We, Kedra and I, met Tim and Jamie Strunk in Bedford, put my bike on Tim's carrier, and took off for Terre Haute for RAIN - 162 mile bike ride across Indiana. There we met my cousin and his wife, Brent and Suzanne Roberts. After registration it was off to Olive Garden and then bed.
We left the motel at 6:15 and got into a lot of car and bike traffic as we made our way to the start at St. Mary of the Woods. We pulled into the campus at 6:55.The start was at 7:00, though there seemed to be no official start; it’s not a race, just a ride. As we found a place to park, we saw a couple from Colorado that we knew. What are the chances of that happening? Kedra had told me the day before that Frank, who married a Mitchell girl years ago, was coming in from CO to ride. We spoke briefly, saying we’d see each other later, and we did.
Since we were late, we quickly got everything together, had a team prayer (effective? Well, at least no one died!), and took off. We probably finally got off campus at about 7:15. There were still lots of people leaving. We rode into Terra Haute and had to stop a time or two at stop lights.
At one of the stop lights, right by the courthouse, I clipped out of my left pedal and leaned that way to stop. I have no idea what went wrong, but the next thing I knew, I could feel my balance shifting – straight up, then right. Oh no! I’m falling over. In front of all these bikers! When I first starting using pedals with clips, I was told by everyone, “You WILL fall over; everyone does a few times.” Somehow I had managed to have never fallen over. Until then.
Talk about embarrassing! But that’s not the bad part. When I went over, I fell into Tim Strunk, who man managed to stay up. As I gathered my self and got back upright, the light changed and we took off. As we did, Tim said, “Something’s wrong with my bike.” We pulled over about a half block from the courthouse. His rear wheel was badly bent. Evidently I did it with my shoulder when I fell over. I FELT HORRIBLE. I can’t recall a time when I felt worse. We were only 6-7 miles into the day. Tim was gracious and calm. We tried to figure out what to do.
Tim called his wife and asked her to come and pick him up. She kept asking what happened, and he just kept answering in vague language so as not to make me feel worse. After several minutes, Tim finally convinced me to go on. By this time I was alone on the course. I missed a turn evidently and ended up doing an extra mile in Terre Haute before getting back on the course. I called my cousin and found out where he was. He waited ‘til I got there.
Brent is a more experienced and stronger rider than I am, so I asked if he would be interested in pulling me to the first stop at 36 miles. He was more than willing, so we took off at around 20 miles an hour. I used a lot of energy early on, but we made good time, catching up with lots of riders. I checked in with Tim by phone, and he was in Plainfield getting a new wheel. That was his best option, after exploring several things.
After we took off out of stop 1, Tim called and said he was fixed and ready to go. We started talking about meeting places. He ended up meeting us in Stinesville, I think. He missed out on about 45 miles of the ride, due to my embarrassing problem of leaning to the right (thinking of my
Louisville marathon finish where I leaned to the right so badly).
Tim was again very gracious, forgiving, and full of humor. When we got to the 2nd stop at 60-something miles, he quipped, in response to our wives’ question about how were feeling, “Man, I feel fresh, kinda like I just started.” There were also the requisite jokes about keeping distance from me.
As the day progressed it grew warmer and more humid; the dew point and heat index were rising. The segment from stop 2 to stop 3, Plainfield to Franklin, was the best one for me, even though it had the most traffic challenges. The course took us around the south end of Indianapolis. I left a little before Tim and Brent, knowing they naturally go a little faster than I do. I connected with several bigger groups which made it so much easier. Drafting is a great thing.
At mile 92 we made our lunch stop at Franklin High School. It was a good stop. I was concerned about the next leg - going through the 100 mile mark and beyond, but it went well. Again, I connected well with lots of people. Jamie and Kedra pulled over about a mile before stop 4 at 115 miles. I was starting to feel a little tired but was still OK. The next stop was at mile 131.
Unlike the previous 2 segments, on this leg I found myself often isolated, working by myself. I used a lot more energy, and it was getting really hot. I could feel the heat of the sun on my back. I was drinking lots and lots of water out of my CamelBak. At each stop I would fill it with ice and then add water. I found myself drinking from it and not from my water bottles, which were filled with Gatorade.
By the time I got to Jamie and Kedra at mile 132, I was in trouble and knew it, but it was only 30 miles to the finish. I could not quit! Brent and Tim went ahead, which was the right thing to do. I sat down in a chair and drank another bottle of water. I had been taking Endurolytes all day, but I was not taking nearly enough, especially since I was drinking water exclusively. At this stop I took 3 of them.
Kedra looked at me. She could tell I was in trouble. My eyes would not focus, and I was a little “out of it.” She said, “You are not going to do something stupid are you?” I think she was referencing a couple of race finishes where I required medical attention. I said, “I can’t answer that.”
Time to go before there is further interrogation!
I told the girls to go 17-18 miles and wait. I wanted to get past halfway to the finish for a psychological boost. As I left mile 132 I started feeling better. I called Kedra and told her to forget about the next stop. “Just go to the finish - I am feeling fine.” I felt much better for a few miles. I was going along pretty well. Then all of a sudden I started getting in big trouble. I had major cramps and was exhausted.
At this point I got off the bike and laid down under a tree in someone’s yard. People kept stopping to check on me, but I waved them on. I got back up and walked the bike a little. Then I got on and fought through cramps. I think there was 15 miles to go. The next 10-11 miles were agony, but I was so close to finishing. I did not want to quit, so I kept pushing and pushing. I would lean over my areobars and pedal a little and then coast, surely I was weaving all over the road like a drunk cyclist. I had to stop a few times to sit or simply walk a little. My legs were cramping so badly I had trouble getting both feet clipped into the pedals.
I made it to Centerville, which is 4-5 miles from the finish. I found a park bench and slumped down. People kept stopping to help, and I kept waving them on. Frank from Colorado stopped and waited with me for a while. By this time Kedra was on her way, after calling to see where I was. Tim and Brent had finished. I didn’t want their wives to miss that, so I delayed calling for help. While I waiting on Kedra, a policeman showed up and then another. I told them my wife was coming, refusing an ambulance.
Kedra and Jamie arrived. They, along with the help of the policeman, got my bike on the rack and me in the back seat of the SUV. I hated putting all my salt crystal slime on the backseat, but I had to lie down. I felt like puking but didn’t. They carted me to the finish and found a couple of EMTs. They said my vital signs were good but suggested the ER. I remember protesting. Overridden!
At the ER I got really really sick. They did blood work and then hooked me up to an IV. They forced 2 bottles in at a rate of 15 minutes per bottle. When I told Maddie, my daughter-in-law who is a nurse, she kinda laughed/gasped and said, “That’s what they do when people are dying!” Well, I don’t think I was close to dying, but I wasn’t in the best of shape.
The doctor came in with an interesting look on her face. She started asking all kinds of questions about my kidneys etc. She finally said something about heat exhaustion, acute kidney problems, muscle deterioration, and a bunch of other things. The official diagnosis was rhabdomysolysis. The bottom line was that she wanted to admit me, adding that she thought that I would be fine after the fluids were all in. She was right of course!
Admitted I was. I felt so much better after the bags of fluid. I finally got into my room and was able to take a shower and get something to eat after 13 hours on the bike and a few more in the ER. I think I got to go to sleep at 2 a.m., after a really nice turkey sandwich. I woke up at 6 and ate some more and then again at 10:30. The doc came in and said that my blood work showed that I was not quite back to normal but was close enough that he’d let me go.
We got out around midday. Since we rode up with Tim and Jamie who went home Saturday night, after so kindly take care of Kedra and me, Kedra and I asked Lester and Maddie to come from Indy to get us. They took us to Greenwood, where we met Luke. We all had a nice meal together at Ruby Tuesdays. Luke got us home around 4:30 I think.
Someone said that I would do anything to get out of preaching on Sunday. So funny. I hated missing the one day of the week I work (beat you to that old joke), and I hated that we had to cancel our annual church gathering in our yard (rescheduled for Labor Day weekend). It ended up raining, so the postponement worked out well.
What went wrong on the ride? I think I drank too much water and not enough Gatorade. I did take electrolytes along the way but not nearly enough. I think if I had taken more electrolytes I would have been fine. I think I was properly trained. I am not sore and feel fine now.
It was an interesting experience to say the least. Tim and Jamie are wonderful people and were so good to us throughout the whole weekend. Kedra and Jamie, along with Suzanne, Brent’s wife, did a super job providing SAG. We saw lots of interesting things along the way, including 3 weddings where people were waiting outside for the bride and groom to appear.
I appreciate all the prayers and concern expressed by so many of you.
