400km - Arivaca Epic Brevet

What: 400km Arivaca Brevet "Titanic"
Where: Casa Grande Arizona - Arivaca Loop
When: Feb 26, 2011
Description: 257 mile Brevet Arizona...Susan, Brevet administrator Extraordinaire was asked "How do you do it?"meaning, "how do I always manage to schedule the Arivaca brevet during a perfect storm of sand, wind, rain, and snow...I obviously have a talent for it; if only it were useful."

45 Cyclists signed up for this ride, 7 didn't show, 12 didn't finish, 10 pre-rode the course the week before, and 16 finished this crazy day (could have mis-calculated this.) Everyone suffered on this ride...some of us were able to pull it off for a lonely cold wet celebration at the Round Trip Bike shop. This ride tested me thoroughly... more than a physical challenge, but mental and spiritually. I think some times when you put yourself out there like this, dreaming big and riding out past the nervousness and fear, you really have some time to see who you really are. I have been really impressed with the quality of human beings out here on these rides...the challenge can be extremely tough...some make it and some don't...but are better for having tried I think.


Man this is a long ride :) Once again, the longest I have gone on a bike ever...257 miles in 21 hours 45 minutes

 Overall Ride Stats...17 hours riding, 4 hours of stoppage...45 minutes helping a fellow rider get an ambulance!

 Elevation Profile and speed over time...notice at about hour 11...nothing like a -2% grade and a 30 mph tail wind!!!!

Crazy temperature changes on this ride...had to be ready for aprox. 80 degrees down to nearly freezing with wind and rain...skimping on gear for this ride could put you in serious trouble.

 Mike booked a room at Motel 8 to save us an hour of travel before the ride began at 5am. Up at 4am and ready to roll.

Yes, I brought my own toaster :) Mike lauged at me for this one...but 2 pieces of wheat toast with peanut butter and honey are mandatory to start an Epic ride like this one...just can't cut corners...lol.

We started off with much smaller numbers than the previous 2 brevets. The weather forecast for this weekend had been all over the map...predictions changing by the hour it seemed. Borrowing a "neck warmer" from Mike and Loree strongly encouraging me to bring my gortex rain shell made the difference in actually finishing this ride...I have no doubt!

Mike and I road with the main group to approximately Picacho Peak area...then dropped off and settled into my "go all day" pace. We made great time up to that point and a little before 8am we were in Marana. The glorious I-10 frontage road and a 10-15 mph head wind had me complaining a bit. I mentioned to Mike Sturgill (brevet legend :) assisting at the check points...that the wind was a bit annoying...he answered me saying "you think this is wind? this ain't wind." If this ride were a movie...the lightening and thunder would have sounded with premonition... 

Plowed fields heading out of Marana...wind is beginning to pick up. (This pic pulled from the web.)

Once again we make the climb through Saguaro regional park...pull through the rollers (one with a short 17% grade...phreaking steep)

Cool picture of S. Kinney road heading out of South Tucson...

Topolino's and Toilet Paper? Mike was generous enough to point it out after a bathroom break...could have ridden with this on my heel for quite a few miles...good times!

A stop along a tough stretch on Mission Road..."real wind" is now hitting us hard 20-35+ mph...match that with a slight 1-3% grade sustained climbing and it got tough mentally/physically for me. 

 Gorgeous Southern AZ...yes, there are prettier places on this planet..

 Coming up on the Gigantic open Pit Mines

SAN Xavier Mission...gorgeous Catholic mission in the middle of no where...really!

Finally made it into Green Valley at about 105 miles of riding. We took almost an hour here to have a breakfast omelet, hash browns, and a bowl of fruit. It is crazy how great food tastes after 100 miles of riding.

 Turning onto Arivaca road...the wind is now reached "ludicrous" speed...stupid! If I wouldn't have had an omelet recently...might have tried this place for a steak...strange.

 Arivaca road...Mike must have seen I was struggling here...becoming a long day and really wanting to make it to the Arivaca checkpoint! He must have lied to be 10 times about "this is the last hill"...we are just around this corner and we have it...uh huh Mike...I use that on my kids too :) Glad I had a good buddy to ride with! Would have been much slower and more crazy solo. I must have repeated a quote I had heard somewhere a hundred times..."It Never Always Gets Harder." There are low points and high points to every ride...on these it seems to happen multiple times...just got to push through the low ones...a better one is on the way.

 Ahhhhh....Arivaca stop...cookies, turkey wraps, soda's, and chips! Thanks for being out here Sturgill!!!

 Great time for a stop.


Leaving the stop in Arivaca, we had 12 miles of rollers with a side/tail wind. Wasn't as bad as I had expected...or maybe it was the crazy head wind most of the day that made this seem like a piece o cake!


Great views of Baboquivari Peak along this small stretch...looks like a great rock climb...another box to check on the life list!

Making the turn onto SR-286 just as it was getting dark...as promised by Susan...we had a killer tail wind. Match that with 1-3% descent and we were flying! 30+ mph for quite some time...got dark on us at this point and was glad to have Mike's generator hub light blazing the way.

 Only traffic on this road were AZ border Patrol...guess it is a hot spot for illegals coming across the border.

 Stopped for 30/40 minutes at 3 Points Robles Junction...wow...best Campbell's Chicken and Stars I have ever had...mmmmm mmmmm gooood!!!

At this point, the stars a gorgeous...can't really see any clouds and the wind really pushes us up into Saguaro Park and down into Marana. We stop for more soup and food...then off to the great old Frontage Road back to Eloy. This road really tries your mind...if you done it...you understand!

Finally pull into Eloy and am really needing a break. I can see the stars are gone but there is no rain. We take our time recovering and getting some hydration and food in us...then as we are about to head out the rain hits! It is 37 degrees and is making for a punishing 17 miles back to the finish in Casa Grande. We get out our warmer gear and rain jacket...then make several attempts at getting out of the Circle K before we actually make it.

 At this point, I know that we are going to make it...but start to really worry about others who might not have been as prepared. I said several prayers asking God to keep us all safe out there and get us safely through this. At about the finish of one of these I looked over to see a blinking red bike light and a rider waving his arms near a closed down hotel...I then hear him yelling for help. I signal to Mike and we turned around and headed over to see what we could do. The situation ended up being much more serious than I had thought. As we pulled up to him, he literally could not control his body and collapsed on a bench under a small roof. He had made a wrong turn before Eloy, didn't have warm enough clothes and no cell phone...he was in seriously bad condition! This poor guy was into the late stages of hypothermia, shivering un-controllably and unable to communicate. We made several calls and got an ambulance on the way. Mike had a space blanket and we wrapped him up with that...we both sat on both sides of him trying to hold him and warm him up. The Casa Grande ambulance took their sweet time...taking over 30 minutes to finally arrive...luckily I had a friend that had come out to meet us at the finish. I was able to call him and we loaded our rider into the car and got the heater going good. Once the ambulance arrived and took over, we headed out to finish the last 5 miles.

Another Brevet lesson learned...these rides can kill you if you are not well prepared and the conditions are right...another prayer thanking God that we came across him at the exact right moment and were able to find and help him.

 Ambulance has taken our friend to the hospital...reporting that his body temp was 93 and dehydration/protiens in his blood were shutting down his kidneys. I got a call from him Monday morning that he was doing well and will live to ride another day!!!

 Signing our Brevet Cards at the Round Trip Bike Shop! 257 miles completed...Epic Conditions...Great Times!!!

IHOP at 3:30am...definitely had no problem getting all this down! Wasn't quite a "Big Boy Country Breakfast" at Cracker Barrel...but it did the job. Back to Mesa by 5:00am, dropped off Mike, made it home, took a shower and in bed by 6am...ouch.

Ride Summary: Despite Epic Conditions...warranting the label of a "cursed" ride and a possible renaming to the "Titanic" 400km...I did have a good time. Pushed my limits further than I ever have, tested my determination/dedication/preparedness...etc.etc...Had a definite adventure with a good friend! Good Times!!!

3 weeks till the Tombstone 600km!

300km (190miles) - Saguaro National Park Brevet

What: AZBrevet's - 300km (190 miles) 
Where: Casa Grande - Tucson loop
When: Jan 29, 2011
Who: Mike E. and I
Description: 190 mile Arizona loop put on by AZ Brevets: beginning in Casa Grande -> Florence -> Tucson -> Saguaro National Park -> Marana -> Casa Grande...my 1st Ulta-Marathon Cycling Event!


The 300 km Saguaro National Park Brevet is the 2nd ride in a series of 4 that, upon completion, qualify you to ride in the "Paris Brest Paris" which takes place every 4 years.
200km (125 miles) - Casa Grande Ruins
300km (190 miles) - Saguaro National Park
400km (257 miles) - Arivaca
600km (380 miles) - Tombstone...hopefully not mine


I am taking them one at a time...not trying to think to far ahead...and breaking each ride down into segments. I have found that it is much easier to complete these with that focus rather than...getting to mile 50 and realizing you still have another 140 miles to go :) I am completely new to this type of riding...self supported (for the most part) ultra distance. So far I am really enjoying the challenge and self discovery of actually completing something that can be pretty intimidating to comprehend. Yes...it is all relative. From my current fitness level and cycling experience...these rides are an entirely new realm...for others...this ride is a good warm up. There are cross state rides, Race Across America, Tour Divide...and many others that seem phreaking crazy...and inspiring...dangerously planting seeds in my mind and soul.


300km Saguaro National Park Brevet - Began at 4am double/triple checking gear, bike, and food. Cramming down a few pieces of whole wheat toast with honey, 2 banana's and a glass of Whey protein. packing up the gear. I drank a 16 oz of water and then a 16 oz bottle of Acceleraid on the way to the ride. Mike Enfield (domestique extraordinaire) picked me up around 5am and we headed down to Casa Grande...about an hour from East Mesa.



Add aero bars, bento bag, trunk bag, 2 x 16 oz water bottles, and 2 head lights...my lightweight Carbon Fibre bike is feeling pretty heavy!



The Route...as documented by the Garmin Edge 800...300 km can be a long day.



My ride Stats...Held a good average pace for me...especially over this distance. Some long 2-3% grades that really messed with my head...but had a great ride!!



More stats from the Garmin...a few climbs, average speeds, and lots of excitement. Averaging 135 bpm for almost 14 hours...



We started at 6am...temperature in Casa Grande was in the mid 30's...by the time we hit Coolidge the temp was dropping and finally bottomed out at 24 degrees...definitely was not prepared for that...legs and ankles felt really slow and clunky!


** Brevet Lesson Learned: Don't follow the pack without doing your own navigating...we began the ride with about 20 other riders...leader missed a turn and we ended up climbing a 2 mile hill we didn't need to...all within the first 10 miles of the ride :)

 Several miles of freshly plowed cotton fields in Coolidge.

Open Range? Long 40+ mile 2-3% grade to the the on SR-79 to Oracle Junction. Even though this climb wasn't too steep, it forced me to break down the ride in my mind...to manageable chunks...to the next stop...to the next turn...etc.etc. A good tactic to keep my sanity!


Tom Mix stop...50 miles into the ride these great Gent's set up a great little stop. Cookies, drinks, etc...was great to get off for a minute. 150 miles to go.

 Mike reviewing the direction sheet...each turn is listed along with the total distance, distance between points etc...our first stop to get the Brevet Card stamped.

 Great views of the Catilina Mountains on our descent into Tucson! Man that felt good dropping down out of Oracle Junction! It was all I could do to stay tucked in and wheel sucking.

 Long haul into Tucson...stopping at Subway for a sandwich and some rest...about 90 miles into the ride. Got some strange looks from other customers...must be because I look so good in Spandex.

 The Climb of the ride...Gates Pass. Not to long but 10-13% grades after 100 miles of riding really caused me to slow down and grind it out. That hill would be tough even if the legs were fresh.

 Looking out towards Saguaro National Park.


Not sure why they named it Saguaro National Park...but it was beautiful.

 2nd organized checkin. Best diet "lime" coke I have had...man was that one good. Had some trouble reaching behind my back to get out my brevet card...great volunteer did it for me. On an epic ride like this...little things are much appreciated!


Saguaro Park Rollers...quite a few of them.


Heading out from Saguaro Park...towards Marana.

 Headwinds the entire day...with the exception of about a 5 mile stretch. Mike ate it up...crazy animal!

 Checking directions again heading into Marana...notice the wrap on Mike's arm? 16+ stitches from a Mountain Bike wreck less than 2 weeks ago...psycho.

 New favorite ride electrolyte drink...coconut milk mixed with Pineapple juice! Best ultra-ride drink out there!

 Circle K in Marana... beginning to occur to me that we aren't to far from completing this ride!! 60+ miles to go.


I-10 Frontage road...parallels the I-10 for many, many miles. Not the best pavement we experienced on the ride...lots of weird patches and holes. Seemed to last a loooonnngggg...time.

*** At this point it got dark on us...we rolled into the finish point at Round Trip Bike's at 8:30pm. 14 hours and 32 minutes total. It was an adventure...no doubt! Learned a few good cycling/brevet lesson's and enjoyed a gorgeous day! Already getting nervous for the next ride Feb 26!... 400km.

 Well...we did burn 6000 calories during the day...nothing like the "Big Country Breakfast" at Cracker Barrel in the evening. Man was this good...not much was left when we were done...except my Grits...those were nasty!