Hotter N Hell 100k

Oh heck yeah, the biking bug is firmly planted in my core. I'm loving it!

Last weekend was the Hotter 'N Hell 100. The main race/ride is 100 miles, IN AUGUST, IN TEXAS! Normally, it lives up to its moniker, but this year, a week of cooler weather sure helped out the heat. It still was close to 75 at the start, but by the time Maribel, Pierre and I finished at 11:30, it was in the low 90's.

What an amazing sight it is to see nearly 12,000 riders of all shapes and sizes saddled up and taking off. It started off with the sound of clips attaching to pedals and the excitement of the riders as they chatted and warmed up with the slow pack. It took about 25 minutes from the time the gun went off before we crossed the starting line and there were still thousands behind us. Incredible.

The night before, the girls and I all camped out. INstead of hitting the large grassy area behind the convention center, we just decided to park near a grassy flat spot in the parking lot. We looked like squatters and in a sense, I suppose we were. But the good thing was that we had great parking close to the center! It was noisy and bright that night, but we managed to eke out about 5 good hours of sleep before the rumble of cars started coming in around 5.

So during the ride, there were several times where large yawns came around. I was tired, but thoroughly enjoying the ride. There was a crash about a mile or two into the ride. Bikers slowed and passed the woman being loaded into the ambulance. It was a lot like rush hour traffic in Dallas on a Friday, sadly enough.

I tried to keep up with Maribel and Pierre for a while, but the traffic jam of bikes slowed me too much. I'd left Debbie behind me in about 3 miles with April, Dianna and Mitch coming in behind Deb. I hit the first aid station near 10 miles fairly quickly despite the crowds and decided to pass. It was crazy with people. I love hearing the whir of wheels on the ground when people are more quiet.

I stopped at the 20 and 30 mile aid stations, but didn't linger. They too were crowded and crazy. I refilled bottles and grabbed some cookies. After the 30 mile point, 3 girls crashed ahead of me. It was a tangle of bikes and bodies, and fortunately none were seriously hurt. I stopped to help pull bikes off of them, but they had plenty of help so I moved on.

A few miles after that was a temptation. The 100k I was on continued straight ahead after a railroad track crossing while the 100 miler turned left. For a moment, I seriously considered turning towards the 100 miler, but thought about having people waiting for me at the car. In hindsight, I wish I'd have done it now. It was a cooler than normal year, I felt great and as it turns out, most of our group came in 2 hours behind us. Maribel went through the same dillemma with the same outcome.

I skipped the 40 mile aid station and just grabbed some ClifBlox out of my pocket. Mmmmm! These taste like margaritas and I love 'em! Somewhere around the mid-40's, we turned onto a service road which parallels a highway. The pavement was awful chip seal which just bumps the crap out of you. What speed I had going was lost. It was frustrating and the heat was starting to kick in. My back was starting to tighten and knots formed.

Finally, the 50+ aid station came into view and I stopped to grab a quick treat and some cold drinks. As I turned the corner, I was excited to see Maribel and Pierre. I didn't think I'd catch up to them. Pierre had just gotten there and Maribel had been waiting for him for a while. I was really excited! We probably stopped for about 15 minutes, grabbing icy cold water, cookies and a few pickles (perfect for the heat!). And in a matter of minutes, Maribel said that it was time to go. We only had 9 miles or so to the finish!

She hopped on her bike and sped off. It was all Pierre and I could do to keep up with her. We did for maybe a mile, then it was just he and I. He sped ahead of me at one point, but I decided to give him a good chase. At the top of an overpass, I pushed hard to pass him. I told him to latch on and I'd pull him for a while. That lasted a few minutes, until we got to Shepard AFB.

Now going through the base wasn't going to be a big deal for me. I'd been there once long ago and have been on many bases otherwise. The course was on beautifully smooth road and even wound through a static display of some planes. We even passed by a beautiful C-130H and I grinned. The best part of the ride was yet to come.

I tuned onto a street and could hear a thunder of young voices yelling. Sure enough, there were about 200 of the students along the side of the road. The crowds voice died down somewhat so I bellowed, "Lemme hear you! Go Air Force!" and they roared again! It was sooo much fun! I put my hand up to high-five them as I passed by, nearly getting toppled near the end. What a delight. I grinned the whole rest of the way to the finish.

My 100k adventure ended without much fanfare. I spotted Maribel who'd finished just ahead of me. Pierre soon followed and we dashed over to the open fire hydrant to cool off. Amazing ride. I felt great and was hardly sore the next day.

Next year, 100 miles!