Did anybody do the HHH yesterday. I think we sorta lucked out with the weather this year. The predictions for the big heat didn’t pan out. The first few hours were hot but then the clouds rolled in and things cooled down a bit. What a great event. The support is first class and the 200K is one of the best training rides if you’re getting ready for an IM.
Where I’m from, HHH stands for the Hotter’n Hell Hundred, which is an aptly-named century ride in August in north Texas. What’s your HHH?
I was there for the second year in a row. The rain felt great yesterday. Mentally a really tough experience for me yesterday. At the last aid station I had some serious doubts as to whether I could finish. I’m still trying to catch up on my hydration this morning.
I finished to 200K and felt strong pretty much the entire way. I was thinking a lot of people were rather in for some trouble when I could hear how hard they were breathing the first pass up Blue Mounds, wonder how that went the second time for them. The roads were really good and it was plenty challenging. I wonder how many were not aware of the course change that made it 132 miles total and got that surprise at the end. There is a BIG difference between the amount of water I used here compared to what I need in Phoenix…I had 2 water bottles and only stopped to fill them 3 times. I rode with at 30-23 low combo and would have been happy to have a 30-25 in a few short stretches.
I’ve done Hotter’n Hell a couple times as well. It’s a much bigger ride in terms of riders, but a cake walk in comparison. For example, Horribly Hilly, for me and everyone around me it seemed, is pretty much done with no drafting. You are either going up a hill or down a hill so often that it is really hard to find someone you can pace with. It’s been a few years but I think I did Witchita in easily under 5 hours riding in a pack almost the entire way, while it took me just over 8 for Mount Horeb (132 miles this year). The ~10,000 feet climbing is largely between 7-15% grades, with a summit finish.
Yesterday the thought of water was making my nauseous which has never really happened to me before and was the result of my poor hydrating. The HHH does a great job of making frequent water stops available so I can’t blame them for my troubles. I am in much better riding shape this year than I was last year but had a lot more trouble this year than last year. Just one of those inexplicable bad days I guess. Sounds like you had a great day and were one of those people I was hating with a passion on the 4th and 5th legs as I watched you seem to effortlessly go up the hills.
Did you take sodium? With the humidity it seems like you are not sweating so much, but I found I needed to take a lot of sodium in the 2nd half to keep my stomach balanced. Even so, I only ate about half the nutrition I had planned for.
I took 2 sodium pills but probably not enough. The fact that at the final aid station all I wanted and all I ate was sandwich meat by itself was a good indicator that my body was craving sodium.
I would guess I took around 25. No doubt I need more than you. Almost anytime I get to where I can’t get water down it is because I’ve severly underdone the soduim.
I traveled form Michigan to do the HHH for the second year in a row. Again it was a great experience and I was able to meet some pretty cool people. This year I came with the right cassette and it made a world of difference for me. I defintely think that we lucked out on the conditions, the temperatures cool down quite a bit towards 11am. Thanks to all the volunteers and the organizers of the HHH.
Did the 100K and went through 5 bottles of Infinit…then did a brick up the hill.
I saw a guy walking his bike into blue mounds, he was on a fixed gear. That must of really sucked.
I was using a 12-25 but could have used a 27
Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I did it again this year on a 12-23. Only the 100k route though that still took a bit out of me.
Weather was pretty good, especially since on the 100k route we were done well before noon and it started to get warm.
Good fun again this year, thought the course change was not so great. The route last year was a lot better.
Sadly, I’m out next year, since I’m planning on IMCdA. Maybe in 2009 I’ll come back for the 200k. Perhaps I’ll volunteer so I can get a guaranteed spot for 2009. 
This year was definitely a lot more enjoyable than last year. Probably 10 degrees cooler. I managed to stick with the lead pack and we got a little drizzle on the last hill before the “sprint” to the finish, perfect!
I did the 100K with a broken collarbone. I was signed up for the 200K but 10 days ago I misjudged some RR tracks and down I went. I decided that 200K might be too much for the shoulder at this point and with Wisc IM as the big goal, I played it safe. Second broken collarbone in 8 months…not fun. I do think the lack of timing chip made the event a little less–not sure why but it just seemed like it was less special than last year.
This was my first HHH. Did the 200k, and it was extremely challenging. Beside the fact that my 9 hour performance (with rest stops) effectively tripled the duration of my longest ride this season, I had done almost no hill work. So of course I was in for it. Started out on a bad note when I discovered I needed a new tire the morning of the race. The wrench at registration fixed me up–at a discount no less–and put me back into action only about 40 mintues behind. I made a judgment call and jumped in along with the crowd after y’all had done the circuit of Blue Mound State Park–about 11 miles into it, instead of starting my first organized century 40 minutes behind the pack.
The first few hills I came up against really give me my “oh, sh–” moment, as I was out of breath, had very little power compared to the riders passing me, and still had over 100 miles to go! Some smart alleck who passed me at the beginning chimed in with “just think, only 43 more climbs to go!” Oh, crap.
Luckily, I found my rhythm, the legs didn’t lock up on me during the day (though they did get tired), and I made it the “whole” way (130 - 11 = about 119 miles) before 5 pm.
I thought it was a great ride, very challenging and well-supported, and it was great to see everyone out there. We were very fortunate with the weather, and aside from my tire issue I didn’t see too many people with mechanical or safety troubles.
On a personal note, re: the sodium issue above, I’m training for IM Wisconsin and had a breakthrough discovering how much Endurolytes (salt pills) help my performance and recovery. I had always taken them pretty sparingly, but yesterday I had about 6 over the course of the ride and I’m convinced they helped out my poor leg muscles who had no idea what they were in for. I’ll definitely pack a pouch for any distance races from now on, including IMMoo.
I was also witness to how snotrocket gutted out a very tough day just one week aftrer winning Rockman. She looked like she was done for at rest #4 but came through in a big way. Way to go!
macedawg