Gran Fondo National Championship recap

Joshua: 00:00

what can I say? I rode in the: 2024

But how was it? How did I qualify? How did I do? Well,let's just say history was made on this ride.

I'm not a pro, I'm not an expert, heck I'm not even a bike mechanic. So why am I sitting here talking to you about cycling and the journey that I sent myself on?

I'm one of who knows how many out there who love to ride their bike, try to go fast, and want to challenge themselves on the bike, but not racers. There's no team, fancy bus, army of trainers, mechanics, big budgets, any of that. Just someone who gets the thrill of freedom on the bike and wants to challenge myself to something new.

So let's take a step back and look at what my plan was for the year.

Prior to: 2024

Never having ridden in any sort of competitive way, I found the idea of the Gran Fondo Series kind of a good way to dip my toes into that world.

Yeah, I've been to local races, but really only to photograph them.

I watch the cyclists line up, jockey for position throughout the race, and the sprints to the finish. It's always exciting, whether it's on TV or in person. And who doesn't kind of imagine themselves in that position trying to figure out what it would be like in the middle of all that controlled chaos?

As I've mentioned before, I do the Armed Forces Challenge Ride and I do the Bike MS Rides every year. So setting those as goals obviously wouldn't make sense. Sure, I could try to set a goal to do more laps on the Challenge Ride or to get a better completion time for the MS Ride, but that seemed more of a easy goal to set.

I wanted to give myself something new and competitive.

I wanted to see where I stacked up against other people going on the same course as me on something that was more than just a fundraiser.

I wanted something where there were kind of real stakes at play.

So, enter the Gran Fondo National Series.

You see this, this was something that I could take part in that kind of had real ramifications on being able to work myself into a restricted pool of individuals - a pool of names where you had to earn the placement into the final ride of the season.

This is something with podium finishes and competitiveness, all the things that I haven't really done before.

Now I wasn't trying to fool myself and think I had a shot at the podium. I knew that wasn't a reality. What I was looking for was to see how close I could get to qualifying for the championship ride.

Again, knowing that it would really take more than a year to get there. The people riding these are also racing other races: road, crit, gravel, cyclocross, you name it.

These are people who have been in constant training for years because they are on the race circuit and they go all over the country competing. So no. I wasn't thinking this weekend rider who could really stand to lose a good 15-20 pounds was going to challenge them for their positions within the results bracket. I just wanted to see where I would stack up to them, try to adjust my training throughout the year to get better, and slowly work my way up from the very bottom of the list.

The schedule I laid out for myself and what fondo rides I wanted to do, I kinda knew I would be eligible to be in the championship ride. But because of any performance abilities, again, as a reminder,the athletic or competitive way to qualify for the championship ride is that you have to finish a fondo ride within a certain percentage of your age bracket. The non-athletic way is really just to ride a certain number of fondo rides throughout the year and you're automatically qualified.

The non-athletic way was not my goal and was not how I wanted it to try and get in.

No surprise, I didn't finish in the necessary placements throughout the year, but that's as expected. But I did ride in enough of the fondos to have a spot in the lineup.

When it came time to register for the final ride, I kinda went back and forth on whether I was going to do it or not. On the one hand, I didn't want to because I didn't feel I had truly earned my placement and I would just be a poser with a number tag and a jersey. I also knew that this ride would be more difficult than any other ride that I had ever done and I really didn't feel like I was ready for it.

Well, I didn't feel like I was ready for it because I didn't really get in the level of training that I was aiming for. Some of this was due to work and life requirements and some of it was due to equipment and yeah, some of it was motivation.

I set up a training plan with Sufferfest for the Hilly 100 ride in the hopes that it would help prepare me for the long climbs, which is something I am absolutely terrible at.

I mean, I could come up with all sorts of excuses as to why I was prevented from doing all the training, but in all honesty, I don't have anyone to blame but myself.

And this is an area where I need some true soul searching and sorting out for this coming year.

So yeah, looking at the course for the final ride, I was not sure I wanted to register for it because I didn't feel like it was ready. Pair that with not truly earning my spot and I figured this was one ride I was just going to sit out and that was that.

I had my lessons learned for the year and I knew what needed to be fixed for this coming year.

And yet…

Now those are two words that sometimes bring fun and adventure, but more often than not is just another version of "Hold my beer."

So and then yet,

I was sitting there thinking "Eh, what the hell? Why not give it a go? Even if you finish dead last, you can at least say you rode in it and you gave it a go. Sure you might not have earned the spot from athletics, but you did earn the spot by sticking with it through the year and doing the rides, whether you felt like you were ready for them or not. You earned your placement because you didn't give up."

So yeah, I registered for the ride and I didn't register for the Gran Fondo side of the ride I went ahead and registered for the championship side of the ride I mean I I had two easy outs on this one just not registering for the ride at all and two, registering for the leisure - well quote-unquote leisure part of the ride, the course is the exact same it just didn't involve the timing chips and the championship and blah blah blah.

But no, what did my crazy ass do? I registered for the championship portion of the ride. I mean, what was I thinking? Now Like I said in the opening though. I did make personal history on this ride

I was on the road for work, no training, poor sleeping habits, and a week before the ride I did a bunch of spin classes to try and get back into the swing of things. And then off to the ride to kind of give it my best attempt.

Swapped out the gearing on the bike, so when the hills approached I had a few extra gears to kind of help get me up it. I was in my kit, I was lined up, kind of near my age group, and I guess I was ready to go.

Even in the first five miles, I wasn't feeling like my legs were awake and ready for this. Sure, I was in the bunch, but I didn't feel like I was working as easy as the others were around me to stay in the pack. And as we went down the road, things started to stretch out a little. A couple curves helped kind of stretch everyone out a little more.

There was a fair share of people passing and being passed, as is normal. And nothing had really ramped up yet, and everyone was still warming up. But when things did start to take off, I felt like I was pushing harder than I should have, just to stay within the group. I wasn't at the end, but I wasn't in the middle either.

After some time, I found myself where I had the previous rides. I was out on my own, seeing some riders way out in front of me, and a few behind me, but that was about it.

When I would hit a hill, I'd see others struggling and felt like I was doing as best as I could, all things considered. At least we were all struggling together.

The gear I put on the bike was helping me out on some of the hills, and I was able to get up a touch easier than the previous rides. But I was still just grinding it one leg at a time.

I was moving forward and that was good enough for me.

I knew this was going to be a heck of a challenge and as long as I was able to stay on the bike and keep moving forward, I knew it would be okay.

So the miles are ticking away and I don't really care too much that people who weren't doing the competitive side of the ride were starting to pass me. See, we started a half hour earlier than the regular riders. But I wasn't here to beat anyone, I was just here to push myself and to see what I could do when I put my mind to it.

Unfortunately my legs didn't get that message. Well I should really say my right leg was not getting that message.

As I was climbing up one of the far too many to count hills, my right leg started to cramp up. Okay, I can kind of deal with it though, I've been there before - don't climb out of the saddle, stay seated and just keep spinning but don't put extra pressure on that leg.

I would rely a little more on my left leg to give me those little bursts, and it seemed to be doing alright. I was working decently for a bit until my right leg decided nope, had enough and seized up.

Instead of trying to fight through it, I got off the bike, did some stretches, took a few minutes to let it calm down, and after about 5 or 10 minutes things were feeling okay and I was able to hop back on the bike and keep climbing the hill and keep moving along.

This seemed to get me back in a place where I could keep riding and off I went.

I was finding the right rhythm for me and my mindset at this point was that I'm here enjoying a lovely day out on the bike and I'll reach the end when I reach the end, I won't be up in the ranks, but hopefully I won't be the last person.

I mean a day out on the bike is always a good day, right? Enjoy the ride, let's explore some new areas and see what the sights had to offer.

Maybe it was the newfound mental approach, maybe it was just me ignoring things, but when I came up to the rest stops, I didn't feel quite as wasted as the previous rides. I was able to take a few moments, relax, and not feel all cramped up when I tried to stand back up and get moving again.

Obviously, the previous cramps I experienced was just a fluke, and the remainder of the ride, things will be just fine.

I'm on the road, rolling along, climbing and climbing and climbing and climbing. Okay, I know there are other rides that have a lot more climbing than this one but for me, the not trained enough Clydesdale, this was the biggest elevation attempt I'd ever tried in a single ride. So to say I was nervous the entire time, I mean it would be an understatement, but what I kept trying to remind myself was that despite all that, I was actually here and I was doing it. So if I needed to walk my bike for a bit, so be it, I didn't care. I was pushing myself into uncomfortable territory in order to learn, grow and evolve.

This is how we break free from the monotony and improve. I was struggling, but I kept the cranks turning and I was proud of doing it, no matter what pace I was going.

A positive mindset can overcome so many mental obstacles. However, a positive mindset cannot overcome physical limitations. The bigger the climbs got, the more my right leg started to cramp up again and I ended up in this pattern where I would need to pop off the bike, do some stretches, do some walking, about half way up almost every hill. I would push as long as I could until the cramps got to be too much to the point of pretty much seizing up. Stretch, walk, relax the leg, hop back on alright, I can do it. It's gonna suck for the rest of the ride, but I can do it

Then the impatience took over.

In my infinite wisdom, I thought, you know, maybe I could just offset some of the cramping, by pushing more with my left leg to take even more tension off of my right leg. Yeah, that was a smart move. Once my right leg started to cramp up, I would push harder and pull more with my left leg to keep me moving and to release the tension from the right leg.

And for a while it worked out, and I was able to tackle a hill or two without having to get off the bike. Lean more on the left leg, and then use the flats and the descents to kind of recover and give that leg a break to prepare it for the next climb.

Yeah, that does work, but only for so long before the left leg decided, you know what? No, I'm not a fan of this, and started to cramp up as well. Alright, well, back to the old ways of hopping off the bike, stretching, walking, getting back on, climbing again, over and over.

I will admit though, when I couldn't lean on the left leg anymore, that's when my mental game took a deep nosedive. I had no other backup plan, and I wasn't really seeing many riders anymore. I was fully cooked, and I didn't know if I could legitimately continue on.

So as I was rolling down the road, I was approached by one of the SAG vehicles coming from the opposite direction - SAG is support and gear, rolling aid stations basically, in case a rider gets into trouble with equipment or needs water or just has to call it quits.

They asked if I was doing okay.

I always in these rides give a thumbs up and say, "Yeah, I'm good," and they keep rolling by.

This time around I just didn't have it in me anymore. I pulled to the side and said I was done.

The driver told me he was about to be fully loaded because he was on his way to help retrieve someone further back and that I could either wait where I was for him or I could go on to the next rest stop, which is only a couple miles away. Going to it is through a nice shaded park and it's a nice path and there's not much climbing that I could give it a try if I wanted.

So I gave it a go.

I said I could get to the next rest stop, no worries. I think that's all I needed to hear. I knew the rest stop was close, but I didn't know what the road condition was like from here to there. So it was nice hearing the route was shaded and quiet.

Maybe that's what I needed to kind of recenter myself mentally to get through the latest physical and mental struggles that I was fighting.

It was a nice cruise through the park and hearing the natural sounds seeing the green, getting a break from the heat by being in the shade was really nice. I Made it the rest stop faster than I anticipated and it was in pretty good spirits. And after parking the bike I grabbed a snack, refilled a bottle and was looking on my bike computer at what remained of the course. And while I was feeling good. I was concerned about tackling the remaining climbs.

There weren't so many people left on the course behind me and aside from four or so people who left soon after I arrived there were, according to the people running the rest stop, only a few people still making their way to that rest stop.

At that point I needed to make up my mind real quick; Do I set out again and push through the last 30 ish or so miles or do I throw in the towel? In order for me to finish within the allotted time I would have to push harder than I had been for the past hour or so just to get to the end.

He had learned that he could not devour the earth, that he must know and accept his limitations.

So this is where history was made. It was time for me to call it a day. I put on my best effort and my tank was empty. Sure I could hit the road and finish the ride, but how long would that take and what would that do to me physically? Was it worth torturing myself just to be able to say I didn't quit? While this wasn't the outcome I wanted, envisioned, or even hoped for, this was the reality of the situation.

I walked over to one of the sag vehicles and let them know that I was done for the day.

They smiled and said, "Sure, no problem. Why don't you put your bike on the rack and we'll head out to the finish in a few minutes."

With my bike on the carrier, I sat and waited until it was time to go.

My bike wasn't the only one on the carrier as there was another rider also waiting to get a ride back to the front. So I knew I wouldn't be the only one sagging out for the day, but it was nice to have a little proof, at least to myself, by having another person there with me doing the exact same thing.

This is my first ride I've ever had to SAG out on, so this was new territory.

We rode back to where everyone else was, grabbed some food and gave the body a break. There were celebrations being held and people being called up to the podium for their respective age groups and a good time was being had by everyone.

I knew I was never going to be part of that grouping, but it did kind of sting a little extra to see all the finishers get the finisher medal. And yeah, I know, that's participation trophy level, but it's also a physical representation of completing the course, which I didn't do.

The final tally in standings showed that while I wasn't the only one in my age group to not finish the ride, I was the only one in my age group on the competitive side to not finish the ride.

Talk about a tough pill to swallow.

I did what I could and need to just embrace that and be proud of getting as far as I did. I mean, yeah, that's easy to say and tell others, but it's really not so easy to tell yourself.

I started this goal with having no real training under me for quite some time, having no real understanding of what it was going to take to complete the courses, and having purposely chosen other rides prior to this year specifically to minimize how much climbing would be required. I was realistic in my goal of seeing how close I could get to qualifying, not expecting to actually qualifying - Competitively that is. So I wasn't jumping into this thinking I'd be able to go toe to toe with the riders who've been doing this for years and training even longer. But all of that does get pushed to the side when you're confronted with the harsh reality of being at the finish line knowing that you didn't finish the ride.

This is how we learn, right?

And this is where I would toss in another quote or two about how failure teaches up more than success will, or through struggle we blah blah blah blah. Yeah, well, those are true but it really only helps so much.

So I needed space from the ride and the experience before I was in a place where I could talk and joke about the ride and my activities on it. But that was then and this is now. And this experience didn't keep me off the bike for long, but it did shine a huge spotlight on what I need to do to be ready for this year.

I need to work harder on my motivation and training - mainly motivation.

Aside from that ride, there was only one other ride that I had been looking forward to all year that promises to be a ton more fun, a lot more enjoyable and yeah, less climbing.

But you know what? Talking about that's going to have to wait until next time. So thank you for joining me on this Cafe Stop and listening.

Let's continue this soon.