It’s amazing how one’s perspective changes given time, distance, and experience.
I’ve been getting a bit behind on my blogging as things/events continue to pile up on top of me and snowball.
This past weekend consisted of a calculated plan of attrition preparation for July. Adhering to the Walden philosophy that training is the best racing I decided to attempt the 8 hours of Cannonsburg MTB race on Sat. and Le Tour de Mont Pleasant 105 mile road race the following day. My hopes were to be competitive at both venues.
Prepping for a racing binge of this caliber proved to be no easy task as I took three hours to pack Thursday night. In addition, my homeroom class on Friday spent most of their time premixing bottles, and organizing all of my nutrition for Saturday’s race. I could of left straight from work on Friday to head out to Kalamazoo to get a good night sleep prior to a stacked weekend of racing. However, I stopped by my Sister-in Laws house to pick up a bracelet someone had made in memory of my brother, I needed to have it to get through my weekend of attrition binging. This jaunt set me off schedule by about an hour after getting stuck behind a bad accident on M-14 and having to reroute my trip. I learned later that it was a multiple fatality accident. Although I was frustrated that my plans had been derailed a bit, I couldn’t help but feel blessed that perhaps if I wouldn’t of made that extra stop to pick up the bracelet I may have been caught up in the accident.
A large appeal of mine to 24 hour racing is the sheer mental and physical preparation that goes into it. If you want to be successful, you can’t just wake up a few days before the race and decide you want to take a crack at a 24hr MTB race. There is something comforting in knowing that your dedication to one event will be your single hardest effort of the season. I often analogize it to being like a boxer getting ready for a title bout. A boxer never really puts the effort forth that it takes to step in the ring until fight day, simply because it takes so much out of you. There is no race simulation when it comes to 24hr racing, only when you line up and ride bell to bell will you ever have any idea of what it takes and what your mind and body go through. This being said, preparing for a 24hr race must consist of very calculated stints of riding/racing with even more calculated recovery.
When I finally arrived in Kalamazoo, I checked in with my long time friend Ryan, and headed out for a quick hour spin to get the car legs out. I decided to roll through my old stomping grounds of academia, Western Michigan University’s campus. So often I get so caught up in the present and the future that I neglect to take time to reflect on the past. There is something about nostalgia that really gives you perspective on how far you’ve come. I rolled by several different residences I lived at and waves of memories came rolling over me. I realized that my life pre-cycling and post-cycling have been two different worlds. It felt like I was looking back on another person’s life other than my own. Pre two wheels I lacked any defined direction. Although my addiction/dedication to this sport now leads me in different directions, my ultimate focus is straight and narrow. As I’ve stated before, riding my bike has proven to be the single most effective catalyst of self-improvement in my life.
After my recovery stroll down memory, I settled in at my gracious host house to some warm pizza, a few beers, and a spectation of some slow-motion Redwing hockey.
As morning rolled around, I woke up with that familiar giddy feeling that one only gets when you know you are going to get to ride your bike hours on end for the day. I arrived at the race with ample time to spare and set up my cornucopia of self-support. This was my virgin attempt at self-supporting myself in an enduro event. Despite having a successful day, I must say, it was quite lonely.
As we rolled around the course warming up I spoke to several riders/racers whom I had never met before but were commending me on my ride/victory at 12hrs of Boyne. It seems that most everyone there had learned that I was training for this year’s 24hr Worlds and took time to wish me their best. The added support from local riders was great motivation!
I’ll keep my actual race report/description short, as it is pretty uneventful. We started as a mass start. As the gun sounded, I took the wholeshot and never saw anyone again until I started lapping some of the other riders. I managed to get in 17 laps for the day, take the victory in the solo category as well as stay on the same lap as the winning teams for the day. Although the competition at this race may not of been at the caliber I will be facing in Canmore, the value of the confidence a victory instills is worth a lot.
I’ve been viewing these races much like ladder rungs. They are all steps I need to take to get to the top of the ladder come July 25th.
If racing my MTB for 8 hours was not enough, when I finished I quickly hoped in my car to roll over to Mount Pleasant to join up with my skinny-tired WSC teammates and participate the next day in the 105 mile last stop on Le Tour De Mont stage race.
Tour De Mont Cliffnotes: I had a feeling that this race, being a flat course, would cater to an early successful break so I was quite attentive early on. I put myself in a few early gaps but nothing materialized. Then a break containing the heads of state rolled off the front and I instantly knew that was the equation I needed to plug myself into. I jumped and got about 25 feet off the back of the break and started to waiver. I had a few riders that followed me up. However, after I slowed up a bit, the remaining riders jumped hard and left me to suffer out the last bit of the gap. I have no excuses, I didn’t have it. That last 25 feet may as well of been a mile, my top end was shot after the prior days race. Eventually I was scooped up by the field and held on for a 105-mile day of moto-pacing.
I ended up rolling into town with the pack. Although I didn’t post a result, I was content that my legs still felt strong and that I had engaged in a weekend that was well spent and was a great training investment.
So that brings us to today. I am now on summer vacation from work until 9/8. I can now live the illusion that I am a full-time racer for about three months. This weeks highlights so far have included:
1. My Superfly cracking
2. My computer breaking
3. Watching two great movies in one day (my rest day) The Hangover, and Gran Torino
4. Winning the Thursday Night Waterford Hills Road Racing Series Race.
In years past, I have been so excited for my last day of work I could barely contain myself. This year everything feels different. I am a bit more ambivalent about the whole thing. It’s amazing how one’s perspective changes given time, distance, and experience.
Stay tuned...
