Bike
Comments: I approached this race more casually that I did any other this year. As evidenced by my training log, one can see I did minimal training over the past two months. I looked at this event as more of an extended training day and as a benchmark for future MTB races of similar distances. I set a personal two personal goals to be met at this event: 1. Finish under 5 hours 30 min 2.) not be dead last The full XC marathon was two back to back loops A participant could set up a pit area in the start/finish area to re-fuel and rest if needed. The races started in two waves, full marathon folks first, half marathoners five minutes later. I lined up towards the rear of the Full Mary folks as I knew I did not want any part of the hard charge into the woods. The initial pace for the pack was not casual but not terrible fast either which I appreciated. At the first technical climb apparently someone crashed and so it looked like all 115 full mary participants were stopped and waiting to hoof it up the climb. This was the only log jam I experienced all day. My 1st lap went well. Split time was just under 2 hrs for approximately 21 miles. In those two hours I had two hammer gels. I was feeling good, the pace was easy and I was ahead of my planned schedule. I pulled into the pits and casually ate a PB&J sandwich, half a banana and drank a 20 oz. Coke. Once done, off I went. Total pit stop time 15 minutes About 30 minutes into my second lap I have to pee. I concede to the call of nature and find a tree some distance off the trail to spare the other racers. Usually having to pee is a insignificant part of a race that it does not merit reporting. I mention it here because it was the start of several pee breaks every 15-20 minutes the rest of the race. Apparently I over hydrated on my 1st lap. I was concerned with cramping late in the race I was constantly sucking down my electrolyte drink. I have been conditioned during the warmer months to drink at this rate. It appears that what worked a few months early was not the correct formula now. I also suspect the Coca-Cola plus the caffeine in the hammer gels added to the diuretic effect. I will not pee on the bike no mater what so I dismounted and found a tree each time. If I were a wolf, Rocky Hill Ranch would be clearly marked as my territory. At mile 34 my legs were beginning to protest and I had to gear lower that I did on the 1st loop. During the second loop I bottomed out my 1 x 9 gearing which I seldom ever have to do. I knew then the final 8 miles would be a crawl. During these final miles my stomach decided to protest as well. I am not sure if the issues were caused by the 4 gels I had consumed over the course of the day, two of which were new flavors to me (yes I know I broke a cardinal rule of racing - it gets better). I also used a new electrolyte replacement supplement at this event. My I was out of my normal product (EFS) and used samples I received in my swag bag from my last endurance race. Thankfully I did manage to not have to answer that call of nature till after I crossed the finish line. It was a bit distracting to deal with a churning stomach while focusing on moving forward while negotiating the technical single track. Overall I am satisfied with my ride. I met my goals. I hope next year to push on the pedals harder and show up more readily trained. I did not suffer from any mechanical that have plagued me at previous races. I did not crash. I saw several people coming in and at the finish line bruised and bloodied. One particular individual looked like he face planted pretty hard. Kudos to him as he finished the race too. What would you do differently?: put in occasional longer rides to test nutrition and hydration needs Post race
Warm down: none What limited your ability to perform faster: lack of training, incorrect hydration, questionable nutrition plan Event comments: Fun and challenging race. Absolutely no fanfare before, during, and after the race. These MTB XC races are very low in headcount as compared to the normal 1-2 hr events where the number of entrants can reach 1000. I'll be back next year for sure. Last updated: 2011-12-08 12:00 AM
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United States
TMBRA
51F / 11C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 87/115
Age Group = 30-39
Age Group Rank = 21/25
got up @ 4:45 am, normal morning routine. Made coffee and out the door by 5:20 for the 2hr 15 minute drive to race site. Breakfast taco and danish from Buc-ees while in route to race site. Registered for race, looked over bike one last time and talked story with friends
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