Andrew’s Race Recap and Guest Post:

Hey!!! We’re in France presently, and so I advised Janae I might write a weblog submit for whereas we’re gone about my expertise with my race just a few weekends in the past:

True Grit is a mountain bike race primarily based in Santa Clara, Utah. A number of several types of races are happening, comparable to a relay, a 100-mile mountain bike race, a 50-mile mountain bike race, and a gravel bike race. In case you are as much as it, you are able to do a couple of! I made a decision to race this specific race as a result of it was one thing that may problem me and it will give me a objective to coach for over the winter. Additionally, I’m certain I’m going via a mid-life disaster, and I needed to have the ability to spend cash on extra bike stuff and have a motive to be much more obsessed about bikes.

Simply so that you all know, the distances on this race are relative. The 50-miler ended up being 44 miles, with round 6,000 ft of climbing. They justified the shorter distance due to the technical options and using all through the race.

Pre-race jitters bought the perfect of me the night time earlier than. I used to be nervous. I’ve by no means completed a mountain bike race, and I had a number of associates who have been going to do it as effectively. I made a decision that I used to be going to do primarily liquid diet. I’ve a buddy who’s a pharmacist who despatched me a recipe for diet that may give me 75g of carbohydrates that additionally included sodium citrate for salt alternative, and I added just a few issues that I like in my drop bag: snickers, bitter licorice, a few guys, and a few coca-cola. Drop baggage have been round mile 13.7/19.6 and mile 36.5/41.

Doesn’t everybody do a race with their spouse’s ex-husband? Brooke cherished having everybody collectively.

I’m not a morning individual, so the truth that this race began at 9:30 AM was the ABSOLUTE finest! They began this race in waves. The very first wave was the 100-miler racers. A few half hour later, the professional area began the 50-miler, and shortly after that have been the age groupers, which included me. The primary mile and a half was on the highway and gravel roads, permitting the crowds to skinny out a bit earlier than we bought to the paths.

The primary 10 miles have been unbelievable! I’ve by no means heard racers discuss and joke round as a lot as we have been all using. I knew it was going to be a really lengthy day, I used to be anticipating round 5-6 hours on the bike so I used to be cautiously optimistic. One factor that I did that was fairly reckless was that I didn’t have any instruments simply in case of a mechanical drawback or flat tire. I noticed SO many individuals who had flats and issues with their bikes; I simply had actually good luck. Subsequent time, I shall be extra ready.

At this level, I used to be 13.7 miles in. This course is fairly technical, that means it’s not simply easy trails. The paths had loads of chunk rocks, boulders, and loads of areas to crash. I noticed a minimum of 20 crashes, and at one level, I discovered a small puddle of blood. There have been a handful of areas the place I bought off my bike and walked up or down. At this level of the race, I used to be at a Zen path. Zen was one of the technical elements of the rid; it’s 5.8 miles lengthy and about 978 ft climb. This route took me over an hour to finish; I noticed most crashes on this a part of the race. Once I was about to complete this portion of the race, I noticed a rider who had fallen, and after I stopped to see if he wanted any assist, I couldn’t unclip my footwear quick sufficient and tipped over and hit my dropper submit (my seat submit that goes up and down with a press of a button). After that crash, my dropper submit didn’t work until I pulled actually onerous up on it; it was not the tip of the world, but it surely was just a little annoying.

The bike race was on a closed course, so alternatives to see the youngsters and Janae have been slim, however after I did, it meant the world!! I used to be about 20 miles into the race, and with essentially the most technical elements of the path over, I used to be prepared to start out pedaling and get right into a groove. Billy and I made a decision that we have been going to experience many of the course collectively till somebody wasn’t capable of sustain. We had been collectively the entire time at this level.

I had solely ridden elements of the course, so at 20 miles in, my legs have been feeling it. Nutritionally, I felt like the whole lot was working fairly effectively, and I used to be forcing myself to drink a bottle an hour, which had 80g of carbs in it.

Issues began to get just a little attention-grabbing round 28 miles into the race. There was a headwind, and the subsequent 10 miles have been very up-and-down. At this level, there was fairly a little bit of distance between riders. Billy had advised me to go forward, so I used to be on my own at this level fairly a bit. I felt fairly good; my legs have been getting heavy, however I used to be in good spirits. Round mile 31, I needed to step over a barrier, and my left leg absolutely locked up and began cramping – MAN, that didn’t really feel good. I bought off the bike, stretched, and compelled lots of liquid in, and I knew I needed to make it to the subsequent assist station.

I bought to mile 37, and the help station and the help station had pickle juice. I used to be so stoked!! I downed about two pictures of pickle juice, had some non-bubbly Coca-Cola, downed a Snickers bar, and stretched some extra. Billy arrived at that time and I may inform we have been each hurting fairly good. We had climbed over 5,000 ft, and we have been virtually 40 miles in! I waited for him to get settled, and we began off once more. The following a part of the race was path referred to as Barrell Roll, it had some technical climbing in it, but it surely wasn’t close to as unhealthy as Zen. I used to be hurting, so I used to be pedaling, and I believed Billy was behind me till I seemed again and I used to be alone once more. I saved pushing as a result of I knew if I finished, it will be REALLY onerous to get began once more.

A humorous half that occurred on the final feed station was {that a} 100-miler lapped Billy and me. We simply checked out one another and laughed. He was SO quick, and I couldn’t imagine how briskly he was using.

Janae and these kiddos are all stars!! They have been out earlier than the race and out of doors all day, cheering for 8 hours!! I keep in mind how excited I used to be to see them on the end!

The final mile of the race was on the pavement, which felt so good!! Over six hours on a mountain bike was very exhausting, my shoulders and higher physique have been so drained. I didn’t anticipate that in any respect; I simply thought my legs have been those that have been going to harm. Power coaching, right here we come for subsequent 12 months!

I felt so achieved ending this race. It took me for much longer than I believed it will, however I used to be stoked to have the ability to end and push myself. I loved it, and there are such a lot of issues that I might do in a different way for subsequent 12 months!!