[This was typed up the next day after the race]
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| Solo Sport 40+ Podium |
I did it! I finally put all the lessons from Shaun and everything I learned about myself and won the 40+ Solo Dirty Dozen Race (and my bike "Turtle Rocket" held together too in spite of finding out the previous day it was suffering the dreaded Race Face carbon crank loose pedal thread insert).
I really screwed up my nutrition but somehow I got away with it. I came home with 6 whole bottles of Infinit, and I had already dumped about 2/3 of a bottle at the ranch. So I did 11 hours and 49 minutes of racing on a little over 5 bottles, a few peanut butter crackers, and a cereal bar. The crackers and bar I had while taking pills: caffeine and advil. I guess my fat burning fasting experiments paid off!
I ran hard for the Le Mans start for the first time ever, and rode hard the first lap as usual passing people. I got through the bit of traffic and even some complete stoppages in that first section of trail but I still used a lot of energy that first lap because I really wanted 15 laps--but I should have realized I didn’t have 15 in me and been smart about it and slow the pace down for 14 laps. I still felt good pushing hard so I kept going at the same pace.
I had fun in the actual single track, but the pasture section (more of this than last year) really sucked. I had setup 3 bottles on the table before the start so I didn’t even stop for the first 4 laps or so, I dumped a bottle and picked one up on the fly. I did a few back to back laps on one bottle because I just wasn’t drinking enough. I should have bought some gels and blocks but I just ran out of time during the week prior to the race. I ticked 47 minute laps through the first 6 except for two where I had to stop to grab more bottles out of the cooler or get rid of some clothing (warmed up fast) or did a bit of stretching. Then in lap 7 I got a bit slower.
I finished the 7th lap with really strong ammonia smell so I knew I wasn’t eating enough. I made myself drink more on lap 8 but this is where I bonked. I was feeling horrible. I managed to finish the lap and decided I was going to stop and eat more food, and finish a bottle of jet fuel, take some Advil for my back, and some caffeine. I meant to take sport legs but I forgot to. It was probably a 10 minute stop but felt like forever. I tried to go out once but still felt sick (like the flu with chills, etc.) so I came back and sat some more. When I went back out, I felt much better. Lap 9 was faster but I had already lost a lot of time and in my head I knew 14 laps was out, but 13 was still a strong possibility if I did less than one hour laps the rest of the way. After lap 9 I took some caffeine. I didn’t feel the normal kick but still felt better after the Advil and sport legs and felt glad I hadn’t quit.
I guess the caffeine kicked in on lap 10 because I was feeling pretty good. It also helped the wind died down in the pasture. All the 6 hour people were gone and there didn’t seem to be a lot of 12 hour people running. There was one 12 hour solo guy (Dave was his name) I was around a lot and he was with me through six laps. I thought he was my competition. We passed each other back and forth but after lap 6 or so he passed me, and I didn’t see him again. After lap 10 I put my lights on and just didn’t have much more to worry about until lap 12.
Toward the end of lap 12, I started getting a sharp lower back pain. I couldn’t figure out what movement was causing it so I could never predict it or prevent it. I went out for the last lap and it kept coming back. I didn’t have a lot of spare time left and I didn’t want to let up for fear that I was close to someone and they’d catch me or I was chasing someone and I wouldn’t pass him. Yep, I had zero knowledge of where I was in the race, who I was racing, or just about anything else. I made this a race against me. I wasn’t going to quit early like the muddy race last year and the muddy 24 hour race and the Dragonslayer. I would ride through the end as hard as I could then let the chips fall where they may. Every little squeak on the bike was audible on this lap, but I made it. I crossed at 8:49pm (though by math and lap times I should have crossed at 8:39pm…so maybe I was just seeing things wrong). Went to start packing and Brian Grubbs came by to congratulate me on finishing, and to let me know I’d won by 2 laps. It was awesome!
The BSS group was camped before the barn (I setup my table in our usual spot) was pretty rowdy, and I was looking forward to them cheering me on every lap. Even at night when they couldn’t see, they (I think it was Leigh) would ask if it was me and I’d yell back “YES!” and they’d yell and cheer like crazy. It pumped me up!
I’ve been eating non-stop since I got home at 11:30pm.
