PBP Surprises and Lessons (Kay Ogden 1200k, 18 Aug 03)

We did it!! I'm not sure of our overall time, as we left in a wave just prior to 11pm, not 10pm. It was very 'different' from what I had hoped for, and still it was incredible. While my overall goal was always to be an official finisher and write my name in the Great Book, part of me wanted to see how fast I could do this thing.. I wanted to see how I would do with a physical challenge of this magnitude. 

While I was preparing for my first PBP, one important piece of information that I received from a veteran was this: do all that you can to prepare, then get ready for a surprise. Because PBP will hand you at least one big surprise, and how you deal with that may depend on how or if you finish PBP.

So,I was watchful ... perhaps my surprise was how incredibly great I felt once on the bike. After all I went through just prior to the ride, it was a major surprise to feel so strong! Or, perhaps it was the missed turn even before the first control that cost us about 40k and at least 45 minutes.  Perhaps it was that after a day and a half of riding I was on familiar ground... we had ridden this road during Odyssey! It was a huge advantage to remember this road climbed forever and forever towards another beautiful village on the top of another hill.

Or, perhaps it was about 100k still to go to the halfway point at Brest when my left knee decided to on strike. Or when the right one followed a few hours later. My sub 80 hour pace turned turtle, and eventually glacier.  Thoughts of a fast finish turned to real fears of not finishing at all. 

I took a pain pill that I always carry in case of elbow pain. It helped for awhile and got me to the next control where I visited the med tent and had both knees taped. That helped a bit. Eventually the pain pills did not work, even though I was doubling them up. There were times where I wondered if I could keep pedaling.

I made it to the control where I thought it was the 'finish', and decided not to take any more pills. I thought my time had been logged in and that I just had to ride to the start/finish. Wrong! The clock was still going, but my knees were not. We climbed so many walls I thought I was going to come apart. The last 40 miles were absolutely the hardest. I can not even count the number of times I heard from the side of the road .. "Bon Courage, Madame." yeah, right ... just get this thing over with, ok!!

I know we had the fit on the new bike (which was a dream to ride!! I had NO elbow pain or hand pain!) to match my old Litton, so perhaps it was the change in saddle position to help my back that I hurt during the 400k trying another new saddle. Whatever it was, something was different, and just enough so that eventually it effected my knees. So, my lesson learned: no matter how soft or shiny or pretty or titanium, DO NOT change equipment before an event. This is not new news, but something I thought I could justify ignoring.

Anyway, I did it. Not the ride I had thought would have, but a tough physical challenge all the same. My knees looked like melons, then grapefruit, and now I can almost see a kneecap!! I've learned a lot for the next one.

Only one thing .. has anyone seen that darn book I was going to write my name in?!?!?!?!?!?