Shiner GASP… revisited

Just to help make you feel like you were along for the ride, I’ll go ahead and upload a few things from the Shiner GASP ride o’ misery.

Here I am loading Kelly’s midget bike onto my car (it’s dark because it’s waaaaaaay too early for the sun to be shining).

And here we are before we start the ride, note that we are both still smiling…

Now let’s skip ahead 100 miles…. here’s Kelly after she finished (yes, Bob is indeed double fisting).

Here I am after the ride… Unfortunately this is not staged, and my mom truly felt like she had the right to photograph me in my misery…

and finally, here’s the ladies of the family after riding, drinking, eating, and showering in a trailer…

So there’s some pics.  Also, for anyone interested you can track the ride as viewed through my Garmin watch.  Keep in mind Kelly rode with me for the first 63 miles.  Also, for all of you skeptics out there, my watch battery actually died around mile 93, the data does not cut off because I quit, ahthanku.

The Shiner Ride

Shiner GAAAASP!

Back when I was in my senior year of college (yeah, my first senior year) I was chatting with my sister, and her knowing that I was a poor student she offered an alternative to buying her a lavish gift for her birthday.  Convo went something like this:

Kelly: “hey awesome younger sister Andi (it’s how she normally addresses me), I know you’re broke, but there’s this really cool ride that goes from Austin to Shiner.  You should sign up and do it with me for my birthday.”

Andi: “eh, I’m not so sure about that.”

Kelly: “when you finish there’s a concert and food.”

Andi: “hmmmm, I guess I’m a bit more interested, let me look at my schedule.”

Kelly: “you get free beer at the end.”

Andi: “SIGN ME UP!!!!!!!!”

And that’s how the tradition came to be.  Every year since then my sister and I have made the homage from Austin to Shiner on our bikes (barring one year because I had to attend a silly little thing called Baylor Graduation).  This past saturday was the 4th Shiner GASP for us to saddle up and ride.  Allegedly, GASP stands for Greater Austin to Shiner Pedal.  I would like to contend that GASP stands for nothing, I actually believe they are just referring to what you will be doing the entire time…. gasping.

v., gasped, gasp·ing, gasps. v.intr.

1. To draw in the breath sharply, as from shock.
2. To breathe convulsively or laboriously.

v.tr.

To utter in a breathless manner.

n.

A short convulsive intake or catching of the breath.

Just saying…. this ride is tough.  For the first time, in honor of the brewery’s 100 year anniversary, the ride was made into a century (100 miles).  Additionally, as if 100 miles isn’t tough enough, this year it decided to be windy.  Not just any wind…. head wind.  Ugh! it was demoralizing.  The wind never quit, and somehow, when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the wind actually got more brutal and fiesty in the last 20 miles.  Last year we had a tail wind and Kelly and I were reaching around 40 mph on some downhills.  This year?… same hills…. while laboriously pedaling… I was getting between 10-15 mph.  Like I said – demoralizing!!

But let me get to the point of my story.  This ride was miserable.  I can’t even begin to tell you how many people dropped out.  The sag wagons were full (sag wagons: vans that follow the ride and pick up riders who cannot complete the remainder of the ride).  Not only that, but every truck and SUV that passed me on the way to Shiner was LOADED down with bikes and riders.  I’m talking, rider after rider was dropping out.  Trust me, I do not judge them, I wanted to quit myself, I understand completely why they gracefully bowed out (I can say this now, but as the cars passed me with riders and bikes I probably said a few choice explicatives under my breath).  But you know who didn’t drop out?  Actually, you know who didn’t even falter?  Kelly.

It was the first time in awhile that I’ve accompanied my sister on one of her ironman training events.  Man… she looked strong.  It was also amazing to see how focused she was on not only her biking, but her nutrition as well.  She had everything mapped out: how often to eat, how many calories she needed, how many salt pills she needed to take, etc etc.  It was amazing to watch.  She has truly turned her body into a living, breathing, machine.

I literally had to force her to leave me at Mile 63.  I was suffering and I could not stand to watch her hold back for me anymore.  She has always been an amazing older sister, and I could tell she didn’t want to leave me, and felt horrible about doing so — but I can be stubborn, and I won that battle.  So, at mile 63 I saw her fall into her aerobars and take off… like she could do it all day.  So from my professional opinion, Kelly is looking right on track for her Ironman.  This ride was actually shorter than the ride leg that she’ll be doing in CDA….. but she’s ready.  There’s really no doubt in my mind.  Most people (me in particular) aren’t made to go out and do a 100-mile ride on a saturday, to Kelly, it’s just another day of her training.  In fact, the next morning she woke up and ran 2.5 hours (I, on the other hand, only left my bed or couch to get food.)

So here’s to you Kelly (envision me toasting with a frosty Shiner Blonde in hand)… there’s nothing you can’t do, and I feel so lucky that I can witness it.