Hoodoo 500 2.5 weeks out

Did last long endurance ride up Page Mill, down to the coast over Haskins Grade and up Hwy 1 to Pacifica. Climbed up Sharp Park and then up the Great Hwy over the Golden Gate Bridge and then into Sausalito over to Fairfax and then up to the summit of Mt. Tam. Ended up fighting some big wind on way home with almost 190 miles and 13,600 feet of climbing. It was a good endurance ride that I intentionally road really easy. My heart rate averaged less than 110 which was pretty good and I climbed really easy practicing for the first 300 miles of the Hoodoo where I want to take it very easy. The Hoodoo Voyager can get you in trouble if you push hard early and get depleted on the Boulder climb as its easy to freeze on the descent to Torrey and give up in Loa. I need to get to Loa feeling good and want to take it really easy this year. The high DNF rate on this ride I think is caused by people pushing too hard early on and getting cold at night and losing their will to go on. Its hard enough to do the ride with a crew, but the Voyager has to be experienced to know how hard it really is. Its much tougher to do it non-supported. I would say its harder to do the Voyager than the Race Across Oregon supported which is a much tougher course due to lack of easy miles. So, the plan is to go easy as hell and keep heart rate low and enjoy the night. We shall see if its all talk, or I can really do it.

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