The course had been changed due to the the temperature forecast which allowed the riders to keep a little closer to home and to allow the organization to compact the number of miles that they needed to patrol with support services. One member of the West Michigan team became dehydrated enough that he ended up in an area hospital overnight even after being rehydrated with 3 IV bags.
Another West MI rider proposed to his girlfriend during the ride. As best as I can tell, heat was not a factor in either the proposal or acceptance.
In all, the organization for the event was top notch.
It is surprising the volume of fluids and electrolytes which were required to keep up with the losses due to the heat and low humidity. On ride day, I had at least 32 oz of water by 6:30 AM, an additional 40 oz by 8:15 AM, and about 35-40 oz per hour after that. On top of that I was taking 2-3 electrolyte supplements and salty snacks every hour. Even after all that, I was dried out at the end.
However, it was a huge success for the JDRF. Over $1.2 M was raised through the event. A sincere thank you to everyone for their donations and support.
Now, if any of this intrigues you and you have an interest in doing one of these events (there are 6 different rides each year), the West Michigan JDRF Bike Team is a great group to train with and is led by the co-coach for all of the JDRF bike events. Not only is he a heck of a rider, he is a hoot.
The West MI JDRF Team
A typical scene on ride day. The mountains just to the right (but out of the frame) are laced with dark colored minerals which radiate out heat like a blast furnace… Distances are really tough to judge. One rest stop appeared to be just over the next hill at one point, but in reality was almost 5 miles away.
Thanks everyone!
