Not to the swift, nor the strong

Last weekend I entered the High Sierra Century, which began and ended in Mammoth Lakes, CA. I wasn’t planning on a race, but I guess my big brother, John, was.

A Century, sibling rivalry, and smack talk should not be commingled. My training the last few weeks since I “owied” some ribs in the Brian Head Super-D, has been mostly on the road. So, I figured my legs would be good to go. But, I had never ridden before with John for 100 miles. It turned out that there was no way to prepare for such an effort.

This 100 miles, at about 7,500 feet, was jotted down on my training calendar as ‘Base Mileage, for the up-coming La Ruta stage race. John knew that. I had told him on the phone weeks before. Then we discussed it at dinner the night before and again over our morning coffee in his Mammoth Creek condo. A training ride. That’s all it was…for me at least.


Marla and her brother John at the Century.


John, as the oldest of my four brothers, has always led the way. And as we rolled through the dusty parking lot near the small airport, it was no different. By the time we crossed the first cattle grate, our group of four had fallen apart. John was a bike length ahead of all of us, and my husband, Mark, was more than a few bike lengths behind.

I tucked in behind John and hung on. Jerry did some of the work and I took some pulls, too; but John’s were as hard as pulling teeth.

Since, this was a ‘fun’ ride, I wasn’t equipped with my i-Pod (they’re like, SO anti-social). But there wasn’t much socializing among us until the 50 mile feed zone stop two and half hours later. The day’s big climb was still ahead at mile 70. None of us chose to discuss that, though.

As we readied to hit the road gain, I mixed and topped off my three water bottles with Mango Clif Shot, Red Bull, and water. During the first 50 miles of the ride I drank a bottle every half hour. The last ten miles or so I was dry. No way was I going to allow that to happen during the second half. Jerry re-filled his CamelBak, and his three bottles.

John’s two big bottles were still full, untouched, and his third, smaller one still had a mouthful in it, I noticed. He didn’t even top it off.

“You better get a re-fill on that,” I said.

“Nah…no need to drag the extra weight up that climb.”

So, now I knew where I would attack…at my brother’s weakest point…when he would be the most dehydrated…

I led up the climb, John stayed close and Jerry played it smart riding his own pace. At the feed zone at the top. I downed a bottle, topped it off and refilled another, and watched John roll past without refueling.

The last thirty miles I toyed with him, surging and waiting for him to catch up, steadily raising the tempo until he dropped off. I bridging ahead to ride with some other pacelines and then waited for John near the finish before sprinting across the line.

I took the Century Ride by a bike length. My big brother John is swift and strong, but in this case, not too well hydrated.