There are no guarantees that anything will go right under the most well-prepared circumstances, but Heidi was as prepared for this 36-hour bike event as one could be. She trained her body for months by riding thousands of miles between January and July, and lifting tons of weight in order to build strength, plus she honed in on her nutrition, and felt the healthiest she had in years; a vital piece of the puzzle for any athlete, but especially for someone battling auto-immune disease. Still, no matter her preparation, any minute ridden over 24 hours was brand new territory, but she was ready for it, because she wasn’t just riding for herself, she was riding to honor thirty-six fallen police officers from across the country.

Heidi's list of 36 fallen officers she was riding to honor for her 36-hour ride.

Heidi works for the Sedona Police Department as a Police Support Services Tech. She is exceptional at her job, she respects the officers she works with, and they respect her, and her pursuit of these nutty endurance challenges. Therefore, when the clock ticked beyond 10PM on Friday night, the 24-hour mark, she knew she had deep blue well to draw from if need be.

There would be a need.

Wednesday afternoon pre-race photo shoot.

The first few days of the week were filled with travel, errands. and planning. Mary Knott, Heidi’s coach, best friend, and accomplished athlete herself, was our mini-crew captain, (it was the just the two of us), but she and had developed plan on how to approach our crew duties before the event started on Thursday, and together we kept the machine smooth from start to finish, which meant we were on top of our game to support Heidi every second of her 36 hour ride.

It was a huge honor to be included in this experience with Heidi and Mary. They are as close as two best friends can be. In fact I have marveled at their friendship from afar for years, but after a couple nights of bonding, I was confident that they allowed me inside their “circle of trust,” and together we formed a mighty combo to conquer this quest.

Look who snuck into the "Circle of Trust.":)

Just after 8:00P on Thursday night, Heidi, Mary, and Heidi’s friend and fellow 36-hour competitor, Kevin, loaded all of our gear up to set off for Red Barn Park, AKA the race transition area, and location where we would be camped out at until 10A Saturday morning. In an interesting COVID-19 twist, parking was limited on site, so I dropped everyone off, loaded up our bike cruiser in the mini-van, drove a few miles to the assigned parking area, the Washington Island Community Center, and then pedaled back to the Base Camp/Transition area. It was a fun, and slightly treacherous ride as the sky was growing darker by the minute, as it was nearing 9P, but with a trusty light on my head, and glee in my heart, I made it back safe and sound.

A few minutes before 10P, all of the athletes taking in the 36-hour event, (Triathlon relay, or bike), lined up along the fence 6-feet apart with the red digital clock glowing over their shoulders, and a pitch black night in front of them.

Screen left, our TeamSFQ teammate Jodi Gilmour, who was racing the Triathlon relay, and Heidi, one of two competitors racing the solo 36-hour Bike event.

The bike course was a 10-mile loop. However, since this event was a Triathlon as well, at the completion of every loop, the riders had to dismount their bikes, and walk about twenty yards to give their number to the official race counters in a tent, and then walk another 15-20 yards, to re-mount their bikes and start the loop again.

Heidi ripped through her first few laps in under forty minutes. We had a nutrition routine planned at the completion of each loop which included: 1x water bottle, 1x bottle filled with Scratch, and a large ziploc bag filled with gels, Clif Blocks, Welchs’ gummy snacks, and a rice crispy-esque treat that was easy on Heidi’s stomach, (she can’t eat marshmallows). Later in the event were interspersed protein bars, turkey slices, Matcha Green tea elixir, Ginger Ale, C4, (a heavy caffeine drink), instant coffee, potato chips, cookies, bone broth, and Fritos. (I might be forgetting something, but that covers most of the nutrition). Mary and I noted every piece of nutrition that went out with Heidi at the start of every lap, and what we received from her, (wrappers, empty bottles), at the end of every lap.

Heidi cranked through the first eight hours at a dominating pace, but around 2A, (I believe), she took an extra minute while we were exchanging nutrition to tell me her idea to honor a friend, teammate, and tremendous athlete, Greg Pelton, who had passed away unexpectedly a week prior.

“I am going to ride every 100th lap with Greg.” Heidi shared.

“That’s an awesome idea!” I replied.

Reaching the century mark was a huge physical and mental feat in this event, and since Heidi would be riding well over 400 miles, celebrating each completed century with Greg was an excellent way to acknowledge each 100 mile milestone, and stay motivated to keep pedaling toward another.

Screen left, our amazing Biscay Coaching teammate, Robin Pelton, and her angelic husband, Greg.

Heidi sailed along smoothly until 12:46P Friday afternoon.

As she cruised into the transition area, I noticed something was off, she had trouble breathing, and for the first time in over twelve hours, climbed off of her bike and asked to sit down near our tent. Mary quickly handed her an inhaler, then she sat down in the midday heat to reveal that she had felt amazing out on the course, and then her energy instantly dropped, and she started to panic. This incident happened after she had ridden 220 miles. Not one second before. Regardless of her bubbly emotions, it only took a handful of minutes for her to collect herself, make a wardrobe change, (swapped bibs), and then she was back out on the course pedaling again.

Despite the strain Heidi was feeling, she finished each lap like clockwork, hovering slightly above or below the forty minute mark every single lap. Her consistency was appreciated by her crew, because both Mary and I snuck in a quick run of our own later in the evening. On a related note, I felt the best I had in months during the handful of runs I completed throughout the week. Yay!

Just after 8P, right around sunset, and just after riding beyond 300 miles, Heidi started to feel nauseous. She sat down with Mary for a few minutes in transition, meanwhile, my friend and TeamSFQ superstar, Jodi Gimour, (pictured above), who was cheering alongside us, and participating as a member of a 4-person relay team, (along with 3 other amazing TeamSFQ ladies), said to me, “I can ride with Heidi if she wants me to.”

Following is a quick back story about Jodi. She had been recovering from knee surgery for the better part of the past year, had only been running for a couple of months, and while she was increasing her bike training for this event, she completed her first century ride ever the night before, (Thursday night), and was planning on riding for three hours Friday night, (10p - 1A), as part of her relay. Also, Jodi was my savior at Ironman Wisconsin last September. She cheered for me all day, and was the kind soul I needed to see and be with at the finish line when I crossed it in tears.

Jodi is a gem of a human being, and a very strong cyclist, but the reality of riding twelve more hours with Heidi was a big ask, so after seeing Heidi bounce back from her rolling stomach escapade, and ride off again looking good, I replied to Jodi’s kind suggestion,

“Thank you, I’ll let you know.”

The next loop was tough. Heidi came in and noted that she felt terrible, and that she couldn’t bear to suck down another gel, or anything, but she needed calories, and thankfully slurped down a box of bone broth without issue. It was nearing 10P, and I relayed Jodi’s offer to Heidi and Mary, which they gratefully accepted, so I scurried off to Jodi’s tent to let her know she was “on,” and a few minutes later they pedaled off together into darkness.

Off they go. Jodi and Heidi heading out for another lap.

Their first lap together went well. Heidi handed us a few wrappers when they rolled through transition, a promising sign, and we sent her off with some not-so-tasty, but powerful instant coffee, and three gels. At this point it was after 11:30P, and Mary took her shift to sleep, but offered to wake up by 2A since Heidi was leery, and needed as much support as we could muster, but I felt good, so I told her she should try to sleep until 3:30, and then we’d go from there.

When Heidi and Jodi rolled in after 12:30A, Heidi didn't look or sound so good. She quickly plopped on the road after unclipping from her bike, but with the aid of pickle juice from a fellow racer, and a “You gotta keep going” pep talk from yours truly, Jodi and I hoisted her up from the ground, slid her bike underneath her, and off they pedaled into the night. They finished the next lap by 1:30A, and didn’t want anything from me, Heidi felt good, and wanted to keep riding.

INSERT Tuesday’s 2:30A Blog Post scene here, AKA, When the fit hit the shan.

However, after Heidi’s sanctioned 25-minute dirt nap, both she and Jodi felt refreshed, or at least better, and coherent. In fact, Heidi was cracking jokes as she made another wardrobe change, sucked down half a bottle of Scratch, and within minutes all four of us, Mary, Heidi, Jodi, and I, walked back to the road where the riders clipped into their pedals, and rode off into the early morning darkness.

At that point of our adventure, I knew we were in the clear.

Heidi still had hours to ride, which would be a lot for most people, but she is not like most people. I had faith her spirit was renewed, Mary was awake and rockin’, so I laid down for a two hour nap.

Heidi and Jodi smoked the next two 10-mile loops.

By 6A, I was awake and back on my feet just in time to learn of Heidi’s sudden hankering for Fritos. I quickly jumped on the cruiser to retrieve our mini-van from its far-a-way location to drive Heidi’s friend Kevin back to our rental house, (he succumbed to stomach troubles and pulled out of the race), and then next to sit outside the grocery store until it opened at 7:30A to retrieve the requested Fritos.

Heidi and Jodi on the course Saturday morning.

I made it back to the transition area just in time to pass off the Fritos to Heidi, and to watch her bite Mary’s head off. It was after 8A, she was so close to finishing, and just wanted to be done, but Mary knew she had more in her, and urged to keep going.

They flew through the next lap, and didn’t stop at all for nutrition, which was great, because they were so fast I had to run out of the tent to try to reach them, and didn’t, because they were already back out on the course by the time I got close. I didn’t mind at all, and was just excited that Heidi still had some pep, and was going to finish how she wanted to.

Just after the red numbers on the digital clock passed 0:30, at 9:29A Saturday morning, the crowd started to line the road, the race director announced Heidi’s arrival, and then she appeared around the corner and rolled across the finish line victorious.

Heidi rode 440 miles, and was the overall winner of the 36-hour bike event.

Meanwhile, I was trying to shoot as much of the scene as possible to use in my movie, and crying behind the camera. Not only was I proud of my friend, and happy that she safely achieved this humongous goal, but as an athlete, and someone who appreciates human physical ability and endurance above anything else, I was thrilled to witness such a momentous feat in person.

Next, I asked Heidi where Jodi was, because I didn’t see her cross the line, and she replied, “She wanted me to ride in alone.”

Then I started really crying.

The class, compassion, and camaraderie Jodi displayed by riding the final 12 hours with Heidi, after riding her first Century the day before, and then staying back to not overshadow Heidi’s outstanding accomplishment rocked me to my core. The women that make up TeamSFQ have proven time, and time again how incredible they are, and I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to be among them.

The next few hours were buoyant, yet quiet. We all needed to shower, eat, and sleep, A LOT, and let what we had just experienced sink in.

Personally, my week on Washington Island confirmed that I am doing exactly what I am meant to do. I had the chance to help a friend achieve a huge goal, and share her story visually and in print, what an awesome life to live.

On that note, instead of a music video for this post, I am including the link to the mini-movie I made about Heidi’s 36-Hour Bike Quest at the Washington Island Relay. Enjoy.:)