The Munger Bungo 600k brevet is a north-south route from
Stillwater to Two Harbors along Minnesota’s eastern border. The ride passes through Hinckley and Duluth
using the 70 mile Willard Munger Trail. As
a result, a significant portion of the brevet uses a safe – and mostly paved –
multiuse trail. The brevet also has
limited elevation gain over the approximate 380 mile route. These attributes made the Munger Bungo the perfect
brevet for a randonneur attempting his first 600k!
And so I lined up with 22 other riders at 6 a.m. in front of the Stillwater, MN Super 8 on September 7th for what was to
be a near-36 hour ride. What an
experience it was to be!
In lieu of a chronological report, I’m opting to review a
few key themes that emerged in my mind after some reflection.
Preparation
This was my first brevet of the year. Further yet, it was my first ride of the year
beyond 100 miles. As one might expect, I
was riddled with self-doubt about my fitness going into the ride. This turned out to be a non-issue, as I was
able to ride well for all but the final 60 miles (more on that below). My pre-brevet strategy of incorporating brisk
100 km rides every week beginning in late June seemed to work. These rides (typically starting at 3 or 4
a.m.) also allowed me to acclimate to night riding, which turned out to be
important during critical sections of the Munger Bungo.
Being mentally prepared for the ride and highly organized with
my gear was as important (and perhaps more important) than my fitness. As Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Accordingly, I made every effort to
anticipate what I might encounter along the route in order to develop a
strategy. Leading up to the Munger Bungo
I took ample time to review the route and available facilities at each
control. I developed a strategy to ride
quickly early in order to provide ample buffer for the second day, when I knew
I would suffer most. As time for the
ride got closer, I reviewed (and re-reviewed) weather forecasts and carefully
read the pre-ride report from Michelle Brougher. Collectively, this information was golden, as
there were few surprises. I was even
able to adhere to my pre-ride strategy, albeit at a slightly slower pace than
expected due to a persistent headwind the first day.
As for gear, I organized clothes in my drop bag for specific
purposes (e.g., Two Harbors out-and-back; Sleeping clothes; Second day gear),
each in separate (and clearly labeled) freezer bags. This organization helped me transition
quickly at the Munger Inn. As for what I
carried on my bike, redundancy was key (e.g., two front lights, two tail
lights, two tubes, two bottles of Ensure, multiple gels, etc). I only felt unprepared once toward the end of
the second day, when I wished for my fenders (I removed them prior to the ride as
the chance for rain was negligible).
Managing Pain and Fatigue
Having a shoulder still in recovery mode from a torn labrum
(see first blog post), coupled with a touchy right knee (previously torn
ligaments) had me concerned how my body would respond to 600k. As it turned out, my right shoulder was the
least of my worries, but my upper back, neck and (eventually) right knee were
problematic as the ride wore on. To
mitigate inflammation I took one Advil at each control, but this proved
ineffective in the last 60 miles. I
included a tennis ball in my front bag and used it to massage my upper back by
leaning against a wall (typically at a convenience store), and though it
provided relief, I didn’t stick with it during the second day. In retrospect, I should have stopped
periodically to stretch and use the tennis ball more frequently. Furthermore, I wonder if I would have
benefited (in body and mind) from periodic mini-sleep stops. As it turned out, I wasn’t able to fall asleep
at the overnight control, resulting in some fairly significant fatigue later into the ride. We took a mini-sleep
stop along the Munger Trail on the morning of the second day, and even five
minutes of shut-eye proved restorative.
In future brevets, I’ll definitely be on the look-out for shaded park
benches to take advantage of this opportunity!
Being Chased by a Pack of Dogs is a More Effective Stimulant than
Coffee
Enough said.
Riding Partners
I was blessed with two riding partners during the Munger
Bungo: Phil and Randy. Phil and I began
riding together shortly after Taylor Falls, while Randy joined us just as we
started on the Munger Trail north of Hinckley.
These guys were perfect riding partners.
Congenial, communicative, and mindful, we passed mile after mile with ease. We rode at a similar speed, worked well in a
paceline (0.5 mile/rider at the front), and fell easily into consensus on major
decisions. With the three of us working
together, we also were able to quickly catch route errors during the second day
(errors, as it turned out, I contributed to).
At the finish, I couldn’t thank them enough for their help and
encouragement over the course of the ride.
I hope to ride with them again.
And speaking of gratitude…
Giving Thanks
I owe a big ‘THANK YOU’ to the following people for their
contributions toward making my first 600k a success:
Michelle Brougher for organizing an excellent route, recruiting top-notch help, commandeering an amazing overnight control (including almond milk for breakfast!), and providing much-needed encouragement and advice before and after Two Harbors. And let it be known that the Espresso gel Michelle gave me made all the difference after North Branch!
Rob Welsh for his communication prior, encouragement during, and congratulations after the Munger Bungo. The Minnesota Randonneurs are fortunate to have Rob as their RBA!
And Now for Some Photos!
(Pre-ride review)
(Riding together prior to Taylor Falls)
(Taylor Falls without the much anticipated donuts)
(Onto the Munger Trail)
(Headwind)
(St. Louis River just outside Carlton)
(Along the Lakewalk Trail in Duluth)
(Darkness falls en route to Two Harbors)
(Back on the Munger Trail)
(At the finish with Phil and Randy. We made it!)
