24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

Got back from the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo earlier this week.....it was a tough race for many reasons.

I arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday night to find out my bike was not on my flight....even though the rest of my stuff made it. I wasn't surprised, but definitely frustrated. The agent told me it probably would be on the next flight arriving in 2 hours and that I could wait for it or they would send it to me the next day. The shame is I was offered a free roundtrip airfare if I had given up my seat and taken the later flight. Luckily my bike did arrive on the next flight.

Most of Thursday was spent preparing to head up to the race. I put my bike together, purchased all of my food etc and then my brother and I went and hit up some of the local trails. I am definitely not in the same shape I was last year, but I still felt pretty good out on the trails and was able to maitain a decent pace throughout the 1 hour ride.

We left for the race (in Tucson) on Friday morning and when we arrived we set up camp in our usual spot which is fairly close to the start/finish, but not right on the course. That evening we attended a dinner in honour of Tinker Juarez, a legend in mountain biking and 24 hour racing. The event was held in a beer tent....Mexican food was on tap along with beer. I didn't indulge in much of either. It was quite loud in there, kind of like a bar, and I found myself almost screaming in order to talk to others. Once the dinner was finished we went back to our campsite to have a good night sleep in 0 degree weather. Unfortunately I didn't have a very good sleep.
My voice had become quite hoarse and sore from the event but I figured it would clear itself up by the next morning. But during the night my nose started to run and my throat got even more sore. Damn, I had a cold. I barely slept the whole night....maybe 2 hours tops.

The next morning we woke up, had breakfast and prepared to race. I was still sniffly and had a sore throat which made me worried. What was even worse is the the fact that Tucson hasn't had any rain since October so the coarse was very dusty. Not great for someone who has a cold and suffers from Asthma.

The race began with the usual LeMans start which was okay and we were off. The first lap diverts from some of the normal singletrack and takes people along a fireroad for awhile. Early on we hit the worst part of the course. The Bitches. Literally, they are called the 7 Bitches. Steep up followed by very fast downs.....7 in a row. By the last one you are hating it. I must have seen 10 people in a row changing flats after that 7th one. There are tons of rocks just ready to give you a pinch flat. The rest of the lap was fairly uneventful. I finished that lap exactly in the middle of the pack but I was already in trouble. My breathing was bad and I could barely swallow. That's what happens when you inhale dust for 83 mins. Still, I went straight out for my 2nd lap but as soon as I hit the bitches I was done. No power, could barely breathe and just suffered the whole time. The 2nd lap took me 30 mins longer than the first. After that lap I went back to the campsite and figured my race was done. I was freezing cold so started a fire and just tried to feel better.

I slept a little better on Saturday so when I woke up on Sunday morning I decided to ride a lap. It was a pretty good lap at 1:27. Almost as fast as my first lap (1:23). After that lap I went to the campsite and decided to stock up with enough water and gels to get me through 2 more laps. I wasn't committed to doing 2 more laps, but wanted the option. As I went out I was still feeling pretty good. I still wasn't feeling well but my breathing wasn't bothering me as much. I decided that if I could do this lap in under 1:30 I would go for one more. I pushed myself a little to see how it would go. It was not too bad at all. I finished that lap in 1:29. So I met my goal and was ready to go for another lap which would be my last. It was 11:15am at this point so I figured I would shoot for a reasonable 1:45 and finish by 1pm. I downed a few packs of CarbBooms and was off.

BOOOOOM. Thats how I felt when I hit the bitches. My breathing was bothering me a bit, but mostly I think my fitness is what let me down this time. I paid the price for those 2 fast laps. I blew up and dragged my sorry ass around the course and finished about 10 minutes after 1pm. On the positive side I never used my granny ring and I never walked any of the hills on any of my laps. My 2 morning laps were 6th/7th fastest solo laps that morning (granted I didn't ride all night, but hey I was sick too). So still some positive things to consider.

Some other interesting observations is there were almost as many solo single speed riders as there were geared riders. And about half those SS riders were on 29ers. Those 29ers really intrigued me. I'd really like to try one out to see if there is as big a difference as people say.

It was unfortuate to get sick just in time for the race, especially considering I hadn't been sick once all winter. Still, I also need to work on my fitness a little more but that will come with some solid long miles in the saddle during March & April. My winter weight should also come off during those months. May will bring the intensity and then a taper in June (I've decided to cancel the Burn 24 Hour) with my focus on the Mount St. Anne World Cup Marathon and then the following weekend at the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice.

Thanks for reading.

Steve