Yelling at the Clouds

“I dare you to ride over Tam and Pine Mountain on the dirt, climb the Marshall Wall out to Tomales, then ride over Mt. Vision in Point Reyes. Oh and after all that, ride over Tam one more time, and take Bolinas Ridge on the way up.”

That’s what this ride is. A dare. 126 miles, 13,000′ of climbing. For some reason, I used my free time to attempt this dare and failed spectacularly.

I think the first sign of trouble was after finishing Tam and Pine Mountain. Because a significant portion of the climb and descent were on dirt, we were pretty slow moving. There were several times where we had to hike-a-bike on the climb. Then, on the descents, rocky and steep terrain limited my speed. We started from SF at 7AM and had to be back by 8:30PM. By the time we finished Pine Mountain, it was already 12:30PM and we only had 36mi on the clock. There was still 90mi left in the ride, including three significant climbs.

Another factor I did not really think through was the heat. It was an incredibly hot day. After we finished Pine Mountain, both Scott and I were feeling the heat. We made two stops before the Marshall Wall – one at a Fire Department outpost where we used their hose to cool off. The second was at a cheese shop, where I purchased water not to drink but to pour over my head. Following every significant portion of riding, I could feel a slight headache come on. The water helped keep those at bay, though it was hard to stay focused for some parts of ride during the peak of the heat. Along the way I also lost Scott – we usually stick together but our paces mismatched as I caught a group ahead of us.

Randonneuring is an interesting form of cycling. It’s not necessarily a race, but the entry level of these events is 200k, extending to over 1400k at the top level. Something I’ve also noticed is that these events are not full of young racers in their prime; in fact, at the spry age of 26, I’m usually the youngest one there. I remember finishing a 200k a few months ago and at the same time, a lady finishing a 600k was coming in. She had to be in her mid 40s at least, and she looked like just a normal lady. I felt destroyed by my 200k. When she finished her 600k, she was pumped, ready to ride another 200k if she needed to.

I think what I’ve learned is that, physically, many people can handle these kinds of events. What randonneuring really tests is your mind. Can you keep going? Can you stay on the bike, make your controls, and keep fighting? As physical as these rides are, it really is up to you to finish. On several occasions, I have felt myself losing myself out there, close to breaking while riding into a headwind at the Marshall Wall. Marin Mountains is an even more extreme version of this, every climb grinding your body while feeding your soul.

There was a moment on this ride where something mystical happened. I was on Mount Vision, doing the lovely road climb. After everything we had done, it felt impossible. The sun was beating down on me, and while I was moving no faster than 4MPH, my heart rate was through the roof.

My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. I could not control it.

So I stopped.

I couldn’t catch my breath.

Breathe Simar, breathe.

I could not relax. There was still so much left.

I asked for help.

And then, all of a sudden,

something grabbed me.

I don’t think I can describe what grabbed me. But it saved me. The force held my head in place and tilted it back so I was looking up at the trees. Very quickly my heart rate started to fall. It relaxed me. I stood there over my bike for five minutes or so. Once I calmed down, I took a nap right there on the road. It was only fifteen minutes, but it gave me so much energy back. And so I continued, alone, for the rest of the climb.

Miraculously, I caught Scott at the top of Mt. Vision. We had been separated for the last five hours of riding. I was so amazed to see him. He was also struggling, so we decided that after we descended Mt Vision’s dirt, we would DNF the ride and head back via the bike paths from Olema. It was so nice getting to ride home with him.

Lit by a full moon and our dynamo lights, we hopped and skipped through the night in Marin County. We visited the redwoods in Samuel P, the horses in Corte Madera, and the birds along the Mill Valley bike path. It was incredible how silent these places were – a reminder of just how peaceful the world could be if we let it.

We started from SF at 7AM. I arrived home a little after 11:30PM. This truly was one of the most glorious days I have had on a bike yet.