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

Old Pueblo almost here

Well, a week from now I will be in Arizona getting ready for the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. The weather is looking favourable....almost to dry, but compared to last years rain I'll take it. It looks like we'll stay over on the Friday night as we are attending a BBQ in honour of Tinker Juarez. Should be fun hearing some of his stories.

I think we might go down on Thursday to get our campsite as it fills up very fast. Pre-ride that day as well and then head back to Scottsdale for the night and pick up all the stuff we need.

I got all of my Recover-Ease samples so the next time I see any of you I will give you some. Hopefully the team kit and casual wear will arrive soon. I doubt before the race but hopefully by March.

So I am starting to intrigued by the whole 29er scene. Since I am pretty tall it might just suit me. Time will tell. I need all the help I can get.....Especially given my competition at the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice as a solo rider. Also, I am now signed up to do the 24 Hours of Hot August nights as a 2 man team...we going up against a bunch of old guys so it shouldn't be much of a problem lapping them multiple times through out the race.

Steve

Got in a nice ride today with the warm weather. Planned on doing about 100km on my own, but about 45 mins into the ride a couple of roadie friends caught up to me and I ended up riding with them. They are pretty good riders, much better shape than me, and it showed on the big climg of the day. I was working a little too hard on a 4km section right before the climb so when we hit it I was out of gas. Now this is a climb I use a lot in the summer as it is about as long and sustained as I can find in my area. Lasts about 7-10 mins depending on how fast you ride. Under 7 mins is my record, about 7.5 mins is the avg but today was about 10 mins. I was just beat. Once to the top luckily my two friends waited for me and we started to head back. It was nice because we had a tail wind and were doing about 35-40km/h most of the way. On the last stretch the strongest rider practiced his sprint lead out.....I was able to hold on....avg'd about 55km/h on that stretch. So today was a good indicator of my fitness. Not too bad at holding speed, but lots of work needed on the climbing. Probably losing 20lbs would be the best answer. Ended up only doing 75km but got an excellent workout riding with people who are faster than me. Sometimes that really is the only answer....when riding by yourself it is good for endurance, but rarely does one push themselves as hard as they really could go.

Got a bet going with my wife on who will be the "biggest loser"....like the TV show. We each have our goals and whoever comes closest by April 23 gets to go on a spending spree. My goal is 167lbs. Could be a little difficult....got down to 173lbs a couple of years ago, but this could be tough, especially so early in the season. I have a 2 week training camp scheduled for early April so that will help. The big factor will be how much riding I get done it March and how my diet works. I wonder what I would buy?

Had some great rides over the past few days. Friday I snuck out for a road ride.....had the intention on doing a long (i.e. 4 hour) ride but after nearly being blown into the ditch a few times decided against quite that much distance. I did get out for 2.5 hours though. Riding into the headwind sure was a good workout.

Got in another ride with Mark on Sunday morning. I was planning to ride the "back up" bike which is my hardtail with a mish-mash of parts because my other bike is having middle chain ring issues. Specifically it is skipping a ton. Probably has to do with the fact it is worn out, missing teeth and I just put on a new chain. I'll get another ring (maybe a whole set) before heading down to Arizona. So Saturday night I get the hardtail ready and take it up the street for a test ride. It just felt so hard. I ended up taking the FS on Sunday and just didn't use the middle ring since we were mostly on the pavement for the entire 3 hour ride. Mark used his hardtail and really motored up the hills and could sprint pretty well. I just might need to try that hardtail once more. Ideally, I'd like to get a new frame that fits properly and give it a solid go.

Bike show is coming in just over a month. Maybe I'll get a frame there. I don't need much else, just looking for parts deals etc.

The weather is still above seasonal right now so hopefully I can get out for more rides. I haven't done as much this year as last so I need to pick up the pace a little. Hopefully it works out.

Steve

Happy Belated New Year

Happy New Year to all. Hope everyone had a great holiday. Certain individuals have complained to me about my lack of blogging so here it goes:

Training has been going okay. I haven't been out on the road a lot due to the nasty weather. I particularly want to get out on the weekends but everytime the weekend rolls around it is pouring raining or snowing. Finally this past Saturday I went out and rode with my friend Mark, mostly on snow (and ice) covered paths but we did manage one short section of singletrack. Figures that it section I nearly slide into a gully trying to navigate a short, narrow bridge. Anyways we went out for 3 hours and surprisingly I didn't not feel all that tired. I thought it would have been worse. I think my biggest issue is going to be the fact that I put on some Christmas weight. I always say I won't let it happen but never have much luck with that.

On the team front I am riding with Team Recover-Ease for 2006. Recover-Ease (www.recover-ease.com) is a new recovery supplement on the market and they are trying to promote it in part by sponsoring a team of atheletes. I didn't go for much else in the way of sponsorship....I am happy with what I have now so I didn't feel there was a need.

As far as races go this year, once again my season will begin with with the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in Tucson, Arizona. This race is always a toss up in terms of fitness so I never expect much out of it and just go to have fun.

Next race might be 24 Hours of Adrenalin in Idyllwild, California at the end of April. I am going to be in the area for business during that time so I might take my bike with me and do the race. Perhaps as a tag team with my brother. This is the location that I rode the 24 Hour World Solo Championships in 2001. It won't be as hot this time, but could be very cold a night.

In May I am going to do the Burn 24 Hour (www.burn24hour.com) in North Carolina which I did a few years ago. It was a fun, low key event so I am looking forward to doing it again.

In June is the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice (www.chicoracing.com) which is the largest 24 hour race in North America. This was the scene of my infamous crash last year which basically ruined my season. If I can be in as good shape this year as I was last year at this time then the race should go well. I'll be plenty rested with 4 weeks between the Burn and this one.

July is totally up in the air. I'll be on vacation and might just use the month to recharge my batteries for the 2nd half of the season. There is a race in Wisconsin at the end of July which is the NORBA National Championship....it is intriguing plus many of the racers will be going for the national title which I would not be eligible for so I would be in a different catagory. It might end up in a good result.

August is the 24 Hours of Albion Hills. I haven't decided if I am going to do this as a team or solo yet. I haven't done a team 24 hour in so long it might be fun. But then I would envy the solo's.

September brings the 24 Hours in Pisgah (North Carolina)....I've been eyeing this race for awhile, but I think I will wait and see how I feel. September also brings the Dirty 100 and an 8 hour the following weekend which are both close to home.

Lastly, in November is La Rute (www.adventurerace.com) in Costa Rica. I have wanted to do this 3 day stage race across Costa Rica for a long time. I almost went in 2001 but then qualified for the World's and did that instead. It would be an expensive adventure but something I would remember forever.

Sprinkle in a few "regular" mountain bike races and maybe even a road race and you have my season. An aggressive one for sure, but hopefully everything will work out and it will be a successful one to!

Steve

Happy Halloween! I'm taking the kids out for trick or treating tonight....maybe I should dress up as a MTBer and get some candy too?

Got some more riding in.....a really good ride yesterday. Very windy but had the tailwind all the way home and was really flying. I'm having trouble getting in long rides though....yesterday was 3 hours and that is about as long as I've been able to get. Bad weather, other obligations have cut down on the time. But I've started the gym so hopefully that will help. Focused on my legs but will do upper body to balance it out.

I'm anxiously waiting for sponsor responses these days. Sent all the proposals out mid September so they should be coming soon.

Steve

The weather outside is brutal. I am determined to get back out on the bike as much as possible for base training but the weather isn't helping. Case in point this morning. Wake up at 7am. Still dark out. But dry. Have beakfast and check the temperature. 2 degrees. Pretty cold but I've got the gear. Rain supposed to hold off until Noon. Head out around 8am. A fair bit of wind making it quite chilly but I can take it. Then it starts to rain. Heavy rain. I am 40km away from home. Luckily I have a tail/crosswind. Made it home in a little over an hour, but I am drenched, especially my feet. They are frozen solid. Soak in the bath for 30 mins but still chilled.

I hope the weather gets better!