The coordination effort was a massive feat, so I'm giving him props for putting together a pretty epic ride that involved bikers from two different teams, a ferry crossing, 80 hilly miles around Whidbey Island, and a birthday boy. Our fellow Viet Velo teammate, Lam, drove 210 miles up from Portland just to complete this Gran Fondo on his birthday. That's some serious dedication!
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| L to R: Tri, Lum, Phu, Nhan, Tammy, Hung, Di (holding Thu's bike) |
Tri Colnago takes it pretty damn seriously when leading rides as Captain. He stepped up and played the leadership card in order to coordinate an inclusive ride with his Blue Rooster racers and his Viet Velo NW teammates, who had never met or biked with each other before. He went all old-school on us and even printed out route maps and cue sheets for us on paper.
Tri declared that seeing his two teams intermix on this day gave his old heart the warm fuzzies. This was a no-drop touring ride, meaning that no rider gets left behind, no matter how slow you go. <Cue the music for Di>
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| L to R: Lum, Hung, Nhan, Tammy, Thu, Lam |
These guys are very strong riders, every one of them. Tri rides with both teams, and he himself is a CAT 4 racer. The Blue Roosters ride cyclocross in the off-season, so their legs and lungs are never out of shape.
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| L to R: Nhan, Tammy, Thu, Lam, Tri |
Team Viet Velo NW just finished the Passport to Pain ride on Vashon Island the month before, a tough 80-mile course with 10,000 ft elevation gain.
To say I was terrified of riding with these guys was putting it mildly. I tried to beg out of this ride many times, but Tri held my feet to the fire. He sold this ride to everyone as the Passport to Pleasure, so he told me to HTFU (look it up on Urban Dictionary).
Ouch! Harshness from the same guy who obviously recovered quickly from a temporary case of fuzzy heart! This chicken was nervous to ride with the Roosters.
When I heard that my biker chick Tammy, her husband Nhan (a different one), and the usual VVNW suspects would be there, I just couldn't say no. He baited me with my own friends.
My riding partner, Nhan N, couldn't join this ride due to a road trip to Vancouver with his buddies on this weekend. So I had to get an action stunt double for him...Nhan T. Hehe Nhan N said it was weird meeting another Nhan, "We don't really look alike." But I said, "Oh, I can always tell you and Nhan T apart-- he's the one who showed up! Ha!" Aggravated by my joke, Nhan N shot back, "Whatever! Next time I see him, I'll pay him $5 to change his name." Somehow, I don't think Tammy would go for that....
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| Lum, aka Megatron or The Road Runner (meep! meep!) |
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| L to R: Tri, Tammy, Jason (Viet Velo Sandwich) |
With resumes like this, I knew I would get my ass kicked hard-- but I shut up, suited up, and showed up anyway. In other words, I had to HTFU. What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment as long as my buddies are there having fun with me!
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| Tri and Thu, "bench pressing" |
There was a general feeling of excitement in the air. It was a crisp fall day, but the rain we so dreaded was held in check. Many of these guys have never biked on Whidbey Island before. Everyone was relaxed, socializing, stretching, checking out their gear as we prepared to walk onto the ferry through the passenger loading area.
We caught our ferry, tied up our bikes on deck, and headed up to the passenger lounge for the short 15 minute ferry ride over to Whidbey Island.
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| The Birthday Boy, Lam |
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| Nhan and Tammy |
One of my absolute favorite pics from the ride!
Nhan and Tammy are a dynamite husband and wife biking team. The numbers on their helmets are left over from the Passport to Pain event on Vashon Island.
They both look laser-focused, like they can't wait to roll off the boat and attack the island.
Nhan later told me he was just "sucking it in and exhaling". Look at the sheer intensity on Tammy's face! Did I mention that I love this photo??
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| L to R: Thu, Tammy, Di, Nhan, Tri. Getting ready to disembark the ferry |
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| L to R: Tri, Lam, Hung |
But I also knew I was kind of in trouble already. I had taken a 3-week hiatus from biking, and could already feel leaden legs and diminished cardio as we did some long, sustained hill climbs. These guys are fast on the flats too, and I found myself pushing hard to keep their brisk pace. It was a leisurely ride for them, but work for me. We had many co-captains on this ride, and each of them coached me a bit as they rolled along, passing along their collective wisdom. Another reason I love riding with these guys.
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| Jason and Kelly |
Jason and Kelly looked like a force to be reckoned with in their matching Rooster kits. Many times, Kelly would yell back at me to draft off both of them, so I was the caboose to their Rooster train on several short stretches.
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| Captain Tri and his "other" shadow |
He simply pointed one finger to his back wheel without a glance or a word at me, which meant, "Hang on, here we go!" I kept pace for a little while, but it was exhausting work for this hen to keep up with a Rooster. I'm not a spring chicken anymore, so I have drumsticks instead of legs.
We pulled off on Honeymoon Bay Road and waited for the others in front of a farm stand. Captain Tri pulled out his trusty cue sheet and made some calls to get everyone to re-group. He's on his phone, multi-tasking, trying to contact the others. I'm just trying to catch my breath during this brief respite in riding. The other guys must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.
Nhan aptly pointed out, "Captain lost half his troop!"
Jason won the "caption this photo" contest:
"Woodchuck to Grey Squirrel, Woodchuck to Grey Squirrel, over!"
Without missing a beat, Tri pointed out that it wasn't so much that Di was keeping up with Tri, but more like he was hanging back for me. He was right, can't argue with that. Ego, checked!
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| John and Tri making sense of the madness on the map |
We finally made it to Greenbank Farms, our first official ride stop. The iconic red barn made for a good backdrop for our group photos. We stopped in for water, coffee, and a bio-break. Once I took off my helmet, John said, "So that's what you look like!"
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| L to R: Nhan, Tri, Lum, Phu, Tammy, Hung, Thu |
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| Biker Chicks, Tammy and Di |
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| L to R: Thu, Tammy, Nhan, Hung |
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| Mr. Viet Velo NW, Anh Hung |
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| Sculpture Garden at Greenbank Farms |
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| L to R: Phu aka The Diesel Engine, Lum, and Thu |
There was some mild confusion since there was a Lum and a Lam riding with us today. Tri clarified that the muscle-bound, body-builder Lum was "Lum-py" and the slender, birthday Lam was just "Limp". I don't want to speculate on how he came up with that, but it gave everyone a good belly laugh.
We finally made it to Coupeville for lunch. But not without some major fallout first.
I totally choked out there trying to keep pace with these guys. I murdered my legs on some of those hill climbs, and even had to clip out and walk up a long 12% grade hill. Nhan is a Co-Captain of VVNW, and I felt fortunate that he hung back with me as I flagged on some of those strenuous climbs. These hills would typically be a piece of cake for him.
The grades were so steep, and my legs were on strike. I couldn't get them to move, no matter how much swearing I did under my heavy breath. At first, I tried to zig-zag across the road to mitigate the steepness as opposed to climbing straight up. It's a technique I learned from Captain John Nguyen on the I-90 hill, and applied successfully before, but even that failed me today.
My legs started cramping badly, and in the weirdest places! Freakish pain shot up through muscles I couldn't even name, and I finally had to clip out to keep from falling over less than halfway up the hill. Nhan told me to take off my shoes to spare my cleats from wearing down as I walked up. By now, Lum had circled back to see what happened to us.
Nhan kindly walked both our bikes up, as I soft-footed it in my socks, with Lum also walking at my side in solidarity (good sport that he is). I felt utterly dejected, thankful that the rest of the group wasn't here to see the shit show. I haven't had to walk up a hill in a good long while, but you always remember which ones you had to walk, and curse their memory forever after. The walk really destroyed my confidence. I felt so utterly discouraged, but I tried not to let it show. And then suddenly, this....
Someone had painted the words, "Shut up, Legs!" right on the roadside. I managed something like a pitiful smile, and the guys laughed along with me as Lum snapped this pic.
At the top of the hill, we paused to rest as a pit bull barked furiously at us from behind his wire fence. My legs still felt shaky, but I attempted to at least put my shoes back on and try to re-mount my bike. At this point, two leg cramps flared up with a vengeance! I sat down on the side of the road, yelping with pain as Lum had me stretch out my leg against his knee for relief. Any car driving by at that moment would think that Lum was delivering a baby by the roadside, it was such a scene!
I finally felt equal to hopping back on my bike. I thanked both Nhan and Lum for sticking with me during that whole episode. Nhan pulled ahead to catch up with the group and give them an update. I felt bad that I was making us late for lunch, since I know everyone must be starving by now. I figured that by the time I got to Coupeville, the gang would be all done with lunch, and I would only show up in time to pick up the bill.
I turned to Lum and said, "I think I confused the hell out of my Strava with that long, slow walk up the hill." Lum let out a big, booming laugh.
You know what I love most about the pic below? The three Blue Rooster team members in their instantly recognizable blue/yellow/white kits, perfectly reflected and framed in the restaurant window!
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| The Gang at Front St Grill in Coupeville (Thanks for the pic, Anh Hung! |
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| Bike Parking at Front St Grill in Coupeville |
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| Nhan & Tammy, deer in the headlights |
I ate very little, fearing that a big meal would slow me down even more. Tri tried to tell me that pickles are a secret weapon against leg cramps. The look of skepticism on my face showed him that I was hardly convinced.
After lunch, we rolled out for the final 30 miles back to the ferry. Heavy hamburgers, cold beers, and a chilly wind contributed to a sluggish start for everyone. But this group perked right up at Ebey Island Beach where Lum raced up the hill first, assumed a human tripod position, and took video of the rest of the team climbing up. Tri can be heard yelling triumphantly as he blasted up ahead of the pack, "I'm on big chain ring, buddy! When there's a camera..." This video clip perfectly captures the energy and enthusiasm of this group. Now my heart is getting a little of the warm fuzzies....Damn it, Tri! It's contagious!
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| L to R at Fort Casey: Thu, John, Kelly, Jason, Phu, Tri, Hung, Tammy, Nhan, Lum, Di, (Lam took the photo) |
This is the last time I felt strong. The final 20 miles or so back to the ferry passed in slow motion like a dizzy dream. I didn't have much left in the tank, and was running purely on fumes. My legs were still turning the cranks, but slowly, arduously. I felt a kind of delirium creep over me, and I tracked the debris on the shoulder to make time pass faster, because looking at the endless road ahead seemed terribly daunting and pointless.
So many times, several of the guys took turns pulling me-- Tri, Lum, Jason, John. I stared blankly at their haunches and wheels, trying to mindlessly spin my way back without quitting. Jason even got right next to me at one point and gently pushed me up the hill with this hand on the small of my back. He later joked that he wasn't pushing me-- he was trying to get the goodies out of my jersey pockets.
I've done plenty of 80+ mile bike rides before, but today broke me. In my mind played a cannonade of personal excuses on repeat: Girl, you didn't eat enough, you haven't biked for 3 weeks, you wasted too much energy, you have a heavy bike, you're not as strong, you lack experience, blah, blah, blah.....it's a bunch of B.S.
The biggest competition out there is with your own self. Biking long distances is a mental battle. My mind started messing with me. I had so many thoughts about quitting. I really just wanted to lay down on the side of the road and die quietly, but my teammates wouldn't hear of it. They tried to rally me along the way, they waited, they pulled, they cheered-- whatever it took to keep me going.
At one of the last few stops, Tri coaxed me into drinking more water. I shook my head numbly, not feeling up to any more drinking or eating. In a feeble attempt to cheer me up, he announced, "The good news is that it's 4 more miles to the ferry. The bad news is that it's 4 more miles to the ferry." I wanted to laugh, really. At that point, my face might have looked like I had murder on my mind, but my legs just wanted mercy.
True to his word that he would not drop me on this ride, Tri pulled me all the way into the homestretch to the ferry dock and finally yelled, "Go! Go! Go!" as I coasted in behind Kelly, with Jason, John, and Tri following closely behind.
The Captain is always the last to leave the ship
When I finally pulled into the Clinton Ferry Dock, our group erupted into hoots and cheers. I was mortified by the unwarranted attention, but I felt a deep gratitude for their unending support during a very tough ride for me. They promised not to drop me, and they didn't. In fact, they went above and beyond to make sure I made it all the way.
Tri later explained the likely reason I choked out there. Usually by going at 10% faster speeds, you sacrifice 40% of the distance in terms of endurance. In other words, I was out of my league with this brisk group.
Aside from the obvious adventure, some of our friends and family have frankly said that we're #&*@%$ nuts, and ask why we do it at all. They have no idea why we spend an inordinate amount of time, money and energy to put our bodies through what they perceive as physical torture. And you know what? Sometimes, they're absolutely right....
But our love of biking overpowers all other senses. It is just as much about our mental well-being as it is about our physical exertion. Screaming legs, sore back, watering eyes, chafed ass, heat and cold, thirst and hunger, and heaven forbid, the crashes-- and yet, we keep on coming back for more, like gluttons for punishment. It's a way to mentally decompress, even as we're under physical stress. At some point, it becomes a need for biking. As in, our legs get restless if we don't. Or we feel the stress of daily life mounting, and just want to ride it out. Then there's the social component of wanting to spend quality time with friends we might not otherwise get to see as frequently.
But our love of biking overpowers all other senses. It is just as much about our mental well-being as it is about our physical exertion. Screaming legs, sore back, watering eyes, chafed ass, heat and cold, thirst and hunger, and heaven forbid, the crashes-- and yet, we keep on coming back for more, like gluttons for punishment. It's a way to mentally decompress, even as we're under physical stress. At some point, it becomes a need for biking. As in, our legs get restless if we don't. Or we feel the stress of daily life mounting, and just want to ride it out. Then there's the social component of wanting to spend quality time with friends we might not otherwise get to see as frequently.
The point being, cycling is very much both a mental and a physical sport. Endurance and stamina will keep you going for a long time, but you've got to get your head in the game as well.
As we boarded the ferry to go home, I reflected on this ride. Yeah, my legs are going to hurt like hell tomorrow, but my heart was full of love and appreciation for my teammates and for the new friends I made today. Maybe my ride was more "soul-crushing" than "crushing it", but I still had the time of my life with the best kind of people I know. No regrets!
The only small victory I can claim on this day despite all the pitfalls is that I did not actually fall off or over on my bike. No regrets, and no clunking!
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| Blue Roosters Rock: Kelly, John, Jason |
