NoSoMas 2011

[Carl Sanders]

Given that I hadn't gotten enough sleep, my mind felt a bit burned out from a long racing season, I had arrived late for registration and was standing at start in the damp fog without a warm-up, I had my doubts about a stellar finish.

Never great at fast starts,I had trouble kicking into gear as the group climbed up the dam, over the lake and onto the first single track. The heart and legs were just not ready to rock. On to the dirt, I was somewhere in the top twenty. I gained a few positions, passing over-anxious riders that had gone out too hard.

Rode past the first aid station around mile eight, then spent most of the race alone, tunes carrying me along, not feeling that I had a lot of kick left in me; stuck in no man's land, somewhere behind the Pros and ahead of the Expert field trailing somewhere along behind; determined to at the very least have fun on all that killer single track. I needed a carrot to chase.

Dropping into one of the steep creek crossings around mile 20, I broke a rear spoke. Quickly jumped off to assess the damage, wrapping the loose spoke around one nearby, noticing a considerable wobble to the hoop. Not a confidence builder on all this technical single track. Not much more to do, but jump back on a ride.

Bombed into the first aid station at mile 21 for a bottle hand-up, where I learned that I was in the top ten overall. It was time to pick up the pace and start racing! I had finally 'warmed up', the terrain was familiar, the legs strong and I could see riders ahead.

All the hours spent training for the ultra-distance events was now paying dividends. I had dialed my fuel and electrolyte intake. The body was accustomed to long distances. I was hitting my grove. 

 

Passing the last bottle hand-off, six miles from the finish, I was still staying in control and rolling smooth. Ahead, I targeted two more unknown riders still out in front; the first crumbled on the last climb to the overlook and the next disintegrated on the final descent to the finish.  Glad to have found that last push near the finish, unknowingly putting the top two experts riders just minutes behind me as I crossed with 3:26 finish -- over ten minutes faster than last year!

Turned out to be a great book-end to the Bike Monkey race season that started with my first place finish at Boggs way back in April.

 

Now, I mull over whether or not I should head up to the Marathon Nat'ls in Bend OR in three weeks.  One last dunk in a bigger pond.