Some
Inspirational Riding
When
you feel like you are having a tough day consider this: Rex Wisehart is a
65-year-old man who has endured the following:
77
major surgical procedures including:
- 51 eye surgeries to address a
non-malignant tumor on his optic nerve (behind the eye) and
related vision maladies
- Rex is totally blind in one eye and has
been blind in his “good eye” seven times from post-
surgery trauma
- Rex’s latest eye surgery in mid-April of
this year resulted in 10 days without much vision, but
was not considered as one of his seven
blindness episodes
- 16 knee surgeries including a total knee
replacement
- 3 brain surgeries, one for cancer and two
to address vision related issues
- Two bouts of cancer
- Prostate surgery
- Brain – Stage 4 – Doctors gave him 120
days to live in 1978.
With
this background Rex approached me in late 2012 with a request for coaching
advice…he had spent a few years on the couch, eating everything in sight and
barely moving his increasingly over weight body. He cheerfully announced that
he was planning a new blog called “Old Man’s Revenge” to address his downward
spiral into obesity, self-pity, and general malaise. His goal was to become an
inspirational role model for older men to get off the couch and recapture a
higher level of fitness and health.
Rex’s
major goal was to ride the 2013 Santa Fe Century in less than five hours and
was convinced that somehow I could transform this slug of a man into a lung
busting climbing machine. My first reaction was Rex was channeling Carlos
Castaneda’s epic visions of the mind-altering substances common to the New
Mexico high desert.
It’s
important to understand that Rex is prone to hyperbole, but very convincing so
I agreed to take him on as a “project” provided he purchase a power meter and
agree to follow a program. His first ride was a crusher – two hours of flat
riding at conversational pace that ended at one hour with three rest stops and
a total distance of 8.5 miles. He called me hours later after he woke from his
nap to tell me how hard I was driving him.
Over
the next six months his program was fluid as he was undergoing radiation twice
a week that flattened him for two days each week. Rex worked very hard to
maintain power zones, however, I quickly came to realize his vision was so bad
that he could barely see his computer head and his power was all over the
place. I put him on a trainer where he was not distracted by normal outdoor
riding. He began to build power and fitness as his task was to “feel” his power
zones and only use the power meter to refine his perceived exertion.
Rex’s
progress was solid over the first four months and he managed a 65-mile ride on
his 65th birthday. Then disaster as his “good eye” developed another serious
problem in March that took him off the bike completely. He ended up with
another major surgery in April, but was determined to try Santa Fe on May 19th.
We created a schedule and strategy for eating, drinking, rest stops, pacing,
etc. that I felt could get him through the day (the 20 mph average pace went
out the window a few months earlier). Santa Fe is never easy with a series of
nasty hills, long wind swept sections and everything above 7,000’. There was
some serious concern when the day developed with gale force winds across a
totally exposed high desert course. Hostile does not do justice to what Rex
faced. Here is his story and glorious achievement…
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Rex ready to
ride on race day
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Len
Pettyjohn and Peaks Coaching Group to the Rescue
by
Rex Wisehart
I
want to tell you a story today that defines success beyond my wildest dreams.
I'm the one who did the work… But it would NEVER have happened without the
knowledge and encouragement of Len Pettyjohn and Peaks Coaching Group.
On my
64th birthday, in February, 2012, I announced to the world (very loudly) that I
was going to get off my couch and get my quickly aging self into shape. I told
everyone who would listen that I was going to ride my bicycle 100 miles in a
day in May, 2013, at the Santa Fe century. This was going to be my 65th
birthday present to myself.
I've
had health problems all my adult life. For the few years before 2012, I
conjured up lots of excuses of why I had become a couch potato. I could easily
wrap justification of my slothful lifestyle around radiation and eye surgery
and some other things… but the facts are I just got lazy.
In
1968, I had a knee replaced. Doctors told me at the time the new knee might
last 10 years… But my life would be better if I rode a bike that if I didn't (I
STILL have it!). At the time I was riding a bike for transportation. I pretty much
never stopped riding until my mid-50s. Although I didn't do it very well, I
always rode a least a couple thousand miles a year.
Then
I got lazy. I won't take you all the way back, but suffice it to say I rode
only 217 miles in 2010 and 68 miles in 2011!
Did I
start training on my 64th birthday like a madman? No. I only rode 446 miles
from my birthday until October 30. I had some major eye surgery in September,
2012. My first post-surgery ride was October 30. I rode 8.5 miles that day
(slowly) and thought I was going to die!
While
recovering from the September surgery a client who knew my riding goals put me
in touch with Len Pettyjohn and Peaks Coaching Group. Len is an old friend, but
we had fallen out of touch. We hadn't talked in years.
I
talked with Len about my goals and, surprisingly to me, he told me I could do
it! He clearly did not believe that I could ride the Santa Fe century fast… but
he was confident he could get me there. (Remember… I had pretty much blown
seven months of what was supposed to be hard training – my confidence level
that I could pull off something like 100 miles in a day in six months was VERY
low.)
My
Halloween present from Len was a midnight email telling me what I was supposed
to do on November 1. I've gotten a midnight email every day since…
I
expected the training Len planned to put me through would be extremely hard.
The reality is that it wasn't. One or sometimes two days a week he did have my
tongue between the spokes. The other three or four days I rode during the week
were, frankly, probably not as hard as I would have ridden on my own. (I took
Tuesdays and Fridays off because I was getting radiation treatments on Monday’s
and Thursday’s.)
The
first day, I couldn't ride even an hour without stopping.
Every
day, when I got up and checked my email, there would be Len's plan for my day.
I am a small business owner and pretty busy. I tried very hard not to miss days
when I was supposed to train - but it happened a few times. Surprisingly to me,
Len totally understood that I do have a life off my bike.
We
were lucky this year in Colorado. Winter was pretty easy. There were a few days
when it was snowing or cold… and I went into my basement and road miles and
miles to nowhere (usually not in very good humor). But, generally, I was able
to ride outside four or five days a week. I could not believe how quickly I
started to round into some form of cycling shape.
In
December I set an interim goal: I wanted to ride 65 miles on my 65th birthday.
I did that in February… and was damned proud! At that point, I was confident I
would be able to ride 100 miles by May if I could make 65 miles in early
February.
At
the start of this adventure Len stressed the importance of power-based
training. Frankly, I didn't get it. I mean… I’m 65. I will never ride my
bicycle for a living. I have a perfectly good heart rate monitor. Isn't that enough?
I
thought buying a power meter was an extravagance. Guess what? The guys at Peaks
Coaching Group and Len know what they are talking about. ;-)
Len's
daily emails would tell me exactly what wattage he wanted for what time frame.
I did my best to perform to his schedule. Some days I did that well… many days
I did not. My most frequent problem was controlling the wattage level on the
upside… I weigh too much and I'm not as strong as I'd like to be. I would often
be well over Len’s prescribed effort, especially when climbing. Riding too hard
was the one thing Len often chided me about.
Things
were going okay and I was progressing and feeling good about the May ride. Then
life happened again. I had two more eye surgeries in March – one of them
serious. That one had me on the operating table for 11 hours. I lost almost 5
weeks of vital training time and added a whole lot of anesthesia and other not
healthy drugs to my system.
I
thought all hope of successfully riding the Santa Fe century in May was over.
Len encouraged me to hold on and do what he was going to tell me to do. At the
time it didn't seem like he was working me as hard as I would think he would
have to if I was going to make my goal.
But
guess what? It has already been established that the Peaks Coaching Group, and
Len, know more than I know.
Two
weeks before the century, I rode 55 miles with friends. After that ride Len
told me, if I wasn't stupid and blew myself up, he thought I could make the
century. He also told me to forget my dreams of riding fast and just keep the
dream of staying upright for 100 miles in a day.
We
went on a push. I didn't intellectually agree with some of the things Len had
me do the last two weeks, but I had grown to absolutely trust his intellect and
the fact that he was doing everything he could do to help me meet my goal.
May
19th came. A dozen friends from around the country showed up in Santa Fe to
support, and ride with, me. The morning started out sunny and windy. By 10a.m.
the winds were a constant 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Oh yeah, it also
rained for about half an hour and then we got in a sandstorm!
I
cannot tell a lie… I wanted to quit after less than 50 miles. But I didn't. I
would have called for a SAG wagon but for two reasons: (1) I've built a
following… trying to encourage seniors to get off their couch, and (2) I didn't
want to let Len and Peaks Coaching Group down.
My
goal for the day was 6 hours riding time… but 7 would have been ok with me.
Real riding time was 8:35! Ouch!
I did
it. I rode my 100 (actually 103)… a long and tough day. I proved that a senior
citizen, in despicable physical shape six months before, with two surgeries in
the middle of the program, can meet a tough physical goal with great coaches
like Len Pettyjohn leading the effort.
I can
only say ‘Thank You’ to the Peaks Coaching Group and Len Pettyjohn. There is NO
WAY I could have done this without your expertise… and caring.
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He did it!!
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