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I pulled 40-50%-ish of the entire way to RHR with others leeching off of my good nature. Another guy in the peloton had a normalized power of 256 W and I was a bit heavier than him, so probably close to accurate. Christ!
RHR lap was pretty tough due to steep climbs and fatigued legs. Kept making up time on people and knocking 'em out.
I was 36th coming out of BCR and 18th at the end. Solid time! I was never passed during the race.
Takeaways:
Super happy with my performance on this one. 18 hours total: 15 moving time, 3 resting. Thought I wouldn't be able to pull it off starting around hour 3, but managed to just ignore things and keep riding. Crew was brother for six hours (10:00am-4:00pm), then solo for the remaining with help being offered but politely rejected. Ended up callin' it quits around 4:00am after I had clinched second and figured there was no way I'd catch up to first.
Things I did right:
Things to do next time:
Got there around 5:30pm after a 3:30 hr drive from Dallas; tried to keep pace steady throughout, but first hill was just too steep and too long; eventually Brother came and helped to support; I quit around 12:30am after seeing a storm heading straight for us and watching my time steadily drop (and finish time steadily increase). It was too much and I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was.
It is humbling knowing that this effort will take 18+ hours no matter how I cut it. It's just a matter of continuing to cut laps off the total, one by one, pedal stroke by pedal stroke. Not much else to talk about. I will switch to polarized training after this and add in leg strength again.
Warmed up for 30-ish minutes and made some last minute barrel adjustments to derailleur. Popped off the line and was immediately in second with my now-nemesis in first. The first quarter-ish of the course has hella climbing and he made the most of it. The gap within 15 minutes was substantial and I prayed he would die out later in the race: he didn't.
I kept a steady pace and passed people where I could, which was mostly on climbs. I was not nearly as exhausted after the race when compared to others because I didn't push myself to the limit. There's no point in killing myself and ruining the next few days of training to not get any benefit.
While not happy with the result, there's nothing I could do. First place was fitter and faster than I am.
Preparation for this race was bad. Got six hours of sleep the night before and had a whopping 400 calories (plus a caffeinated water mix) a few hours before the race. Whoops... I also chose not to ride with any fuel (food or liquid).
Whistle blew and were off of. Maybe 40-ish meters of chute before hitting single track. I managed to get fourth and was comfortable there. Heart rate was pretty high but steadied out after a couple of minutes. We first hit mud seven-ish minutes in and I was able to take a side path and pass two guys, leaving only one ahead of me. Five minutes later he went over the bars, letting me pass him and put on the fucking gas. There was no chance.
I dropped all of them quickly and efficiently. The lap was much longer and hillier than I anticipated, leading to premature exhaustion in combination with the inadequate preparation. But now was not the time to relent. I needed to keep pushing lest my pace drop and my opponents' improves. I focused on pushing easier gears on the uphills and pushing the pace on flats and downhills. Modern Life Is War and Life Long Tragedy were playing in my head as I danced through the trees and navigated the muddy ruts.
I beat second place by 5:45 min, +2:43 min the first lap and +3:12 min the second lap.
Takeaways:
First off, I had COVID from at least January 19 to January 24-ish, so I didn't do any exercise besides casual walking for the 10 days leading up to the event. Whether this was detrimental or beneficial remains to be seen.
Because of said respiratory illness, I chose to take this easy for at least the first lap, then decide how I feel. I was guaranteed the overall series win so long as I finished the race or (my arch nemesis didn't register last minute AND I DNFed). I started off in the middle of the pack and forced myself to spin up the hills and not pass people. I chatted where I could to regulate the intensity and made a few friends along the way. The first lap went by quickly and easily—I was feeling good. I stopped for a cookie and drink before starting off on the second lap. My freaking saddle kept sliding back (despite cranking down on the bolts) to the point that I was basically riding a recumbent... I had to deal with this for the rest of the ride.
Not much to report on the second nor third laps. I started to move faster for the heck of it towards the last five-ish miles of the final lap, but besides that didn't push anywhere else. I crossed the finish line without nearly as much fatigue as previous marathon races, a good sign that I a) rode with the needed intensity, and b) am in pretty good shape.
Takeaways:
The start, while wide and around 0.5 miles long, was still a clusterfuck fueled by adrenaline and inexperience. We hit singletrack and I was immediately stuck behind people who had no business being where they were. I passed who I could and then got into a groove about 15 minutes in with another rider. Three of us were together on the road and made our own little peloton, each of us taking 1-2 minute pulls to help with the wind. We eventually made it up to a group of four and latched on. This peloton was a godsend. The more riders, the less pull time spent per unit time and the more wind is broken when not leading. One guy kept trying to push the pace, but we let him go and he eventually fell back/we caught up. There was very little struggle going to RHR—we joked, chatted, and spun out in our smallest gears hauling ass on the paved and gravel roads.
I stopped to refill my water bottles and was the first among our eight (we picked up one) to hit the 15-mile trail section. I considered slowing down enough to let the rider behind me catch up, but eventually said fuck that and kept pushing the pace. I passed two riders and made some good distance on my peloton crew. With 5-ish miles left, I experienced something for the first time: difficulty in changing gears due to muscular fatigue. My triceps (I think) were so fatigued that my thumb was having trouble pressing the shifter in. I had to press the far outside of the paddle. This eventually got better, but was a tad bit scary considering I had 20+ miles left.
I stopped at the drop bag again to eat a cookie, refill my waters, and stash a Snickers in my jersey. I caught the then-second-place 19-29 rider who told me how fast he had gone out to RHR and that he wasn't having much fun anymore. I pushed past. I eventually caught a SSer who I recognized from a few other races. It was with about 10-15 miles to go that my actual triceps started failing, likely due to my extended time in the aero position. I shook them out, massaged them, all to no avail. Just had to keep going. I'm surprised and happy about my performance on the road back given the windiness and being solo. Cadence was high and power was there.
I made it back to BCR and quickly finished the singletrack. My award was a bottle of wine.
Takeaways:
Neutral start loop was a great idea that helped to spread the field out a bit. The first few miles consisted of rolling hills and switchbacks snaking up the large hills, giving a definitive advantage to the lighter riders and making us heavier folk work for our positions. I was feeling good fatigue-wise, but man, I should have ditched my windbreaker at the start. The temperature was 35 °F and windy, so I figured the wind breaker would be helpful. It wasn't. I was sweating and my sleeves were soon soaked. Opening the zipper helped a bit, but taking it off would have been preferable. I pass a decent amount of riders on the first lap, killed a single water bottle with electrolyte mix, and ate a Gu packet.
The second lap was when I started to feel it a bit. The bike and my body felt heavier going up hills and my mental acuity wasn't as sharp. I had to force myself (is it forcing if you like it?) not to pass on uphills and to spin in the easy gear to save energy for the dreaded third lap. I finished my last water bottle and two more Gu packets before setting off on the third. The last four miles of the course included rollercoaster-like dips, but also steep climbs that you couldn't power up—well, you could, but not me after almost 40 miles of riding. I was praying for the sight of the doubletrack that indicated the last smooth mile of the race—no more climbs, no more weaving through trees, no more mud pits.
After the race I had two Karbach ciders, collected my first place trophy, and drove home to get a well-deserved cheeseburger and milkshake with a friend.
Takeaways:
Mass start had about 100 people and I was probably 40th or so. Adrenaline got the best of me and I went out pretty hard with the rest of them, eventually settling close behind one rider. Three miles in he made a handling mistake, causing me to crash (my fault) and have my handlebars get twisted. Got passed by about five people and unknowingly lost my only water bottle (which I noticed about 30 minutes later). I caught up to a pack of three, hung with them, then made my pass, eventually making it to a group of seven who I forced myself to hang with since I still had 30+ miles to go. Some dumbass messed up a short climb but failed to get off the trail, bringing a bunch of people with him...but then immediately failed the next short climb, and STILL didn't move! Ugh. I had a water bottle and KIND bar at the end of the first lap, then got back on the bike to get some more.
Second lap was pretty lonely, but tragedy struck with about three miles to go: my shifter came off, causing it to dangle by the cable. I had to awkwardly hold it in my right hand while still holding the handlebar and controlling the rear brake. Shifting requiring me to remove my hand from the handlebar, position the shifter correctly, then shift. Inconvenient to say the least. I stopped before lap three to finish the rest of the water bottle I rescued from my first lap crash and then carried on.
I could feel my energy waning only a few miles into lap three. Imaginary cheeseburgers and beer were dancing around my vision, taunting me The uphills—whether climbs or false flats—were especially challenging from a gear (difficulty in getting to the right gear) and fatigue perspective. I passed a few people here and there while struggling to maintain my pace. I passed the then-second place (ultimately third place) rider in my age group with maybe five miles to go.
Takeaways:
Friday night was the infamous hill climb that gained jut over 500 ft of elevation in 1.2 miles. I started warming up around 9:30pm expecting a 10:15pm start time, but it was pointless. I ended up getting into my starting position around 9:50pm and waited around. Maybe my legs were primed, maybe they weren't (they probably weren't). In the spirit of fun I was wearing short jorts and a sleeveless denim jacket. The official's voice counted down from five and we were off! And some of us were OFF—they sped away into the night while the rest of us prepared for a long slog up 8-24% grades.
My legs were quickly shocked by the steepness and I shifted into the second-largest gear. Name of the game was smooth pedal strokes at high RPM. After about three minutes the places around me were solidified. Everyone maintained a steady pace without getting out of the saddle. I estimate I finished in the top 10 of about 40 riders, and when considering the stature of some of the racers, is pretty solid for an average guy like me. I screamed down the hill after and we headed back for some much needed sleep.
The main event started at 12:00pm parade-style. An official vehicle led us to the start of the trail about two miles away. The group thinned within 20-30 minutes of being on the singletrack. My first two laps were consecutive and pretty fast at 40:00-45:00 min. The third lap is around when I started to notice a bit of fatigue creeping in, so I shifted to an easier gear and focused on taking things easy, which is especially difficult when people are passing you! Laps continued to get knocked out with a short break after each.
I took a ground nap after lap 10 and was spurred to life by a combination of a caffeine pill and Crafter (music). The caffeine pill was possibly a good idea, but it caused shallow breathing and made my chest feel funny, so I didn't take another one. Night riding was easier than expected. I had a single headlight mounted on my handlebars. The only issue was making turns and not being able to see until my bike was pointed in the path's direction. In lap 1X, the status light on my light turned red, which in turn changed my fear factor to 11 and caused me to start hauling ass to get back to camp. I made it (how close I was I'll never know) and L promptly put a new battery on.
Another short nap delivered me sunlight, a godsend of motivation and energy...and heat! I rode two (?) laps in the morning and called it quits after realizing that I had secured second place in my age group.
Overall, I'm happy with this effort considering it's my first 24-hour event and I didn't study any strategy beforehand. I definitely could have done more (probably two laps) had my second place position been threatened. My ability to run on little sleep surprised me, but I think most people would rise to the occasion, especially when they have copious amounts of sugar coursing through their veins.
Takeaways:
My strategy for next time is straightforward and much easier said than done: ride easy the entire time, take 15-minute-maximum breaks (no lying down allowed, sitting acceptable if necessary), change clothes every couple of laps, and force food down.
| Time | Speed (mph) | |
| Lap 1 | 44:32 | 11.4 |
| Lap 2 | 40:58 | 12.4 |
| Lap 3 | 50:02 | 10.2 |
| Lap 4 | 1:02:12 | 8.20 |
| Lap 5 | 1:05:35 | 7.77 |
| Lap 6 | 1:03:28 | 8.03 |
| Lap 7 | 1:32:50 | 5.49 |
| Lap 8 | 1:08:23 | 7.46 |
| Lap 9 | 1:22:34 | 6.18 |
| Lap 10 | 1:21:13 | 6.28 |
| Lap 11 | 2:34:03 | 3.31 |
| Lap 12 | 53:33 | 9.52 |
| Lap 13 | 2:17:27 | 3.71 |
| Lap 14 | 1:15:26 | 6.76 |
| Lap 15 | 2:26:45 | 3.48 |
| Lap 16 | 1:39:38 | 5.12 |
Race (more of a ride than race) started around 7:15am. I was riding my 6KU Fixie (48/16) My friend (let's call him Alex) and I got out fairly fast, passing quite a few people in the first 5 miles and averaging close to 22 mph on a relatively flat course. And then the hills began. The first one was a bit of a grinder to get up, and the subsequent downhill was unenjoyable due to my having to constantly pedal. My legs were having a tough time, making me unsure if this was just them being cold (I've found my legs take around 45-60 min to warm up) or already failing.
Around the 22 mile mark was the crux of the ride: a 400-ft-tall hill spanning what felt like miles, but whose actual distance I don't know. It just kept going and going, twisting and turning through the Texas hills but never actually flattening. I was out of the saddle the entire time, but not pushing like my other hills—it was just too long!
A Willie Nelson cutout greeted us at the 27 mile mark in Luckenbach, Texas, where we refilled our bottles with Gatorade and water and ate a snack.
Miles 27-late-30s were headwind hell. It never stopped and never shifted. Just a never-ending supply of air gushing directly at us for 10+ miles, forcing us to switch off who was leading and who was drafting. Hills came included, mostly rollers but a few punchy ones here and there.
Mile 45-ish was our final major rest station. The remaining 16 miles were not to be taken lightly. It started off with a steep hill climb that had a few people walking their bikes, then mostly flat until the remaining 4 miles, where the hills returned. At that point they all felt miles long and deathly steep. The cherry on top was descending what we thought was the final climb, only to turn the corner and see what turned out to be the actual final one looming in the distance.
Post-race refreshments included BBQ and two Shiner Bocks.
Takeaways:
First ever bike race! Got in around 9:10pm after struggling to find parking, put my bike together, then stood around talking to a friend while waiting for the women's fixed division to finish up. No stretching, no warm-up, just a six-hour drive to get there. Riders lined up, the organizer took roll, and the race was ready to start in 3..2..1..
Riders up front immediately took off and were instantly in their own race while the rest of us mere mortals were out of the saddle trying to establish a decent position. I ended up in penultimate on the first straight away, but made up ground by the end of the first lap. A nasty headwind was working against us on the middle half of the course, so I proposed helping each other out to another rider, which he graciously accepted. We alternated straights for laps 2-4 (ish, I can't remember exactly) until he dropped (I eventually saw him walking his bike, so I assume he had a mechanical failure). The rest of the race I was in no man's land. The closest rider behind me was quite a ways back, while the one in front had about 10 seconds on me—a not-insignificant distance.
I was slowly gaining on the rider in front of me, but just couldn't completely close the gap. I glanced behind me and noticed quite a few headlights getting closer and closer...definitely the peloton about to lap me! I pushed through the rest of lap 8 and was passed 30 seconds into lap 9, forcing me to drop out per race rules.
Takeaways: