400K Brevet

The night before the 400K was my daughter's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Once that was over and we got the kids to bed I could start getting ready. I did not get to bed until 11:00. My alarm clock went off a short four hours later. Tom came and picked me up a little before four.

On the 300K I learned that I needed to eat and drink more before the first control. My goal on this ride was to empty both water bottles by the time we reached Breese at 51 miles.

It was a little colder than the 300K, but there was no mist this morning. I counted 20 riders at the start. I wore my jacket but no tights. The start of the trip was uneventful. we rolled out as a group and the pace was fairly easy for the first few miles. Once we left the bicycle trail and got onto Fruit Road we started to go faster. The pace still felt comfortable to me. Eventually I looked around and saw that we were down to 6 riders.

After about an hour I started to hope for a break. I was feeling fine, I just needed to use the facilities. Fortunately some other people had the same idea so we stopped for a pee break just before we got to Pocahontas.

The winds were out of the southwest so we had a tail wind as we headed east. After Pocahontas we turned south and had to deal with a headwind. I was still feeling fine and I even took a turn pulling.

We reached Breese at 7:41. My water bottles were just about empty so that was working according to plan. 11 minutes later, we were on the road again.

Stage 1 stats
Stopped 7:41 - 7:52
51.80 miles
19.3 mph
18.7 mph (including stops)

The route continued generally south. I was starting to feel a little tired but I was hoping to hang with the fast group until Okaville. When it was my turn to pull, I took a short turn and only pulled for a little over a mile. The next person in line was the guy in the Hammer Gel jersey. He is an incredibly strong rider and pulled for quite a way. I was getting tired so I had to drop off the back. A little while later I saw him finish his pull. I decided to see if I could catch up to the group. I was close to catching up when they stopped for another break. Unfortunately I dropped off the back after another few miles at about the 70 mile mark. I caught up to the group at the Okaville checkpoint but did not even try to join them when they rolled out.

As I was dawdling (yes, I do tend do dawdle when I stop) another rider rolled up. I waited around for him to leave so that we could ride together.

Stage 2 stats
Stopped 9:15 - 10:01
26.47 miles
19.1 mph

Running Total
5:01 hours
78.27 miles
15.60 mph (including stops)

Jim told me that he was wanting to finish before 9:00pm. This meant that he was way out of my league. We road and talk for a while and then I sensed that he wanted too ride by himself. I pull out in front for a little while and I kept expecting him to pass me. He was content to follow along a hundred yards back or so. He would occasionally catch up and we would talk for a bit. We eventually reached Pinckneyville together and we both stopped at McDonalds. I told him that I would be stopping for a while so he should not worry about waiting for me. I had started to feel a little tired.

Stage 3 stats
Stopped 12:55 - 13:51
46.97 miles
16.20 mph

Running Total
8:51 hours
125.24 miles
14.15 mph (including stops)


I was alone again for the next section. At one point I had to ride through a cloud of smoke from a farmer burning off one of his fields. I made one wrong turn which I blame on a misleading road sign, not the route sheet. The route sheets have been excellent for all of the brevets I've done so far. John Jost does a great job. I also ran out of water before I reached the next control. This was surprising to me because it was only twenty miles between stops. This was also my slowest stage. By the time I reached to checkpoint I was feeling dehydrated. I decided to spend as much time as I needed at this control to get back on track.

While I was resting and drinking Ray pulled in. He had skidded in some gravel and gone down. No road rash but his knee was hurting. He got his card signed, refilled his camel-bak and was read to go a short time later. I was ready so I rode out with him.

Stage 4 stats
Stopped 15:30 - 16:13
22.01 miles
13:34 mph

Running Total
11:13 hours
147.25 miles
13.13 mph (including stops)

I rode with Ray for a while but he was having trouble getting up the hills. I ended up dropping him. This section of the route had a lot of hills. Going down one hill I did 35 mph without pedaling. To cyclist from Colorado this is nothing, but for Illinois that is a mountain.

I was starting to feel bad by the time I reached the next control in Sparta. I had been drinking but I hadn't eaten since Pinckneyville. Nothing in the convenience store looked good. While I was dawdling (again) Ray rode up. Another rider, Chris, rolled in a little bit later. Ray was worried about stiffening up if he stopped too long so he left fairly quickly. I eventually decided to find whatever food seemed least disgusting and eat it. I ended up eating a Slim Jim. Even to me, this seems weird.

Stage 5 stats
Stopped 17:54 - 18:34
27.33 miles
16.24 mph

Running Total
13:34 hours
174.58 miles
12.87 mph (including stops)

Chris and I rode out together. He knew I was feeling bad and talked to me to keep my spirits up. He also pulled almost all the way to the next checkpoint. As the sun started to go down I felt much better. We also had a tailwind, which helped.

We stopped to put on our reflective gear as we neared Okaville. I was really looking forward to getting to the Gas Mart at Okaville. It was a checkpoint on each of the brevets and on this one we stopped there twice. I had been there just 11 hours ago and it felt like a homecoming. After that checkpoint, everything would be familiar.

We reached the checkpoint around sunset and thanked Chris for the pull and told him not to bother waiting for me. I was going to rest, eat, and be ready for the last fifty miles. I put on my jacket as soon as I stopped so I wouldn't get cold.

Stage 6 stats
Stopped 20:29 - 21:14
28.92 miles
15.09 mph

Running Total
16:14 hours
203.50 miles
12.54 mph (including stops)

It was full dark by the time I left the checkpoint. I made sure to have all my required lights and reflective gear on, as well as the extra blinky lights that I have on the front and rear of my helmet. I had never ridden in an area with no lights whatsoever so I was wonder how my headlight would do. I had no problems. While the headlight was not bright enough for high speed, I was in no shape for going fast anyway.

Out in the country, away from the city lights, the stars are very bright. The moon was only a crescent, but it seemed bright as well. Venus was very close to the moon that night as well. Another source of lights was the hundreds of fireflies that lined the roads. I had never seen so many.

I was enjoying riding at night but I was not used to navigating in the dark. With my setup I cannot see my route sheet or bike computer unless I stop. I missed one turn and went about two miles past it. I then had to turn around and ride two miles back. After that I stopped at each turn to verify the distance to the next one.

I stopped at the Shell station in New Baden. Someone (I think it was Chris) had mentioned that this would be the last place that would be open this late at night. While I was there, Tom rolled up (this is a different Tom than the one who has given me a ride to the last two brevets). The clerk told us that another rider had come through with road rash on both forearms. The had fallen in some gravel. I wonder if this was Chris. Even though I wasn't dawdling (honest!), Tom was gone before I was done.

Stage 7 stats
Stopped 22:29 - 22:40
17.87 miles
14.30 mph

Running Total
17:40 hours
221.37 miles
12.53 mph (including stops)

I caught up with Tom a few miles later. I could see his flashing rear light for quite a ways off. He told me that he was afraid of cramping up if he stopped for any length of time. Tom was riding a little slower than me but I decided to ride the rest of the way with him. Having two people look at the route sheet was probably safer. We were both very tired.

It was getting colder. I had brought tights with me but it didn't seem worth it to put them on. I was wishing that I had brought full fingered gloves. My hands were starting to hurt and the cold wasn't helping. My butt was hurting too but we were almost done. Tom complained about his legs hurting.

At one point, a skunk crossed the road right in front of me. I was so glad that I didn't hit it.

Once we reached the bicycle trail, I felt like we were practically done. There were still 4.5 miles left but I felt good now. Tom and I were so tired that when we stopped it was difficult to start pedaling again without falling over. We reached the last checkpoint at 1:37. It felt good to be done. It was the first 400K for both of us.

Stage 7 stats
Finished 01:37
35.58 miles
12.05 mph

Running Total
20:37 hours
256.95 miles
12.46 mph (including stops)


My friend Zac picked me up. He had agreed to this when he thought I would be done around 11 or midnight but he came and got me. When we got near my house he said he was hungry and wanted to swing by Del Taco. Since that is my traditional post ride meal I readily agreed.

After I got home and ate I decided that I was too filthy to sleep. I took a shower which helped me feel much better. I slept until 11am.