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Bicyclists Worked Hard Over Holiday

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By PAUL CATALA

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 17, 2008

PLANT CITY - They trained, mapped out, plotted, trained some more, dieted, worked out, planned and continued training.

But all the preparation couldn't have prepared Dave Buyens of Plant City and Ken Elliott and Allan Duhm of Lakeland for their long-distance experiences with foot power and two wheels.

Over the Labor Day weekend, the three men competed against about 60 other cyclists in the UltraMidwest 24 Hour Challenge, a 24-hour, 400-mile bicycle ride.

Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, the three long-distance cyclists took part in the biking ultra-marathon - and in this year's event, ultrachallenging.

Held in Port Byron, Ill., the UltraMidwest is sanctioned by the Ultramarathon Cycling Association and others. Competitors race to gain points from times, move up in rankings and qualify for more prestigious rides.

Duhm, 59; Buyens, 55; and Elliott, 46, wanted to compete and qualify for the Race Across America, a 3,000-mile, eight-day ultramarathon bicycle race across the United States. But none of the men said they expected some of the twists and turns the race took, leaving them short of their ultimate goals, but satisfied they made the efforts.

Duhm, who works in marketing for an engineering firm, has been cycling since 1984 and trains regularly with 140- to 170-mile weekend rides. He said that after arriving in Geneva, Ill., on Aug. 28, the men took training rides before the big race at 6:30 a.m. Aug. 30.

Although they rode specialized mountain bikes on a clear, 58-degree day, Duhm said nothing went "as planned or hoped." He said vandals had painted improper arrows on the race course, throwing off contestants at numerous locations.

As a result, the race director had to divert racers to a route that contained a much higher percentage of uphill riding, making completing 400 miles nearly impossible.

"Dave did a great job, gutting out 307 miles; Ken had knee problems after 200 miles but continued through the pain to log 343 miles; and I hit gravel at the 107 mark and crashed," Duhm said.

Riding with bruised hips and ribs and a bloody elbow and forearm for another 50 miles, Duhm couldn't go any farther and ended up with 157 miles completed.

Buyens and Elliott, an air-conditioning mechanic, continued riding through the pitch-black night to boost their mileage totals.

During the ride, Buyens, a Lakeland civil engineer and freelance photographer, said their lights illuminated a couple of huge, corn-fed Midwestern deer

"The scenery was beautiful - tasseled corn as far as the eye could see," he said. "Temps were a high of about 83 and low humidity, with a 10-mph breeze. It just goes to show that no matter how prepared you are for a challenging event such as this, there are no guarantees and too many variables to assume you'll reach your goals."

To train for the experience, the men regularly rode at Loyce Harpe Park in Lakeland, sometimes up to 350 miles per week, with no drafting (when competitors align in a close group in order to reduce the overall effect of wind resistance).

"People say we're crazy. In our sport, there's no drafting. When you're by yourself, not in a group, you can't do that."

The men also found what was supposed to be a relatively flat ride turned out to be pretty steep, the result of the change of route. Buyens climbed 9,400 feet, Duhm reached 4,500 feet, and Elliott exceeded 10,000.

In the end, the bikers totaled 807 miles, what they considered a "respectable effort."

"We did learn more about our nutrition on such a ride, and ride support efforts, so it was in no way a lost cause," Duhm said.

"We'll press on and try it again in February at the 24 hours of Sebring bike marathon."

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