn, shift forward to use your hamstrings and calves, or
 - If your calves or hamstrings start to burn, shift back to use your quads, or
 - If you feel wimpy and weak, meditate on Rule 5!

With those thoughts in mind, I was riding out of town by 6:10 am. The winds were strong from the very beginning and it didn't take long for the rain to kick in. I rode to the next big city of Gela in 1 hour and 36 minutes. I didn't let the pace get to me though. Mentally I was in a better place. I spent that first 90 minutes giving myself a pep talk focusing on all the things I could control - power output, staying ahead of nutrition, and keeping a positive frame of mind. As long as I stayed on top of that, the miles would go by regardless of the weather.

I took my next break in Marina di Ragusa at mile 43 for espresso and a croissant. The cafe folks were intrigued that I was out riding and had a lot of questions about what I was doing in this weather and about my bike setup. Once the owner understood I was circumnavigating Sicily in 4 days, he told the others in Italian and they all exclaimed, "Bravo!" That was just the encouragement I needed.

My next big stop was at Mile 93, the most southern part of the route and a major milestone as it meant I'd be turning north and heading towards home. I met with up with my family at a cafe for arancini and gelato (of course). From there we said our goodbyes and they headed home. By mile 108 the rain had stopped and the winds improved. For the first time in nearly two days I was finally able to log some 5 mile intervals at 18 and 19 mph averages.

Before I knew it I was taking my last break at Toroloco Beach, a favorite swimming spot about 22 miles from my home. The skies were turning dark again and more rain was on the way, but it was at this point I realized I was actually going to achieve this crazy dream ride around Sicily. I got back on the bike and rode as fast as I could to beat the rain, which I barely did. I arrived home safe and sound at 6:33 pm.

Not many pictures today. I was focused on finishing what I started.

Marina di Ragusa stop

Toroloco Beach - Almost Home

Ride Tracking:
I use Strava Beacon in conjunction with Garmin Connect so my wife can track my rides. When I start a ride, a text message is automatically sent to my wife with a link to track my progress. My location updates approximately every 20 seconds, so at anytime she can look to see where I am and if I'm stopped or moving. This provides great peace of mind for both of us and allowed her and the boys to meet up with me on the route at various points without having to call and coordinate a meet up spot.

Equipment:
Bike: Bianchi Infinito CV Disc with compact crank and Ultegra Di2 components
Computer: Garmin Edge 1030 with European maps SIM card
Camera: Garmin Virb mounted under aero water bottle
Heart Rate Monitor - Garmin Swim (HRM-Tri broke days before and I couldn't replace in time)
Lights: Garmin Varia Rearview Radar and two Viewpoint Flare5 headlights
Saddle: ISM PN 2.1 40, yes this is a time trial seat
Pedals: PowerTap P1 with dual sided measurement
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 clinchers, 700x28
Hydration: Two frame mounted water bottles and 1 Xlab Torpedo Versa aero bottle
Storage: Apidura Expedition Compact Frame Pack, .5L and 1L Top Tube Packs
Supplies: Two spare tubes, tube patches, two CO2 cartridges, mini-pump, tire levers, multi-tool with chain breaker, spare rear derailleur hanger, wet wipes, small rag, electrical tape, zip ties, first aid kit, LED lighted vest, headlamp, sunscreen, 6000mAh battery pack, iPhone and Garmin chargers, ID, passport, credit card, 50 euros

Apidura frame bags

Front view with lights and bike computer

Nutrition:
I mixed the two frame mounted water bottles with 3 scoops of Hammer Nutrition Sustained Energy and 1 3/4 scoops of Heed. This works out to be about 500 calories per bottle. The aero bottle is mixed with 3 scoops of Heed which is another 300 calories. In the top tube I carried two bagels with Nutella and peanut butter and a ziplock bag full of bite sized pieces of Clif Bars, Honey Stinger waffles, and Skratch Labs energy chews. I also carried one Hammer flask of gel and a capsule dispenser full of Endurolytes in my jersey pocket. Carrying this much allowed me to complete the daily distance with only 2 to 3 long stops for additional food and water. On average I had about 1 hour and 25 minutes of total stop time each day.

After a long ride it can take awhile before I'm ready to eat solid food. To get the nutrients I need for recovery, I drank 1 serving of Hammer Recoverite and 1 liter of Pedialyte and then ate a big meal later in the evening. I also kept a bottle of water on the nightstand and drank a few sips whenever I woke in the night.

Recovery:
Overall I think I faired really well. Sure, my legs are sore but nothing beyond what's expected. I've been wearing my NormaTec recovery boots every night which has helped with that. What did surprise me is how my arms and shoulders feel. My right bicep and shoulder were especially sore for a few days following the ride. I'm sure this is due to fighting the wind by holding the handlebars extra tight and leaning into the crosswinds. Mentally I feel great and I'm confident I had at least a couple more days of riding in me, although the Training Peaks stats may indicate otherwise:

Training Peaks stats at the end of each day.
Fitness up, fatigue way up!

I'm a believer in Active Recovery as opposed to Rest. Tuesday I ran 2 miles taking a 30 second walk break every half mile. I swam on Wednesday. Thursday I ran 3 miles increasing the pace from 9 min to 7 min/mile pace. And by Friday I was back in the saddle on Zwift riding with United States Military Endurance Sports.

This ride and the training leading up to it have been an incredible experience. I discovered a lot along the way, pushed well beyond my perceived limits, and learned I’m capable of much more. As I think about the journey and discuss it with others, part of me wishes I was still out there riding further and climbing higher. I think it'll take a while to come back to reality.