A long way to go...

[Paul Montgomery]

My last “A” race for 2011 was the National XC Championship, in Sun Valley, Idaho. 28 racers had qualified and signed up for the Cat 1, 50-54 age group, all with hopes of finishing up front. Among the many challenges, my ability to adapt to altitude (5,800 ft- 7,000 ft) was the biggest question mark. I have only one other race at elevation on the schedule, and I arrive typically within 24 hours of race start. According to the research, from sea level, you should expect a 10% drop in aerobic capacity after 24 hours, and could gain back 5% after 48 hours. Full acclimation would take over three weeks. Needing to pre-ride the course, I arrived in Ketchum (Sun Valley) 60 hours before the start. Game on.

 

The race would be two laps plus a “prolog”. The first half of a lap is a steep tight single track climb with a series of roots that, in traffic, will force a hike-a-bike conga line and NO passing. The last chunk of the climb is not as steep and eventually turns into a fire road. The second half of the lap is all downhill on a flowing single track, eventually finishing with tight switchbacks… oh yeah, did I mention, NO passing. In an effort to make the race interesting for the spectators, two sections were manufactured, an optional rock face “drop” at the end of the downhill and a 50 yard long rock garden in the short Start/Finish flat section.

 

Out for my pre-ride on Thursday afternoon’s open practice, the scale of the effort came into focus. First I rode (and ran) the rock garden section a couple of times to warm up, not a flowing layout. Concentration would be required. On the uphill section…because of the very steep grade punctuated by tall roots, there was only one way to approach it, full gas. This seemed to work, until I saw…God. I had pushed too hard and all systems were shutting down. An overwhelming feeling of anxiety and panic descended, I was off the bike trying to get air in and looking for a place to pass out. Whoa…relax, relax, relax. After a couple of minutes I was able to get back on the bike, this altitude thing was real and would be hard to overcome. Pedaling on, the dread of a repeat visit from my creator was high enough to consider abandoning the event; after all, this was “vacation”.

 

Never mind, on to the descent, all is good, fast and low aerobic requirements. At the bottom I decide to do another lap to reassess. For better or worse the second time I’m able to keep it under control. Finishing up the downhill section, I stop to consider the best approach to the rock wall “drop” (the bypass would add 20-30 seconds per lap). While standing there a rider dives into it, off line, and launches over the bars stacking it 20 ft below, bringing out the paramedics. Broken back, end of session. This would require a return visit at 7:30am the next day to ride the feature and erase the brutal afterimage. No word on the outcome of the crasher. Good luck and respect.

 

Race Day: Warm-up goes smoothly, riding up the start climb multiple times, which begins the prolog (25% grade, 175 vert ft), I feel ready. Being a Championship race, the protocol included a call-up (current champions and point leaders get to start at the front). My name was not called. OK… 5 seconds… GO… I muff getting clipped in and miss a couple crank turns, people pass. On the uphill I avoid a pileup, and focus on staying in control. Near the top oxygen debt overcomes race strategy; I have to back off before the lights go out. A lot of people pass. Luckily we have an imminent hike-a-bike dismount, which should give me a chance to regain consciousness. On the short downhill I get back into the game…picking up places in the rock garden. Now for the first lap climb, as predicted people are hiking their bikes. The pace is s-slow. Pass a couple of people, who step out of the track, everyone is suffering. Finally on the fire road, the top three from the Masters (55-60) group come by…ugh! I slot in behind the third guy. Unfortunately he holds me up on the downhill, I finally get around near the bottom.

 

The race played out without any more events and I avoid hypoxia. The second lap is on my own and 2 minutes faster than the first. Finishing place was 14^th out of 28. Average heart rate was 10 beats slower than a normal race effort. By far the most competitive field of “old dudes” you’ll find in one place on mountain bikes. (The winner was only a few minutes off the overall Cat 1 best time.) In the end, a strange course that required going deep right from the gun to establish position, and limited your opportunities to make-up time. For me, it’s back to the bike to figure out how to step it up. Hopefully I have a little more fitness to develop, before the years start to take it back.

 

Thanks to Michele, Mr. B, the Yohams and Team Summit…

 

Epilogue: On the last day in Ketchum, I rode a trail(s) that would have made an excellent XC race course. If you have the time, there are a lot of well developed, quality trails to be ridden in Sun Valley. Fingers crossed for next year.

[Carl Sanders]

Good times!  Great report.  Strange idea of what constitutes a 'vacation'.  Sick folks we are, going all that what just for more suffering. 

Ride on!