Day 17; Almost there

Well thank goodness for the willingness to try anything to help out a bad situation. I'm speaking of the saddle sores (SS) of course, which started early on in the tour. Most riders tend to use the standard Chamois Cream to reduce friction spots, etc, which cause saddle sores. It never seems to be consistent with me. Sometimes certain things work better with different styles of shorts. I thought I had found the perfect pair with the Gore Power Shorts, but the extreme heat was not something that I could not replicate prior to the tour. I obtained some prescription medication from another rider, which was a strong dose of cortizone and some bag balm (if you don't ask, I won't tell.) So for the next couple of days, it was cortizone and Boudreux's (sp?) Butt Paste at night d then cortizone an hour prior to the bag balm and then Chamois cream on the shorts. This routine worked for a while. I tried to swap out saddles with a spare that I brought along, but this was worse, so I switched back to my standard, cheap Bontrager saddle. I went and purchased my own cortizone 10 from a local CVS and some Lanacane for emergency numbing situations that I would use as a last resort. Soon after passing through the cooler climates the heat began to rise and the SS became an issue once again. It was recommended to change shorts for different pressure areas, but all of my shorts were of similar model, since they had worked so well in training. So I purchased a pair of the PAC shorts to try them out. They felt wonderful and I purchased another pair. After a couple of days they weren't working any longer, so now I reverted to the double shorts. It gives a little more cushion and it allows the shorts to slide back and forth between one another and not rub your skin. Many of the riders say they have gone through endless combinations of shorts to find the perfect set. Some will even turn the shorts inside out so the pad isn't against your skin. At any rate, the double short worked for two days. The second day was the day that my shorts felt like they were on fire. So it was time to go with the emergency cream. In my mind you never want to numb an area that you use on a regular basis, unless it's an emergency...and this was an emergency! I was able to make it through that day, but had serious thoughts of how I would continue. So I asked around a bit more and it appeared that I had exhausted all of my resource. One of the RAAM veterans, Harold Trease, thought that the double short caused too much heat build up and that a regular routine of standing out of the saddle would keep blood flowing and help heal the area. Susan Notorangelo suggested powder early on, but I had tried that in training and it didn't work well for me. This was another day and another situation, so I thought what could it hurt. So I went back to the single short and tried powder (Bonds Medicated Powder), which you can mix with baby powder. This has been getting me through thus far with 2 more days to go. So it's nice to know of so many options, but it's best to avoid this issue all together (if you can). Hope this more detailed report on my issues may give you other options to think about, if you're ever in a similar situation.

We're in Elkins, WV and will be traveling via 33 through Harrisonburg onto Stanardsville where we will turn onto 230 and make our way to Orange via 231s to 20e. Perhaps not the best randonneuring route, but it will get us all home.

More photos were posted I'll add captions later.

Day 16; Photo reminder

Many of you may not know that there are photos available for viewing through the following link: 2010 Elite PAC Tour

All of the photos were taken by me on and off the bike. The only day that I did not take photos was today. I thought I needed to focus on my saddle issues and not worry about anything else. As it turns out I was able to manage through the day with better comfort than I had the previous day. I have 3 more days to go and figure that I could ride them out standing, if need be.
make
We'll be in Elkins, WV tomorrow evening and onto Orange, VA the following. We've been informed that if there are any interested parties that would like to bike in with us on the final day (Orange to Williamsburg) that they are welcome. Unfortunately it is a Thursday, so I know that would be difficult for most. Just let me know, so I can inform the staff. If you prefer a shorter route, you can meet us at the lunch stop, which is scheduled at mile 88.7, at the Bethlehem Community Center (.8 miles past the Bethlehem Church) on 606 (E of Ashland).

So far this has been a wonderful journey. A fabulous way to see and bike across the country. I would recommend being in a little bit better shape than I was going into an event like this, but it is certainly achievable by all of the people I know. The PAC Tour crew is top notch! They really work hard to keep you comfortable and to make sure that you have everything that you need to have a successful tour. All you have to do is bike, eat and sleep for 19 straight days (or for however many days you sign up for). Details of all this will follow when I'm home.

Rob and I rode the last couple of days together steady and strong. For a guy 9 years my senior, he's really an amazing athlete/cyclist. We'll be hitting the hills tomorrow, so the field will be stretched out all over the place. Right now I better hit the sack, as 5am will be here before I know it. There's a 22 year old that everyone will be trying to keep up with.

See most of you soon!!!

Day 15; Still going

Today we rode from Crawfordsville, OH to Greenville, IN. One more state to check off our list. We rode just north of Indianapolis and I thought how fast I could get to the end, if I only had an indy car. Oh well!!! We'll be in Virginia in 3 more days with one additional day to the end.

At this point, I'm aggressively fighting the saddle sores. That appears to be the only nagging issue right now. My sore neck and hands don't even compare--and in fact, I don't even notice them right now as being painful. I've been combating the saddle sores from day 2 on, but this afternoon they have reached a new level. Post lunch I tried to get back on the bike and my crotch literally felt like it was on fire. Rob saw me dropping back and asked if I was ok. I could only tell the truth and replied that my shorts were on fire and I had to do something. I've been carrying Lanacane with me for emergency purposes and it was time to put it to use. It took me several minutes to figure out how to apply it well riding the bike 18mph, but I managed and it helped me get to the next stop. I've gone through several combinations of ointments and Chamois Cream then combinations of shorts. They've all helped temporarily, but would eventually fail in the long term. So these last 4 days could be very testing for me.

It has been difficult to keep up with everything going on, so after this is all over I hope I can remember enough to do a nice recap of the entire event.

DAY 13 - Over 2,000 miles

We just completed a wonderful ride through St Louis, MO.  We rode a good portion of the bike trail and had a nice ride.  A bit shorter than the other days, so it was nice to only log in 144 miles today.   Rob will have the details of the ride on his blog.

Over the past couple of days I had the opportunity to ride with a couple of the older gentlemen with the tour. Hans Jorgen Binder, 57 years old (left) and Gene Ter Horst, 59 years old (right).

Hans is from Denmark and has been riding for many years.  His wife Lone (pronounced "Luna," as the Luna Bar), is a Regional Brevet Administrator running brevets out of the Copenhagen area, so if you're looking to do some rides in Denmark you should look them up.  Hans works for the Ford Motor Company in Copenhagen in the finance department.  He says it's a small division and does well with only 10% of the market share. Hans has been traveling to the U.S. for the past 5 years doing PAC Tours and sight seeing around the country.  He and Lone enjoy the climate and landscape of Arizona the most.

Gene is from Byron Center, MI and turned 59 in April.  His wife Mary, doesn't cycle, but enjoys her time doing her thing while Gene is on his bike.  Gene is a truck driver for ABF and is looking forward to retirement in a few years, so he can put in more time on the bike.  When Gene isn't riding, he's busy running marathons to stay in shape.  He's run 22 marathons thus far and has never had any knee issues.  No triathlons for Gene.  He says the water above his ankles frightens him.

Both men are strong cyclists and are riding well.  If you're approaching the 60 year old mark and don't think that you can ride, take a look at these two.

Rob and I continue to ride strong and are doing a little better than just surviving the tour, which was my initial goal.  Rob is happy with maintaining his pace, but I've been looking to mix it up a bit.  I've been riding harder at different times and have manage a good ride in the morning, afternoon and evening, but have failed to put together a good ride for the entire day.  So this will be my goal for the next 6 days.  I'll keep you posted.  And don't forget to check out Rob's blog for the ride details.

Day 10 Update

Our only tandem riders on the elite tour are Jim Slauson and Lara Sullivan.  Jim is a 46 year old ER Surgeon from San Antonio, TX  and Lara is a 42 year old woman from Ely, MN and is currently caring for her ailing father.  They are both members of the PAC Tour 10,000 mile club and recently started riding together.  Both are strong and determined cyclist and are riding very well.  Most of the hilly days are a challenge for them, but they manage their energy efficiently and are never the last ones up the hill.

Today was like most other days. In fact, at the start of the tour the message board said to think of the Elite Tour as "Ground Hog Day!"  Picture Bill Murray waking up, doing the same thing over and over again (only on a bike).  Though we aren't trying to put ourselves out of our misery, we do continue to experience the same aches and pains that are associated with endurance cycling.  A sore bum, numb hands, swollen feet, sun burned body parts. tired quads and hamstrings, etc.  Pick a body part, ride long enough and eventually it will hurt.  It's all about managing the pain and discomfort, just like life in general.  Though it may not be directly related it certainly can apply to anything that you encounter in your everyday lives.  This stuff makes you stronger.  It makes you wiser.  It makes you cope better with the stress you encounter in everyday situations.  If you don't believe me, try it for one year.  You'll be amazed at how it will change your life.  Just ask for advise before you start.  You have to crawl before you can ride.

Day 10 pics had difficulty uploading, so I'll have to give those another try when I get to Osage Beach, MO.  Sorry Heidi W., but Kansas was not the most scenic state on our route thus far.

Thanks again for all of the comments, etc.  Keep the positive energy coming.