*The middle third syndrome – sleep matters* * *
During my 20 years of riding long distances on a bike, I have developed a special respect and maybe even fear for the middle third. For me, it does not matter how long the event is, the middle third becomes a mental battle unlike any other part of the ride. This is when I am too far into an event to turn back, yet the end is so far away that it is not possible to even conceive reaching it, yet I continue.
RAAM was no different. My 90-minute sleep plan with a couple of short naps as needed had worked well. I had held up well, physically, mentally and emotionally, but I was now in the middle third. The mere idea of reaching Annapolis was difficult to comprehend. Since my crew was ‘on duty’ in 12 hour shifts, (we changed around 2pm and 2am) I set myself distance goals for each crew. This helped me stay on track and not waste time.
As the number of days passed, it felt like the crews played an active part in achieving this goal, almost as if they were on the bike with me. My plan worked well, until this one night. I am no fan of riding through the night, and with the lack of sleep it is even more difficult. Henry and Brigitte and Matt were behind me. The road we were on this particular evening was through a forest with huge trees creating this tunnel effect. The black asphalt surface had been coated to make it pitch black. The van was behind throwing shadows into this already surreal setting. The need for sleep came early. I wanted to make the next time station before I would take a break. It became a battle. The headlights of the car illuminated the overhanging trees, putting images into my over-tired mind that did not exist. Mentally I began to lose focus. I was in control of my bike, but I was slowly losing the ability to think clearly. I was on RAAM, but it felt like I did not know who was in the van behind me anymore.
When they pulled up beside me, I thought I saw David and Evan Balzer in the van. They had been on my support crew during my Guinness World Record ride across Canada in 2011. It was time to get off the bike. During my 90-minute sleep break I continued to have dreams. My one crew was taking me in the direction of Annapolis and when we switched crews they were taking me in the other direction. Needless to say, I woke up disturbed
and confused. I did get on the bike and rode about 13 km to the next time station. I was still uneasy about everything and decided to take a motel, a shower and a three-hour sleep.
When I got up, my mind was clear and I was ready to continue. We still had a number of days to get through this middle third. Shortly after Pratt, Kansas, the halfway point, I was able to do a radio interview with CBC in Winnipeg, while riding. It helped to again validate in my mind my purpose for being on RAAM in the first place. The knowledge of knowing that the distance to the end was less than what we had already travelled, was also the beginning of seeing light at the end of the tunnel. This was the first time that I felt that maybe, just maybe I could do this. I often say that ultra-marathon cycling is a classroom.
Within a defined time-frame I will experience more than many people do in a year. To learn from those experiences and apply them in real life where it matters is my reward. The middle third provides an opportunity where you have to find a way through a situation that does not seem doable. It is incredibly hard, especially mentally. How do you keep going when you cannot even imagine reaching the finish line? It seems like I am working hard to reach a goal, without any real hope of doing so. But you keep going anyway. This middle third is almost always the place for the biggest dropout rate. The mental challenge often is too overwhelming to overcome the physical challenge.
In 2001 I DNF’d after 6 days of an 18-day event. It took me a year to resume any kind of competitive/serious cycling. I also know that if I find way through this rough stretch, the challenges of real life seem pretty manageable in comparison. Experience has taught me that when I think I have reached the bottom of the barrel of my strength, I still have more to offer. However, it takes courage to dig that deep, but it is amazing what you will find when you go there. It will change you forever. God has created us wih a will to succed. I believe that He finds joy in seeing his children do their best. Do not underestimate what YOUR best is/can be. You are more capable than you think.
