I’d intended to write a post on an entirely different topic but I’m fairly consumed these days prepping for the 24 hour mountain bike event I’m participating in next weekend.
Once I’m done with this event, my next post might well be entitled, “I Wonder What Other 60-year-olds Do for Fun?”
Many have asked why I would voluntarily ride my bike for 24 hours. Fair question, I might add. I answered that question in this post a few weeks ago. Coles Notes version: Yeah, I’m getting older but that doesn’t mean I’m too old to be doing anything that I want to do. And neither are you.
In this post, I answered some of the FAQs I’ve been getting, including questions about how my ‘lady parts’ feel about all the riding and training I’ve been doing. They’ve not, thankfully, made any complaints. As long as I don’t make the same mistake that one of my friends made a few years ago and get a Brazilian the day before we were set to do a 100 mile ride in midsummer heat (#crotchonfire), I’m sure I’ll be fine.
As I’m starting to pack my things before leaving next Wednesday, here’s a behind the scenes look at a few of the key items I’ve assembled so far:
#1. A superfun jersey and socks that match the vibe. Something to give me (and others) a reason to smile when the going gets tough. And yes, I will be changing my jersey, shorts and socks a few times during the race but will start with this.
Comfy mountain bike shorts with big pockets for SNACKS, snacks and MORE snacks! Given the quantity of snacks I’m packing, you could say that I’m doing a 24 Snackfest interspersed with a bit of cycling…that is the upside to burning thousands of calories!
Speaking of the lady parts, Vaseline is my best friend there. I’ll be lathering on plenty of that throughout the race to prevent chafing and pain.
My lighting system: At the top, is my Light and Motion Seca 2500 headlight which will be mounted on my helmet. It comes with a lithium-ion battery which gives 2500 lumens at high beam (enough to light up the trails really well at night). I’ll probably run it at medium (2000 lumens) to extend the battery. I ended up buying two of these so that I’d had enough battery juice to get me through the night as all riders are required to have lights on from 7:30 pm - 6 am.
Next are smaller, multi-coloured flashing lights that I can attach to the frame. I’m hoping these will help my brother, who’s supporting me, identify me as I come into the pit area at night. Plus, it’s Pride month….I wanna look festive!! *lol*
Lastly, a smaller light for my handlebars and a flashing rear light for the seatpost. Riders are required to have a secondary light source and a rear light, at all times.
Pretty confident I’ll be well lit!
Cycling glasses: I’ve got a few pair to choose from, depending on the amount of sun and cloud on race day. For sure, I’ll be wearing these clear ones at night so that I can see the trail really well.
First aid kit: Just packed a few bandaids and such in case I fall and get a scrape (*fingers crossed that I don’t). There will be a first aid tent available too.
Bug spray!: The race is in Ontario so I expect mosquitos, plenty of them. This is a must-have.
Extra-strength Tylenol and Ibuprofen: I expect that at some point, some body part is going to start to hurt. It’s simply a question as to which body part is going to complain first. Back? Shoulders? Triceps? These will hopefully help numb the pain that my superfun jersey can’t dispel.
Chocolate-covered coconut almonds: These bits of decadence from Trader Joe’s will certainly be well appreciated when I hit the pit area. I’m sure that my brother won’t complain about these either. #alwaysfeedyoursupportcrewwell
Cherry-Chocolate nut mix: I don’t want to risk a deficit of chocolate during the race. Can’t have that!
More snacks!: I like to be well-stocked with a variety of things in the pit area because I never know exactly what I might want or crave at a particular point in time. The last time I did this race in 2004, I had a Mars bar for breakfast on Sunday morning. Not my usual fare I can assure you! #24hoursofSnackfest
So I’ve got some fruit bars, dried mangoes, fig cookies (love these ones from Nature’s Bakery), some apple-pecan snack mix. Of course, I want my brother, as my pit crew, to avail himself of whatever’s on hand too.
Still to add to the mix: Gatorade, a few Snickers bars, some PB and J bagels, cheese, oranges, bananas and grapes (easy to eat fruit), water, jerky, peanut butter pretzels, yogurt, protein bars, a coke for post-race when I’m craving something sugary and cold and…
Do you have any favourite foods that have worked well for you during a long run or bike ride? Anything you’d suggest? Would love to hear about it if you do.
p.s. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention the foot sprain that happened a couple of weeks ago when I took a misstep off a porch. That derailed my training a bit but, thankfully, after plenty of RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation), it seems to be healing nicely. At this point, walking bothers it far more than cycling does so I’ve been walking as little as possible these days.
After 6 months of training, missing a few training rides shouldn’t affect my race. In fact, maybe the rest was exactly what I needed. :-)
This is so inspiring to me. Personal challenges are the best ones, and the support that comes with it means so much in so many areas of life, kind of like a metaphor. I will be following you throughout this and looking forward to reading more, seeing some photos and cheering you on in spirit from the west coast 💙
OMG, that jersey is PERFECT!! Will Ray be posting updates?