McClave Update #1: TOMRV June 9th & 10th

I've been busy with a lot of great June bicycling events, so I'm filing 4 updates this morning.  This one covers the 2-day Tour of the Mississippi River Valley (TOMRV) which I rode with my brother Steve, friend Mike Popiel (we met first night in grad school, June 1978.  He was scheduled to ride across America on the same route I did when he got admitted late to Northwestern, at which point he choose grad school.  We became instant friends and have remained so ever since), and Mike's friend from Chicago named Nick. 

Both my brother and I got to TOMRV with minimum training -- I had around 125 bike miles going in -- and a decided lack of sleep.  We found it to be a very difficult ride.  69 miles on Saturday that included 6,000 feet of climbing and 47 on Sunday with 4,000 feet of climbing.  I have new appreciation for the Hilly Hundred challenge, since that ride features 5,200 feet of climbing on the longer day, by the way.  The big difference is that TOMRV hills are long -- most are half a mile and up vs. less than half a mile for most Hilly Hundred hills.  

We finished fine on Saturday, but on Sunday, I awoke with an settled stomache and couldn't stand the thought of drinking Gatorade.  So I didn't.  I got through hills of 1.5 and 1.4 miles in the morning ride, but ended up dropping out at mile 35 late morning.  This is the first time I've ever dropped out of an endurance event, but had I gone any further, I would have been throwing up.  I've since been using Noonz pills in my water bottle with great success, by the way.  The others finished, but we all had great respect for the hills.  I can't say I recommend this ride -- way too hilly and difficult unless one has serious mileage under his belt going in (the veterns recommend 750 miles cycling as the base going into the ride)! -- Bill