I have never been so calm before a 24 hour race. It almost worried me that I was not worried, but that passed. I knew what I needed to do, I knew I did all the right prep and all I had to do was ride my race and the rest would sort itself out. Maybe I should have been more worried……
Thursday & Friday we pre-rode the course. It was very flat, very fast, but had a little more single track than last year. The most technical spots were pretty much the same as last year, so there were no surprises. The only thing that was the least bit stressful was the ever changing rules/organization of the race. You can set up pit before 6 PM on Thursday (though others were begin at 3PM when we arrived), either a $10 or $40 (depending on who you spoke to) “camping fee” for setting up your pit, the late start on registration postponed even later…..it continued throughout the race too. Luckily I was just too mellow to care much about it. I joked more than once that I can’t direct them all 
Saturday morning came and we went about the last minute prep: checking over the bikes again, getting nutrition sorted, going over the light set up, etc…. I jogged a bit to warm up and then took a spot on the starting line.
The run and the first lap went well. I threw a couple of well timed bursts into the run and the subsequent double track dash of a start to move up into a fast moving group. My plan was to follow wheels (draft) as much as possible, but I still wanted to get through some of the traffic jams that were sure to ensue in the first bit of single track. My strategy of using a few short and explosive efforts worked to get me in a good spot and get the legs firing for later. The rest of the first lap was uneventful with drafting ever where I could and then jumping ahead just before the single track to ride it unencumbered.
This strategy continued for the next 6 or so hours at least and worked well. I was either hammering away at a tempo pace or in an aero tuck on the short double track descents. All my roadie coaching on how to get aero came in very handy on this course. I felt great and was sitting somewhere between 10th at 15th. Perfect and according to plan.
I do have mention what a pain one particular official was being. It seemed we were racing by Granny Gear rules (though no one actually had a printed copy anywhere….it was asked for), so I did was I have done for the last two races. The first point of contention was that one of the zip ties that held on my number plate broke off some how and the plate flipped over. I called my number out for the timing folks (this is after I scanned my timing card twice), but that was not enough. I’m almost out of the transition chute the someone calling after me to see the number plate. I stop and show them….no big deal. The next time I roll through, I adjust the plate so they can read it and still the guy stops me. The next time he’s telling me I should not have cut my plate (I trimmed off the excess material, but the number and sponsors were visible) and needed a new one. Then next time he does it again, but stops me at before I even realize what he’s doing he puts a zip tie on the number plate. What the…. It’s not like he asked me or offered to fix or something. He took the zip tie, popped it through the number plate, grabbed a handful of cable housing and zipped away. Luckily it didn’t effect my shifting or I may have been back sooner than later with words. I take off and I’m pretty ticked that for some reason someone out there appointed this guy the official pain in butt of this race. Nothing he was “enforcing” had a point. So I hit the single track and the hard plastic number plate starts dragging on my front tire. I had to stop and fix it while two of my competitors roll by. Not happy. The guy tries stopping me again when it’s time for lights on (which BTW is also stupid, do you really think I don’t know when I need lights, do I really need lights 2 and half hours before the sun sets? I seriously rode two laps before I turned them on). I didn’t have my lights because my pit (in the official solo pit area) was on the other side of the timing tent. I said something about where my pit was and rolled on by. He responded with something about coming back to show my lights…..that never happened. What a pain that guy was. Thankfully that was the last I saw of him. Maybe they had rotating shift of official pain in the butts.
So back to the race….I was in 10th place and legs felt good. I hit a low spot about 6 hours in, but I know now that this always happens and I just need to ride through it. I don’t think lap even slowed much, but I felt a little flat. I drink a BURN and it passes. 8 hours in and I’m ready to start reeling in some more spots to get into striking distance during the night. I did reel in two World Bicycle Relief guys and was right on Hendershot when it all started to unravel. The cause? Taint pain. Yup, I was rubbed raw. I couldn’t sit much because it was so bad, so I’d sit through the double track and stand through the single track. This took it’s toll on my hands and feet pretty quick. Soon all three contact points were getting wrecked.
I stopped and changed shorts, ate a bunch, took some Vitamin I and used some Brave Soldier Antiseptic Healing Ointment which has lidocaine in it. I headed out again, but almost bagged it. I was so frustrated about not being able to sit and just crawling along. It was a bad moment. Then the numbing effects began to set in and I was off with a mission: “moving on up.” The podium was still within reach even if it was only 5th place. My legs felt great since they had been resting for the last two hours. I knew I came back from a worse place last year…..
The next two and half laps went well. I was not posting stellar times because I had to stop each lap and reapply the ointment, still I knew if I was steady that I would ride my way back in to the front of the race. That was the plan a few more steady laps and then turn myself inside out for the last 5-6 hours to get to the podium. I had the legs and the nether regions were numb……until….
I had about 6 miles to ride out and the pain was back with a vengeance. All that numbing allowed me to remove a few more layers of skin in key areas and when the feeling returned the pain was unbearable. I couldn’t even sit for the double track sections. It actually hurt while standing…I mean it was chaffing even standing up. There was no relief while riding. I finished the lap standing the whole time and my hands & wrists paid the price.
I arrived at the pit with no idea how to continue. I sat and thought and sulked and thought, but had no answers. I could try to some more Vitamin I, but it had only been 4 hours and I know it would wreak havoc on my innards. The lidocaine was not working any more and even if it did I was in for one serious case of baboon butt or worse, some sort of infection that keeps me off the bike for month. Then there is the fact that I’m doing on this for 10th place at best. I have to be honest, I don’t care about 10th place. It’s podium or bust…….and it was bust. I waddled to the car and headed to the hotel for a shower.
Felt lame, still do. The positive is that I know I had the legs for podium spot and my mental state was great. I played out my strategy and I did what could. I may have been able to prolong monkey butt issue a little longer with some forethought, but just never saw that as an issue or least not “the issue.”
Next time…..and there will be a next time.
Many thanks to Stephen and Zac Stillwell & Misty for the support during the race. My apologizes for bailing and having a case of the princess taint. I’d like to thank Steve from Paceline Products for sending out a bunch of stuff at the last minute. Namrita as always was a trooper and an inspiration. Congrats to Chris E and Toast on a hard fought battle. Much respect to Hendershot for finishing when most others would have called it a night. Shwarz, sorry man to see you go out like that. Heal quickly.
