Today I am very excited. I am having coffee right now and will be going on a nice solo ride in a few hours. After that I am going to drop by Cycle Progression and pick up my new frame and a few parts. I have been waiting for this bike for half the year and I am very excited to get a chance to try it out. I am also getting a new race wheel set that will be here the middle of next week. So stoked! Here is a little sneak of what is coming…
Wow. It is really hard to believe that the 24 Hours of Rocky Hill is already over. This was the fourth year for me to compete in this event and I absolutely love everything about it. I love the smell out there in the woods at Rocky Hill, I love that it is close to my home and I love the fact I know I will have my hands full each year with high quality competition. I also enjoy my Texas MTB family and friends. It’s the one event that I really look forward to competing in. I started planning for this race specifically about 2 months ago but I knew my base was good coming off all the serious training I did for my race up in Canmore just three months earlier. This year I was worried about a number of things before the race. My main concern was my 24 HR nemesis Greg “I will rip your legs off and eat them raw like a Caveman” Parham. I knew he was driving back from his new home in Durango and he was motivated. I saw him before the race and he looked calm, cool and collected as always. I was also worried about this crazy Canadian coming all the way down from Calgary to throw his hand in the mix, Dave Franks. You can read his account of the race HERE. He was fresh off a fifth place at Canmore and I know he had been hitting the training HARD since that race (we have the same coach and he was staying at my house this past week). He had a 36 hour drive just to get to this race so there was extra motivation for him to crush everyone. Ray Porter was also another guy I knew would be here and be strong coming off the Great Divide race he had completed this year (Congrats on that one Ray, simply amazing). The last thing on my mind was the heat. I know how fast this race starts and in this heat it can really crush you early. I had to control myself on those first six hours so I could make it through the night and finish.
It was already hot when we lined up for the run. I was very excited and knew I had to run the start quickly and try to get out early from the start. When the gun went off, everyone took off. There are some fast runners out there! I just kept my eye on Greg and trailed him around the pond and back to where our bikes were laying. The run left me a little winded honestly but I settled into the bike quick and just kept my eye on Greg who was a couple bikes ahead of me starting the first climb. I knew Dave, Ray and a few other guys were just on my tail but I also know how Greg starts his races and I needed to focus on keeping him closer than the two years past. The first lap’s pace was really quick but I was handling it okay. I kept Greg in sight most of the lap but I knew it was just a little too hot outside and the pace a little fast for me to handle for 24 hours. With about two miles to go I decided to ease back and let Greg go. I lost sight of him immediately. I knew I couldn’t keep that pace up and survive and figured if he could then he deserves to win. I relaxed and settled into what would be a long day.
The second lap was almost as fast as the first and I was settling into the pace and feeling better. That lap and lap three went off without a hitch. I didn’t get off my bike in the pits, Dave’s wife Coralee was helping me with my nutrition handing me my bottles. I really appreciated that because I knew her helping me was a conflict of interest since I was competing against Dave. She was a rock star the and helped both of us the entire 24 hours we were racing. By lap 4 I had settled into a pace I was comfortable with and I could maintain that effort level for the next 11 hours or so. I was really happy with how I felt on the course and the fact that I was able to keep my lap times within a few minutes of each other up until this point. I knew there was trouble for Greg when I saw him again up ahead of me going up a switchback. This was around lap 5 I think. When I caught up to him, he was hurting and had stopped at the top of a climb early on the lap. I stopped and spoke to him for a sec and he said the heat was just killing him and his body was shutting down. I asked him to get on his bike and ride with me but the heat made him take a small break to catch his breath. He told me to go, so I listened and just pushed on. I felt bad for him, but as I have learned anything can happen in a 24 and I fully expected he would be passing me later in the race when it cooled off. At this point I knew I was in first place, but was not certain where Dave, Ray or anyone else was.
The next few hours were fun. Things were flowing for me and I was feeling good. I was cramping quite a bit, but I am used to this and knew if I could make it to night time I would be okay. I was killing the electrolyte pills each lap and doing two 20oz bottles of liquid per hour. I was in a zone, just disconnecting my head from my body and living in the moment of the race. I truly love riding my bicycle because it is the one time I am truly living in the moment. I don’t care about the past, I don’t think about the future, I am just living in the now and I really love that. Everyone on the course was having fun also. I was seeing some of the guys on teams just cooking off some fast laps, and they were all super friendly when blowing by me. The Texas mountain bike community is just amazing. Everyone was having a blast and this race is really done well by the Terra firmacrew, first class for sure.
I get excited in every 24 when it starts to get dark. That is my favorite time to ride my bike. I had my lights up on my bike by 5pm, and they were burning by 7ish. The night laps were awesome and my new light & motion lights I got at Cycle Progression were great. I felt like I was driving a car out there it was so bright. Once it cooled off the cramping went away and I started to feel even better. Around this time I ran back into Greg and he seemed to still be struggling with the heat and just not feeling good. I had heard reports of him stopping on the course and felt really bad for him because I know he is considered the King of this race. He is a crazy tough competitor and I know he will be back next year, my hat is off to him and I have nothing but crazy respect. Laps 11,12 and 13 went by with no issues and I was still feeling good, borderline great. By this time I knew I had a lead over second and I also knew my buddy Dave was in second, Ray in third. With Greg being out I had to focus on where the other racers were and be smart not to do anything to give the race away. I continued to ride at the same pace, keeping steady and riding what my coach calls “lazy fast”. I was giving the least amount of effort I could by laying off the brakes and using more momentum to get me up the punchy steep climbs out there. To this point I was averaging around 1 hour laps since the start of the race and I was starting my 15th lap. On this lap I caught up to Dave in second place. We finished my 15th lap together, his 14th. At this point I felt secure in the spot I was sitting in the race. I decided to ride with Dave on my 16th lap and had a blast. We were riding together, just talking and enjoying being outside in the woods on our bikes. I had a small scare on the 17th lap with a mechanical. We were about 2 miles into the course when my rear shifter cable broke and my bike was stuck in the 11 tooth cog in the rear. I didn’t have time to do anything but stand up and grind it out. It doesn’t sound like a big gear, but the 26/11 gearing 18-19 hours into a ride is difficult. I had to ride the remainder of the lap standing up, but I found it kind of refreshing in a way. Lucky for me there was a neutral support set up in the pits and the guys from Bicycles Plus were there to help. They fixed my bike with no questions and got me on my way in a hurry. If you live in the DFW area and need service or a bike, go see them. They give back to the community and are super classy folks. They even came over a few hours later to check if the cable had stretched and adjusted my bike again.
Dave and I rode together for the next 2 laps riding at a good pace and keeping each other company in the worst time of a 24 hour race, the dreaded 3am – 6am Zombie zone. I was super excited to have the chance to ride what I call the money lap with Dave. It’s the lap that starts off dark, but as you wind through the trees and singletrack the sun comes up. It is really hard to explain if you have not had a chance to experience it but It’s my favorite lap of the race and I felt very lucky to have had the chance to ride this with my buddy from Canada eh? When we got back to the pits I was checking on the times and I was calculating that Dave had about a 45 min lead over Ray in third and we could just chill and take it easy. Just when I said that we saw Ray ride by and go into his pit. Dave looked at me with a sad face and said very calmly “That’s him, I gotta go”. He got on his bike and I knew he was about to crack off a fast lap and dig super deep to put some time on Ray. As he was riding off, I said to him “Dave, Don’t blow up”. He just smiled and took off. That was the last time I saw Dave in this race. I was in a strange place at this point. I was sitting securely in first, but I was super tense for my buddy Dave who was sitting in second. I know what it’s like to race a 24 to the end, and it is tough. I was lucky enough to not be in that spot, but poor Dave wasn’t so lucky. I watched him dig deep, and I loved every second of it. It was inspirational. Dave cracked off a lap so fast he put 14 minutes into third place, I think his lap time was around 1 hour 7 minutes. When he came back into the pits he kept on going and pulled off another 1 hour 7 minute lap and sealed the deal. What we didn’t know at this time was the timing had a delay and Dave was actually a whole lap up on Ray when we thought they were so close. Dave dug deep yet again and knocked off another final lap for himself, totaling 21 laps tying last year’s winning distance. What a performance!
When this was going on I was able to take some time for myself and enjoy my last few laps and just reflect on the last 20+ hours and all the training hours leading up to this moment. I was all smiles on the last few hours, proud of what I had done and proud of what all my friends had done also. At the end of the day I finished my race in 24 hours 14 minutes and completed 22 laps on the course. I was also surprised to have been awarded the fastest solo lap of the race, I am still happy about that one. This race and every other race I do is not a solo effort. I have a support team and I could not do races like this without them. I wouldn’t want to. It all starts with my family and close friends. They know my schedule and call every day to check on me and keep me motivated even when they are having a rough day. I really love them and they give me confidence. I also have my girlfriend Mena and her son Zeke who always come to my races and support me with big smiles. She knows best of all how hectic my training schedule is and I truly appreciate that she puts up with me and how often I am gone. I also have my coach Shaun Taylor of ForwardMomentum Coaching. I can’t say enough about his coaching, philosophy on life and riding and the amazing leadership he provides me. I am lucky to have him not only as a coach but as a friend. I want to thank Cycle Progression for taking care all my cycling needs. They are an amazing group of guys so if you ever need a new bike, service or anything cycling related go see them at the new location. If you go, call me and I will meet you there. I also wanted to thank Bobcat 13 Photography for always taking amazing shots of the race and letting every racer who participates in events like this relive them through the photos.
Well, that’s about it. The 2011 24 hours of Rocky Hill is in the books and I am happy to say it was the best one yet. Scott and Kathy of Terra Firma Promo always do such a fantastic job on this race, thank you both. I also want to congratulate every person that signed up for this race and met some goals, had some fun and created some memories that will last for years.
Here is the official link to the results of the race
Last year I decided to start training for a big race in Canada. The race was part of the 24 hours of adrenalin series, and the race would be held in Canmore, Canada. The race is not like races around Texas, it is a big production and has a ton of people attending. My coach and friend Shaun Taylor lived in Calgary (about 1 hour from the race site) and invited me to come stay with him for a week and play with the big boys of the 24 hour race scene (he has since moved to Rossland B.C.). For the entire past year all the races I have done and all the riding I have done were in preparation for this race. I laid all the cards on the table for this one. I packed up my car and drove up to Canada not knowing what to expect…..
When I left, I thought the trip would be simple, only about racing. I had simple thoughts, simple plans and wanted to do nothing but eat, sleep, train and race. I had visions about the movie Rocky 4, when Sylvester went to Russia and got ready for battle in some rudimentary way, lifting logs and running through snow. Mentally, I was ready to do battle and I had a year of hard training to back me up. I left on a Saturday morning and drove through Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington before crossing over into Canada. It took me about 35 hours to get there. When I arrived I saw my coach sitting in front of a coffee shop reading a paper and smiling some kind of devilish smile. I didn’t know him other than our email exchanges. Up until this moment my two+ year relationship with him was completely virtual. I did not know what to expect from him, but I knew I liked him. I looked to him as almost a father figure, a giant walking among men. I knew something good would come of our meeting.
The day I settled in Rossland, I was shell shocked from 3 days of travel but excited to get to know my coach, his family and the Canadian way of life. I went riding. That is when it all changed. I was blown away with the trails. Straight up, straight down, no middle ground. Not like Texas. The dirt was amazing, fibrous as a friend of mine put it. It was loam from heaven meant to stick to tires like almond butter on sprouted bread. My first ride had me worried because it was about 15 minutes long and it had me hurting. The next day we did not get to ride. We talked about race strategy, nutrition, bike setup, etc. I learned so many things about what I was doing wrong I could not believe it. I also learned what not to eat before a race, and saw the crazy level of preparation he puts in before a race. I won’t get into here, but let’s just say all bases are covered and all situations are controlled.
On the third day Shaun and I went riding on some of the trails around Rossland. I felt better this day and was very excited to play. Riding in those trails was amazing. It had been raining the entire day before, but the dirt was perfect. The trails were just amazing, and the views even better. It was about a 2 hour ride, and I think we covered some pretty cool trails along the way. Shaun wore his GoPro camera and did some filming as we tore around the trails. We were taking it pretty easy because it was just days before the 24 hour race in Canmore. We didn’t want to risk injury so close to race day. The clip here shows a little of what it is like there, but the camera really does not do the trails justice. This stuff is steep, and the penalty for a mistake is big.
I was in Rossland hanging with Shaun, Doreen, Evan and Keegan Monday – Friday. It was an amazing experience for me, like I was part of the family. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner together and any spare time not spent eating, talking, lounging and laughing was spent riding those trails or if you know me adjusting my saddle and stem (I do that a ton). The boys were kind enough to offer me a bed in their room. I would wake up every morning with Keegan standing over me smiling, excited to start his day of pure awesomeness.
Evan and Keegan
Keegan and Evan turned out to be a highlight of the trip for me. Being around them reminded me of how awesome it is to be a kid and play. Shaun and Doreen are awesome hosts, but even better parents and these boys will be growing up in an outdoor playground like no other.
Friday morning we packed up our car and started our 7-8 hour drive to Calgary for the race. On the trip I had the chance to see the Canadian countryside. I was shocked at how green everything was and how nice everyone was to each other. We stopped at a cherry farm and loaded up on some rainier cherries and of all things a garlic sausage from a butcher shop in some small town we passed. Shaun and I ate and talked the entire trip and shared music. I had a blast that day and I will never forget it.
Saturday morning is when the business end of the trip started. We woke up early and drove over to Canmore. I was blown away by the mountains there. It was surreal to roll up on that. This pic is from the highway leading to the race.
I was very nervous, but I also knew I was ready to do this. I had no chance to ride the course before the race so the first lap of the race would be the first time I would experience the trail. The weatherman gave us a good forecast for race day, sunny and cool during the day and pretty cold for this Texas boy at night. He got it wrong. At the start of the race it was raining and I saw some guys come off the trails and it looked like they were spray painted with dirt. It was about to get sloppy. The race organization was amazing. There were thousands of people out there, and the spectators were loud and friendly. Before the race they announced and asked the crowd to give extra cheer to the folks who had numbers starting at 50 or lower because we were all solo riders. It was all surreal to me at the start with the music, the crowd and the mountains. I always love standing at the start line of a race, but this race was different. I had traveled across America by myself to get here. I had come a long way and it was finally happening. When the gun went off, the only thing I could do was smile.
The first lap of the race shocked me. The course was all climbing for the first 30+ minutes. I remember saying to myself, this is going to be impossible do to for 24 hours. The first 30 minutes would be like riding the hill of life here in Austin over and over. To make matters worse, it was mud soup poured out over wet roots. After the first 30 minutes of constant climbing it started to get fun with some descents and punchy climbs thrown in. I was learning the course on the first lap and realized it was going to be a long day. I was having fun, settling in and enjoying myself. I had the chance to ride a while with my coach and I was just loving every second of being on the bike. I was not stopping in the pits and Doreen would hand me my bottles between each lap with a calm smile to keep me going. I had to share a pit with Shaun because I didn’t have a cover for my stuff and it was raining. The first 8 hours passed and I was still feeling good, but started making a few mistakes in the pit area, losing some time. Every person I rode by or that rode by me would say “way to go solo”. The racers were all super nice and supportive. I could not believe the crowd support and the shared respect everyone on the course had for each other. I have not experienced this in a race before.
During the day the trails got better and the riding was fun. Some places were still a little muddy but the roots were dry and descents were fast. When it started to get dark outside, the trails started to change. It got muddy and super slick again. At times it was just dangerous with all the wet roots and low visibility of it being night. Somewhere around the 9.5 hour mark Shaun had a fall and hurt his wrist. He was ahead of me when this happened and when I came into the pits I saw him standing there with a splint covering his arm. I was sad because I knew he was about to start crushing everyone with his Viking battle axe as he puts it. He was racing on a single speed, and this course is not super single speed friendly if you know what I mean.
Shaun Taylor
He is a super strong rider and I was feeling terrible that he had to sit this one out. He told me a thousand times “It’s a 24, anything can happen” and already he was right. I kept on going with a little help from Doreen. It was getting close to midnight and I was getting tired and having cramps. I remember crossing the start line for another lap feeling wasted and the guy said to me “only 12.5 hours to go solo!”. I wanted to punch him when I heard that…
The late night/early morning of the race is the tough part. The first 12 hours are hard, but everything turns dark 16 hours into a race this hard. I was feeling bad, no energy and cramping all over, especially in my arms from all the gnarly wet rooty descents. I was looking for a way to get out, almost hoping lighting would strike me or something and take me out of my misery. Shaun turned into coach mode now that he was no longer racing was helping me, along with some of the other athletes he had racing. I came in late at night dying and looking terrible and before I could even talk he said no, no no, I see your face and you are doing good. I need you to drink this, go back out there and don’t stop riding until the sun comes up….we can reassess you once the sun is up. I needed to hear that, and that is what I did. I clipped in and would not stop again until the morning.
I never knew where I really stood in the race. I never look at 24’s as a race against someone, I look at it as a race against myself and how far I can push it. This has worked for me up until now, but this race in Canada was coming down to the wire and there were three of us fighting for the podium. I was riding my 14th lap and doing the math in my head. I calculated I could finish the 14th and the 15th lap would be my last. It’s funny what your mind will do to you when u think the end is near. The 15th lap was the hardest lap of the race for me. I knew it was my last lap and I was ready to be done. As I came into the pit, I learned I had the time wrong and it was only 11:30 am. As I rolled up, Shaun ran out with a bottle and a plan. I thought I was done, but he said you are possibly in third and I need you to drink this, dig deep and ride the fastest lap you can, much faster than the lap you just did. I started to revolt and he said, clip in, ride and dig deep. You didn’t come this far to stop now and you will be very disappointed if you do. I don’t really remember what I said, but it was something like Yes sir…. I hopped on my bike, talked to my Mom and Dad in my head for a bit and took off. I felt pressure. I had never had to race the final lap of a 24 hour race, much less a race I had so much on the line for. I shut my mind off and started riding and something magical happened. My cramps went away, my legs felt fresh and my mind became 100% positive. I kept thinking of my Mother and the battle she is fighting and telling myself if Sandy CAN , dammit I can. I came rolling into the pits and had to sprint for the finish line knowing I was done. I had no clue where I stood, but I know I left nothing on the course and my last lap was the second fastest lap of the race for me. I felt awesome and I earned the “atta boy” from my coach (he doesn’t give them out to just anyone:)) Here is a pic snapped at the finish, 24 hours later.
I learned that I ended up placing second overall in the Solo division at Canmore which is one of the largest 24 hour races around. This blew my mind, and I was super excited my trip was a success. I had a chance to stand on the podium with two other amazing riders and hear the cheer of the crowd as they announced the results. My coach, Doreen and the boys were there and took this photo.
This trip for me was a game changer. I thought it would be about the race, but it was really about the journey. I left Texas with an open mind, all alone looking for a solo trip to race a solo race. I left Canada with some new lifelong friends, a head full of amazing memories and a satisfied feeling of accomplishment. I was humbled by how amazing folks are around this world, and I have a new found love for Canada, bikes, living, beer, coffee, kids, family and friendship. I can’t explain how it is possible that a bike can change your life, but It has changed mine in so many ways and I feel so lucky.
This was not a solo trip by any stretch of the imagination, and the race was not a solo effort. I had a team of amazing people and it would not have been possible to do this without them. I am deeply thankful to have had this amazing opportunity and I want to thank you Shaun, Doreen (and your father), Evan and Keegan for letting me come to your country and stay in your home and be part of your family for one of the best weeks of my life.
Canadians are super cool people, eh
The Taylors have a ton of info to teach the world, not just cyclists and not just about cycling
Canadian “loam” has special pixie dust in it that grabs hold of your tires
Sprouted bread can change your life
Rossland trails go to a 13 on a 10 point scale…trust me
Almond butter, not Peanut butter
Buy local
Pour over coffee is good
Sugar is white death
I love muffins and cherries
24 hours is a long time to ride uphill in the mud
Having your legs, arms and private region go numb and spit up bloody lung butter is totally “normal” dude
Beer is expensive in Canada, but worth every penny
Patchouli still smells good to me and I love Vans slippers
I want to live in Rossland
I don’t want to move to Okotoks
Shaun Taylor is an intense competitor
I love noodles
You can learn a ton from 6 and 7 year old boys
Sometimes Dead goats move really fast… no joke
Dirt don’t hurt cuz god made dirt…..
When I put the Guts and Glory 12 hour race on my schedule earlier this year it sounded fun. It’s a really cool grassroots race with no entry fee. It was being hosted this year by Josh De Boisblac, a friend of mine and Cat 1 bad ass. I was really excited to ride in this because the last two months have been very spotty for me training wise and I was eager to get some good miles in. I went to this race with my teammate Justin Calland. In the last 12 hour race out at Warda Justin and I were 2nd and 3rd so I knew he was up for a good suffer fest. Riding your bike for 12 hours off road is always hard, but the difficulty goes up considerably with the oppressive heat. I don’t know how hot it exactly was, but I estimate it was around 96-98 degrees all day and it felt super humid. There is little tree cover in comfort so the sun was hitting you almost the entire time.
The race started at 8:06 in the morning and it was already hot. I felt fresh because we had a great little hotel room in Kerrville and I had a good nights sleep and a great country breakfast. I was also on my new bike . Justin and I had a plan to ride together and just see how long we could go. Each lap was approximately 20 miles long and the trails are really fun to ride. We rode together for three full laps, which is close to 6 hours in the saddle. The heat was brutal. My legs felt great, but I kept getting the chills from being so hot. The heat was just sapping all my energy. After the 3rd lap Justin decided to take a break and cool off. He is currently leading the dirt remedy series of races and was keeping his mind on that. I decided to keep on going and rode half of my fourth lap listening to my ipod. Music really helps take your mind off things. That half lap I rode with music was refreshing. When I got back to the pit, I ran into my buddy Marshall Bell and rode the second half of my fourth lap with him. We were both cramping up a little from the heat, but we got it done. When I got back to the pits to restock my water and food Justin was eager to go. Justin, Marshall and I took off together. Justin was fresh and setting the pace. Marshall was having cramping issues and dropped off a little. As I took off on my fifth lap I was told that no one has ever completed six laps at comfort. I had a new goal at that point… set the record.
I felt okay starting my fifth lap and then all of the sudden the heat got to me. It is strange how it happens, but it just took away my drive. About 45 minutes into my fifth lap I was overheating. I kept thinking about the ice cold beer I saw everyone drinking each time I would come into the pits. At this point I was juggling the numbers and figuring out when I could stop and still keep the win. I was a full lap up on second place and time was running out for anyone to catch me thankfully. Luckily Justin was in second place and we could make it a 1-2 finish for team Cycle Progression. He is an awesome competitor and I was really excited to ride with him in this race. When I came into the pits at the end of lap 5 it was 6:40pm. I was cooked from the heat and decided it was time for a beer. It was a 10.5 hour day for me with about 100 miles of single track covered. I am guessing about 7500 -8000 feet of climbing .
I had a blast doing this and I am really thankful to be part of such a cool community. Texas mountain bikers rock, and I look forward to more races and rides with all my friends (old and new)!
My roommate Tom has been busy. We have been talking about having a backyard chicken coop for a long time, and a week or two ago he started building. It is amazing really how fast he was able to build it and how well he did it. I am a big egg eater. It is a great source of protein and lucky for me I have no cholesterol problems so the idea of walking out and getting my eggs from chickens I know is exciting. This coop is large enough for 10 chickens but we have decided to start out with 5, and give them free running time in the backyard to keep them as happy as possible. This coop has a rain collection system built on the back of it, and that will feed into an automatic watering machine keeping our little ladies hydrated and happy. Our end goal is to also use the water not only for our hens, but also to water the garden.
It turns out that having a coop in Austin is very popular and there are actual chicken coop tours. We plan on being part of this tour next year, once we have the coop established and running smooth. I am really looking forward to the first time we can walk outside and get an entire meal from what is growing in our backyard, that is what it is all about.
Two words that really get a guy like me excited. It’s not every day I get to piece together a bike from scratch with the exact components I want. I just had a chance to do this, and let me tell you it was worth the effort. Last week I finally ironed out all the hiccups in the new build and took the new Giant Anthem X 29er out for her maiden voyage. This marks a paradigm shift for me. I no longer own a 26 inch wheeled bicycle and I can honestly say I don’t miss it. I drank the Kool-Aid, and it was quite tasty.
I have not had a chance to name this bike, but it is coming. We are working through some personality and fit issues but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am already understanding the quirks and strange behaviors this bike is showing me. I believe riding a 29 inch wheel bike in the terrain that we live and race in is a big advantage. I am already seeing my fastest lap times on this new bike at a much lower perceived effort level than my other rides. This is going to be the bike I will race my next 24 hour race on. I will keep the carbon stumpy as a backup/single speed ride, but the Giant will be my go to bike for longer distance races. She comes in pretty light also, 23.8 pounds with pedals. I know they say “It’s not about the bike” and I believe them…. But let me tell you, having a bike like this sure makes things a lot more fun :)
I want to end this post with something my coach told me after I complained how tough the workout he assigned me was.....
"Sword blades are forged in the heat of an unforgiving furnace. You wanna be a sword, you got to take the heat".
Last weekend I raced in my first 12 hour solo mountain bike race. This race was short compared to my usual 24 hour races but I think it may have turned out to be just as hard, if not harder. My 24 hour nemesis Greg "Caveman" Parham was there to defend his title and I knew he would be gunning for the win. On the start line I saw some familiar fast faces... Adrian Barron, last year's unofficial winner and all around bad ass was lined up to race along with fellow Cycle Progression rider Justin Calland who I knew could throw it down. Nathan "Wink" Winklemann was there, but I assumed he was doing the 6 hour race. I was wrong. Wink went on to win the race in solid fashion on a single speed no less.
The race was fun at the start and due to the cold icy weather started an hour late. The LeMan’s start kicked off at 9am with freezing weather and a strong south wind. It did not feel like the race was being held in Texas. There was snow all over the ground and some of the trail that was covered by the trees was entirely white and packed like dirt. The pace for the first couple of hours was fast. I saw Wink walking backwards with a broken bike right from the start and I could not find Greg on the course and figured he was in front of me. Justin was on my wheel talking to me the first couple of laps and that was nice to have a teammate and friend with me. I didn't realize it, but with Wink and Parham behind me (mechanical at the start) I was in the lead for the first 4 or 5 laps of the race. I knew Wink was behind me and I saw Greg was back in the pack so I took advantage of that situation and kept the pace hot.
Wink rode up to me after a while and I could see he was fit and gunning for the win. This was a different Wink than I encountered last October at the 24 Hours of Rocky Hill. We talked a bit but his pace was a bit much for me and I settled into my own race, now in second. I knew Greg and Justin were close behind and lucky for me Greg's wife Colleen would post times for him on a white board and I could see where we all were each lap. I was about 7 minutes up on Greg and another minute or so on Justin who was in fourth place. I saw that Greg was putting in HUGE efforts to close the gap and I started to see him through the trees. I knew it was bad when I felt a wheel behind me in the pasture section of the race and there he was waving at me with that familiar grin. This was lap 10 of the race.
Greg and I talked about the race and finished up lap 10 together. I could tell he was not feeling well, or something was wrong. I was not sure but I was thinking he had to really push hard to close the gap and that effort took a toll on him. It turns out his knee was the issue. We stuck together for lap 11 and lap 12 keeping each other company and talking as we rode through the trees. He told me he burnt all his matches and didn’t want to risk hurting his knee for what seemed like second place at best. He pulled the plug on lap 12 and told me to go on electing to fight another day. He was a classy competitor and continued to help me during the rest of my race and even found me a beer when the race was over. Thank you Greg and Colleen, you rock.
I was feeling good when I left Greg on lap 12 and decided to push on. I was riding a tempo pace keeping each lap within a minute of each other. I saw that Justin was riding a strong race and had picked up his pace on lap 12 and 13. Going out on my 14th lap I decided to pick the pace up and see how I felt. I felt good and made up 5 minutes on third place. At this point I had about a 15 minute buffer over Justin in third and knew we only had three laps left in the race so I was feeling safe. I also knew I could not catch Wink in first place and settled in for a 2nd place overall. I was happy about my result and rode my slowest lap of the race on lap 15 when I had light troubles and could not get the light to turn back on in the woods. It was pitch black and I could not see my hand in front of my face. I could not get my nightrider light cable plugged back into the battery until a racer stopped and gave me a light. I wish I knew who that guy was, I want to thank him. I could not get anyone to tell me how much time Justin made up on me, but I was hoping he did not make up the 15 minute gap. Justin did blast out some fast laps on lap 15, 16 and 17 to close the final gap to 9 minutes. I was really impressed with his effort, and I also knew this was his first 12 hour race also. I know we will all be seeing more of Justin around in the endurance race scene and I congratulate him on his awesome riding.
When I finished my 17th lap, I was ready for the race to be over and drink my first beer of the year. The quick pace in the beginning took its toll on me and I was worn out. When I rolled across the line after 11 hours and 24 minutes of racing I was excited to see my girlfriend and her son sitting under the canopy cheering with smiles on their faces and of all things a cheese plate sitting out ready for the picking. They are the best race support and I truly look forward to seeing them each lap as I come through to restock on food. The title of the race was 12 Hour Solo, but this is hardly a solo effort. I could never do this without the support of my friends and family and I honestly don’t think I want to. They not only pack up and come out to support me at the races, but also put up with my silly training schedule. This was a much needed confidence boost for my training and I am really looking forward to the 2011 season.
See you soon and stay tuned for more race updates!
