Ok.. so here's the race report of the 12 Hours of Cranky Monkey. Brent, Dave, Neil, Larry, and I did this one solo.
Intro
First off, it was hot.. like.. rediculous.. it was a steamer right from lap 1. temps were in the mid 90s and humid. .. throughout the race, when you thought it couldn't get any hotter, it did. it unfortunately was really a very miserable uncomfortable experience. although it was really hot last year, none of us remember the heat feeling like such a factor.. maybe we've just gotten weaker..
Course
This course is not easy.. 10.6 miles, not very flowy. not real technical, but pretty choppy, undulating hills. no climbs are very long or sustained, but they are all steep. nearly every climb will put you above LT. Riding hardtail i was off the saddle nearly the entire race, or with 3/4 weight on my legs, 1/4 on the saddle because of the constant bumping. Elevation gain according to Brent's GPS was 1250' per lap.
Nutrition
I premixed a couple of gallons of powerbar fuel. I mixed about 3 scoops per bottle and added in a scoop or two of endurolyte powder, then poured them into the gallon containers. I didnt take any endurolytes until several laps into the race. I had no cramping or spasming, which I typically get when dehydrated. I did get a pretty bad headache though, and im not sure why. I started running low on fluid, either because i was drinking insane amounts (70oz per 1:15) or because i was losing a lot of fluid through a bite valve leak. i think the latter accounted for most of it, but i still think i was drinking a lot of fluid. I was also drinking a 1/2 cup of accelerade at each aid station (3 aid stations) per lap. I ate about 3 servings of shot bloks throughout the race. I ate a couple of pb&j sandwiches. I did have some bathroom/stomach issues, requiring a couple of bathroom stops. I think this was more related to my meal the night before than my race nutrition though. I unfortunately had plans at an all-you-can-eat brazilian steakhouse. I ate less than my usual, but still had my fill.
Race
Ok.. so.. here's how it went. All lap times include time spent in the pit after the lap. I checked into the timing tent after any pit stop.
Lap 1.. As expected, slow lap due to traffic.. Not really feeling good. Figuring this is because of overeating of steak the evening prior and the 4:30am wakeup (<5 hrs sleep). Amazed that my HR is going into the 180s on slow climbing efforts. Feeling the heat already. Lap time 1:15. Avg hr 156.
Lap 2. Still working off the tiredness and steak dinner i think. Actually starting to feel just a tad nauseous. 1:15, which included a quick pitstop to replace fluid.. so.. im very satisfied with this lap.
Lap 3 Trudging through. Nausea is gone. Finding im going through nearly 70 oz of fluids per lap, so im having to stop to refuel each lap.. later realize its because my bite valve is leaking. Supplementing with a few cups per lap of accelerade from aid stations. Running out of fluids 3/4 through laps. 1:27 for the lap, as at this point stopping for 5 min or so rest while refueling felt useful. Starting to get a headache. Start feeling ITB pain. Eat 4 endurolytes
Lap 4 Similar to above. Still keeping on my bike for every climb but the rediculous ones that nobody rides. Enjoying that im eating up relay riders on only their second lap. Head throbbing, but no muscle spasms or cramps. I eat 4 more endurolytes. Stopped once or twice to stretch ITB. 1:23
Lap 5 ITB pain starts fading and now turns into pain behind knee near where the calf muscle joins in w/ the knee. I've gotten this pain before in rides, but its always more of a nuisance than anything else. Never painful enough to be performance affecting. Pain is kind of like a knot, but not a spasm or cramp. Starting to really hurt. Im throttling down my speed because my knee hurts on landings from log jumps, big bumps, etc. Knee is starting to hurt on every turn of the pedal. Stretching isnt really helping. I take a long pit stop. The crew is all there.. talking out their evil thoughts. I stop for a little while. Had to use the restroom (did i say i ate a steak dinner last night? and there was a wait for the stalls!) Ate a pb&j. Was out of premixed fuel due to going through too much liquids. Had to remix.. long break 1:41
Lap 6 Headache pretty much gone. Long stop and pb&j really helped. Some thunderstorms passed nearby and cooled things down for the first half which was invigorating. Im liking the fact that im passing some relay racers that are only on their 3rd lap. Im getting a lot of kudos at this point from dying relay racers as they salute the '1M' marking on my leg. Heat came back for the second half and knee pain getting really bad. Starting also to feel pretty sapped of energy. Bonking? Not really sure. Starting to walk some of the hills, mostly to preserve the knee. stopped at the pit, Ate another pb&j, mixed more fuel. Ate a couple bite-size snickers bars. Lap time 1:37.. although i did have a very strong first half
Lap 7 My knee is becoming debilitating. My plan now is to babystep through to the end. Just try to turn the cranks slowly to progress forward, walk all the hills. Brent and Dave, who start out 12 mins or so behind me, catch me. I make no attempt to keep up. The knee pain is taking a physical and mental toll. I figure at this point I can eek out this lap and eek out an 8th, and then probably pass on a 9th even though 'maybe' i can be back in time to do it. As the lap goes on the knee pain is getting sharp. I realize now that continuing on will risk an injury, which is not worth it. As I pass the pit i call out and everyone says they're done. I hand in my key at the timing tent. 1:47
Total time in race: About 10.5 hours.
Results: 8 of 19 in solo. I should have properly registered in the 35+ class and i'd have had 4 of 29. 12 of 47 overall. not so bad really
Intro
First off, it was hot.. like.. rediculous.. it was a steamer right from lap 1. temps were in the mid 90s and humid. .. throughout the race, when you thought it couldn't get any hotter, it did. it unfortunately was really a very miserable uncomfortable experience. although it was really hot last year, none of us remember the heat feeling like such a factor.. maybe we've just gotten weaker..
Course
This course is not easy.. 10.6 miles, not very flowy. not real technical, but pretty choppy, undulating hills. no climbs are very long or sustained, but they are all steep. nearly every climb will put you above LT. Riding hardtail i was off the saddle nearly the entire race, or with 3/4 weight on my legs, 1/4 on the saddle because of the constant bumping. Elevation gain according to Brent's GPS was 1250' per lap.
Nutrition
I premixed a couple of gallons of powerbar fuel. I mixed about 3 scoops per bottle and added in a scoop or two of endurolyte powder, then poured them into the gallon containers. I didnt take any endurolytes until several laps into the race. I had no cramping or spasming, which I typically get when dehydrated. I did get a pretty bad headache though, and im not sure why. I started running low on fluid, either because i was drinking insane amounts (70oz per 1:15) or because i was losing a lot of fluid through a bite valve leak. i think the latter accounted for most of it, but i still think i was drinking a lot of fluid. I was also drinking a 1/2 cup of accelerade at each aid station (3 aid stations) per lap. I ate about 3 servings of shot bloks throughout the race. I ate a couple of pb&j sandwiches. I did have some bathroom/stomach issues, requiring a couple of bathroom stops. I think this was more related to my meal the night before than my race nutrition though. I unfortunately had plans at an all-you-can-eat brazilian steakhouse. I ate less than my usual, but still had my fill.
Race
Ok.. so.. here's how it went. All lap times include time spent in the pit after the lap. I checked into the timing tent after any pit stop.
Lap 1.. As expected, slow lap due to traffic.. Not really feeling good. Figuring this is because of overeating of steak the evening prior and the 4:30am wakeup (<5 hrs sleep). Amazed that my HR is going into the 180s on slow climbing efforts. Feeling the heat already. Lap time 1:15. Avg hr 156.
Lap 2. Still working off the tiredness and steak dinner i think. Actually starting to feel just a tad nauseous. 1:15, which included a quick pitstop to replace fluid.. so.. im very satisfied with this lap.
Lap 3 Trudging through. Nausea is gone. Finding im going through nearly 70 oz of fluids per lap, so im having to stop to refuel each lap.. later realize its because my bite valve is leaking. Supplementing with a few cups per lap of accelerade from aid stations. Running out of fluids 3/4 through laps. 1:27 for the lap, as at this point stopping for 5 min or so rest while refueling felt useful. Starting to get a headache. Start feeling ITB pain. Eat 4 endurolytes
Lap 4 Similar to above. Still keeping on my bike for every climb but the rediculous ones that nobody rides. Enjoying that im eating up relay riders on only their second lap. Head throbbing, but no muscle spasms or cramps. I eat 4 more endurolytes. Stopped once or twice to stretch ITB. 1:23
Lap 5 ITB pain starts fading and now turns into pain behind knee near where the calf muscle joins in w/ the knee. I've gotten this pain before in rides, but its always more of a nuisance than anything else. Never painful enough to be performance affecting. Pain is kind of like a knot, but not a spasm or cramp. Starting to really hurt. Im throttling down my speed because my knee hurts on landings from log jumps, big bumps, etc. Knee is starting to hurt on every turn of the pedal. Stretching isnt really helping. I take a long pit stop. The crew is all there.. talking out their evil thoughts. I stop for a little while. Had to use the restroom (did i say i ate a steak dinner last night? and there was a wait for the stalls!) Ate a pb&j. Was out of premixed fuel due to going through too much liquids. Had to remix.. long break 1:41
Lap 6 Headache pretty much gone. Long stop and pb&j really helped. Some thunderstorms passed nearby and cooled things down for the first half which was invigorating. Im liking the fact that im passing some relay racers that are only on their 3rd lap. Im getting a lot of kudos at this point from dying relay racers as they salute the '1M' marking on my leg. Heat came back for the second half and knee pain getting really bad. Starting also to feel pretty sapped of energy. Bonking? Not really sure. Starting to walk some of the hills, mostly to preserve the knee. stopped at the pit, Ate another pb&j, mixed more fuel. Ate a couple bite-size snickers bars. Lap time 1:37.. although i did have a very strong first half
Lap 7 My knee is becoming debilitating. My plan now is to babystep through to the end. Just try to turn the cranks slowly to progress forward, walk all the hills. Brent and Dave, who start out 12 mins or so behind me, catch me. I make no attempt to keep up. The knee pain is taking a physical and mental toll. I figure at this point I can eek out this lap and eek out an 8th, and then probably pass on a 9th even though 'maybe' i can be back in time to do it. As the lap goes on the knee pain is getting sharp. I realize now that continuing on will risk an injury, which is not worth it. As I pass the pit i call out and everyone says they're done. I hand in my key at the timing tent. 1:47
Total time in race: About 10.5 hours.
Results: 8 of 19 in solo. I should have properly registered in the 35+ class and i'd have had 4 of 29. 12 of 47 overall. not so bad really
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