EXPERIENCE IS A GREAT TEACHER!

With three weeks left before the Tour Divide I took the opportunity to pre-plan a two day one night excursion in Maine on the Downeast Sunrise Trail. The trail is an 87 mile (145 km) jaunt across an old railway line cut through the wilderness from Ayers Junction, near Calais, to Ellsworth Maine. I was fortunate to be able to share the ride with my friend Brian McCloskey another TD rider whom we both just met, Dan Gravelle. We are all rookies at the TD event and wanted to use this little trip to test out the equipment and our bodies at a longer distance over two days.

Monday morning 3am on way outta Halifax

I arrived at 9am, prepared my gear and awaited the arrival of Brian and Dan from Massachusetts. Brian is a 59 yearold hockey guy and former longtime hockey coach on both the men's and women's side at UNH. Dan is a 51 yearold retired air-traffic controller looking for new challenges. Both are avid cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts preparing to tackle the challenge of a lifetime!

My Ride waiting to carry a heavy load!

The Boys arrived and prepped their gear!

Once Brian and Dan were ready we were off under overcast skies and drizzle. The trail was packed yet soft in places with a mix of dirt, sand, and rock. It was in really good condition and had some wear from ATV traffic - although we only ran into a couple in two days. My bike had a full load of everything I planned to take with on the Tour Divide from Banff to Mexico. I am not sure of the bike plus gear weight but it is heavier than I anticipated and I will be looking for ways to cut weight over the next few weeks. I am riding a Salsa Fargo, Brian rides a titanium Stevenson with rigid forks, and Dan had a nice new Specialized Stump Jumper with Rockshok forks. We hit the trail at 10:45am not knowing what lie ahead.

Cruising along at 18-20 km/h we kept a steady pace and tried to stop every 25-30 km just to eat a little, hydrate, stretch, and 'compare notes' as we knew it was going to be a long day anyway. As the day wore on the weather deteriorated as did our pace. We each had our own form of discomfort, Brian had difficulty liking his seat and his butt let him know along with a little bout of dehydration, Dan tweaked his back a couple weeks ago and was a little uncomfortable and felt some numbness in his hands, and I felt good but am having issues getting comfy with my Garmin and sunglasses. We forged on and fought through the rain over the last 20 kms to the end of the rail line into Ellsworth. After a brief discussion, and due to the poor weather, we decided to avoid staying in the rain and setting up a campsite in the dark, and we jumped at the chance at a room in the Comfort Inn and a hot shower before a large meal. The time for our ride read 8 hours and 30 minutes for 147 kms.

Preparing for Day 2

On Tuesday morning, we started out from Ellsworth in the rain once again after loading up on some food at the nearest gas station store. We found the trail and jumped on for another day full of exploration and discovery in our trek back to Ayers Junction. Brian switched to another seat (he brought a second one anticipating issues) and made the decision to keep a slightly slower but steadier pace and one that could manage his butt pain. Dan biked steady and strong throughout and was happy as the discomfort in his back had all but disappeared. My legs felt 'heavy' but once I started cycling that disappeared as well and I felt stronger on Day 2 than the one before although my 'sit bones' were tender.

We rode steady on day 2. We also chatted a lot about what each others plans were and what was working or needed to be changed. Dan decided a new seat was in order and wanted to explore a higher stem and aero bars. Brian will also be exploring new seats and has to tweak his bag/storage setup along with his bar options/additions. We used the time to talk about family, friends, employment, interests, and of course we shared thoughts on the Tour Divide. We battled through the days distance and some discomfort in 9 hours 15 minutes...we were very satisfied with our effort and the lessons learned over the 294 kms travelled.

The 'Three Amigos' decided that we would start out and travel together into the wilderness on route to Mexico aspiring to stay together and finish as one during the TD. We are very compatible, each with different strengths, which will be of benefit to our anticipated success.

This Downeast Sunrise Trail trek was a great experience. It was challenging, long, and tough. Our bodies reacted in different ways and some of it not so good. Our equipment responded well and with a few adjustments will carry us along just fine. We realized pace, consistency, regular hydration and nutrition, terrain, and weather will all have to be watched closely and managed effectively. We also realized that soreness, along with mental and physical fatigue, is going to be a constant that we will have to accept and work through. We completed two days of 147 kms each with little elevation change. In the Tour Divide we will need to do 180km days over 25 days, in/under tougher conditions, to finish when we hope to.

Experience is teaching us that it can happen but will happen only at a high price and that price is full of effort, intelligence and discomfort.

Brad, Dan, and Brian - 294kms  and done!

TICK TOCK...TICK TOCK...TICK TOCK!

Less than five weeks now before I tackle the Tour Divide. Time is ticking away and I am scrambling to find the time and opportunity to get 8-10 hour rides in. My rides have been in the 5-7 hour range of late and that chews up a lot of the day. I've been trying to leave early in the mornings and get home mid afternoon. I laugh on occasion thinking that I am on the bike about the same amount of time I was in school teaching each day.

Life does still get in the way though. Being off work helps however there are always things that interrupt training whether it be meetings, presentations, paying bills, preparing meals, family commitments, home maintenance, hockey schools, and travel commitments. It is funny how busy things are even though some think I now have all the free time in the world!

Speaking of time, June 13 is coming and coming quicker than expected. Preparation and longer times on the bike are crucial and I am hopeful of an over-nighter or two between some long riding days in the next couple weeks just to test everything out. I've read almost everything there is to read on the TD and I've watched every video available, numerous times. What I've come to understand is that you can try to prepare as best possible however you can't really prepare for everything that this event will throw at you. The 10-12 hour days of biking, vertical climbs, rough single track, washed out trails from the spring thaw, snow in the mountains and trudging through it on foot, elevation changes, sleeping on the ground every night, rain (and lots of it!), riding while wet/sore, finding adequate food and water supplies, staying clean, maintaining/repairing equipment, animals, navigation, bugs...etc. Pace and Planning along the way is a key. My guess is that I will acclimatize and find a groove with improved fitness along the way. Being mentally tough will be the most important element. Take a moment and read the excerpt below from the TD site...it makes even me wonder 'WHY?'

I am not nervous but am getting anxious. I am excited and wish the start was tomorrow! Am I ready? Not yet, but I am eager, willing and can fight my way through anything! This is going to be a journey, an adventure, and a test of personal limitations beyond expectations. Bring it on!

From: www.tourdivide.org: Self-supported grand tour racing (ie. >2 weeks) along the GDMBR (Great Divide Mountain Bike Route) is like none other. Simply on scale, it's the hardest form of bike racing, period. To be competitive for the overall, one must ride ≥150miles/day. There are no rest days. And if volume alone isn't taxing enough, one must also navigate, acquire resupply, clean/wrench the bike, find shelter each night, bathe when possible, and keep one's wits about it all. No entourages follow athletes. It cannot be compared to today's 100-milers, 24hour racing, or even 3-5 day stage race events.

Many wonder if they're capable of such a true solo blitz. At some point there's an inevitable leap of faith into grand tour racing. One thing is for certain: 2-3 weeks of back-to-back 16-18 hour days in the saddle are certain to bring about changes in body, mind and equipment of even the world's most seasoned ultra-endurance athlete. Are you the type to roll easily with this painful transformation?How well do you suffer for days on end? Are you prone to depression? Can you be happy sleeping in the dirt as it rains all night? Does post-holing through thigh-deep snowdrifts over a 10,000-ft pass sound like fun? A robust Rockies winter + late spring can leave behind just such mid-June diversion on the GDMBR.

SALSA FARGO: The Pack Mule and Me

The Salsa Fargo! I picked it up in New Haven Connecticut in January at the Devil's Gear Bike Shop. This baby is a cadillac and big honkin pickup truck with fat tires. It is a smooth operator, tough, solid and capable of carrying a heavy load (not me! The gear!). The rig is heavier than a higher end mountain bike to improve durability and load gear on to yet it rolls along at a decent pace.

This baby is geared to carry me over all kinds of terrain and through all types of weather for 25 days with me and everything I need on it...only 4418kms - from Banff to the Mexican border, like biking Halifax to Calgary.

The trusty steed! Treat me well my friend!

What you see above is the full load packed on - this is everything I will have on the bike other than me: tent in front left; sleeping bag in front right; sleeping clothes in handebar roll bag/dry bag; tools/repair and safety supplies in frame bag; clothing in seat bag; two of three bottle on; Garmin, light and computer on bars; small amount of snacks in gas can bag on top tube. This is my present set up however I may make some minor adjustments. I will also have a backpack on with a hydration bladder and room for items that I may need quickly like bear spray, whislte, knife, rain gear, and some safety items.

Home away from Home for 25 sleeps!

Some Sleep gear and other items!

Yes! All this and more does go on the Beast!