Big Dogs 200k Brevet

Brevet, (a long-distance bicycle ride with check-point controls). After researching what a 'Brevet' was on wikepedia, I realized that I had stumbled upon a European cycling tradition that dates back to 1891. This event was authorized by the QC Randonneurs. Randonneur loosely translates to 'long journey'. Randonneuring is not a competitive sport. It is a test of endurance, self-sufficiency and bicycle touring skills. All riders who complete the task are congratulated, and no prizes are given to those with the fastest times. The most famous of these is the 'Paris-Brest-Paris which is 1200 k. Riders who complete the 200, 300, 400 and 600k events are acknowledged as 'series' participants. I believe there will be a local 'series' next year, but for 2009 there will only be this 200k and a 300k, May 23rd.

Well, Joe Mann and Bill Ford are local 'Big Dogs', so I rode up to the event to start this 126 mile 'long journey'. (These guys, especially Joe, have racked up some impressive mileage over the years). A group of about 20 riders were geared up in their finest cold weather apparel as we headed north from Le Claire, Iowa heading to Bellvue. It was a biting cold, but the sun was shining and the wind was minimal.

I had never attempted to ride this far, so I was excited at the prospect of setting a new distance benchmark, and giving my body some endurance training. Within about 2 miles Joe, Bill, Dennis Grelk, Larry Ide and me were alone, having set a pace just a bit out of the comfort range for the rest of the group. Dennis was riding his recumbent so he was usually a bit ahead of us for the first part of the day. We recieved brevet cards that we had to have signed at the designated check points (aka, convenience stores).

I felt pretty good as we made it into Bellvue with about 65 miles travelled. This could be a mentally challenging time, if my body/brain would have elected to question my drive to pedal my way home. Fortunately, I was good to go.

We continued onward as the miles and hours accumulated. No saddle, neck or back issues... I was feeling confident that my training over the years was going to make this a comfortable ride. After the last check point before the finish, it was down to just Bill, Joe and I. We all have slightly different riding agendas, but for the most part we rode in together, having been in the saddle for almost 6 and 1/2 hours by the time we got our last checkpoint card signed.

Man, I was tired when I got home. I ordered a pizza, took a shower and... no, nothing else happened that day except sleep and TV. I am hoping that riding that far will mentally give me confidence when I do enter longer road races. The Iowa Road Championship, for example, was 108 miles last year. I employed some good eating/drinking habits and practiced endurance pacing, which I believe will help make this year's race go just a bit better.

No, I am not a 'Big Dog' as 200k should be the longest I ride this year. But, I can see the benefit of doing a couple of 100 mile plus rides throughout the season to compliment a race-specific training plan. There are a couple of UltraMidwest Cycling races in the Iowa area, including the Metamora 4x50, and Balltown Classic, that may be of interest to anyone who likes to compete, but wants to take advantage of their endurance strengths as well as their racing tactics. Luckily, I have scheduling conflicts with most of these events, so I don't have to have to worry about becoming a mileage junkie this year.