205 miles in a day (Tommy Godwin Challenge) - the Progress thread

[jo from the other place]

Day 262 / 43: Kurt heads south for a day punctuated with flat tyres, a broken rear wheel and rain giving him a 209 mile total. Steve does a 235 mile loop via the Wash in good cycling weather – his longest day's distance since PBP. Miles is back doing repeats of the northern section of the Port Phillip bay road for 164 miles.

 

[ianrauk]

From Jo from the other place

Day 263 / 44: A less eventful day for Kurt as he sticks mostly to local Little Rock roads and knocks off another 217 miles. He's currently just 34 miles behind Tommy's like-for-like distance. Steve's strategy of cutting back on stopped time and increasing his average speed pays off with another 235 mile day as he figure-of-eights his way through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. This takes him within 40 miles of Kurt's equivalent day 44 distance and around 200 miles behind WR pace. Miles also appears to be changing strategy with faster riding as he keeps to the northern half of the Port Phillip Bay road, although only for 85 miles. He's now around 7,200 miles behind WR pace.

 

[ianrauk]

From Jo from the other place

Day 264 / 45: A good day for Kurt as he clocks up another 225 miles with a trip out east to Lenoke followed by repeats on his local roads. He remains around 30 miles behind Tommy's like-for-like distance and about 199 miles per day required for the WR by the end of his year. Steve rides north to the Humber before bedding down for the night at the Doncaster Travelodge for a total of 214 miles. His 2015 attempt now requires around 300 mpd, his rebooted attempt, 206 mpd. Miles rides 88 miles of his bay route. He now requires 233 mpd for the record.

 

[ianrauk]

From Jo from the other other place

Day 265 / 46: Kurt rides a loop out to the east before returning to home roads for an afternoon of riding with others for a day's total of 225 miles. This puts him around 760 miles ahead of WR pace and 35 behind Tommy's like-for-like distance. 100 days to go until the end of the 2015 attempt for Steve (and 319 days until the end of his rebooted attempt). He returns from Doncaster to MK via Peterborough on a 230 mile route putting him ahead of Kurt's like-for-like total and within 175 miles of WR pace. No substantial ride posted from Miles. Taking his average daily distance to date, Miles' end of year projection is currently around 46,600 miles.

 

[Mugshot]

Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel shared Kurt Searvogel's post.
4 hrs ·

Kurt Searvogel
This afternoon - my HR spike up over 210 and wouldn't come back down below 170 after 30 minutes so against my will, Alicia made me ride over to the urgent care. At urgent care my HR was 65 but garmin was recording 170. The top half of my heart was beating at 170 and the bottom half was beating at 65. So they hooked me up to an EKG and determined I was in Atrial Fibrillation and was sent over to the Heart Hospital. By the time I got to the Heart Hospital my heart was beating normally again. They took blood and determined my thyroid is wack and that I was dehydrated. I now wear a live tracking heart rate monitor and have an appointment with a cardiologist. No restriction on my activities for now. May sleep in tomorrow or may ride not sure how I'm feeling about all this. It was epic enough before - I don't need anything else to make this more challenging..

 

[Mugshot]

Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel
6 hrs ·
Kurt is now at the Arkansas Heart Hospital. Looks like he has Atrial fibrillation.

 

[Mugshot]

Tarzan Rides the HAM'R Kurt Searvogel
3 hrs · Edited ·
A few weeks ago this article was sent to me by a friend who is a legend in mountaineering. I read and shared with my friend Dr Steve Chillinski. Without going into detail with Kurt, I did make him agree to call me if he had anything irregular happen regarding his heart rate like fluttering, racing, light headedness or dizziness, etc... we had a plan. Although Kurt wanted to continue riding, I did demand he go to the hospital to get evaluated and with Steve's help convincing him, he did. I believe today would have gone down differently if it weren't for the friends who surround us, inform us and care about us. ~ Alicia
http://velonews.competitor.com/cycling-extremes


Cycling to extremes - VeloNews.com
Are endurance athletes hurting their hearts by repeatedly pushing beyond what is normal? The scary science on the damage caused by overtraining
velonews.competitor.com

 

[Scoosh]

Am I right in thinking (without having read the link ) that Steve is less likely to suffer from these issues, as he is riding to a HRM and thus not really straining himself - or his heart, at any rate - nearly as much ?


GWS, Kurt ! Much as I want Steve to take the record, there is no doubting that KS is an increfible athlete.

 

[ianrauk]

From Jo over at the other place

Day 266 / 47: Kurt has to cut his day a little short at 172 miles because of heart issues that need careful attention (unexpected elevated heart rate and, after examination, confirmed atrial fibrillation). His heart rate subsequently returned to normal, but he and Alicia are evaluating whether he will need some recovery time or change in strategy.

Steve complets a 208 mile loop through Cambridgeshire, putting him within a day of Walter Greaves' 1936 record. Miles is back to longer distances with a 178 mile day north of Melbourne.

Get well Kurt and GO STEVE!!

 

[ColinJ]

I have read a lot about this kind of thing over the past 3 years since my own health problems. (I got bouts of AF repeatedly back then and it is not good!)

Severe osteoporosis, and exercise-induced Iliac artery endofibrosis are some other significant risks of ultra long distance cycling.

I don't want to be the party pooper and drone on about the health implications of these record attempts because this isn't the place to do it, but I have been concerned for the competitors - extreme fitness and good health do not necessarily go hand in hand!

Good luck to Kurt. I hope that all of the riders get through this without doing themselves permanent harm.

 

[Mugshot]

Kurt is on the move and has done 27miles so far for the day.

 

[Beebo]

It goes to show that it isnt in the bag until the very end. Hope Kurt can get through this, he only has to do a 200mile per day average now, maybe we will stop banging out the big 230 milers and get some extra rest.

 

[swansonj]

Would it make me a very bad person if I were to harbour a secret desire that Kurt's health problems turn out to be nothing serious or lasting, but nonetheless enough to slow him down a bit, so that he takes Godwin's record - which I think he thoroughly deserves - but only by a small margin, thereby leaving an easier task for Steve to come through and take the new record at the end of his reboot - which he also thoroughly deserves?

 

[Mugshot]

Kurt is showing 86 miles on the tracker, that means he's done 60 miles in the last 5 hours, I haven't checked Facebook but it would appear that his issues are not over.

Edit: 188 for the day in the end, so not so bad after all

 

[Mugshot]

Would it make me a very bad person if I were to harbour a secret desire that Kurt's health problems turn out to be nothing serious or lasting, but nonetheless enough to slow him down a bit, so that he takes Godwin's record - which I think he thoroughly deserves - but only by a small margin, thereby leaving an easier task for Steve to come through and take the new record at the end of his reboot - which he also thoroughly deserves?

No I don't think so, I suspect most of us on this side of the pond would like to see Steve take the overall record but Kurt has proved himself to be an extraordinary athlete and it would be such a shame for him (and Alicia) to get so close and fail, I really would feel for the two of them.