“It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.” ~Jimmy – A League of Their Own
I’ve learned once again that completing an Everesting is really hard! Everesting (Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and ride repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 29,029 feet – the equivalent height of Mt Everest.
I ended my second attempt last night after I had gained 26,703 feet! I would not have stopped except that it started to rain (not the ride killer – I’ve ridden in the rain plenty of times), I got a rear tire flat, and my derailleurs started to majorly malfunction. I think it had something to do with the minor crash I had a little earlier (no injury). Mr. SAG changed the tire (at 1:00 am), but the derailleur issue was a bit more to deal with in the dark and rain. I had been up for nearly 60 hours at that point too and was becoming disoriented and it felt dangerous. Did I really need to put myself at risk to get those last few thousand feet in? I decided “no.”
I may have another “fail” or “DNF” notched next to my name (virtually, at least), but I don’t see it as a failure. It was a great couple of days of riding, and I learned a lot, once again. Not too shabby for 56 either!
What was different this time, and what did I learn?
The hill I chose this time was shorter, but a bit steeper than the one for my first attempt. This meant I could do more repeats in the same amount of time and gain roughly the same elevation. I chose the hill because it is at the end of the road I live on. Mr. SAG could stay at home and just come by if I needed something. He decided to hang out for a while too.
I have the most unconditionally loving and supporting SAG team on the planet!
I trained better for this one. I did a lot of cross training over the winter, including TRX training, running, weights, stair climbing and core training using various methods. My power to weight ratio was much improved and I even improved my VO2 max (Seems I still have a ways to go, though).
I refueled and hydrated better and more consistently. (I did have my breakfast of champions after I finished!
I had the right gear with me – including cold and rain gear, charging stations for my electronics, glasses with lenses that work in different lighting and lots of lights for night riding.
The high number of repeats did not bother me at all. I completed 315 of the necessary 341 (or so). I say “or so”, because the altitude measurement is based on barometric pressure. Since we had a cold front moving through the area, when I started the ride, my Garmin gave me credit for about 85 feet for each repeat (the Strava segment for that hill gives it about 90 feet). By the last hundred or so climbs, Garmin was only showing the gain as 72 feet! That’s a big difference!
I can stay awake for a long time! I knew I could, as I’ve done a few 24-hour challenges in the past. The moving time for the ride was just over 24 hours, but with my rest stops and the mechanical issues, I was there for 60 hours (something to work on reducing).
I actually can do this. I could see the finish. I feel like actual Everest climbers might, who get to the final camp, awaiting the final push to the summit when something happens – weather changes, altitude sickness ensues, etc., and they end up not being able to summit after putting in all that time and effort. It is still a great accomplishment, just not the ending hoped for. Although I did reach the height of Annapurna, it’s not the same.
I called it last night when I was feeling disoriented and exhausted in the dark. Since I was so close, I know that if not for mechanical challenges (I should have had my back-up bike ready to step in) I could have finished, so I expressed that I was DONE! No more Everesting needed for me. But, Mr. SAG, knowing me better, argued that I will try again because once things get in my head, I can’t let them go. Apparently he was right. I’ve already started listing things that I need to change for my next attempt! Dang!
If you feel so inclined, I am using these personal challenges to help fund Multiple Sclerosis research. I’ll be participating in a Bike MS ride in the Fall, likely after another Everesting. You can find my fundraising page here: Bike MS Personal Page
In search of up!
Thanks for your support! Ride on!
Michele Across America 