Fire Ant Cookout

[ornoth_cycling]

I wouldn’t normally post a ride report for a mere 100k (62-mile) ride, but there are reasons why I’d like to share my experience of my first Fire Ant Tour.

Big sky fulla giant Ornoths!

Riding straight past the first rest stop

Rolling into the second rest stop

... and limping over the finish line

To begin with, I haven’t found many (imperial) century-length rides around Austin, which means very little to talk about. I’m hoping to get one or two under my belt soon, but this is summer in Texas: not the smartest time to undertake my first century in a while. So I might not have any century-length ride reports to post until fall.

On top of that, my last outdoor ride of more than 80 KM (half a century) was back in October, so it’s already been eight months since I posted my last ride report. So the Fire Ant Tour was a test of my physical readiness for a long ride after such a long hiatus.

In the same spirit of testing things, this was a ride full of important firsts. It was a chance to try my first major event on the new bike: Pæthos. It was my first major event in Texas after our move down here in January. It was also my first ride out in the rural Texas countryside, well outside of the proverbial “Austin city limits”. And it was my first long ride facing the extreme heat of summer in Texas, coming just eleven days before the summer solstice.

I didn’t maximize my physical preparation. I was pretty casual about my fitness level in the weeks leading up to the event, and I didn’t bother tapering my riding just beforehand. I wasn’t feeling particularly strong, but I figured I was ready enough for a little 100k.

In short: this ride was going to be a big test of several factors, and I was very interested in learning from how it went.

So with Inna away visiting family back in Pittsburgh, I hopped in the car at 5:30am – after waking up at 2:30am due to a thunderstorm – and drove 90 minutes north toward Waco and rural Gatesville TX. Although there was still lightning when I left Austin, the sky had cleared by the time I checked in and got the bike ready for the 8am start. Over 325 riders set off in very pleasant 24° morning sunshine.

We rolled along, mostly north and east, often topping 40-50 km/h and averaging over 30 km/h, knocking off the first two of the route’s four small 50-meter hills. There were almost no cars on the roads, and the landscape surprisingly reminded me of the very open, flat-to-rolling farmland in Ohio. At this point, it was really delightful.

It was when we turned back west to complete our first, clockwise 20 KM loop that we learned how much of a tailwind we’d enjoyed on the outbound leg: about 18 km/h gusting to 26. Despite putting much more effort into overcoming the headwind, I was going slower, and that variation in power and speed would continue all day, depending on which direction we were going.

After a tedious westward slog, the route continued with a larger 55 KM loop, counter-clockwise, with the wind cutting my average speed to a painful 18 km/h on the westward portion. That loop ended with a 3 KM section of rough gravel that stung my hands, followed by the last of the climbs on the route.

After that challenging segment, I took some extra time at the last rest stop to douse myself with water and rest my legs. It was now the heat of the day, and the former cooling wind had become hot. I wish I could quantify that, but after a forecast high of 36°, on the ground readings ranged from 31° on one feed, to 35° from the National Weather Service’s intermittent rural monitor, to 40° recorded by my GPS. After having increased my sport drink intake, my stomach was bloated and queasy, my feet were hurting, and my power numbers were flagging.

The last segment was short and partially downhill, and I rolled across the finish shortly after 1pm, having taken 5 hours to cover 107 KM, with just 750 meters of climbing. I certainly didn’t finish strong, but picked up my finisher’s medal, doused myself with water, and packed up. I gratefully jumped in the air conditioned car and drove straight home, my stomach wanting no part of post-ride hot dogs, drinks, or ice cream.

Despite the discouraging finish, I really enjoyed the ride. The roads were quiet and reasonably well surfaced – except for that gravel section – and car traffic was minimal. The Texas landscape wasn’t dramatically different from what I’m used to, and less sere than I expected. The tailwind was awesome, the headwind was annoying, and overall the breeze did clear some of the heat off the road surfaces.

That heat wasn’t extreme by Texas standards, but I did gain a healthy respect for it. I’ll have to be more assertive about hydrating early, and accept the limits of my endurance when it gets really hot. Whether I want to push myself for summer century+ rides is still a bit of an open question, knowing that it’ll entail an extra, dangerous level of suffering.

The organizers did a good job, with frequent rest stops amply stocked with ice, and I’m always delighted to receive a finisher’s medal.

As for Pæthos, it did marvelously. I had no issues with mechanicals or fit or unwelcome squeaks and creaks. My only complaint was some pain in my hands, which was aggravated by the short gravel section. I’ll be keeping an eye on that in the future.

So for a first event, the Fire Ant Tour was fun and provided the desired learning experience. With a hot five-hour ride under my belt, I have a better idea what to expect if I choose to undertake my first century in this summer’s extreme Texas heat.