A RAIN DNFer's Lament

By Jim Schroeder


I DNF'd this year's Ride Across INdiana.  I did everything that I've always coached others not to.  As Mike Finger told me, "Jim, you pulled a Mike!".  That, I did.  Basically, from my past rides in all of 2010, my head was just too big for my britches.

I started RAIN way too fast not warming up the first 20 miles like I always did.

I blew up those hills east of Terre Haute blasting by all those flatlanders, forgetting that physiologically I'm still a flatlander and always will be. I was forming trains, meaning that everyone jumped on behind me while I was doing all the work.  That really boosted my ego, but it depleted my energy stores.

I jumped way ahead of the Centurion pack after the first food stop, as I had my own sag driver and quickly exchanged bottles, while the other guys rested a little more as all six of them had Miss Melanie as their sag driver.  Being 20 minutes ahead at one point again stroked my ego, but at what a cost too my legs!

Between Putnamville and Plainfield, I was pushing to catch the bogies ahead of me and I would even catch some pacelines, too.  I should have continued to ride comfortably in a paceline and sharing the work.  Catching the bogies should be reserved for the last 40 miles when there usually aren't that many pacelines to ride with.

I was sweating like a sieve but I was hydrating enough and downing plenty of electrolyte capsules.  However, I wasn't taking in enough cliff blocks and hammer gels.  Why?  I guess it would slow me down getting it out of my rear pockets?

I didn't communicate well enough with my sag driver and we couldn't hook up after Plainfield until Camby.  I also should have actually stopped at the lunch area for at least 5-10 minutes to "compose".  I was still treating this as a race, and felt good that I passed the boys just a mile after they passed me.

So, while I was on my way to a sub-8hr, the quads started cramping.  I tried everything to cure that but to no avail.  Then each one would seize up, and then both quads simultaneously.  There went my attempt for a PR.

I could have finished but there would be no pushing the gears and the last 50 miles would have to be no more than 15mph, and so I quit.

I've done countless numbers of RAIN in so many different ways and I never want to repeat 2010!