Notes
6 Hours of Warrior Creek
Got up Sat morning at 6 in order to leave at 6:30. A two hour drive would put me at the campground about 8:30 and I would have an hour and a half to get ready for the race. I was hoping to see Rich Dillon there and chat with him a little. Found a place to park and got things ready for the race. Rider meeting at 9:30 and we're crowded around the start/finish ready for the 10:00 start. I'm not really pushing to get to ahead like you would do in an event like this. The more people you get in front of at the start the less you have to try to pass on the trail. I'm still a little worried abut my knee although it feels fine. The first mile or so is on paved road leading to the next campground. Some of the geared bikes pass me as I spin my 32/20. I'm in this for the fun of it and to get my feet wet in the racing arena. The paved section gives the real competitors a chance to jockey for position. Into the woods and I'm off on the first of what I hope to be the first of five laps. I'm following about four or five people here but it's not a problem. It gives you clues about the trail and forces you to keep a moderate pace. I didn't wear my Camelbak and instead put one bottle in the cage and packed a 26" tube, CO2, and some tools in my jersey. The course has mile markers which gives me a chance to gauge my progress. At about mile five or six I realize my knees are fine and decide to up the pace. I quickly realize how difficult it is to go around someone unless they let you and remember, this is a race. The other problem is the extra energy you use accelerating around them. Its like surge...back off...surge...back off and this will wear you down fast. The trail is fantastic. High berms on the turns allow you to carry lots of speed. plenty of technical bits and an awesome rock garden. The first lap goes by pretty fast. My average is over 10 and that's too fast this early in the race. I head back to the car and stuff down half a PBJ and try to catch up on fluids. I'm not drinking near as much as I should. I haven't been reminding myself to drink on the first lap and only finished half a bottle. Fill the bottle, check the bike and head out for lap two.
Lap two goes into the woods near the start/finish. The first thing you hit is a rooty climb followed by a descent to a narrow bridge. One of the first thing I realize is my stomach doesn't like having half a PBJ stuffed in it then hammer down the trail. I spent the first few miles riding smooth and trying to calm my stomach. I'm ok after a while and get back to buisness. Lap two is a lot easier. I know what to expect from the trail and I'm following a lot less riders. It's difficult riding behind a geared bike. They tend to let their speed drop off as they shift into a granny gear and I ride up their backside trying to maintain momentum. I've already walked (jogged) past one rider. With the better pace I'm paying attention to the trail a lot more and feeling good at this point. I pay more attention to drinking. Lap two complete and I'm seven minutes faster than lap one. With an average still over 10 mph I really need to slow down or I'm going to blow up before this is over. Back at the car I still haven't managed to finish a bottle so I refill it and take a few bites of the other half of a PBJ. Should have had a plan B with the nutrition but the learning curve is steep at this point. Sit for ten minutes, check the bike and I'm off for lap three.
I'm very comfortable with the trail, no suprises, and I'm riding by myself more. When I do come up on another rider they are going sooo slow. I guess everyone is in conserve mode now. Problem is the "surge" you need to get around each one. I concentrate on drinking, slowing down, and staying smooth. My arms are getting tired, my legs have been tired, and Im' walking more of the short hills. I don't feel too bad but I know my energy is going to drop exponentionally and lap five is going to be a pain. I'm still coming up behind geared riders and its so frustrating when they drop their speed going into the hill and I have to slow crank up the hill. I try to get around them before the next hill. There is a semi long flat muddy patch that is drying out and I manage to ride through this time. Most of the muddy patches, and there wern't many, are easier to walk through. A few hard switchbacks that I walk, as do others, and I use this as an oppertunity to grab the bottle. Lap three complete and it's about eight to ten minutes slower but about the right pace. I do a quick calculation and decide a 10 minute break here and a normal pace on lap four will get me back to the car in time for another 10 minute break and still make the 3:30 cutoff.
I leave out for lap four and look down at the rear tire and it looks like it needs air! I stop and ask someone it I can borrow their pump, thank them, and carry on. It would have haunted me otherwise. Lap four is a turning point. The lack of fluids is catching up with me and my legs are starting to cramp bad on every climb. Not eating as much as I'd like is having an effect. I'm concerned about making the cutoff so keeping my pace down is difficult. I find myself riding up behind others again and feel like I need to go around them. I'm going to have to really concentrate. I'm tired, my legs hurt, and I'm getting sloppy. The perfect recipe for a wreck. My motivation is all over the place. One moment I feel OK, the next I feel like just getting off the bike. Just get back to the car, rest a little, and do the last lap. Some of the muddy bits are drying up nicely. The long muddy patch at the flat part I walked the first lap I managed to ride through this time. Mile 10 marker. Thank goodness. I can hear the music and soon I'm going through the flag banners. Turn onto the paved campground road and coast to the car. Get off the bike and check the time. It's about 3:15. I completed this lap six minutes faster than lap three and I can feel it. That gives me a good 10 minute rest and still make it to the trail in time. Grab a few bites of PBJ, fill my bottle, and drink the remainder. Check the bottom bracket again and its lose. Tighten that, check the bike over, and sit on the car. About that time Rich goes by. I shout but he has this look of determination. I stand up and my legs can hardly hold my weight. Before you know it I've talked myself out of the last lap within five minutes of the cutoff. I'm flooded with emotions. I feel horrible. I can hardly stand. Can I ride another hour and a half lap dealing with leg cramps. You did meet your goal of making the cutoff by lap four. I keep looking at my watch and the cutoff approaches... and goes by. Well, I can't go now. The next few minutes I spend trying to make mental notes of my condition knowing that in a few days, when I'm feeling better, I'll regret not doing the last lap and beating myself up for not trying. I don't feel bad about the decision at the moment. I feel like I've pushed myself pretty hard. The cramps on this lap were miserable and knowing I would have to do that for another hour and a half I just couldn't fathom. I clean up my bike stuff, get in the car and get my bag with a towel and a change of clothes and head to the showers. After that I feel a lot better. It's over now.
Had I completed another lap I would have moved from up six spots in the overall standings. Being in the twenties instead of thirties out of 90 some riders would be nice. In the single speed standings I would have moved up one spot. Ninth to eighth. No big deal but would have the five lap bragging rights. My heart rate for lap one was 159 bpm, lap two was 157 bpm, and lap three was 150 bpm. I didn't get a good split for the forth lap. Total time over 160 bpm was about two and a half hours. Those are some high numbers for me. The lack of fluids attributed a little to that I'm sure. As a whole I'm happy with the results of my first endurance race. I learned an awful lot and can't wait for the next opportunity. I managed to keep a decent pace and just need to get the competitive juices going next time.
Results= http://www.rmssports.com/results/09WARRIOR.txt
zone- about 2.5 hours.
cal- almost 5300
max- 35.5