5 GOOD REASONS TO RIDE M2D
Keiser
First off, GREAT JOB to all the Telluride 100 Riders! Nice Job You studs!!!
Now on topic as to why riding M2D is good for you and your soul. Check out the link at the bottom to sign up for this great event.
5 Reasons to Ride M2D:
1. You get to ride a century; or another one which makes for good conversation. Starting a sentence with "When I was riding my fifth century…." gives a certain level of gravity to what you say. After that you can pretty much make up whatever you want and they shall listen with cult like captivation.
2. You get to ride and suffer in a large group. Why is this good? Well, because you can ride within your level, faster or slower and you will not be alone. Also, when you suffer together, you build a certain level of bond which is not easily broken. Friends Forever!!! (read on for a more intimate level of potential friendships)
3. You get to practice cycling tactics that you have only seen on TV and keep fantasizing about. A few pointers here for those who are going for broke or P.R.s.
a. Bring enough food or water so that you can skip a feed station. The feed stations are well equipped and definitely help but if there is a long line, you have the option to skip it and ride to the next one. If you're out of water, just wait in line and get some unless you're brave enough to keep riding and are willing to drink your own urine. Even this would be a tough task since you will most likely still need to stop and fill your bottle but hey it's two birds with one stone.
b. If you need to stop at a feed zone, get to the front of the group with plenty of time prior to arrival, so that you can ride directly to the water jugs, snack shacks or bathroom facilities; then your pit stops are quick and efficient.
c. Use the group momentum on the flats and down hills and learn to draft. It works for migrating birds and race cars; no reason it won't work for you; just ride within your comfort and don't cross wheels.
d. On the climbs, give it all you've got as this will most likely be the place where the experienced riders will be tightening the screws on the rest. Nothing more here… you either climb or you don't.
e. Cycling has one good rule when it comes to distance riding and long hours in the saddle. It's called investment into the second hour. What it means is this:
If you feel good this hour, eat and drink for the next. If your back, neck, butt and other anatomical members feel good now, move around and get the blood flowing to the other parts. Learn to be efficient with your pedaling by doing circles with your feet. Sit up every few minutes to use different muscles. When you stand, drop a couple of cogs down in the back. When you sit down again, go up a couple in the back.
Bottom line is this: once the lights go out, it takes a while to get them back on so stay on top of it. They do come back but most of us give up before the second wind come blowing through.
f. Keep an eye on the front bunch. Best place to be is top ten or twelve. Take your turn in the front as you see fit. In these big groups there is always some poor sap who thinks that the longer they stay up front and take long turns, the higher the chance that they will finish well. Truth be told, they are more likely to offer everyone else a good show of what it's like to go bury yourself then shoot backwards. I say let them do their gig… Hee heee… pat them on the back and keep encouraging such valiant efforts as they are giving you a free ride; be sure to thank them once they roll through the finish line.
g. Attacking – well this is one of the most spectacular aspects of cycling. And very hard to do. So here are some rules should you choose to stand out within the peloton:
Make sure you attack where your strength are. If you're a good climber go for it. If you're a good descender do the same. If you don't necessarily have a specialty craft and are just a good all around rolleur, then get close enough to the finish, and go at it from the back. That way everyone will look at you and before anyone tries to close the gap, you should have enough distance for your effort to be called an attack. Typically you feel like superman right before you put out the effort. As soon as you do, the lack of oxygen catches up, you feel like peeing yourself and question if that was such a good idea. IT WAS! Stay in it and this feeling should go away. If you wet yourself, say it's sweat. Also, keep your face relaxed, as you don't need to use any more energy grimacing for your breath. Drool if you need to; it's ok this time.
4. Hotel Room in Small Town - if you know what I mean. Well, this is a good one, especially if your spouse is hot and waiting for you in Gateway. Riding on a hard saddle for about 6 hours tends to have a Viagra effect upon your reproductive system. Many civilizations associated virility to masculinity and the male worth. You, my man, will be worth many hours of pleasuring your lovely after such a ride; no premature termination of a good time. Consider the fact that your vas deferens, or whatever goods are under there, are being pinched between your pelvic floor and your sexy saddle for about 6 hours. By the time the keeper wakes up to open the gate for the sea men to go out, the night will already be pretty memorable. Next year she will have you do the 200 miler.
This one takes more than one person so if you start out single, you have a good chunk of time to meet someone and connect with them (see above about suffering together). Attacks as well as the other pointers are all good attention getters that should help in your pursuit. Just be safe.
Okay, all this kid making talk leads me to the main reason for riding M2D.
5. JUST FOR KIDS! Last week I had a chance to talk to Cindy who puts on this event, and I asked her about JFK. It's actually a pretty phenomenal cause that I didn't know much about. It raises money for less fortunate kids in the surrounding areas. We all have it pretty good here in the Utopian Town of Telluride and many of us tend to have a local "shut the door now that I'm in" mentality.
Well, let's turn that around and open up our generosity to others because it's better to give than to receive. And with a little good we can wash a large portion of the conscience that who knows.... later may pay off.
and now the laddie is a poet…
And as we pass from now…
To the other side where we'll be weighed
We'll wonder "Oh but how
Get we yonder through the Pearly Gate"?
Where He on the Pale Horse stands
In guard to keep the wicked out
And with a loud voice he demands
Like a trumpet He will shout
For all to hear and to heed
That all those who are bound to live
Must first account as to their worldly greed
"What have you to give
In ransom for your selfish way
Oh men who come from mortal seeds"?
To which in unison we'll say…
"WE RODE AND GAVE TO JUST FOR KIDS"!!!
Green Light!
TELLURIDE CYCLING CLUB
...ride forth victoriously!