The challenge came from my too infrequent cycling! With 298 miles logged in Nov, 126 miles in December (including one century) and 34 miles logged thus far into January, I set off on the Emmett Century Sunday.

The forecast had promised a bright warm Saturday, so I had planned accordingly, but when sunrise came around, it really didn't get very light. I waited around the house occasionally looking out the windows for an hour and a half before deciding the clouds were too dark regardless of Lying Larry's Weather Forecast. By mid morning I was watching rain fall through my windows!

0830 MST is a little late for a start time for January century, but after Saturday's experience, I wanted to make sure the sun could be seen before heading out on my January Century Sunday morning. It was 34 degrees with almost no wind, so staying warm wasn't difficult, but most of the roads were still wet from Saturday's rain, the high humidity, and the fact that the wet back roads had frozen. (Fenders are a good thing!) I wasn't rid of all the ice until about noon, and soon after even the back roads were dry.

Riding Sunday meant Letha's Country store, a favorite stop at mile 47, would be closed. I was ready for a break there, so I decided to cycle a little out of my way and visit a favorite cousin, and maybe spend the night since I was already pleasantly tired. My cousin was not there (I should have known she'd be at church), so I sat in her lawn chair enjoying a 15 minute break as it dawned on me I was a little too tired for only mile 53. Oh well, I'd better get on the bike and make it on into Emmett for lunch at mile 57. At mile 63 I was having lunch in Emmett. My cousin's is a little farther out of the way than I remembered from my summer rides when time and light aren't such issues.

My legs started twitching- something akin to mini-cramps while I was eating. (See the Weiser River ride blog for my first experience with someone's legs doing this, & those legs weren't mine!) I had to stand, walk, sit, stand, and occasionally massage the quads, just like Chief Winn did in Council. Even without the advantage of his nap, the quads finally relaxed, and I left the Subway Shop about 45 minutes after arriving. My legs did just fine on the two miles out to the base of "Old Freezeout Grade", a grade much like a two mile version of Old Lewiston, Old Winchester, or Old Whitebird Grades but with perhaps a little less care in engineering the maximum 6% grade on the hairpin corners. I found I could stop my legs from cramping only by holding the speed down to 4MPH and spinning a very low gear up this grade.

Of course, 4 MPH as a max speed for 2 miles means at least 30 minutes. By the time I reached the top, I knew light would be the 2nd issue of this ride- right behind training! Much like Chief Winn, I found I could control the minor leg spasms only by holding the speed down for the rest of the ride. With the assistance of my lights I arrived home at 1820 (6:20 p.m.) and mile 108- those extra 8 miles really counted! Leg spasms started as soon as my heart rate hit normal and would stop by 1900 hours!

Hey, I have lots of excuses how I got in this condition if you need excuses! However, I'm now on a remedial training program. Despite 30 to 35 MPH winds on Monday, and a real desire to just lie around the house, I rode 30 miles- 15 into the headwind. Tomorrow I'm taking the final work hour off and riding 20 miles with a buddy (Mountain Time gives us light until 1800 hours). I'll do another century this coming Saturday rain/snow permitting, and on Sunday ride another 30-35 miles with another casual rider to ensure I get out! Don't let some version of this sorry story happen to you! Stay in shape! and ENJOY Corrie's Challenge!

Happy Cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve