Willis Wall

CELEBRATE THE OUTDOORS

40 years outdoors experience, extensive info on Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail, original music, equipment reviews, off trail videos, other peaks in Mt. Rainier NP

*Our team finishes fourth overall (#35) for the 3700 mile virtual ride*

Great American Ride

April 17, 2023 by Willis Wall

I’ve written about the importance of bike training in my routine, and my participation in the Great American Ride was a real gas. Our team of 8 (over 60 except for one 59 YO) finished 4th overall and 2nd for 8 person teams. I was surprised by how well my body held up hammering out miles on the bike trainer over 17 days, turning in 959 miles and finishing 31/484 for individual results (based on pace; 19.67 MPH). I took one day of rest and one day for skiing. My longest day was 112 miles, and my fastest ride was 65 miles in 2 hours 58 minutes (21.9 MPH)

The bike training lays the groundwork for cardio vascular fitness, threshold training and mental stamina. The next phase will be incorporating running and trail running into the mix for those specific muscles. Is a sub 3 day Wonderland possible this year?