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quasigeostrophyI had been pretty disappointed that I didn't go to this year's Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Ride to Cure Diabetes in Death Valley, the last weekend of October. Earlier in the Summer, I had bowed out, since, due to the job change and everything else going on, I wasn't confident I'd be able to make the fundraising minimum or keep up the necessary training. I had wanted to better my performance from last year. However, I just got an e-mail from J, one of my friends I met training last summer, who told me about this year's ride conditions. To paraphrase:
Afternoon temperature was 107oF, with headwinds on the return trip of 25 mph, gusting to 40 mph. The ride organizers made the decision the night before to allow riders to go out 32 miles and return to the start to have a medical evaluation before being allowed to go to Badwater and back. Going back out to Badwater afterward would give riders a total of 100 miles. Of the 250 riders at the start, only 20 went on to attempt the 100 mile total and only 12 actually finished. Three people were sent to the hospital in Las Vegas for dehydration and many more were given IVs at Furnace Creek Ranch. Several veterans of the ride stated that this year's conditions made it "exponentially harder" than in previous years.
Sheesh.
Afternoon temperature was 107oF, with headwinds on the return trip of 25 mph, gusting to 40 mph. The ride organizers made the decision the night before to allow riders to go out 32 miles and return to the start to have a medical evaluation before being allowed to go to Badwater and back. Going back out to Badwater afterward would give riders a total of 100 miles. Of the 250 riders at the start, only 20 went on to attempt the 100 mile total and only 12 actually finished. Three people were sent to the hospital in Las Vegas for dehydration and many more were given IVs at Furnace Creek Ranch. Several veterans of the ride stated that this year's conditions made it "exponentially harder" than in previous years.
Sheesh.
