Jersey Represent!
In 11 hours, 53 minutes I logged 11 laps (~10.5 mile course) to win the Solo Sport division at The Dirty Dozen!
When I checked in after lap 10 (my goal was to do 10 laps) I was in first place, but the timekeeper told me that at the start of lap 10, the 2nd place dude was only seconds behind me. I had wanted to quit, but I couldn't let myself give up 1st place that easily. If I was fighting for 2nd/3rd I would have called it a day and been happy. I cranked really hard for the entire lap, blowing any reserves I had left and cramping horribly. I did not get passed by a single rider but in the last 1.5 miles a light appeared behind me and I had to assume that I was being chased down... The final climb is 3/4 of a mile from the finish and I screamed my way up the hill. Literally.
I may have been the one to pedal for 12 hours, but I owe this win to the Matus family from Giddings, TX who worked as my support crew for the entire race. Not only did they put me up for 2 nights but they also drove me everywhere, gave me moral support during the race, and helped me out with the odds and ends of race logistics. I have never had so much help during a race before and each time they aided me they gave me minutes of advantage over my competition.
A beautiful family, they are truly blessed to have each other.
THANK YOU!!!!
I haven't felt well all day. My systems are all haywired, and I hurt all over.
Post-race notes:
- padded gloves rock. You lose control, but you gain comfort. I have no hand-related issues that usually plague me post-race.
- my heart rate was normal in the first few hours, but I struggled to keep it below 155 for the first 3 laps. After 6 hours, my heart rate worried me as it was below 120 at times, and below 135 most of the time. I don't know the reasoning for this, but I need to find out.
- more chest and abs work needed. my training regimen has included a lot of that and I've felt an incredible improvement since last summer's races.
<edit - I had planned to do this race with music. Not just music, but like all 12 hours tuned in just enough so I didn't drown out the trails. I had soldiered up a backup battery pack for my iPod 40gig (3rd gen) I stupidly forgot the iPod at work so I went without. The trails at Bluff Creek were so crazy that if I had headphones in I think I would have crashed a lot. The trails are so different from anything I've ridden, composed of mostly dry hardpack. EVERYTHING was fast, and in your face. Most of the trail would wind from one curve into another and another... there were no straights. The ground was pebbly, but some spots were hard clay and fast dirt. On the turns you'd have to listen to ground to hear when your tires were starting to break free. The balance so delicate to master... In the later laps my morale improved dramatically because I was starting to get the course dialed that despite the discomfort and pain in my legs, i could have some amazing fun.
I'm kinda down on racing right now because the costs are really high and I don't really have a firm grasp on my motivation for being a "racer". Gonna take a step back for a few months. Ride, just for fun.
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When I checked in after lap 10 (my goal was to do 10 laps) I was in first place, but the timekeeper told me that at the start of lap 10, the 2nd place dude was only seconds behind me. I had wanted to quit, but I couldn't let myself give up 1st place that easily. If I was fighting for 2nd/3rd I would have called it a day and been happy. I cranked really hard for the entire lap, blowing any reserves I had left and cramping horribly. I did not get passed by a single rider but in the last 1.5 miles a light appeared behind me and I had to assume that I was being chased down... The final climb is 3/4 of a mile from the finish and I screamed my way up the hill. Literally.
I may have been the one to pedal for 12 hours, but I owe this win to the Matus family from Giddings, TX who worked as my support crew for the entire race. Not only did they put me up for 2 nights but they also drove me everywhere, gave me moral support during the race, and helped me out with the odds and ends of race logistics. I have never had so much help during a race before and each time they aided me they gave me minutes of advantage over my competition.
A beautiful family, they are truly blessed to have each other.
THANK YOU!!!!
I haven't felt well all day. My systems are all haywired, and I hurt all over.
Post-race notes:
- padded gloves rock. You lose control, but you gain comfort. I have no hand-related issues that usually plague me post-race.
- my heart rate was normal in the first few hours, but I struggled to keep it below 155 for the first 3 laps. After 6 hours, my heart rate worried me as it was below 120 at times, and below 135 most of the time. I don't know the reasoning for this, but I need to find out.
- more chest and abs work needed. my training regimen has included a lot of that and I've felt an incredible improvement since last summer's races.
<edit - I had planned to do this race with music. Not just music, but like all 12 hours tuned in just enough so I didn't drown out the trails. I had soldiered up a backup battery pack for my iPod 40gig (3rd gen) I stupidly forgot the iPod at work so I went without. The trails at Bluff Creek were so crazy that if I had headphones in I think I would have crashed a lot. The trails are so different from anything I've ridden, composed of mostly dry hardpack. EVERYTHING was fast, and in your face. Most of the trail would wind from one curve into another and another... there were no straights. The ground was pebbly, but some spots were hard clay and fast dirt. On the turns you'd have to listen to ground to hear when your tires were starting to break free. The balance so delicate to master... In the later laps my morale improved dramatically because I was starting to get the course dialed that despite the discomfort and pain in my legs, i could have some amazing fun.
I'm kinda down on racing right now because the costs are really high and I don't really have a firm grasp on my motivation for being a "racer". Gonna take a step back for a few months. Ride, just for fun.
/>
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