Pats Peak , would be my First 24 Hr -Solo ! 
First of All Props Go out to the Pats Peak Staff they put on One hell of an event. In 1 weekend , they put on a 24 Hr race ( 6, 12, 24 options ) , a Down Hill Race , and a XC race. and some kids races and Fun rides both Road and Mtn. and they Pull it off!
Second , boy did we get lucky with the weather ! while there were down pours happening all around , all we saw was a few sprinkles .
it is a Tough Course, were you go up , down , up down , etc ,there really is no Flat part of the course. and unlike prior yeas , the course was DRY , very little mud !
While I supposedly had a support crew of my Family they were really only there for about 4 hours from 3 -7 Pm on Staurday , the rest of it I was on my own . and I tried to follow Westies advice that Eating was almost as if not more important that Pedalling. I tired ! it was hard to swallow . I ate , ( and it really was not enough ) 2 Pounds of Fig bars , 6 Bagles , 2 Pounds of Macorni Salad , a dozen cliff BArs , lots of Gels , sports beans , chips , and Lots enduro lites . Drank over 3 gallons of Gatorade/ Cliff Shot /elixer and some other concotions I can't think of right now , and it still was not enough ! While it was not overly Hot , it was very Muggy and I was sweating like crazy the whole time
now lets get to the race . I started out , felt really good , but had force my self to slow down , which I still did a ( best for me ) 42 Minute first Lap, follwed by a 46 Minute 2nd lap . But As I finished my 2nd lap, the coulds looked really Bad. so I stoped and ate a bagel , and I talked with the race director who said a Weather cell was headed right for us . Now the policy is if it is raining no matter how hard the race goes on , but one flash of lightening and they clear the course and every one on the course lap doesn't count. Now I didn't fell like losing a lap so I hung back till it cleared , The cell just moved just North of Us , you could see about a Milke away was getting Dumped on. so I went out and did lap 3 , had a few cramps toward the end of the lap , and As I went through the Chute my Wife and Kids were just arriving .
So I stopped to talk with them , and try to work out the cramps , took some more endurolites , and lots of FLuid, had so Salty chips with My wife and kids , and spent almost an hour off the course. I went Back out leaving my Wife and Kids to eat and take Pics of me
the next 2 laps went well in suscession, I was definatly slowing down the climbs were taking there toll, so I started walking the 2 really big ones , to conserv energy. toward the end of that lap I started feeling Hungry , so I stopped with the wife and ate a a bagel, some figs , some chex Mix , etc. Now my Support would leave me My next lap would be the worst lap i have ever had. I was in Cramp Hell!!! Both Hamstings cramped on ( causing me to crash once ) both Hands and Feet would cramp. that Lap took over an hour and a half , may be 2 I was really Hurting !
I stopped for an hour or so and Ate every thing salty I could find , ate half a pound of Mac salad , went out did another lap , took my lights but they were not needed , ( but it was pretty dark ). stoped again to eat some more , and salt up, next lap was A night lap. I was about a Mile in , when My Light went out !!! I wiggled all the connections and it lit up again! It flickereda couple of times but stayed lit till about a 1/4 from the end of the lap , it went out and Stayed out!! .I used my LED flash light to finishe the lap .
Then went to work to figure out what was wrong . This isa NIte Rider HID , my Backup Light is a Night Rider Trail Rat , which On friday as I got ready to go , it failed , the Cheap wire NR uses broke ( again ) , well upon further inspection of my HID it appeared the Extention cable has gone Bad ( cheap wire) . It will work , but it mean I only have about 12 inches of wire from the light to the battery. so i had to rig it up so My Battery was on the absolute top of my Camel Back. that took me about 45 minutes to get it all set up but it got done.
Did another lap and As I was doingthe monster down hill , I found my Self feeling really really tired ! and having trouble concentrating . so I get in it is 11:30 ( not quie half way ). when I check in I decide its Nap time. I slept for about 1 1/2 hours got up felt Good , went out and did 2 more laps , it is just shy of 4 Am when I get in , and My Battery is now Pretty much exhausted . and i am feeling Pretty Tired again. so I set up the charger in the base lodge and crawl into my Sleeping bag and get 1 hour of very solid sleep.
I woke up because my Bladder needed to be emtied ,and in that Hour the sn Had risen. I also Foud with the sleep I wasable to eat some food a little easier , So I ate 2 Bagels , a Breakfast BAr , a Quart anda Half of CLiff Shot , and off to the trail i went . I did 2 laps Both about an Hour ten Minutes , stopped ate a Little bit and off I went . wasreally feeling tired again around 9:30 , so I drank , a16 Oz. FUll throttle and off I went , and Prioceded to put in a 52 minute lap!! came in around 10:30am having done 14 laps , Hoping to do 16 now , go out , anda 1/4 ofthe way through this lap , my Legs just quit! I had nothing left! I walked up every thingjust before the Big climb, I walked up that with this cute girl who was on a Duo 24 on trek demo. we were talking and I bombed down the Down hill leaving her way behind ( only 2 people passed me on the big down hill the entire race ,while I passed a LOT of people on it ) but there was one final little climb, and she refusedto let me walk it ! she was yelling at Me to fishish strong. I finishe my 15th lap at 11:30 I could have gone out again , but choose not to. Turns out that wasa good choice ,m be cause As i was ridinghe bike down the hill to the car, My front brake pads started screecing that they were gone, Good timing !
Pics to Follow shortly
First of All Props Go out to the Pats Peak Staff they put on One hell of an event. In 1 weekend , they put on a 24 Hr race ( 6, 12, 24 options ) , a Down Hill Race , and a XC race. and some kids races and Fun rides both Road and Mtn. and they Pull it off!
Second , boy did we get lucky with the weather ! while there were down pours happening all around , all we saw was a few sprinkles .
it is a Tough Course, were you go up , down , up down , etc ,there really is no Flat part of the course. and unlike prior yeas , the course was DRY , very little mud !
While I supposedly had a support crew of my Family they were really only there for about 4 hours from 3 -7 Pm on Staurday , the rest of it I was on my own . and I tried to follow Westies advice that Eating was almost as if not more important that Pedalling. I tired ! it was hard to swallow . I ate , ( and it really was not enough ) 2 Pounds of Fig bars , 6 Bagles , 2 Pounds of Macorni Salad , a dozen cliff BArs , lots of Gels , sports beans , chips , and Lots enduro lites . Drank over 3 gallons of Gatorade/ Cliff Shot /elixer and some other concotions I can't think of right now , and it still was not enough ! While it was not overly Hot , it was very Muggy and I was sweating like crazy the whole time
now lets get to the race . I started out , felt really good , but had force my self to slow down , which I still did a ( best for me ) 42 Minute first Lap, follwed by a 46 Minute 2nd lap . But As I finished my 2nd lap, the coulds looked really Bad. so I stoped and ate a bagel , and I talked with the race director who said a Weather cell was headed right for us . Now the policy is if it is raining no matter how hard the race goes on , but one flash of lightening and they clear the course and every one on the course lap doesn't count. Now I didn't fell like losing a lap so I hung back till it cleared , The cell just moved just North of Us , you could see about a Milke away was getting Dumped on. so I went out and did lap 3 , had a few cramps toward the end of the lap , and As I went through the Chute my Wife and Kids were just arriving .
So I stopped to talk with them , and try to work out the cramps , took some more endurolites , and lots of FLuid, had so Salty chips with My wife and kids , and spent almost an hour off the course. I went Back out leaving my Wife and Kids to eat and take Pics of me
the next 2 laps went well in suscession, I was definatly slowing down the climbs were taking there toll, so I started walking the 2 really big ones , to conserv energy. toward the end of that lap I started feeling Hungry , so I stopped with the wife and ate a a bagel, some figs , some chex Mix , etc. Now my Support would leave me My next lap would be the worst lap i have ever had. I was in Cramp Hell!!! Both Hamstings cramped on ( causing me to crash once ) both Hands and Feet would cramp. that Lap took over an hour and a half , may be 2 I was really Hurting ! I stopped for an hour or so and Ate every thing salty I could find , ate half a pound of Mac salad , went out did another lap , took my lights but they were not needed , ( but it was pretty dark ). stoped again to eat some more , and salt up, next lap was A night lap. I was about a Mile in , when My Light went out !!!
I wiggled all the connections and it lit up again! It flickereda couple of times but stayed lit till about a 1/4 from the end of the lap , it went out and Stayed out!! .I used my LED flash light to finishe the lap .Then went to work to figure out what was wrong . This isa NIte Rider HID , my Backup Light is a Night Rider Trail Rat , which On friday as I got ready to go , it failed , the Cheap wire NR uses broke ( again ) , well upon further inspection of my HID it appeared the Extention cable has gone Bad ( cheap wire) . It will work , but it mean I only have about 12 inches of wire from the light to the battery. so i had to rig it up so My Battery was on the absolute top of my Camel Back. that took me about 45 minutes to get it all set up but it got done.
Did another lap and As I was doingthe monster down hill , I found my Self feeling really really tired ! and having trouble concentrating . so I get in it is 11:30 ( not quie half way ). when I check in I decide its Nap time. I slept for about 1 1/2 hours got up felt Good , went out and did 2 more laps , it is just shy of 4 Am when I get in , and My Battery is now Pretty much exhausted . and i am feeling Pretty Tired again. so I set up the charger in the base lodge and crawl into my Sleeping bag and get 1 hour of very solid sleep.
I woke up because my Bladder needed to be emtied ,and in that Hour the sn Had risen. I also Foud with the sleep I wasable to eat some food a little easier , So I ate 2 Bagels , a Breakfast BAr , a Quart anda Half of CLiff Shot , and off to the trail i went . I did 2 laps Both about an Hour ten Minutes , stopped ate a Little bit and off I went . wasreally feeling tired again around 9:30 , so I drank , a16 Oz. FUll throttle and off I went , and Prioceded to put in a 52 minute lap!! came in around 10:30am having done 14 laps , Hoping to do 16 now , go out , anda 1/4 ofthe way through this lap , my Legs just quit! I had nothing left! I walked up every thingjust before the Big climb, I walked up that with this cute girl who was on a Duo 24 on trek demo. we were talking and I bombed down the Down hill leaving her way behind ( only 2 people passed me on the big down hill the entire race ,while I passed a LOT of people on it ) but there was one final little climb, and she refusedto let me walk it ! she was yelling at Me to fishish strong. I finishe my 15th lap at 11:30 I could have gone out again , but choose not to. Turns out that wasa good choice ,m be cause As i was ridinghe bike down the hill to the car, My front brake pads started screecing that they were gone, Good timing !
Pics to Follow shortly
