Bike camp ended last night with the traditional awards ceremony and some fun facts. There were 60 cyclists at camp including campers and coaches. We burned a total of 789,887 kjs; which is the equivalent of the calories in 1,400 Big Macs or 313 gallons of chocolate milk. I rode 334 miles, burned 9056kjs, climbed 15,000’+ (5,000’ the last day), the steepest grade was 26%, all over 21 hours of ride time. My fastest speed was 42mph, I was a little scared because the bike began to shimy, and my slowest speed was 3mph, a 26% grade is really steep. I saw some amazing scenery and had an awesome time.
Bike camp is all about exploring your limits and then moving beyond them. I found my limit on Wednesday. I was feeling cold and miserable. Then Amelia, a biker friend, reminded me to use my inner strength. I was jump started by my mantra; “I can do it.” I just repeated those words over and over and the miles and the fatigue melted away. I am not going to win many races but I am a competitor and I will always be in the mix.
Yesterday, as we were sprinting towards home, I had burned my last match and was spit out the back of the peloton. The lead group was about 500’ ahead when I noticed they were slowing their pace. I had a few minutes to rest so I powered up my turbo diesel and made a charge for the peloton. I was feeling good and gaining ground. I swept up other riders and we began to work together to bridge-up to the lead riders. When other riders would not pull I went to the front. We caught the lead group 1 mile from the finish. I then joined in the final sprint and was 3rd.
The race was a great end to a fantastic camp. I had good days and bad days. I also learned a ton about limits and goal setting. Camp is always a growth experience. I can’t wait to go next year.
