Andy's Over the Hump Race Reports for Weeks 3, 4 & 5!

The race 3 course was a reverse of the first two weeks' Sport/Expert lap, so this meant a hike-a-bike for sure on one section and another potential hike-a-bike just after!

So, the race began with a sprint to the single-track, at which point I was about 5^th to 8^th in my group, being aware that traffic could be an issue.

It was a nightmare as soon as we hit the single-track, catching the B3 riders right at the entrance. I got knocked off by someone going nuts and heard a clicking noise the rest of the race. (I found out later that a tie wrap broke, letting the brake cable touch a spoke.) Also, people were lined up waiting to walk up the short rise at the end of the single-track.   

I could not catch the leaders but stayed close, then I went up the sandy bank, which was for sure a "hike-a-bike" as well as very crowded, as was the single-track leading to it. There was no room to pass. Next was the other climb, which I did not make. There were too many people walking, and I lost sight of the leaders in my class. So, I added to my to-do list "practice steep climbs and not weaving."

The second lap was a repeat, with high traffic in the single-track areas in addition to now having Pro’s wanting to pass as well. (David said it was really bad as well and basically backed off.) And again I ended up walking up the hills as I could not hold a line and avoid all the walkers. I sprinted for the finish, and I jumped the last person by a few inches for 8th. I learned a lot of lessons about racing in traffic!

The race 4 course was almost the same as race 3, but they took out the hike-a-bike section and gave us a long climb up, with a descent straight back down. 

This time I really sprinted for the single-track, secured a place in second and worked with Anthony, who was in first. We negotiated the traffic well, dropping the others in our class. We worked together using our strengths to get a good lead, always expecting the others to suddenly appear. But they did not. He pulled a short lead on the flats, but I was close, so on the second lap I caught him and tried to drop him by going fast on to the last climb. But I did not have it in me, and when I made it to the top I chased him all the way to the finish, arriving only 8 seconds behind him for 2^nd place! I was pleased with the way we rode together and happy he had won. I learned about team work this week and had the fastest lap in the class on my 2^nd lap.

A picture from race 4 (working hard!):

The race 5 course was back to the course from weeks 1 and 2, with just a short part of the final single-track missing and with a new short cut, which cut out a sandy section.

There was a mad sprint to the first climb, but I entered the climb behind Anthony and secured the second spot. I stuck with him all the way, and we got joined by a third rider in our group. I managed traffic really well and sat behind the two leaders, drafting right into the single-track, where Anthony fell. I stopped (I had no choice, as he was right in front of me; but I would have anyway), checked he was okay and then went after the leader. But I could not quite close the gap. I got close but was done by the back straight on the second lap, so I kept a steady pace and made sure I got 2^nd again. 

The results:

Again, I learned more about which areas I need to improve in. I have got to corner better when it's loose or sandy. I have a MB Clinic on Saturday that Sarah and Tani from The Path are teaching at, so that should help, and I also need to ride with Keith and David again.

So, 5 races are done, with three 2^nd places! More training! I need to get a 1st!

California State XC Championships

To say I decided to do this race last minute would be an understatement. When Heidi asked me last week whether I'd be doing it, I replied, "Hell no." Didn't she do the same race as I (12 Hours of Temecula)?! Wasn't she tired? Was Heidi even human?!

As all of the above thoughts raced through my head, I felt a tinge of regret. I felt I had a shot at being champion, but after my poor performance at Over the Hump, I had learned that racing when exhausted could (a) be demoralizing and (b) dig you into a hole training-wise. Besides, I had decided I wanted to do Leadville, and I wasn't sure this race would fit into my training.

So, I trained all week and did not taper. I even got a little drunk Friday night and suffered from a mild hangover Saturday. I really, really was NOT planning on racing, though I was throwing the thought around in my head and bugging Heidi. :-) I even declined to carpool with Annabelle. I was that unsure.

Saturday night I set my alarm for 6 am. When I woke up at 6 and wasn't exhausted, I took this to be a good sign. I hopped on the trainer and tested my legs - they felt good! David texted me and told me go. All signs pointed to yes. So, I threw all my race supplies together, forgetting my salt tablets, my camera and DIRECTIONS and stumbled out the front door. (Fortunately, Keith later helped out in the directions department, and Heidi hooked me up with some salt tablets!)

When I got to Big Bear I realized it would be a HOT race, so I opted for an old and ugly sleeveless jersey over my Team Margarita jersey (which I would later wear for the podium). By the time I had registered and got ready, I only had 30 minutes to spare, and people were telling me that it was a 20 minute pedal to the race start!

I started pedaling up the hill, using it as a warm up. I stayed mostly in zone 3. It only took about 6 or 7 minutes to get to the start, and I whizzed by my competition on the way.

As it turns out, only two girls were racing Pro, Lauren Gregg and Vanessa Humic. Both are sponsored, whereas I just turned Pro 3 months ago. I thought I looked pretty lame next to them, in their sleek outfits and toned muscles. But I put those thoughts away and lined up at the front. I figured that with the way I was feeling (tired!) I'd get beaten by some of the fast Cat 1 girls, like Allison Jones or Larissa Fitchett. (Both are going to upgrade to Pro, by the way! Watch out Pro girls!)

From the word "go" I sprinted but had to pull back almost immediately. Lauren Gregg did catch me up. She said "good luck" (for the second time that day) and then attempted a pass. I put the hammer down and never looked back. (Actually, I looked back a lot, but neither girl was in sight. Yes!)

My sprint at the start (I am the girl in the ugly blue and white jersey):

I established a large lead early on and then pretty much rode a bit above tempo pace for the rest of the race. There was no way I was going be able to go 100%, but I did the right thing. I didn't fade at all; my pace was consistent. I was racing smart, given that I wasn't fully recovered from Temecula. I figured that the 24-mile course would take 2 hours.

Anyway, the course was absolutely perfect for me, given the way I was feeling. It was mostly fire roads. They weren't too steep. I didn't have to think - just go. Perfect.

I kept slipping into "cruise" mode. I didn't even notice Mario when I passed him. Later he told me that I was "enjoying the views" and "cruising." I really need to learn how to race fast when I'm out in front. I tried "priming" myself with words like "fast," "strong" and "rocket." (Research has shown that thinking about such words can make people behave in accordance with the words.) Anyway, this seemed to help a little. But honestly, I didn't want to go too hard and drive myself into a training hole. And also, I just looooove Big Bear! The views are spectacular.

The last few miles involved some technical descending on single-track, but I had it in the bag, because I used to shuttle Big Bear quite a lot and had done that trail many, many times. I was railing it. Unfortunately, by that point the beginner racers were completing their shorter lap, and a beginner man out in front of me wouldn't let me by. In fact, he flat out ignored all my protests. I probably lost a full minute right there. I was livid. When I finally executed a dangerous pass in a particularly technical, rocky section, I yelled, "What's your problem man?!" No response, of course. I wish I had taken a moment to note his number so as to report him to Tom. I always, always get over for other racers. There's just no excuse for that sort of thing.

Anyway, everything was really well marked, and the volunteers were all cheery and nice. They weren't even perturbed when I rode the course again after my race while the race was still going on (Leadville miles!).

 When I crossed the finish line with a time of 1:46 I was all smiles. I had predicted two hours, so it was a very pleasant surprise. I hadn't even gone anaerobic or anything. Sweet - I'll take it! Later on I would learn that I had the fastest female course time of the day. When I podiumed, Tom announced that my time was competitive with the amateur men. That - plus the giant Sierra Nevada beer (which I couldn't drink, b/c I had to go ride more) - put a big smile on my face. Of course, I couldn't help but think that I would have been competitive with the Pro men if I had tapered for the race and not done Temecula the weekend prior. But that's neither here nor there. Courses with long fire road climbs and technical descents play to my strengths for sure ...

My first real 1st place Pro podium:

Team Margarita makes it into the top of the Pro results for CA State Champs (not a bad a first year!):
     . Note - the Cat 1 women 15-18 did a shorter course.

The rest of the day was a blur of catching up with friends and riding. Unfortunately, an RV crashed on the 330 on my way back, so I was delayed by 30 minutes. When I got back, Keith took me out for some delicious thai food, and I think I ate enough for a week! I could stand to lose a good 8 lbs before Leadville, so it's time to cut the fat, desserts and alcohol out (well, not completely!). We ended the night with two episodes of Breaking Bad - the perfect end to a good day!

12 Hours of Temecula with Heidi: From Competitor to Teammate to Friend

When Heidi Volpe asked me to race So Cal Endurance's "12 Hours of Temecula" I was ecstatic. Heidi is a strong endurance racer; she beat me in the 2011 Warrior's Society "Counting Coup." Her times in 2010 and 2011 (both course records) inspired me to get back into racing (after a 5 year hiatus) and to try structured training. So, I started the day excited to race with someone for whom I have great respect. Heidi would now be my teammate, not my competition. I was also excited to be racing for something I believe in; namely, a plant-based diet.

Heidi and I decided that I would lead, as I need to work on my starts. Of course, I regretted signing up for lap #1 the moment I lined up. I absolutely abhor race starts - the nerves, the commotion, testosterone-fueled males mowing me over (or so it seems!), etc. I talked with Laura Knight from Team Troupe to cool my nerves.

And then, we were off! We did a short lap around the campgrounds before heading out onto the course. Because I started toward the back (doh!), I had to work my way up. There were still a lot of men in front of me when we hit the dirt. It wasn't until that first, steep, sustained climb that I started to really pass people. My HR soared to 187, which freaked me out, because I knew I had a lot of racing left. But I stuck to my strategy - I knew I had to get past as many people as possible before the technical single-track. (I replicated this strategy each lap, with great success.)

I caught up to my Team Margarita teammate David Graf (whom I drove up with), and we entered the single-track together. David was having trouble on the switchbacks (odd, b/c he's usually faster downhill than I), so he let me pass. We ended up trading places and working together for the rest of the lap, and for the next three laps. Only whereas I was racing duo, David was racing solo!!!!

The course was so smooth and fun. I was very fast on descents and found that I was making up a lot of time on other racers on the descents. This year I have been working so hard to regain my technical skills. I used to race Pro downhill at Southridge a few years ago, and I finally feel like those skills are coming back in a big way. For a while I was afraid that I had "lost it."

Anyway, my first lap time was solid - 42 minutes (8.5 mile course, 1,500 feet), including the extra loop at the start. Heidi took off for lap #2 and also put in a very solid time - 43 minutes or so. The SoCal Endurance team was pitting for us (Thanks Ryan!!!), and so all of our lap times were recorded. (We were also ordered to stretch, eat and spin out our legs!) Between laps I was able to relax and chat (especially with Willie from Team Troupe), EAT, stretch and spin my legs out. It was pretty ideal. Having never raced this format, I was really surprised by the fact that the rests didn't make my legs stiff. Rather, the rests recharged me.

Meanwhile, we were in a solid second place for the entire race. Joel and Mario (also on SoCal Endurance) were in a solid first place for the entire race. This was Joel's first 12-hour duo race as well, and we both joked that we "only have one pace."

Screw pacing.

I don't really do pacing that much anymore. I find that my body just knows what pace to go at. I don't think about it. This seemed to work for me. Also, I wanted to win the fastest female lap time of the day ($50 prize) and the Strava speed trap contest on "Tunnel of Love" (free Crank Brother's race kit). So, there was no letting off the gas for me. To my excitement, I won both prizes. (I can't wait to have a race kit with bib shorts - no more elastic cutting into my waist.)

My second lap was 41 minutes, and I seemed to lose a minute with each lap. Lap 5 was nearly 45 minutes. On lap 5 the 6 hour racers were done, and almost nobody was on the course. I didn't feel motivated, with nobody to race against. (I really need to get over this, because I don't race well when I'm out in front by myself.)

By this time Heidi was settling into 50 minute laps, a pace she kept up for the remainder of the race - pretty impressive when you consider she hasn't been training for endurance at all, whereas I have been focusing mainly on endurance.

Fortunately, laps and 6 and 7 were very different. I started to really gain energy in a big way. I felt like I had limitless supplies. I found myself picking people to race against, which really helped with my motivation issues. "So what if that guy's not my competition; I'll race him anyway."

At 7:38 I went out for our last lap (#15) - my 8th lap of the day. I began to flag a little - a combination of tired legs and the fact that the sun was setting. Also, I couldn't ride as fast in the dark. But to my surprise, I rode the first half of the course just as fast as my fast laps, so I must have lost time on the technical descents in the dark. Anyway, my last lap was 45 minutes - not too shabby! So, there was only a 4 minute differential between my fastest and slowest lap times.

Heidi and I just missed being able to do a 16th lap, but we were way ahead of 3rd place (and all of the male duo teams - save for Mario and Joel).

We rewarded ourselves with tons of vegan food afterward, and I had a nice, long hot shower. After the awards ceremony, David (who got 3rd in Pro men) and I headed home via the Ortega highway. I was tired but satisfied - fun day!

Plant-Based Fuel for 12 Hours of Temecula

This isn't a race report but rather a "food report." Heidi Volpe and I raced 12 Hours of Temecula as a duo team this past weekend. Our team name? "Plant Power." That's right, our pre-, during and post- race food consisted of vegan foods. (Actually, since April, I've been eating a plant-based diet, save for the rare frozen yogurt or cappuccino splurge. I was vegetarian before that.)

"Plant Power" took 2nd place (15 laps in 11 hours, 22 minutes), against the men. That's the power of plants (and two very determined women) for you! :-)

Anyway, here are my foods, snacks, race fuel and recovery fuel, in no particular order. Basically, these are the foods I ate in the days surrounding the race. Several come from athlete Brendan Brazier's book, which I highly recommend. (I will add Heidi's foods soon, which include a spectacular ginger-quinoa-edamame salad and vegan pizza.)

Tempeh Taco's (QUICK pre-race carb/protein loading favorite - Sarah's recipe)

TJ's Brown Rice Tortillas

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped onions

Chopped romaine lettuce

TJ's Salsa Verde

Coconut Oil

TJ's Taco Seasoning Mix

TJ's microwavable brown rice pouches

TJ's Black Beans
Avocado 

. Combine 1-2 tbsp coconut oil in pan w/ a small amount a water and taco seasoning mix. Saute tempeh until brown on each side.

. Microwave brown rice tortilla for 1 minute or until hard.

. Microwave rice, while heating black beans on the stove top.

. Combine all ingredients, including chopped veggies, into a taco shell.

Spaghetti Squash with Three-Step Marinara (pre-race and post race carbs! Substitute pre-made sauce, if running low on time - Thrive recipe)

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 cup chopped onion

3 medium garlic gloves, minced

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 cups deseeded and chopped tomatoes (about 5 medium)

1/8 tsp green stevia or ½ tsp agave nectar

½ tsp mesquite powder (optional)

3 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

2 tbsp parsley

¼ tsp sea salt

½ tsp black pepper

. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Place cut side down in baking, and add ½ inch water to the pan. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes.

. While the squash is cooking, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, saute onions and the garlic for about 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to become translucent.

. Stir in all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

. Place the sauce in a blender and puree until fairly smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, and keep at low simmer until ready to be served.

. When the squash has finished baking, remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes. Flip the squash over, and scrape the flesh with a fork to extract the spaghetti-like strands from the shell.

Toasted Chia Ginger Pear Cereal (eaten w/ oatmeal & coconut milk the morning of the race, Thrive recipe)

½ diced pear

1 cup gluten-free oats

½ cup diced almonds

½ cup chia seeds

½ cup hemp protein

½ cup sesame seeds

½ cup sunflower seeds

¼ tsp sea salt

¼ cup hemp oil

¼ cup molasses

2 tbsp apple juice

1 tbsp grated ginger root

coconut oil

. Preheat oven to 250F

. Mix all ingredients together

. Spread on a bake tray lightly oiled with coconut oil. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool, then break into pieces.

. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

. Eat with Hemp Milk (available at Mother's Market) or Coconut Milk

Coconut-Quinoa sweet salad (easy! Sarah's recipe)

Cooked quinoa

Red pepper and carrots sauteed in coconut oil

Coconut butter to taste

. Mix all ingredients together.

Tropical Salad w/ cashew coconut dressing (day-after-the-race salad, Sarah's recipe)

Coconut oil

Raw diced cashews (must be raw – raw cashews are sweet!)

Grated carrots and beats

Romaine lettuce

Slice mango

Sliced red pepper

Shredded coconut

. Combine all ingredients.

Chia Bean Patties (post-race, high-protein recovery food; wrap in foil and bring to races to be eaten w/ Brown Rice Tortillas, avocado & roasted red pepper - Thrive recipe)

Makes 8 burger patties:

2 cups cooked black beans (unsalted)

1.5 cups booked brown rice

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup nutritional yeast (super high in B vitamins but tastes like Parmesan cheese) 

1.5 tsp oregano

1 tsp agave nectar

1 stalk celery, minced

1 carrot, minced

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

2 tbsp brown rice miso

1/4 cup quinoa flakes

coconut oil

With a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash the black beans in a large bowl unto a chunky puree. Mix in remaining ingredients, one at a time. (Alternative, pulse ingredients together in a food processor, allowing some chunks to remain.) Form into 8-10 patties and refrigerate for one hour.)

Heat a spoonful of coconut oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add a few of the patties and cook for several minutes on each side until both sides are brown. (The finished patties will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.)

Direct Fuel Bites (eaten while racing or while training at high intensity, best when cold - Thrive recipe)

5 dates

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

dash sea salt

2 tsp ground yerba mate

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Form mixture into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into bite-size pieces. Individually wrap in Cellophane and store in refrigerator or freezer.

Brown rice cakes w/ TJ's roasted almond-flaxseed butter, agave nectar and sliced banana (I ate one of these between nearly every lap)

TJ's Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles (I snacked on these during the race as well – free of the 8 common allergens and sweetened with date paste!)

Coconut Ice Cream w/ Sacha Inchi seeds & pecans (post-race reward; the seeds are extremely high in Omega-3 and protein)

"Cheesy Peas" - aka Yellow Peas & Nutritional Yeast (a good, extremely high protein and high B-Vitamin pre or post-race snack)

 B vitamin power house:

Well, that's all for now folks! Race report to come. It was a great day of racing, and I'm even more convinced that the Thrive vegan diet for athletes is brilliant. 

Team Margarita at Whiskey 50: Trip Report

Thursday:

A 7am drive through both heavy rain and the rush hour madness ended in Beaumont where Sarah discovered she had left her ID, Credit cards and phone at home. Turning the hunk of junk Civic around to go back into the rain and rush hour traffic required a steely will not to cry. Lunch time came early with a stop at Ruby’s for a PB Shake and a chicken burger. Team Ryan in Margarita Machine 2 (David’s Jeep) sent me a text saying that their lunch had involved ‘possibly the greasiest Denny’s in existence.’ I felt a little better about my PB blow-out after that. The rest of the drive sailed by without anything eventful. If Blythe is the anus of Arizona then from there we headed northerly through the lower intestines of some shady towns where hope had long since departed. Closing in on Prescott we got another report from the Hill-Mobile that it had stopped hailing and raining. Just outside Prescott we spotted the Mann’s car off the 89 where Justin was out doing some preview riding. On getting to Whiskey Row Sarah demanded I pull over so she could get out, strip down into her Cycling kit and head off to try some of the course! That didn’t quite happen but I dropped her off to ride whilst I chatted to her competition on the phone.

The hotel was a pleasant surprise. The lobby looked awesome and they had some trippy native American pan-pipe music wafting out of the speakers. Room was nice, spacious with a decent view. Heading over to the Hill-Room it was chaos. David had done a major ‘Blythe’ in the out-house and although the air still looked clear the wilted flowers and paint peeling off the wall told the real tale of a mustard gas attack. Sarah returned from her pre-ride and although we were all starved we did what anyone would do if they had access to a casino and headed off to blow mad cash in a smoke-house filled with the dregs of humanity. Beer was $1.50 a pop and a Jack & Coke was $3.50. You can’t say no to that. Ryan disappeared and whilst we waited for his return I threw down mad cash to tune of four American dollars and got the big zero in return.

Finding Ryan at the bar chowing down on some tasty calamari and Salmon steak reminded us all of the difficulties in getting five people(three of whom I think I can safely say are picky eaters) to agree on meal venues, times and anything else. Disaster averted we headed into town and found only one place open. The local Indian. Ryan and Kt had bailed leaving David, Sarah & I to brave the unknown and enter the spice-fest. It was 9.57pm. On entering I asked the owner if he was still serving. He froze momentarily and took off running like a madman, down the stairs along some long corridor and out of sight before we could hear him yelling at the chef. We entered, sat down and quickly made our choices before the owner came staggering back over demanding to know who we were and what we wanted. I don’t recall why but he demanded I do Jack Daniels shots with him at the bar if we wanted to eat. Moving to the bar it became clear that he was even more wasted than it first appeared, maybe even beyond wasted. Every other phrase had him kissing his hands, making prayer gestures and starting his sentences with ‘Mother ****er…………..’ At the end of a long day it was pretty surreal. It became more so when the pasty looking geeky waiter asked David whether he had AIDS (Seriously - wtf?!). He said ‘I thought I heard you say you had AIDS?’ (We were talking about the Aid Station at Skull Valley). He then followed up with a series of slam-dunk highly non-PC japes about getting AIDS and having AIDS. The very fact that someone would say this, someone that looked like him as well – was funny in itself. We were about to leave when the drunken master returned and demanded we hand out 15%-Off cards to every rider we met. As a result he gave us a 3” tall stack of cards. The day ended with me saying a prayer for Ryan and Kt - Sending David in there ‘weapons hot’ after a prawn Balti wasn’t going to end well.

Friday:

David, Sarah & I headed out to go Jeeping on part of the Whiskey 50 race route whilst Ryan & Kt headed off to rent a Hog (Hog as in Moto – not as in ‘squeal like a pig’) for the day. Jeeping was pretty cool; we briefly got lost but drove down Skull Valley and came back along the highway. 

We made it back to town with minutes to spare before the Pro rider meeting in the local theatre. It was good to see all the riders and recognize the odd famous and familiar face. There was a good presentation, a speech by the Mayor and the local Forestry commission before it was time to head back to the hotel to get the bikes ready for the Criterium race around the town centre. David had already been to the bathroom 4 times today. After last night’s curry meltdown he’d been talking about Ex-lax and Metamucil. What kind of medieval deviancy has affected this boy? 

Elks Theater: 

The warm up for the Criterium looked like fun. I took a few pics and helped Allison get the right number on her bike then noticed a camera crew doing some filming. One of them came over and asked whether Sarah was in the Crit. Sarah was on her way back from a break (had David given her performance enhancing stomach / emptying pills?!) so I talked up some of her cycle related achievements to the film crew before Sarah got a solid 5 mins plus of air time for the forthcoming Whiskey 50 DVD! Best bit was when she was asked what Team Margarita represented – the interviewer’s retort…’So you sit around drinking margaritas post-race’?! - Awesome press!

Writers note: At this point in time Sarah had already transgressed the team moto of ‘minimum effort’ and little did she know she her case had been sent forward to the elders for possible excommunication for violating the prime directive.

The Crit started. There was almost a pile up at the first corner (Sarah needs to watch more F1 races so she can see the best lines for 1^st corners.) There then followed 20mins of flat out racing on the street. The 1^st hill after the start/finish straight was brutally steep and made for an excellent vantage point. Sarah was clearly enjoying herself way too much and I don’t think she ever wanted it to end – OK, not quite. It really did look pretty brutal. Sarah did really well out of the field and would have done ever better if she used wider lines on some of the corners that sapped her speed and forced her to work harder. It looked excessively strenuous considering it was bust 36hrs away from the Pro race. During the Crit a man dressed as a gorilla ran up and down along with semi-naked youths and a grown man wearing only very baggy Speedo’s. These Prescott folk have been isolated too long.

Sarah's start:

Sarah's turns:

Gorilla and underwear man (heckling Chloe):

After the race the Team hit the New Belgium beer garden to watch the Pro-Men’s Crit race. Cheap and frosty beer is always good after a long day. 

David in the Pro Men's crit:

With the beer froth still wet on my face we headed over to the Girley Grill with the Mann’s to follow the team tradition of pre-race liquid carbo-loading. There was a wait for a table for seven but they kindly opened us a separate room upstairs. Whilst we were grateful for this special treatment I think we all knew deep down that the hotel had called them and warned them of the potential damage that having David’s poisoned gas rear end in close confinement with paying customers may cause. Potential fire/explosion hazards were no doubt talked of and the fact that there was a fire in Whiskey row some days later is unlikely to have been a coincidence.

Ryan and I started a pincer attack on the bar that started with a 1-2 jab of IPA and Jack on the rocks and culminated in an upper-cut of Guiness with another Jack chaser as the final blow. In between we had some great pasta and some good laughs. We headed home for last minute race prep and prayed not to wake up with a hangover.

Saturday:

Woke up early and didn’t feel too bad from the night before - relief. I headed down to the lobby and spotted Ryan already tucking into a mother-load type breakfast. I resisted the temptation to ride my bike out of the elevator and straight down the stairs into the bar area despite having wanted to do it since I arrived.

Sometime later Ryan and I are lined up at the back of about 1000+ riders:

It didn’t take too long after the starting gun for us to actually start moving – (it took about 10mins in the El Tour du Tucson with 8000+ people). We got going and were soon climbing through the local side streets of Prescott. Locals stood in their gardens and driveways and waved as we rode by. This was my 1^st exertion since arriving on Thursday afternoon and both Ryan and I commented on really feeling the elevation. Some miles in whilst still on the streets there was a short downhill leading into a tight right hand bend. Approaching the apex we could hear another of the locals cheering us on but her tone sounded slightly off through the buzzing swarm of freewheels and roar of tyres on tarmac. On rounding the corner I saw the woman and notice her expression and frantic hand movements. Not a moment later a large grey deer comes hauling out of her driveway but there’s nowhere for it to go because there’s a solid stream of riders flying by. Those to the right and middle of the peloton of riders see it and brake hard but those on the far left have no time to react. I’ve heard of deer taking down riders before but in this case a large 200lb+ rider T-bones the deer at a solid 25mph (after the briefest of tyre lockups). The deer slammed into the floor hard as did the rider and his bike. Grey deer fur was all over the road but thankfully it sprang up (eyes wide in terror) and ran off into another garden. Wow – seen it all now - and up close too. On meeting the dirt trails we soon ground to a halt where the fireroad turned to singletrack. Unbelievably we were pretty much stationary for 15minutes or more – mental note to not start at the back if I do this again – this was caused by some riders not being able to ride the rock step-ups and small technical features. The traffic jam continued on and off until about mile 9. There was a lot of fun singletrack, water bar drops of a few feet and other assorted trail objects to enjoy. Skull Valley was a long long way down and it was getting hotter too – the climb back up was never ending and not long past the aid station I felt the onset of cramp. More super fun singletrack followed but I soon ground to a halt with my usual leg cramps (on cramp hill no less). The final part of the trail before getting back on the streets for the descent back into Prescott involved criss-crossing a stream over and over with a lot of rock gardens that are hit at speed. Two people in front of me pinch-flatted on the rocks and then it was the final stretch on the road. My legs had come back to life and my Epic was blazingly fast on the street. I got into road racing mode and sprinted between groups of riders, slipstreaming for a few seconds to get my breath back then sprinting to the next group. I love riding downhill on the street on my Epic – it was probably my favourite part of the ride – something’s not right with that! Strong brakes, loads of grip and the Brain tech allowing me to not waste any energy. Afterwards we headed over to The Raven for some good food and a well-earned beer. Saturday night was a night in at the hotel where I finally felt pretty tired.

Ryan's finish:

My (Keith's) finish:

Post-race beers:

Sunday:

Sarah and David were up early and both took off flying for the Pro start. 

After snapping a few pictures the unstoppable beast that is Ryan’s belly demanded a primo food intake. Sadly the wait for breakfast was interminable but eventually we settled into our morning banquet. The waitress was probably the feistiest and most genuine we’d come across which was refreshing after years of OC manicured ‘how may I be of assistance to you today and obligate you to give me as much of your pitty money as I can whilst not caring a bit whether you enjoy your meal or whatever you say’ attitude. Post breakfast carbo-blow out hit us hard and the only thing we considered doing for the next 4hrs was lolling through the bike expo and lying down. 3hrs or so in with lunch approaching we spotted the balcony (empty) above Whiskey Row and in a flash we were up there with midday drinking the only thing on our mind. The old duffer behind the bar was a right character and seemed pleased that we started tipping back the Guiness so early in the day. Our elevated view point allowed us to both heckle the masses and get an awesome view of ‘Lamb Chop Sideboards’ Kabush coming home to victory on his Scott 29er with Fox prototype electronic suspension. Sometime later David came through covered in a film of white powder. The uneducated may have thought he’d been filming a remake of Scarface or had sweated out Cheez-It salt badly we knew deep down it some kind of side effect from the X-Lax. Sarah came in 9^th in Class and promptly keeled over after the finish line, bleeding badly from one knee and enjoying the cramps that I put up with on most rides. 9^th was an awesome finish in one of her first Pro races but additionally she had won some decent cash too – always a bonus. We headed down to the Raven again for most post-race grub and fine ales and the rest of the day was something of a blur. Assorted moments were chilling in the hot tub, winning more mad cash in the casino, Team Margarita vehicle getting reversed into and smashed up.

The car debacle (victim of a teenage driver):

Monday: 

Mundane chores of packing up the Team Margarita off-road command vehicle and despite a decent feeding last night at the Girley Grill we set off for a solid breakfast and then tracked down the local Donut Factory. Before embarking on the looooong drive back to SoCal. Awesome weekend over!

Keith