A good friend of mine and Ironman athlete once told me, “you race your first Ironman to conquer it and embrace the feeling, you race every race after that to chase that feeling you once had your first time”. I mention this quote because I feel it is applicable to 12/24 hour solo mountain bike racing as well. The first time you muster the gumption to set your sights high and roll to the line of a 24hr race you don’t know what’s in store for you. Your anxiety and anticipation of the unknown lead to your excitement. You are seeking to discover just how far you are able to push yourself, to meet your limits face to face, and to push beyond those limits. When you finally achieve this accomplishment you are initially consumed by newly discovered elation and emotion you have never felt before. However, much like any addictions, this high leads you begging to answer the question, “what’s next”? You’ve surprised yourself, proved you can overcome what was once thought of as insurmountable adversity, and now you want to do it again…only BETTER!
WARNING: This mentality/realization/vision quest can lead to one of two things:
1. Debilitating disappointment
2. Success that leads to the perpetuation of the same question, “what’s next”?
Last season I raced two 12-hour races and won them both without contest. However, despite my second place podium spot at the
2010 12hrs of Stony Creek, I am personally more proud and satisfied with this result than any of my previous 12hr wins. Why?...because I was able to discover that I could go further than what I previously thought was possible.
Healthy competition amongst teammates can be a great thing when there is a mutual respect.
Robert Herrimen and
Mike Simonson are both Gary Fisher 29er Crew teammates of mine that have lengthy career resumes with several solid finishes and wins. The result of all of us showing up to the same line was a symbiotic success.
My previous 12-hour race distance record was 140 miles. Thanks to the motivation of my fellow 29er Crew comrades we were all able to achieve 161 miles of trail mayhem that boasted 1000 feet of climbing per lap. In addition were we able to not only claim a 1st and 2nd place victory in the 30-39 solo category and a 1st in the 40+ category, but we managed to all complete 14 laps and also claim the 1st, 2nd and 3rd spots in the
overall results, including the teams.
Yes, it’s true this race was a quest to strive for that aforementioned feeling of my first endurance event. Much to my surprise, I managed to create a new feeling of elation as I discovered I could push beyond my previous limitations. However, due to my healthy dosage of lactic acid in my legs currently, I plan on simply savoring this one for a while and waiting a bit before I eventually ask that inevitable question, “What’s Next”?
I’d like to give a special thanks to my family and friends that showed up to support me for this event. Your love and words of encouragement during the race served as great mental race fuel. I love you all!
Check out race footage
here
