Race report written for my first 6 hour solo MTB race, the 2008 Jamis Day Night Thriller. Report written September 2008.Wow. What a race.
24 hours since I finished and I'm still feeling pretty jaded from the whole thing. I originally contemplated doing this in May as I wanted to see how I'd go on a longer XC race than I was used to (most races between 1-2 hours, with Karapoti being the longest race I'd done in just under 4 hours earlier this year). Last year's 6 hour solo only had 3 women entered, and the winner did 10 laps so I made it my goal to do 10 laps, which meant an average of 36 minutes a lap. It wasn't the best build-up to a race I'd had either. No real training over winter, and I'd spent the past 2 and a half weeks out of the last four off the bike for various reasons, so I knew it was going to HURT!
Went for a sifty pre-ride out on the course on Friday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised at how dry most of it was, given how much rain there had been recently! Yay! It looked it like wasn't going to the mudfest that it was at the Cateye Moonride earlier on this year! Rocked on up to registration after the ride and started counting the number of solo females on the list.. 1..2..3..4 (hmmm! more than last year already!).. 5..6.. up to 11. OK. Maybe I'll aim for a top half finish!
So Saturday morning rocked round and I gave my food and drink bottles to Lisa who was going to feed me and Jude for the day. 10:15 rolled on by and I rocked up to the start line feeling a bit nervous. Wow..they weren't kidding when they said there'd be around 700 competitors all starting at the same time! Definitely the biggest mass start I'd ever been in! The countdown began at 10.. by 6, everyone was starting to take off up the front so I'm pretty sure I was clipped in with my wheels turning by the time they said "GO!".
A brief lap by lap breakdown:
Lap 1: Good, quite a lot of traffic but I managed to get past quite a few people through the forest.
Lap 2: Legs warmed up better now. Less people out on track, still nice passing opportunities. Feeling strong.
Lap 3: Pretty sure this was where I passed Charlotte Ireland at the 6 hour transition zone. Main aim during the lap was to keep ahead of her!
Lap 4: Crap! Got passed by a 6 hour solo chick in the singletrack! Sat on her back wheel the whole way around - wasn't going to let her get away! She pulled over to her tent area and I kept on going.
Lap 5: La la la.. round the forest. Backed off the intensity a bit.. almost back around to the 12 hour zone and crap! Was passed by the same 6 hour chick again! ugh. Sat on her back wheel around the 12 hour zone until she pulled off again to her tent site. Heard her mumbling something about stopping because she was hungry. Phew..
Laps 6-8: A bit of a blur. Legs feeling a bit tired by now. Changed down a few gears and mostly spun middle/granny through these. Was probably passed by more people than I passed, but still on the bike and legs were still turning the pedals. We might just make it! About the 4 hour mark was where my quads started spasming and cramping on the pinch climbs. Oww! Did a wee bit of the roadie lactic acid leg shakey action. Musta looked sexy!
Lap 9: By my calculations, I had time for three more laps so here I perked up a bit! Yay! Only three more laps to go!
Lap 10: Yay! Second to last lap! Uh oh. Perhaps a bit of fatigue setting in.. passed someone on the singletrack then someone tried to pass me so I swervd back to the left. Front wheel hit a root on a funny angle - first reaction: slam on front brake! BANG! Over the handlebars and I ate dirt Stood up, brushed it off. Didn't really even check my bike! I just wanted to keep away from the other solo chicks (although by that stage I wasn't too sure where I was placed!)..
Lap 11: YAY!! LAST LAP! Lisa said I to hammer it and although I wasn't quite up to the pace as my first couple of laps, I changed it up and was pushing big ring/middle ring the whole way. Sweet. Around the tent sites, over the line! Slowly spun my way back to my tent. Got off the bike. Owww! Lower back sore. Legs cramping! Hand numb from crash. Shin beginning to swell up from the pedal I must've caught on it during the crash. I think Emma got a good photo of me about 5 minutes post-race. I'm pretty sure I looked knackered!!
6 hour Prizegiving: Sat patiently through the other podium placings before they got up to the Solos...
Solo Women - the announcer said that the top three all did 11 laps. Hang on a minute! I did 11! Maybe I have a chance...
Third place: Charlotte Ireland - w00t! High fived her when she went past on her way to the stage. Sweeeeet! I knew I was ahead of her!
Second place: Nicole Symons - ooh. I don't remember seeing her at all out there on the course?!
First place: well, they mispronounced my name so I wasn't really sure it was me (Cilla Lei it sounded like!) but when they said "from Karori" with a time that matched what I had on my speedo and someone corrected his pronounciation, I was like "SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!" Still a bit of disbelief though! Wow. Didn't think that was going to happen! Managed to fumble my way through a podium Q&A session in the microphone. A bit of a blur really!! Scotty was stoked!
So yeah. Headed back to my tent to tell Lisa and Shane the good news! They also had some good news to tell me - that Jude was sitting in 1st and had a 2 minute lead at that stage! w00t! And she went on and battled with Megan to win the 12 hour Solo Women category later that night! Right now still a bit tired and bit jaded. Probably haven't had enough to eat. I think the entire time out there, all I had was a leppin squeezy bottle, a muesli bar, and a pikelet. And I'm not too sure how much of my bottles of sports drink I drank but probably not enough! Things to work on for next time..? .... Maybe?!..
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