This is big... Crusher in the Tushar

So apparently the mind is a terribly weak thing, quick to forget the negative and prone to amplifying the positive. After a mediocre 2012 ride in the "Crusher in the Tushar," and a miserable 2013 ride during which I vowed never to return, for some reason I eagerly signed up again for the 2016 race.

This ride is, well, a little bit nuts. 70 miles. About 35 of those are on gravel (the rest is pavement--of which a lot is slurry seal). By mile 23, we will have gained 5000 vertical feet and passed 10,000 feet in elevation. From there it's a quick descent where we will lose all 5000 feet. But don't worry. After slogging through what seems like miles of sandy trail, we climb that 5000 feet again, averaging 8% and at some point hitting a 16% grade. And the suffering isn't over yet--a quick drop, some rolling hills and another long slog up are the reward. If we haven't given up yet, there's a roller coaster ride down and then a super-steep ascent to the finish line.

Here is the web site http://www.tusharcrusher.com and here is a map of the course:

The first year, it took 8:18 minutes to finish. I smiled the entire way, in spite of my almost dead-last performance. I had signed up to prove to myself that I can do really difficult things. I was just starting the training process, competing in a few triathlons but never rally riding enough to prep me for 70 brutal miles. Still I enjoyed the experience.

The next year found me very distracted, having fixed up a house, moved, and gotten married. I was miserable on the ride that year. Very little training, overweight, and simply dog-tired. It was hot and the hill was steeper. In 2012, I had at least done a few major hill climbs. In '13, I think I did 3.

So far, it has been different this year. I'm on the trainer at least 3x a week. My schedule is lighter so I can get in more training rides. I'm building a 26'er with a triple crank, which won't make me go faster but at least I can spin my way up even the 16% grade. I'm dropping weight (already at least 10 pounds lighter than in '13) and building !muscle and endurance. Above all, I am learning a lot about my fitness, peak output levels, etc. My goal is a 7:30. I'll blog on occasion about my rides, training progress, etc.