Finish: Sde Boker
Totals: 150 KM
2000 Meters
December 7th: Dedicated To My Father and WWII Vets
Gran Fondo Craters is the name of the ride we are doing today. It's a ride with a race sandwiched in the middle. The first 50 kilometers are "fun" on flat terrain, followed by a 50 kilometer race up Scorpions Ascent or the Hebrew name which is Ma'ale Akrabim. Parts of the climb and this road of switchbacks are at 20% which certainly will test the climbing muscles. This then is followed by another 50 kilometers of more "fun" riding.
I leave school on Thursday as quickly as I can having a late meeting to discuss important issues related to a student of mine. Riding truly is important in my life, but nothing (besides my personal life), compare to my job. I get to work with amazing high school students as a Resource Support teacher, and teach kids who are talented beyond belief. Actually, some of them still haven't figured out how talented they truly are and part of my job is to help them discover this. When they finally do, when they finally figure out that their weaknesses don't hold a candle to their strengths, they begin to achieve and feel better about themselves. Now that's a true thrill for me when this happens.
My bike team has hired a mini-bus and attached to this is a storage vehicle that will carry our bikes. Carefully the bikes are packed, wheels wrapped and we are off for the Dead Sea. I sit in front, as I always need to given that I am extremely prone to motion sickness. I have a single seat and close myself out to the world. For the past two days my throat has hurt and my nose has been running. Now I am sweating. I am disappointed for I have trained and eaten so intelligently and being sick was not part of my pre race strategy.
We travel first to Jerusalem and then down to the Dead Sea. Then we drive over to the hostel at Masada. This hostel is right below the mountain that leads to the famous ruins that sit atop this mound of stone that abruptly juts out of the earth. I have hiked up this with students, friends and family and love the significance of this area. I even photographed the miners from Chili who had been trapped underground for 69 days. I loved their enthusiasm and spirit as they viewed these ruins.
Dinner is served. Lots of carbs and then more carbs. As I am mostly on a plant based diet, I avoid all the meats that are also being served. More carbs. After dinner, we have a briefing on the race. We are missing two of our strong riders which will hurt us in the team competition. This competition is based on the top 5 finishers from each team. David feels that the the three strongest in our group also includes me. Feeling as I do, I am not so sure he is correct for I am sweating and my head is throbbing. Thus, after the talk, I go to my room, shower, get my things ready and get into bed. Throughout the night I toss and turn and continue to sweat.
We wake at 5 a.m. and get dressed. It is much warmer outside than I thought it would be and though I am not feeling great, I feel no worse than the night before. Now I am just plain nervous, for competition always does this to me. I make some oatmeal with Sunwarrior Protein Powder and a few dates. We are given a breakfast, but I throw this away for it's disgusting and would serve no purpose. Once we arrive at the starting area, I find a restroom which is thankfully clean. Funny how a good breakfast and a clean bathroom go hand-in-hand.
The ride begins and over 300 of us roll out from the hotels at Ein Bokek. For the next two hours we ride on a mostly flat road with a few rolling hills punctuating the terrain. There are many photographers for this event, some in cars, some on motorcycles, darting here and there. David introduces me to an Israeli rider who rides for a pro team in Europe. He is young, fit, and effortless on the bike. In fact, there are many talented people riding today both young and old. I like how festive this event is and don't feel like the race section will be all that serious. Boy, was I about to be proven wrong.
At the start line I begin to get a sense that things are about to change. David has me move closer to the front and reminds me that he, myself and Danny will most likely find ourselves together on the climb and need to work with one another. He then creeps even further up and I loose sight of him. I then proceed to speak to a teammate who is standing next to me and do not even realize that the race has started until he tells me that the first group has already started. I look-up and see them already fading in the distance. I get on the bike and quickly catch a strong group of people and begin working my way forwards. Yet the group in the distance keeps going at a pace faster than ours. In fact, I am happy I am not with that group, for already I feel fatigued and sick. This pace is fast enough for me.
After what seems like twenty to thirty minutes of easy climbing, the tough stuff suddenly appears. I have been so focused on staying ensconced in this group that I did not notice the imminent climb, thus when we suddenly start up, and immediately veer into the first switchback, I find myself at back of this pack that I am in. Yet, this is just where I want to be, for I like slowly working myself into the rhythm of a long hill climb. And up we go. The road is inclined at 15% to 20% and I pop off my seat wondering if I will have strength in my legs. I am surprised, but yes, I actually feel strong and this slower pace suits me. I begin picking off the riders in front of me and quickly leave this group. For a while I ride alone until I find myself with some young and very fit riders. I begin passing them too and wonder if perhaps I am going to fast and will blow at this pace. Yet, this is my pace and though my heart rate is in the 160's, it feels good and I am suffering, but not going past that red line. I find a very, very strong rider and sit on his wheel pacing off him and in the distance, about three switchbacks up, see David. I keep working and eventually let him know that I am coming up to him (he is actually slowing down for me) and that we should work together. When I finally catch him, I discover that Danny is actually behind me, so as the road levels out, we pedal at a moderate pace slowing for him. In our group as well is the Israeli National Champion in my age group (+50). He is very strong and eventually goes ahead of us while we slow. Suddenly, as we travel at this moderate pace, I get a shot of pain in my right hamstring. It feels like a knife has incised itself into my leg and I grab it screaming. David tells me to slow down and pedal slowly-which I do. For a few moments, I thought that I would have to abandon this race, but then I realize I can keep pedaling slowly. Danny and a small group of riders catch us, then pass us, and we jump on their wheel. I go to the back and nurse my leg.
We ride on rolling section of this course and I feel my leg relax, though I know I have to be very careful. Just when I am out of water I see a group of people handing out bottles. I grab at one and barely manage to hold on to it. I then quickly drink it and catch back up to this group. David is taking strong pulls and I am at this point just holding on. Up ahead is the final climb of the day. One more challenge on this section. Right as the road begins to go up seriously again, the strong "older" rider takes off. This time I jump on his wheel determined to hang in there as long as I can. It's not too hard to stay with him, but I cannot pass him. He accelerates a bit, and I let him go, and then he slows and I catch-up. Danny has joined me and it is just the three of us. Without warning, the finish line suddenly appears. I am left in the dust as these two accelerate towards it, but I am very happy that this race is over.
What was amazing me was, that I was third in my age group (+50) and 10th in the 40+ group . I also was 26 overall (out of 300+) and for a first race in 30 years, was in shock that I could actually do this What I mean by "this" is pace myself intelligently and not push myself past my limit while at the same time pushing myself close to my limit. There is a fine line, and when my legged cramped, I was over the limit and needed to back off.
I love the feeling at the top. There are few people at the finish line at this point and I am operating in a state of incredulity. There are many young and strong riders who are coming in and I keep wondering if they were just dogging it today or if I actually had outperformed them on this given day. I train as smart as I can and eat as smart as I can on most days. I do believe this all pays off. Yet, being almost 56, there are issues with one's body that are inevitable and inescapable. My back and knees are certainly at risk and I endeavor to protect them by not over-training. Yet training at the level that I need to, is a strain and the importance of the post workout cannot be emphasized enough.
I wish that Eva was here. I wanted her to share this little bit of affirmation of the years of tough mountain bike rides, gym time, and now workouts with this team. I told her that I believed I should be one of the stronger riders in my age group in a hill climb, but felt not entirely sure that what I was saying was truly correct. Now, I see that I was.
There is more riding to come, another non-competitive 50KM in the upper desert that is slow and allows me to view the landscape. Bedouin encampments dot the landscape. Stark hills and a landscape denuded of greenery in most places. Crosswinds and a honking horns of the Saturday sight seers annoyed with our presence.
These Seven Rides have taught me a great deal. Training rides, benefit rides, sunny weather, and blinding rain. The first road race in 30 years and a great deal of soul searching that always continues regardless of how many rides I take.
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