Wednesday, September 5
Dakota 5-o weekend
The family and I had a great time over our four day weekend. Hit Wall Drugs and Mt. Rushmore Friday on the way out; prerode part of the trail and worked out a rear rim strip issue Saturday before going to Deadwood (Wild Bill and Calamity Jane's graves) and Lead (Homestake Gold Mine) and ending with a scenic return through Spearfish Canyon. Saw Tim and family, R&R, J&K at the Saturday night sign in.
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Sunday, Tim and I rode down to R&R/J&K campsite and then went to the back of the start. We took our time and tried not to go anerobic at the start. In hindsight, we should have burned a little more energy for a better starting position into the singletrack because all the gearies in front of us were spinning 32x34 while we slowly turned 32x22. After 40+ minutes of slow spin up the singletrack, we hit some open trail for a while before catching some more people.
We messed up the first aid station, (1hr 40 mins, 10 miles) by not stopping and taking our endurolyte caps. We stopped a little later and took them. By the second aid station, (3 hrs, 20 miles) we were loosing out legs. Only a handful of hills were really unrideable to me, but not training with long mtb rides of 5+ hrs now caused rideable hills to be walked. By the third aid station, we were in survival mode. After the final aid station, we walked at least 20 minutes up, up, up. It got steeper and more rocky the higher we got. We stopped to take catch our breath from walking. The amount of power, endurance, and skill to climb that hill is incredible. Doug could do it on his mamasita if he kept something in the tank after 35-40 miles. We had a couple more push climbs after that but once we started heading down, they were only short power climbs. This was when we went back down the singletrack we climbed.
Besides the legs, my lower back hurt a little, then my triceps, and finally my upper back. I didn't mention about a 5-7 minute decent prior to the last aid station where we occassionall touched the brakes but just kept going down. There was a singletrack on a grassy fireroad. The gravel road ride to the finish was also fast, aero position with no pedaling. We were getting stiff staying in the tuck position for so long. We were very happy to finish the race and get off the bikes.
I left with the family to shower and go to Devils Tower in WY. My name was called for swag but I wasn't there.
Weather was warm and dry. Our Super 8 hotel was great and the family all had a good time. Everyone is excited about going back next Labor Day weekend. We went through the Badlands on the return home. A very packed and enjoyable weekend.
How's everyone feeling after such a hard race?
Feeling great. So glad you all came up to the event. You guys are studs for doing that race on SS. But you'd have much more fun w/ suspension at both ends. Guaranteed.
Well, I knew this course somewhat from last year, so I knew how to start. I lined up in da front. Not something I'd do normally, but knew that I had to get good position going into the single so that I wouldnt get stuck behind the pokies.
Got up at 4:45am and had food in me by 5:30. Got myself all ready and then snuck back into the tent to stretch, and relax a bit.
Race time! Hard off the line, my plan was to be aggressive at the start until the first aid station. Seemed to work for the most part. Saw RF. Good bye, RF. I didn't stop. Each time I'd pass him while he was refueling but he'd always catch me. I thought I had him for good after the last aid station, but alas a very steep and loose downhill forced me off my bike and RF can descend like a goat, so it was bye-bye RF.
I hiked it probably in the same areas as most did. One climb was just a bunch of rocks so it was faster to walk (but walking hurts more. One dude whom I followed for most of the first half (until I had to get around him on some climbs) road it no problemo. Later he said being from Montana he was used to that kind of slow grinding terrain.
I felt pretty good the whole time, leg-wise. Stomach not terrible but not perfect. I ate probably too much prior w/ only a couple hours digestion time. Which equates to not eating or drinking as much due to nausea which equates to not going as hard so to not upset the stomach. But, it didn't hamper me too much as I killed my time last year by as much as a half hour (I came in at just under 5 hours). Kudos to JMK for his training plan for me this year. Seemed to be just the ticket.
After the race I headed west with Josh and Khamail Wilderman. We camped and hiked in Yellowstone for a few days and then rounded out the week in the Teton National Park. Awesome place. TNP is a beautiful place to do road riding. Lots of shoulder and the view is breathtaking. Oh and most of it is flat road riding. Nice! Looking forward to adding that to the trip next year as recovery and R&R time.
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