May 15, 2022 - The Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo in Jacksonville, Alabama

 Author:  Leon Matz

After reading Dwaine Trummert’s recent blog entry, I decided I would write about my Alabama experience in The 2022 Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo .

Normally, we think of people inspiring us with an achievement of theirs that leads us to a positive performance. After reading Dwaine’s recent entry about his negative experience in a gravel race in Eastern Washington, it brought back memories of my recent experience at Cheaha Challenge.

This race has been on my calendar for two years now. Three weeks before last years race, I crashed and broke my clavicle again. I was more careful this year and avoided an injury preventing me from going. 

I convinced Scott Wagar and Gary Hoff to join me on the trip to Jacksonville, Alabama. We all wanted to see if he could qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo Worlds in Trento, Italy. Gary was fighting off some injury issues and claimed he was just going to go and support me in the race. My winter training had been going well, and I felt ready to race. Gary drove to my house in Colorado Springs, and then, we planned to fly to Atlanta and drive to the race. The TT was scheduled for Saturday and the road race on Sunday May 15th.

The night before we were to leave, a grass fire closed the airport and Southwest Air changed our flight plans.  Instead of arriving in the early afternoon, we did not arrive until 9:00 PM. It took the airlines 45 minutes to unload our bike boxes. When we arrived at the the rental car company, we found a long and slow moving line. We, unfortunately, didn’t leave the airport until after 12:00. After our one hour and forty minute drive to Jacksonville, we  arrived at our dorm only to find no one on duty. We called the number to get someone to get into our room; but after several tries, it was clear we were not going to wake the person.

I snooped around the check in desk and found our names, room number and keys. Getting to bed after 2:00 AM was not what we had planned but…

We both tried to sleep in but had limited success. We met Scott for breakfast and plotted out our plans for the day. While at breakfast, my wife called to share that she, my daughter and two of my grandkids all had tested positive for Covid. They were all avoiding horrible symptoms. Having been double vaccinated and double boosted I tried to put the news out of my mind. 

We headed out for a short 10 mile bike ride. When I couldn’t keep up with their somewhat brisk pace, I just told myself that after a good nights rest I would be ready to race.  We, then, decided to drive the course to limit any surprises. Even in a car the course looked daunting. 99 miles and almost 10,000 feet of elevation gain. Only one 3.5 mile climb but lots of short and steep climbs. It looked harder than the RAMROD course to me. Throw in the 85 degree temperatures and 90% humidity, and it was going to be a challenging day. We all finished off the day resting and eating well. 

The race was started with a rollout that was darned fast. After 5 miles, Scott and Gary started moving up through the pack; and I was already experiencing a high HR, so I stayed with a slower group hoping I would see them at the series of climbs. When we finally arrived at the start of the climbs, I thought to myself “here I go”! I increased my effort but instead of moving up past riders more we’re going by me. I continued to eat and drink thinking things would improve soon. Actually, I started feeling weaker and weaker.  At 30 miles in, I looked over and saw two guys who were 20-30 pounds over weight riding past me and just talking away as if on a casual club ride. A headache soon joined me. The course was an out and back ride. The one major climb finished at the 42 mile spot. I struggled up the climb being tempted to get off and walk but made it to the top. After 10-15 minutes at the top, I decided to head back to the starting line for fear that if I kept going I would have to abandon far from the finish line. As I headed back, I felt good about my decision. I, then, started having cramps in my right hamstring. I stopped several times to stretch and raise my saddle. It helped, but the problem persisted. At one of my stops, Scott came racing by. He was clearly having a good ride. He offered to stop, but I told him to keep going!

With 20 miles left, I came to a turn that was not marked. There was a car and a helper there, but she only noticed me after I was headed by. When she didn’t yell at me, I assumed I had made the correct turn. At the next intersection, I was thinking I made a mistake and stopped at a gas station only to find out I had ridden over a mile in the wrong direction.

At the 12 mile marker, I stopped at a rest stop. I  drank, ate and filled my neck sock with ice and took off.  I made it 7 more miles  but was feeling worse and worse.  Against all instincts, I got off my bike and tried to hitchhike for 10 minutes. No one would stop!  A rider while going past me told me I had left my helmet at the last rest stop. I had no idea I didn’t have it on. I guess that shows how far out of it I was.  Another rider went by and yelled that in .3 miles this hill was gone and mostly flat the rest of the way. Somehow, I got back on the bike and kept riding.  About 2 miles from the finish, I could see a Cyclopath jersey coming up from behind. Gary had caught up with me. He had had significant problems with cramps but was as tough as a road warrior.  We road in together. I staggered around for awhile and drank and ate. I was still dizzy and totally depleted. 

The announcer asked for Gary and me to report to the stage. They erroneously thought that I had completed the full course and were going to give me the jersey and medal for first in my age group. It was really Gary that deserved that honor.

We, then, found out that Scott placed 8th in his age group and qualified to race in Italy this September. In an amazing feat, Scott never got off the bike.  He was handed two water bottles as he road by rest stops but never had to stop for any reason. 

I was so proud and happy for my Cyclopath friends but so disappointed in my performance.

When I returned to Colorado, I tested and was positive for Covid. Thank goodness the symptoms were relatively mild, but how could the timing of me getting Covid been any worse. 

I sure wish I was joining the two of them In Italy!  They will have a terrific trip!

So much for the ups and downs of cycling !