Sisters cyclist falls into burning "Ring of Fire'

Johnny Cash once sang about falling into a burning Ring of Fire. Last week, Sisters' Garret Caster cycled into one at the annual Ring of Fire endurance event, held September 9-10 in Maupin, Oregon.

Part of Race Across Oregon's calendar of cycling events, Ring of Fire is a grueling time-trial consisting of three divisions competing in 24-, 12-, and 6-hour loops around the highways of Eastern Oregon. Racers can choose to compete as a team or solo and attempt to log as many miles as their pounding heart will allow in the allotted time.

"I raced in the 24-hour solo class that tackles the 180-mile-long loop on day one, then graduates to the short loop on Saturday," said Caster. "I was up against 14 other cyclists and finished in 7th, just short of my goal of 300 miles, respectable considering the scorching heat and the fact this was my first endurance event."

Caster, a personal trainer at Sisters Athletic Club, trained intensely for the past few months, attempting to simulate the exhausting conditions he would experience when race time arrived.

"I figured out how much I'd need for nutrition and hydration, and picked out music for my iPod, everything from new wave to classic rock to electro funk," he explained, still sore from his ordeal.

"Heading into Maupin Friday afternoon, smoke from the fires was pretty hazy. Ironically, the race course itself was actually ringed in fire and that was going to be an obvious issue. The parking lot had a genuine buzz going with a lots of energetic people and anticipation. People were fairly laid back compared to a normal race crowd, and that kinda offset some of the stifling 90-degree heat."

Caster's support team was two of his best friends from college and his girlfriend.

"They were just there for the adventure, basically shoveling calories into me as I ride, giving me spare gear, clothing, tubes as I needed them and providing light at night.

"Friday, my start time was 7:34 p.m., and they'd altered the course at the last minute due to the fires, and I didn't get that memo. So one minute before the bell I scrambled to find the correct directions and relay the info to my crew. Once we figured that out, I relaxed and tried to settle into the race. One interesting thing was riding across cattle guards, you gotta just go fast and hit them straight."

With 20 hours of tough biking ahead, it was a task for Caster to keep his concentration.

"The long loop was pretty cool, you go through all these little ghost towns, it's like you're biking back into the 1800s. When we got to Fossil, we hit the highway toward Antelope and that's when things got a bit sadistic. It became this steep, excruciating grind of highway. Every switchback found more pavement, all crossed in the middle of the night under a full moon. You start to loathe the road and it's hard to eat because your heart rate is too high and you're experiencing signs of sleep deprivation."

To help combat fatigueCaster brought chocolate-covered espresso beans, but they had little effect.

"My crew rode alongside and talked to me as I climbed. I tried to stay upbeat because I owed it to them. You had to put your head down and keep pedaling. Occasionally we'd get a downhill break or see some wildlife. I almost hit a deer. Saw a few snakes on the road. Sometimes a bat would swoop down. I swore I saw a three-foot jackrabbit giving me the thumbs-up, but it was only a bush."

After finishing the long loop at the 12-hour mark, the beauty of nature's dawn unfolded for the weary racer.

"The sunrise was epic, it made the whole previous twelve hours worth it. You've reached that physical rhythm, and seeing this big orange sun come up gave me a zap of energy and juiced my final push back to Maupin. My watch told me I'd burned around 10,000 calories and I made this giant descent into town, hitting corners and flying. And for those few minutes, you're happy."

Saturday's short loop travails set in hard with record heat, which rapidly deteriorated Caster's pace.

"Temperatures made the saddle soreness worse," he said. "Crusted perspiration, salt and road grime fluid fills your eyes. This is where the misery and layers of hurt came in. The heat dulled everything, the appreciation for the countryside, the music, even my interactions with my crew trying to lift my spirits. The next eight hours of riding seemed almost incomprehensible. Completing the second loop was arduous, completely void of fun. I looked like a sloth draped over my bike. At the urging of my crew I took a short break at the Imperial River Lodge for an hour. It felt so good, like Christmas come in September."

Caster returned to mount his bike outside just in time to hear the announcer tell racers it had cooled to a nice 97 degrees.

"That news was just crushing," the cyclist recalled. "The third loop is where certain syndromes got worse, my toes were numb and cramping and every time I sat on my saddle it was like a slab of iron."

He tried to talk but discovered his throat had closed up, swollen from smoke inhalation.

"At the 10-mile mark I stopped, gave my bike to my crew to stick in the trunk and they carted me back to the pit stop to turn in my final mileage. All together I logged 275 miles, burned 20,000 calories, ate many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drank over 10 liters of water/electrolyte mix," Caster said.

Recovering in the aftermath, Caster's first thought was that he'd never do something insane like that again. However, as days passed, he's considering braving the Ring of Fire next year.

"I'm definitely doing it again or something like it, because of the personal journey you invest in. It's pretty remarkable. I'd recommend it to anyone who can find a sense of self by pushing their bodies to extremes. That's where the greatest appeal lies.

"I can't thank my team enough for how positive they were for me," he said. "Three people riding in a Toyota Camry for 22 hours without killing themselves is actually a more challenging feat than what I did."