Spring Epic 8 MTB Relay Race Mansfield by Chico Racing

Spiffy title there, eh?  Well thought out, dramatic, original...

Anyways...

Said race happened this weekend...Saturday.  And within minutes folks had their race reviews up in facebook.  What???  Did they post the review at the finish line??  I don't know...my brain is so mush after a race I can barely find my way back to pit afterwards.  If it wasn't for the smell of beer in the cooler...I don't know.

Yup...that's me, post race...(well...let's say just post race...)

Anyways...

Then within 14.2 minutes (OK...maybe a little longer than that...) ApexTed had his Apex Race Photography pics indexed and ready!!  Ted, you must have pulled a 24 hour solo indexing!!  As I'm sure you know, Ted and ApexRacePhotography are the premiere mountain bike race photogs in the known universe.

If they can make this chunky, dirty, mtb Metis appear almost legit...well, it's near magic...

That's supposed to be a smile....

Huge air (almost a full foot!), at the start of Exit Wound.

Zoom!!!  

Check out their pics of the event at ApexRacePhotography.  And feel free to buy some pics...even if they are not of racer number 86...

And then, like, within 24 hours TeamColin get's his race review/blog post posted!!  What the??  And it's well written, detailed, well thought out, dramatic, original, purty, intriguing...  Seriously....check it out at TeamColinBlog.

Sorry Colin, I totally stole this pic...

So, here I am...feeling the pressure to perform...and get a review/post out on this race...its really challenging my very strong procrastination skills...

OK...well...let's make an attempt...a short one...

So, I actually wasn't sure I would be able to do this race.  A recently broken thumb kept me off (mostly) bikes for 3 weeks, and off a mountain bike for almost the entire time.  I have managed to get some road rides in (easier on a broken thumb than mtb), first a mountain bike on the road, then an actual road bike....and just over the last week to 10 days dared to attempt trails on the mountain bike.

Other than being terribly out of shape (about 15 lbs overweight), from lack of riding...and more lack of culinary discipline, the thumb seemed to fare ok.  So, waiting till the last minute (that procrastination thing...), seeing that the race was nearly sold out, I signed up.

Solo single speed...I would ride single speed anyways...just wasn't sure if would enter solo single speed, or solo 50+....but solo single speed won the coin toss.  (It's always a gamble which way to go...the 50+ category is a tough mix of experienced, fast folks...single speed is open aged, so many fast younger folks...).

Anyways...single speed because I love single speed...plus no need for a thumb to shift.  I chose to ride my Kona Honzo, although it is more of a trail bike geometry, it has front suspension which would be easier on the thumb than my rigid XC setup Kona Raijin.

And I also convinced my friend/mtb cohort JonathanC to sign up.  For his very first mountain bike race...ever.  Ya...solo an 8 hour.  Jonathan has been kicking my arse all winter and spring on my regular Sunday Riot rides...usually more endurance style rides.  Mountain bike (or Fatbike) when the trails are rideable....road if the trails are out.  So I knew he had the stamina to do it...after that its all a mental game...mostly.  Plus...solo, you don't answer to anyone but yourself...go at your pace...as long or short as you want.  Well, except for that competitive drive thing we all have...

So....Saturday early (EARLY) we loaded up the truck and went to Beverly...Mansfield that is.  (OK, if you don't get that reference, you are too short to be reading this blog...).  Staked out at great spot at the solo pits...

Jonathan and GrantSonOfSeth strategizing...(must've worked, Grant ended up on the podium!!)

We were next to serious (TomB), keeping close to the good SS mojo!

Who was next to AdamH close to that magic super speed mojo!!

And the True Grit solo pit on the other side...

True Grit Support Crew...

Jonathan's race setup...Rocky Mountain Growler...27.5

Then we headed to the start corral and picked a spot near the back of the pack to start.  I did not want to get caught in the heat of the front of the pack start.  I knew I didn't have the training in me to go full bore...so forcing myself to pace right off the start would give me a better chance of not falling daid (ya....daid) 5 hours in....

So....first lap...sold out race...the course was PACKED with traffic...so mostly settled in with True Grit duo (actually they were soloing, together...figure that one out...), JennR and KarenD, with Jonathan along for most of the lap.  Until I stopped at the solo pit to get ride of the vest and arm warmers I started with...

Lap 2...still packed...but kept me paced.

Lap 3-4....the thumb started aching...but never got worse than that...so kept going.  Also...by this  time I starting walking the wall climb at the end of the false flat coming out of the solo pit...and I walked the steep loose left switchback over the root on the single track climb.  Riding those two jaunts were sucking the single speed life out of me on the first 3 laps.  I also tripodded the loose right switchback decent out of exit wound all day for fear of falling off the edge of the earth...

Laps 5, 6, 7....then somewhere around the 4 or 5 hour mark, I always hit that wall (often earlier at Mansfield with all the elevation), where I just have to make sure I keep properly hydrated and keep the nutrition plan going.  Gotta eat even though my stomach wants nothing to do with food...especially most commercial 'race' food, which is why I always bring real food to accompany the 'race' food.  And, otherwise just focus on keeping the pedals turning...

And the encouragement along the way by so many people was an amazing boost much needed throughout the day...

The fellow solo pits cheering, cow bells, offers of food...

HeatherD telling me I was doing awesome while her AdamH was about 24 miles ahead of me...

JennKenn cheering all the way through the transition zone...

JennKenn and her hot MikeO!

The Lapdogs, and other friends in the transition zone...

The Shikaze ladies in their pit didn't know me at all but I know them and who they were supporting and I found encouragement in that...

Another stolen pic....of two tough dudes!!

The group of kids on the rooty, zippy,single track climb cheering their butts off for us....
And the regular encouragement from fellow riders who passed me along the course...

All helped keep me going...

Eventually I stopped to look at the leader board in the transition zone...and despite lugging around the equivalent of an extra bag of potatoes around my fat arse...I was doing OK.  I was maintaining a 4th place out of the 10 solo single speeders in this race.  Hmmmm...what would it take to get to third...alot...but...

Laps 8-11...stop to pee somewhere in there.  And stopping at the solo pit every lap now, to feed, refill water bottles, and stretch out the kinks...then just keep going.  I was now solidly in 4th place...pulled away from the 5th place rider...and third was almost 15 minutes ahead of me...out of reach.

So, at 5:23 I headed out for lap 12.  After 6pm you are not allowed to go for another lap...before 6pm you can go for another lap, but you must finish by 6:30 for it to count.  So...I settled in knowing this would be my last lap...every climb, would be the last time I had to do that climb...every root would be the last time I had to navigate that root...the last time I had to worry about falling off the edge of the earth...then into the transition zone and swipe my chip for the last time...

"You have 44 minutes to complete your final lap!!"

Wait??  What???  NOOOOO!!!

They had extended the deadline...we must have started a few minutes late...

I crawled over to check the leader board...my last lap was 37 minutes...so I likely had time to complete another lap...but I was 13 minutes out of third place...I couldn't make that up...I was physically and mentally done...I threw my chip in the box...

(No, I do not have the mental fortitude of TeamColin...if you haven't read his report....read it...dude is a BEAST!!)

My thumb had fared OK...but my quads, calves, lower back, and shoulders were crushed by the single speed elevation that Mansfield throws at you.  I need to drop some chunky parts....

But so many other stories I could write full posts on...

Fellow BicycleWorks rider AllanM had a great race going...until mechanical...

Fellow BicycleWorks rider GaryS coming in 4th to fellow BicycleWorks rider MartinM by 10 SECONDS!!

Well done Martin....and JeffS!!

Yes, that is JeffS making his solo comeback....and winning!

TomB, serious(ly) sneaking into solo single speed second place.  Nice work Tom!!!  What in the world do I have to do to catch you??  I must work much harder...or something...

SethS making his solo debut and coming in second!!  Amazing job Seth!!

AdamH...killing the solo field with 17 laps!!  Unbelievable.  Oh....then he went and did an 'easy' 50km ride on Sunday....

JennR...gettin lead out by KarenD on her first solo 8 hour....and is now addicted.  Look out ladies...JennR is a powerhouse!

If you didn't look this good after the race, you weren't trying...

JonathanC...him and I came into the transition zone for our 12 laps together...but when he heard there was 44 minutes remaining, he headed out for another lap...while I withered and died.  13 laps on his first ever mountain bike race...not to mention soloing an 8 hour.  On a gnarly trail bike.  Look out for him if he is in your category!!  Dude is gonna mix it up!!

Jonathan in this mix of .... Something...

The legendary Knucking Futts changing teammates but staying legendary....

Knucking Futts??

Hey...where were the Pinoy Pedal Pushers out there??  Did I miss them???

And many other stories....many folks who toughed it through though scrapes (SueM, hope you are doing OK!), amazing accomplishments, and many laughs...but...

This short review got waaay too long didn't it...

Another great event by Chico Racing...as always!!!  And huge thanks to all the volunteers!!

Thank you to BicycleWorks, the best bike shop in Waterdown, for the support!!

If you are looking for another MTB event...wait no longer than this weekend for Substance Projects Long Sock Classic....get in there!!  Register at XC Marathon Long Sock Classic.

And then....

Stay posted!