We had an amazing race week in the Giro Sardegna once again this year. Although we were there to race, it is about so much more than the race itself. It is about challenging one self, pushing the body to extreme limits, overcoming physical limitations and finishing strong mentally each day.
More importantly, it is about all the experiences that I had during the week and all the amazing people I met from around the world.
Although I didn’t feel I had a great week in terms of racing results, I had an amazing week in every other respect. The good news is this year I had minimal saddle sores and no injuries. If you missed my blog last year on The Ten Lessons I Learned From My Race In Sardegna, here it is as a refresher:http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/10-lessons-i-learned-from-my-race-in-sardegna/
I thought this week I would share a brief summary of each day as I have had a number of people ask me to do so. I hope you enjoy the Ups and Downs of the week and my amazing experience. Kev
Day 1 – 94 kms of Fighting
Today was my first day racing in Sardegna and although it was a beautiful stage, I did not have a great day. I felt like I was fighting either a cold or the flu as I was 100% exhausted from the very first pedal stroke. My heart rate was crazy high for at least the first 30% of the race. Most times I looked down it was in the 150’s and many times was over 160 and I was having trouble getting a full breath of air. Having said that, I may have been pushing it too hard as my power at the half way mark averaged 288 watts(normally it is 230 in a hard ride).
However, after a while, I settled in with a group and we worked together until approximately 20 km left when I had to let the group go ahead as I was cramping badly. My legs were cramping so bad I thought I was going to have to stop. I feel that it was either a result of not enough liquids or it was due to the fact that I hadn’t cycled anything over 60 km this year in training. Following the race, I drank tons of water and also took Magnesium so I could hopefully avoid cramping in day 2 and the following days of the race. The next day was a time trial so I was worried that my legs would not recover from the cramping. The good news is that I did finish the race and had some good stats for the day.It was likely the highest Power output I had managed on a long ride ever to that point.
Stats for the Day
Distance – 94.4 kms
Riding Time – 3:06
Average Speed – 30.29 km/hour
Average Power – 253 Watts
Normalized Power – 281 Watts
Average Heart Rate – 135
Climbing – 1,104 meters
Following my severe cramping on Day 1, I was trying to recover through supplements, rest and powders in the hope to be in 100% form for the time trial the next day.
Day 2 – 31 km Time Trial – Full Blast
The time trial would typically be my best event as it simulates how I race in Triathlons. I am typically used to going full out over a shorter distance. Once again, I didn’t feel great and my legs were sore and tired from the very start of the race. In the time trial, each racer starts at 15 second intervals. I mentally was there and went as fast as I could but once again I didn’t feel I had the normal power and “pop” in my legs. Once again I wondered if I was fighting something or again was dehydrated from the day before. The good news is that I went as strong and hard as I could mentally and did not cramp. I must say that I did this leg on sheer mental toughness as for sure I didn’t have my normal physical strength or capacity.
Stats for the Day
Distance -19.2 kms
Riding Time – 36 minutes, 26 seconds
Average Speed -31.54 kms/hour
Average Power -309 Watts
Normalized Power -332 Watts
Average Heart Rate – 146
Climbing – 182 meters
This is by far the longest and most gruelling stage of the week. It is 174 Kms and many climbs over the Sardinian Mountains in very warm conditions. I was worried as the longest ride of the year for me was Day 1 of the race in which I severely cramped up over the 90 k.The group from Milton cycling team gave me some great advice in terms of food to bring on the ride. I packed the most food I have ever had on a ride and it paid off as I didnt “bonk” during the ride. I took a mixture of workout powders (Rivalus was suggested by my Naturopath Callum Cowan). I brought 2 water bottles already pre loaded then brought powders for another 2 bottles to have on the ride. It was extremely hot( up to 33 degrees C) and from 90-120 km mark, I was climbing on my own and it was all up hill for 30 kms. My pal Glen Rosart gave me some “nunn” tablets which I put in my water bottles halfway through the ride or I am sure I would have cramped really badly. For the long ride I packed Vega Power gel(instant energy), an avocado sandwich, Vega electrolyte mix, an assortment of nuts, seeds and dates as well as my electrolyte powders. I typically don’t eat much on a ride so this was new to me and I was constantly eating and drinking. Although I started to have cramps at about the 120km mark, they seemed to go away. Perhaps a result of all the electrolyte and magnesium I took on the ride. I also ensured that I loaded my system with Magnesium and other supplements the day prior to the race as I was so worried about cramping. A special shout out to Tom who provided great advice in terms of the types and frequency of the foods to consume during the race. A huge thanks to the other members of our Milton team that provided great advice.
I was pleased with my ride as it was more than 3x longer than anything I had done this year and also climbed over 2000 meters. Here were my stats for the day:
Stats For the Day
Distance – 174 kims
Riding time – 6 hours, 8 minutes
Average speed – 28.35 km/hour
Average power – 215 watts
Normalized power – 255 watts
Average Heart Rate – 126 beats per minute
Climbing – 2319 meters
Overall a great day however I am glad this one if over! Time Trial tomorrow
This was the first time in my life that I had participated in a team time trial so was nervous to say the least. The guys from Milton Cycling Team took me under their wing and educated me and helped me to race with them for this race. A team time trial is where the entire team races all together and the time is as good as the teams time. The goal is obviously to go as fast as possible and the best way to accomplish this is to work as a team and take turns pulling(which is the person at the front). The group races in a straight line to reduce wind resistance and you need to be as close(sometimes within centimeters) to the back wheel of the rider in front of you while racing at speeds over 35 km/hour. It is critical that you never touch the wheel in front of you as it would result in a serious crash especially at those speeds. The person pulling(at the front) breaks the wind for a short period of time(30 seconds to 1 minute) then pulls out as the group passes and connects in at the back of the group.
I was nervous as I wanted to contribute and also did not want to let the team down. I must say although nervous, it was the one of the most exciting and adrenaline producing events I have ever competed in. We went full blast as a team and all crossed the finish line within a second of each other.
A special shout out to my pals at Milton Cycling team that helped me through this amazing event and provided great racing- Darrel, Thomas, John, Pat and Wayne.
Stats for the Day
Distance -24.1 km
Time -39.04
Average Speed -37.05 km/hour
Average Power – 290 Watts
Normalized Power -322 Watts
Average Heart Rate – 141
Climbing – 185 meters
Day 5 – 100 km – The Climb
I was not looking forward to day 5 as it was one of the longer legs of the week and also the stage with the most climbing. Although it was not as far as the Grand Fondo, it entailed more climbing over a shorter distance. All participants said that it would be the most difficult stage of the week. I rode the entire distance on my own and must say I had an enjoyable day. It encompassed a ton of climbing however I had my I phone and pocket speaker with me so listened to great tunes most of the way(Thanks to son Matt for the speaker as well as my 80’s play list!).
At one time we were climbing a huge mountain for 30 kms straight and at one point I was climbing with a group and everyone was singing along with my tunes – Sympathy For the Devil by the Stones which was awesome. I think the tunes gave everyone including me a much needed boost.
I somehow made a wrong turn and ended up cutting the ride short as I somehow ended up on the Medio course by mistake. The race finished with a 20 km up hill climb into a small mountain village in Sardegna. Since I mistakenly cut the race short, I was the first finished in our group so could watch everyone else come in across the finish.
At the end of the race it started raining and to top it off we had to then ride over 30 km back to our hotel in the cool rainy weather. Not something we felt like doing after such a tough race.
Stats For The Day
Distance – 100 km
Time – 3 hours, 59 minutes
Average Speed -25.21 kms/hour
Average Power – 237 Watts
Normalized Power -264 Watts
Average Heart Rate -130
Climbing – 1727 meters
Day 6 – The Final Leg – Missed our Flight
The Grand Giro(which I had competed in all week) was to be over a 90 km course on the final day. Since we had to make a 2 clock flight out of Sardegna, my plan was to do the Medio distance on the final day which was 70 km so that we would have time to drive to the airport and catch our flight. The plan was for me to do the Medio distance and end up finishing around 11:00. Barb was meeting me at the finish line with the car and I was going to quickly pack up my bike, put it in the car and drive directly to the airport.
Well once again, I somehow made a mistake and ended up back on the Grand Giro course which was over 90 km. Again I wasn’t that upset as I still felt I would finish sometime around noon and still make our flight. Well that was not the case. Although I rode the entire stage on my own, I felt I had a good ride however didnt finish until after just after 12:00. By the time I packed my bike up in the bike bag and then drove an hour and 30 minutes to the airport(still in my racing gear), they had closed the gate so we missed our flight. Needless to say, Barb was not to pleased with me as we then had to spend 6 hours in the Sardegna airport before we could catch our connecting flight.
Stats for the Day
Distance – 90.7 km
Time – 3 hours 12 minutes
Average Speed -28.27 km/hour
Average Power – 240 Watts
Normalized Power -262 Watts
Average Heart Rate-126
Climbing – 964 meters
Summary Of The Week – Its not about the race
Although the purpose of the week was to race in the Tour de Sardegna, it is about much more than the cycling and the racing. I felt I accomplished what I wanted to in terms of racing as I went as hard as I was physically and mentally able. I feel life is about the effort you put in and I feel I put everything into this race and perhaps more mentally than physically as I wasn’t feeling as strong as I had hoped physically.
However, what this race is really about is the experiences and the people. The people I went with, the people I met and all the great acquaintances from around the world. Cycling(like skiing or any activity for that matter) is what brings us together as a group and that is why it is so great to participate in activities like this. However, it is truly about the people we meet, the friends we make and the laughs and great times that we have. I will cherish all the great people I met during the week and all the great times that we had.
We met some new people from our club that were new to the race this year. In addition to John, Pat and Jane who all came last year, we had some great new additions to the team this year – Darrel, Wayne, Thomas and my good ski pal Glen Rosart. A huge shout out to John Norris for once again encouraging us to attend and also for helping to organize such a great trip. Also, I was grateful to have Barb there again with me this year as my mental support and #1 cheerleader!
Have a great Love Life Day, Kev
