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| What the Hell am I Doing in this Race! 2014 12hrs of Mesa Verde |
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| San Juan River April 2014 |
I returned home an struggled with motivation- not wanting to bike or paddle or be outside. After all, hadn't I had my fill over the last couple of weeks. Nope. I want more!
Friends and fellow Durangotangs Ashley C. and Lyra P were registered to race as a single speed duo at this year's 12 Hours of Mesa Verde. Last year, these two ladies were the fastest two girl team on one gear. After coaching the AHS team last fall, Ashley had skied hard this winter and was psyched to hit it at Phils. Lyra, who I mostly see when she's lapping me in the backcountry, was ready to represent. However, Lyra got hurt just before the race which left Ashley looking for a partner... For free? I contemplated stepping up. Then I committed and after some registration transfer magic from Dani Gregory, I found myself at the fairgrounds on Saturday morning. I chose to race my Salsa Mukluk. Ashley stayed with her single speed. Our team was named Spaced Out, Fat and Single.
After spending 100+ hours in the middle of nowhere with relatively no one around in this year's AZTR, the 900 racer, spectator infused crazy times at 12hMV were all a little much. I was reminded of the reasons why I have avoided these type of races...beyond all the reg fees, machismo and madness, what really frustrated was the lack of sportmanship. I witnessed this at last year's Alien Run race as well....you'd think that people would be kind, even though it's a race. Trampling abounds and I personally experienced two, douche bag induced crashes. The first one, the fucker got away. The second, I drove the poor girl into the ground so hard I thought she was going to break in half.(we had locked bars as she tried to pass me without communication and if we were going down, it was going to be on her side of things...) But my faith in humanity was somewhat restored when Justin from Crested Butte, one of the Griggs clan, broke rule number one, (don't be a dick) and then promptly stopped to apoligize. That was awesome, thank you sir.
I know the guy on the fatbike with a boom box strapped to the bars blasting Pretty Lights may not have shaved legs, a fancy kit or impressive time splits. However, I like riding my bike and seeing others enjoy riding their's makes me smile- a lot! I just wish all these racers could enjoy it a bit more....kinda felt like the Iron Horse vibe on dirt....but I've owned my ignorance about other species of cyclists and cycling events before. One love.
Team Fat and Single did not step up. We did not rally for a record and I'm just glad Ashley still wants to be friends after my slackshow performane. True to form, I got sick and started hurling after lap 1. Hurled again after lap 2 and then my other end exploded after lap 3....WTF? With a leaky gut and a spun head, I decided not to party and sleep in my car after the race. That really sucked because late night Wolf Pup fun was for sure to ensue. Thank you Tina for helping pack up and miserably crawl home. I'm not sure if it was a stomach bug or just a result from being run down by April, but the GI issues didn't dissipate until later in the week. I'm sure riding a heavy bike in the hot sun didn't help the cause. Congrats to Shawn G and Jeff H and the Devo kids on their podiums. I'm glad to have checked this event out but I'm also convinced that the 12hMV was my first and last race like this....
Since returning to D-go, I've been doing a fair bit of boating which has been a great counterbalance to all the cycling. Feeling good and psyched for a big summer up high. Heading out to Kennebec Pass this week.
The school year is winding down and that brings with it a whole host of situations, strong emotions and closure. I'm excited to be done- Always Moving Forward! Now, if we only had a place to live....
Year to Date Stats Update:
As of 5/18/14, I've got 1,551 miles pedaled so far in 2014.
I've got 252 hours of saddle time and have quaffed down 71 pints of juice.
I'm thinking that a goal of 2k mileage is a good marker for June 30th(mid-year). The DDC will help me round out the mileage for the beginning half of 2014. No guess on what my hours will be. I'm shooting for 100 pints of juice. I'm working on figuring out elevation gain. I'd also like to figure out how much each pint of juice costs. Organic fruits and vegetables are not cheap. Glad the farmer's market and CSA shares are starting back up.
I'm both excited and horrified by re-engaging with weight training at the Rec Center. Excited because it feels so good. Horrified because the gym is so gross.
What's Up Next:
The Durango Dirty Century and Colorado Trail Classic are going to be great training/shake-out rides for the 2014 Colorado Trail Race. They are spaced well enough apart to complement my CTR training plan.
Year to Date Stats Update:
As of 5/18/14, I've got 1,551 miles pedaled so far in 2014.
I've got 252 hours of saddle time and have quaffed down 71 pints of juice.
I'm thinking that a goal of 2k mileage is a good marker for June 30th(mid-year). The DDC will help me round out the mileage for the beginning half of 2014. No guess on what my hours will be. I'm shooting for 100 pints of juice. I'm working on figuring out elevation gain. I'd also like to figure out how much each pint of juice costs. Organic fruits and vegetables are not cheap. Glad the farmer's market and CSA shares are starting back up.
I'm both excited and horrified by re-engaging with weight training at the Rec Center. Excited because it feels so good. Horrified because the gym is so gross.
What's Up Next:
The Durango Dirty Century and Colorado Trail Classic are going to be great training/shake-out rides for the 2014 Colorado Trail Race. They are spaced well enough apart to complement my CTR training plan.
