After the Le Mans start, up the road went the hitters. Lap 1 my gap to the leaders was 5 odd minutes. Lap 2 another 8 or so minutes. 3 hours in & I was amazed to think that the front pace was sustainable for a 24 hour race. It was so damn hot & those front guys; Tinker, Magelky and Claxton were absolutely flying.
What other way would you expect a World Championship event to begin? Slowly? I don’t think so.
Laguna Seca Raceway and the surrounding BLM lands was the location for the 24 Hour Solo World Championships for 2007. A mentally gruelling 22km circuit with approx 550 metres of climbing per lap. Most of the track was around a basin which meant that the air was very still & hot on the lower single-track sections, but very exposed up on the ridges. Around the 19 km mark of the track was the aptly named ‘Hurl hill,’ which I became personally acquainted with later in the day.
The heat was smashing us all. 38 degrees will do that especially when the body is not conditioned for it. I knew all I had to do was get to about 7pm & my race could start in earnest when it was a lot cooler ...that was my plan anyway.
By the 3rd hour I thought I had found the overly conservative rhythm that i was looking for, but it was about Lap 4 when it all started going horribly wrong.
I’d been well on top of my hydration plan, drinking plenty of fluids & electrolytes all day knowing my race was over if I didn’t. Suddenly within about 10 minutes or so, what food or drink went in, was coming straight back out. I was a mess. My laps had slowed, my legs were fine but I just couldn’t eat or drink. Even plain water was a struggle.
It is immensely difficult to remain positive when your stomach is not playing the game. It was still relatively early in the race and we had come a long way for this. I heard (and could plainly see) that the heat was forcing the hand of many competitors. Conversations were short & weird, lines were erratic. It was a torrid heat-wave & becoming a race of attrition. I was quickly becoming a statistic.
Being out there on the track when the body was trying to shut down from the heat was an interesting experience. Time slowed down to an incredible snail pace. My mind started singly focusing on each pedal stroke, each breath, each tyre track in the sand, each lump & small rock that went under the bike. The next 3 hours felt like a lifetime and this was, without doubt, the extreme low point in the race for me.
Nothing that I tried was working and if this kept up any longer, I was going to find myself with some serious issues. Into my pit & it was a magic orange shot of concentrated electrolyte & minerals from John Claxton’s pit crew (thanks so much Kate) that got me going again.
Within about 10 minutes I was able to eat again. Within another 30 minutes I was back on track eating & drinking properly. I entered solo alley for the next lap feeling much better to the relief of my support crew.
The night hours were good to me. The temp was quite crisp in the early hours with the thick sea fog threatening. The cooler air was a comforting change to the previous cold sweats in the heat-wave. And away the laps went.
The sun broke and with it came some new enthusiasm.
Where was I in my category? Where was I overall? How many more laps could I fit in? Each lap in the morning was another small step forward and brought about another set of questions to answer.
Totally stoked with how the rest of my race went, I finished with 18 laps under my belt at 24hrs:09mins. I had the 30-34 age category win and a very surprising 3rd place overall. Even though I had entered age, the result was confirmation to me that my preparation was spot on.
Like every event & training week for me, there are things that can be improved upon, refined & lessons learnt. This event & result is no different.
My support crew are the best. They were the key to my race in the highs & the lows. They were the clear head on my weary shoulders pulling me into line at any opportunity. Together we had a great race. Together we brought an age category jersey back to Australia.
There are many people I would like to thank. My sponsors MAXimusSolutions Australia, VOODOO cycles, Sunshine Bicycle Works, DIYMTB (Enduro Bearings), FCm Travel Solutions, GEAX tyres, Nick Gonzioulis Chiropractic & Race Elements. Without the support of these companies, this trip would not have been possible.
Many thanks also to the many emails & text messages prior to, during & after the race and I hope to catch you all up soon. All of your encouragement & support went a long way towards getting each lap out of the way.
Congrats to all the other Aussies who also made the trip and toed the start line. Unfortunately for some it was just not their day. It was awesome to be part of such a large Australian turnout at a World Championship event. 3 age category jerseys in the bag!
Thanks for reading and hope to see you out there in the dirt sometime soon.
