Riding Audax Philippines 2016

First heard of Audax Philippines on February 2016 from a good friend of mine Jules in Manila while prepping for my Mt. Kinabalu climb. Jules' story of unsupported, self-paced, non-competitive, time-stamped, any-bike-you-like, plenty of 7-11 along the way, series of 200-300-400-600 km rides piqued my interest. Incidentally, he also lent me his Scott road bike (minus crank and fork) as incentive to going lighter, faster and further, since my preferred bike for many years is an MTB. Visited audaxph.com later and was hooked! Seven months later, I had my name in the roster of 2016 SUPER RANDONNEURS.

Audax is long distance cycling event. It is not a race, and not a leisurely recreational bike touring event either. You must complete the rides within pre-defined time limits. Time is not on your side, but the allowance is relatively lenient. A very low-key, low profile and very personal event.

No fanfare and gun start at the beginning. What you’ll have is Carmela over a megaphone imploring safety first and no cheating in the wee hours of the morning. No wang-wangs. No marshals. No cheering spectators. No sponsor ads. Communities along the way have no idea that the event is underway. Checkpoints are nondescript waiting sheds or gas stations with a crew, a timer and a stamp pad. No signs or arrows along the route. Self-navigation. No podium and flashing cameras at the finish. No crowds. Not even a PA system. Just another stamp in your brevet card and it is over. Expect no freebies, no event merchandise nor souvenir items - registration fees goes to logistical expense and organizational dues.

Early morning start-off, Subic, 400 km

Finish, time-stamping of brevet card, Subic, 300km

Very personal. Participants aim to ride long distances just to prove themselves “audax” or audacious. Imagine riding 600 km (that is from Manila to Sorsogon) with an elevation gain of over 2,500 meters in just under 40 hours – just for personal “pleasure”. The ultimate aim of the event is to have more Filipino riders qualify, participate and finish in the Paris-Brest-Paris 1,200 km long-distance cycling event that is held every four years (next one is in 2019).

Here’s my personal take and tips on riding Audax Philippines. I am not a pro athlete, just another weekend warrior. Please visit and read the articles at audaxph.com and at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randonneuring for a good perspective about the event. 

Preferred Bike

Bikes of all sorts and configurations have crossed the 600 km mark – roadies, foldies, MTBs, fixies, fat bikes, tri bikes, touring, tandems, surplus bikes, etc. One can use any of these but my recommended bike is a road bike considering that the route is 100% concreted. Advantages of a roadie includes: range of gearing, a larger wheelbase that is more stable at speed, thinner tires with lesser road surface friction, more variations in hand position and posture at the drop bar - a very aerodynamic stance at the drop section and a relaxed posture at the top section, larger diameter wheels offers increased rotational inertia, and very lightweight. Disadvantages: prone to pinch flats in potholes, slippery tires in wet conditions, and tires can get caught in small cracks in the road (and at a metal bridge).

Optimize your bike fit. Millimeter-adjustments to the saddle height, stem length, steerer tube spacers, crank arm length, handle bar width, and other variables, will make huge difference during long rides. The bike that you have been using during practice long rides is the best bike to use, as your body has adjusted to the bike's geometry. In whatever bike, just avoid very aggressive geometries. This is an endurance ride not a sprint. The body needs to have a wide range of postures during the long ride.

Kababayan tandem bikers Cyrk and Nat, 200 km

Training and Preparation

Build up riding stamina - there is no other way. For me, if you can do a century ride right now (160 km at 9 hours total time) and can still do chores or have a cold one after, then you can do the Audax at any time. From personal experience, I did the 400 km brevet first since I am comfortable with 200+ km rides. To condition myself, I just rode a series of weekender 200+ km rides a month before the 400 km brevet. My official time for the 400 km brevet is 20:27 hours.

The hardest ride for me is the 600 km brevet. But since Audax Philippines usually schedules the 600 km ride a few weeks after the 400 km ride, the 400 km ride is the practice ride for the 600 km. In the 600 km ride, I just did a repeat performance of my 400 km ride, stopped and slept at a hotel, and rode the remaining 200 km early the next day. I finished the 600 km brevet in 35:27 hours.

If newbie to long distance cycling, start training for the 200 km brevet then gradually progress up to the 600 km brevet. It would not be practical to ride 400 km to practice for the 400 km or 600 km ride. Heat train to raise tolerance to heat and get used to riding in the rain - both condition will happen on an Audax ride. 

Second day, 600 km

Checklist

The compulsory stuff that you need to have are cash, mobile phone, route map, cue sheet, inner tubes, repair kit, pump, hydration, food and bike lights. Also have a bike bell to alert dogs, pedestrians and co-cyclists of your presence. An odometer is a must to measure progress and in conjunction with the cue sheet. Resealable plastic bags will save your brevet cards, wallet and mobile phone from the rain. Also have a scarf, arm warmers, UV sunglasses, sunblock, your ATM card, and emergency numbers.

For the longer 400 km and 600 km brevet, I would recommend: having two water containers, anti-friction chamois cream or petroleum jelly, bike tools with chain cutter (plus magic link), rain jacket for downpours especially during nighttime and low temperature, power bank for recharging lights and devices, and toiletries (toilet paper or wet tissues, soap or alcohol). A simple first aid kit is recommended with betadyne, cotton buds, a gauze bandage, bandage tape, band aids, hand sanitizer, pain killers and other basic medicines. My kit came handy when Leo Bells crashed near Tarlac City with some road rash.

Use the best cycling gloves you can lay your hands on. The hands will suffer from the strain of continuous contact with the handle bar. I was not able to move my thumb joints (interphalangeal) for four months after the 600 km brevet due partly to inferior glove choice. Do bring a change of cycling shorts for the 600 km brevet, and change at the 300 km or 400 km point. Your ass will thank you for it. Remember to waterproof your stuff, and all of the above will fit nicely in a Larga saddle bag.

Food and  Hydration

Never brought energy gels during the rides, simply because I am not used to it (and pricey too). Whatever food your body is accustomed to during previous rides would do – chocolates bars, nuts, crackers, bananas, gelatins, soya milk, oat cookies, candies, suman, piyaya, etc., and of course energy gels. Be sure to have at least 300 calories worth of food always at reach. Sports drink is recommended as plenty of electrolytes gets lost especially during hot rides – Gatorade and Pocari Sweat. Cobra is mostly caffeine, not electrolytes. Eat and hydrate on the go! Drink before you feel thirsty and eat before you feel hungry. There are plenty of 7-11’s, convenience stores and carenderias along the Subic route for lunch, dinner, breakfast and snacks to replenish calories and electrolytes.   

One of the best and cheapest energy food to have on your jersey pocket - banana! With Kareen, Masinloc, 300 km, 2017 (photo credit: redgplopinio)

Carbo load at least two days before the event. I usually have an early heavy dinner on the eve and a light rice breakfast early before long rides. Recovery food is equally important, load up with protein after the ride.

It can get blistering hot during daytime and turn hypothermia-cold during evening thunderstorms. Hydrate well and rest intermittently during hot daytime. A hot cup of coffee and a rain jacket is a must during inclement weather.

Audax rides are painful. At some point, the neck will ache, the arms, the palms, the lower back, the upper back, the ass cheeks, the legs, and other body parts will eventually ache. Accept the pain, take it down a non-drowse pain medication (mine is Alaxan FR 500mg), and push on. You may also hit "the wall" - that "this-is-ridiculous-stop-this-insanity" moment, especially under a searing sun or alone on a cold black night. Moments of pure discomfort and exhaustion when you want to quit or ride (cheat) the SAG vehicle. Time to stop... rest, eat, hydrate, and nap.

Rain all day and headwinds, with Fernando of Pila, 300 km

Pacing

Stay within your aerobic comfort zone. Your effort must be that you are approaching but never reaching the upper threshold of your aerobic capacity. Do not over exert as you will be spent later. The optimum time for maximum effort is the cool dark early hours after the start off. If riding solo, it is best to draft behind a group of riders (slightly stronger than you) during this time and sticking it out as long as possible. There are plenty of mini-races going on this time, and you can indulge, just do not over exert. If your peloton is a bit too fast, slow down, and wait for another group doing a more comfortable speed, and stick with them. The pace will slow down as the sun and temperature starts rising. Try to stick to a group and work as a team. I was a solo rider on my 600 km brevet but was lucky to join up with four riders after Masinloc, and we took turns drafting and pulling, maintaining 25-28 kph, with synchronized stops, for more than 300 km. When riding with a group, try to take turns in pulling (riding up front) and drafting. I had an offending experience in my 600 km brevet where a rider drafted behind for almost 300 km only to overtake me and dashed off, just 1 km away from the finish line.         

Chop up the distances into bite sizes. Never think of the whole 400 km or 600 km as your goal. Target and survive the next 50 km, rest, after that set your sights on the next town 50 km away. Mentally divide and focus your effort in the increment of 50 km or 30 km.

For my newbie wife (on MTB 26er), this was our 25km-increment game plan for Subic 300 km 2017, and we sticked to the plan!

"Exhaustion is the shortest way to equality and fraternity."- F. Nietzsche, 300 km

Rest

This may sound illogical but get plenty of rest during the ride. Rest and eat at checkpoints. Rest and nap after lunch. Rest and nap anytime but keep tab of the cut-off times. During the 400 km brevet, I took a one-hour nap after lunch and another 30-minute nap after merienda at roadside makeshift benches/waiting sheds, plus numerous brief snack stops at 7-11’s. On the 600 km brevet, I checked-in at a hotel in Alaminos just after the 400 km checkpoint and slept for 3 hours. You will ride faster after these naps! Register the day before the event so that you won’t have to show up early and wait in a long queue. Try to have a good night sleep on the eve of the brevet, although some may find this quite difficult.

With Paulo, 200 km, qualifying event for Cordillera Epic

Navigation

Have the cue sheet printed or saved on your device, or better yet download the route GPS track from Strava accounts of previous Audax riders and load it up on your navigation app. The route up to Pangasinan is straightforward but it gets trickier going down south to Tarlac with plenty of junctions and turns. First-timers and solo riders can get lost especially when exhausted and during the nighttime. Check your odometer, refer to the cue sheet and ask around.  On the way back to Subic, beware of May Santos’ “Bermuda Triangle” at the Castillejos, San Antonio and San Narciso area. Turn left at San Narciso towards Castillejos and save up precious kilometers.

With Carmela, organizer of Audax Philippines, and Cyrk, 300 km

Terrain and Road Condition

The Subic brevet route is relatively flat, but not as flat as a pancake. There are series of humps immediately after the start-off and before Castillejos. The long climbs will be encountered at the 90 km point between Palauig and Masinloc, and series of climbs between Burgos and Sual. From Mangatarem is a long but slight (almost unnoticeable) climb to Tarlac City. Climbs tops out at not more than 100 meters above sea level. The Audax Rizal 200 km, the hardest 200 km brevet, is another story.

These climbs and minor road undulations will add up over the 600 km distance to more than 2,500 meters of elevation gain - about equivalent to climbing Mt. Mayon. What goes up must come down so expect coasting down the same elevation loss. Save up on calories during these descents and curl down to your most aerodynamic posture to maximize momentum. My Strava data for the 600 km brevet is here: https://www.strava.com/activities/608824199. 

The road surface are mostly concrete and tarmac (asphalt overlay), with road shoulders at most portions. Potholes from poor asphalt cover will be encountered before and after the 150 km checkpoint. Expect heavy daytime urban traffic at Subic town and nearing Tarlac City.

Audax medals

My fastest time is Audax 200 km with a total time of 8:39 hours and moving time of 7:38 hours. Thanks to Grupo Ensayo for leading our peloton for 100 km. It was a humbling experience to have a female rider (Kathy Dela Masa) in an MTB pulling a long line of male riders (including me and town mate Paulo) on road bikes.

My most miserable ride is Audax 300 km with a total time of 14:14 hours and moving time of 12:28 hours. I committed many mistakes outlined in this blog: tried to keep pace with young Centurions doing 30-35 kph and over exerted, did not have any food on me and was under nourished on the way back, did not have enough rest at control points, it was raining hard all day with fierce headwinds and my rain jacket was leaking and was near hypothermic, and rode solo most of the time.

I am not a purist but I would recommend self-supported rides for that full Audax experience.

Long live long distance cycling!

By Noel Mercado II