HOO DOO 300 STAGE RACE - Aug. 26-27, 2017 ~~ RACE REPORT
This was a race of mixed emotions if I ever saw one! 2017 has been yet more challenging than in the past, and I have had to use cycling as my meditation, significantly reducing my intensity and expectations as the season wore on. But in my typical stubborness, I clung to my dream of returning to HooDoo, where I’d won the women’s overall stage race last year, met new friends, surmounted my fears of racing in the rain, and seen the astounding beauty of the southwest. I’d paid my entry for the 500 mile stage race early in the year so that I’d see the Zion red rock part of the course I’d missed last year, but as race day drew nearer, I realized that resetting my goals and doing the 300 would be prudent. I am not invincible. And so, with two weeks to go, I sorted through race gear and began organizing and packing. And then I broke my big toe. In the middle of the night I’d simply tripped on the steps like a total dork - and the pain was so intense I could barely drive into town for x-rays. I was relieved that my doctor fit me in first thing the next morning, and sent me to the hospital for x-rays right away. Being rural has the disadvantage of the hospital being 23 miles away - but no waiting for the X-ray! And amazingly, my doc took me right back in when I returned with the film. Sure enough, it was a full-on fracture, left to right across the whole toe, with a chip at the edge. OH NO!!! Have I just blown 8 months of training because I’d tripped? He said it may need a pin. I groaned, but blurted out, “so, if it doesn’t, I can race?!” He handed that decision off to the surgeon who had repaired my torn rotator cuff last fall, so I knew I would be in good hands. I had to wait patiently for two days to see her, but was relieved I could even get in at all. Small town advantage. Two days later, she says… “well, it is not displaced, so I wont be inserting a pin at this time.” And of course I replied, “so I can race!”. Her assistant dropped her clipboard (and her jaw), and the doc replied, “Well, when is your race?” “10 days from now.” She shook her head and said it would still be really painful, but “How far?” I said, “oh…you don't want to know” She frowned it outta me - “300 miles, but it’s not that bad - 150 the first day and 150 the second day ” Her brow crinkled again and she said simply, “well, its gonna hurt. But you wont injure it by riding. So if you can stand the pain, the you can race” . I was ecstatic and felt like doing cartwheels. (She advised against that!) And so, I continued my prep, cutting the toe off of a pair of old cycling shoes, which turned them into sandles in case I needed to relieve the pressure. I was treated to three days of electric stem at the doctor’s office, and increased my Tissue Rejuvenator dosage to help decrease inflammation and provide healing. And ICE - LOTS of ice! I was tapering, and so tested my toe on a just a few rides as long as 50 miles and had not-unbearable pain. And so, I hit the road! TBF Women’s Cycling Class was a friendly flat 40 along the river, and soon I was in Genoa to spend a couple of days with my sister at 4500’ . She thinks I’m a lil nuts, but supports and even brags about me. It’s good to have good people around you. Daybreak Wednesday I headed to pick up my crew chief, Louise Hose, in Dayton NV, excited that we were about to Make It Real and hit the road for St. George! This was my first race using my new Rav 4 and WOW - it all fit! Thursday was a Snow Canyon recon of 30 miles - enjoyed the beauty of our finish stretch and tried to shake out my very stiff neck. I’d become more concerned about my neck than my toe, as it had become increasingly stiff and uncomfortable the past two weeks. Stress - ya think!?! I was grateful to have a PT session scheduled - and it helped so much!! Relieved, I charged all electronics and double checked Every Last Thing. Louise and I reviewed race rules and my hydration/nutrition schedule (I’d be on the bike 10-11 hours each day.) Careful planning is crucial. Friday - Louise took some great Snow Canyon shots - I felt like a mini-pro with all her attention to light and angles ~ I added sponsor signs to the car, and we had our check-in meeting, where the highlight is seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I’ve been making a point of eating more diligently when off the bike, as I’m finding it hard to maintain my race weight when training 250-300 miles a week, especially in the heat. We enjoyed a nice dinner and hit the hay. And I kept my promise of No Nighttime iPad. With all the life stress lately, I’d developed bad habits, both in eating and sleeping. Louise had been really helpful in pointing that out last year, and I’ve been making progress. It’s not just turning the pedals - it’s about the day-to-day decisions that affect performance. RACEDAY! Day 1 - 155 miles - 8048’ - 7:00 am start, 72 degrees, and suddenly, IT’S REAL!! After an 8 mile friendly promenade through town, the race was ON! This year I had very specific goals: to finish Day one NOT feeling like RoadKill (which was the case last year), and I’d planned to achieve that by staying in Z2-3 most of the day. And to stick to the schedule for nutrition/hydration. My hourly Hammer supplements (Anti Fatigue Caps, Endurolytes, Endurance Amino and Race Caps) would be in addition to two 5-hour bottles of Sustained Energy, all of which was doing the job in long training rides in intense efforts of up to seven hours. With the predicted heat, I added an additional Endurolyte each hour. I also had additional items (ginger candies, tums, banana bread, bananas, PB, applesauce) packed into my Racer Food Box to use as needed. I secretly hoped to beat all my splits/segments from last year, but at the same time, I knew that this was not a priority. The racers (which included 500 stage and solos, 300 stage and solos, and the nomads, which are unsupported riders who take what they need and get no vehicle/crew help) flew up the hill at the highway and the race was on. I opted for a conservative (Z2) approach and let them go by, settling in mid-pack. (Pack being an inaccurate way to describe this race, as it strung out rapidly, but my crew chief said I had about half of them in front of me and half behind.) It was beautiful - I was FREE - and life was good. I was so surprised at how quickly we reached Hurricane, and I loved the climb out of town, where I later found out I’d earned several Strava trophies! (Not old lady trophies, but top 10 Women! I’d beat last year’s marks by 4-5 minutes on various climbs the first day ~ COOL!) Although I’d planned to stay in Z2-3, the altitude and heat prevented that, and I spent 8 of the 10 hours in Z3-4. The Arizona strip was a long, long straight highway with hay trucks, semis, and Big Boy pick-ups, all of which crowded us off the road onto a nonexistent shoulder. But I relaxed and rode on, and enjoyed my tunes. I smiled on the descent that was fearful last year, happy at how much it has helped to climb the Sierra passes and work on my descending. Louise has been a great mentor in that regard. Day 1, although tiring, was far better than last year, but I was kinda barfing from 120 miles on. Louise calmly asked if I was barfing or just spitting up, and I really was just spitting up whatever I’d most recently downed. But not painfully so, so I just rode on. The ginger had worked great, until it didn’t. Louise kept me iced up with a new icy hydration pack every 30-40 miles. She was awesome, and I rode into Panguitch with a finish time of 10:47 (elapsed, which is how the race is scored. Actual Ride Time was 10:19, so I’d been off-bike for nearly a half hour for bathroom, water, ice. Longer than I’d like, and something I will work on for next year. Top racers like Seana Hogan spend almost no time off-bike.) I was feeling a LOT better than last year, and rested, ate, and used both my Recovery Boots and Compex Unit for leg recovery. LOVE these tools! My stomach was squirrely throughout the night, but I otherwise slept well. Louise was awesome, attending to equipment and food for me. I felt peaceful and HAPPY to be here! DAY 2 - 145 miles - 8442’ - Aaaand I awoke to Sitzzzzzzzzzz! As all the air sizzled out of my rear tire at 5:25 am! What the heck?! Well, thankfully not during the race!! So, while Louise set out for ice, I replaced my tube, ate my pre-race oatmeal mixed with my morning drink powder, and got downstairs to the start line. Our starter, Tony, had just recorded Seana Hogan’s DNF and my joy was dampened. She’d had altitude issues on the pass during the night and was forced to pull out. Even the best have no guarantee of a finish ~ it was humbling. We rolled out (just the 300 and 500 stage racers - the solos had ridden through the night and the incredibly fast solos and teams might catch us today.) Dawn is my favorite time of day, the light is soft and silent, and the encouraging words of my friends float through my head. My Hammer teammate, Karin Weller, had sent such encouraging words, and I know how she longed to be here, so I was extra motivated to ride well. One mile from the hotel, the road curves and rises, and I passed a few riders on the steep part, then settled into the day’s long climb - 30 miles, where we would top out at 10,550’. I’d done it last year, feeling MUCH worse than this, so I settled in and enjoyed the silent beauty surrounding me. My stomach was typical uncomfortable following yesterdays 145 miles, but not unbearable, and I enjoyed the expanse of scenery as it unfolded before me. Yes, even when I race, I can see the scenery, especially here, where it doesn't change for miles and miles, and the sky is so BLUE and the land so RED. The air was thin, and it was hot, but Louise kept me moving. The descent was 14 miles of fast, easy, good pavement and my tunes carried me into the next town. And suddenly, my stomach was not at all happy! I’d ridden only 45 miles and I was barfing again! (ok, spitting up, but it was every single time I ate or drank ANYTHING!) And now it was HOT - over 90 and rising. My head ached, my stomach was on strike, but, hey, my legs were HAPPY! They just continued to pedal on and so I went with that. But I did have to make increasingly short goals in order to continue. Approaching 88 miles (a turn), I suddenly knew that I might have to consider pulling out. But I also knew that if I had to pull out, I’d want to ride at least 100 miles today. Well, this was a mind trick, and I played along, with Louise now icing me every 5-6 miles (or at least it seems that way!). At 99 miles, I used a gas station potty, hoping the AC would help, but I didn't feel much effect. Louise and i agreed to reassess at 105, the top of the last rise. I agreed, and pedaled up the road, knowing that if I got to 105 and there was a decent descent, that I would have only 50 mile to go…and really only 35, since Snow Canyon is the entrance to the 15-mile finish chute (See how we think?! Mind games!) That 5 mile climb was HOT, over 100, but with Louise’s re-icing and reminders to eat/drink, I made it — and before me lay a wide expanse of valley. Flat valley, which required some easy descending - so — I was IN! However, the heat continued to beat down, and the ice was melting faster than it could be replaced! I prayed to finish this race, and knew that each pedal stroke would bring me closer to the line…and suddenly I was under a very welcome cloud cover! The temp dropped to 88! YaHOOOOO! I pedaled on, the cloud passed, the heat went up, and I looked out onto the plain before me, searching for more clouds. Here and there I was rewarded with small cloud patches, and the miles wore on, as did the barfing. And then there were just 20 miles until Snow Canyon, and so I rode on. And then 10! My cat could ride that far! (I don't know why I said that - am I delirious or just deliriously happy that I am about to hit Snow Canyon?) And then I remembered that once I hit Snow Canyon, Louise was required to go to the finish line and I’d be on my own for the last HOT 15 miles. I panicked and asked her to check the rule book to find out what the penalty was - because if it was only 15 minutes, then I’d ask her to stay with me. I was THAT HOT. THAT TIRED! And she read the penalty: DQ!! Ugh, well, get over it. She said, ”No worries, lets stop at the entrance and fill your bottles - you’ll be fine.” And soon the 10 miles were soon done. Snow Canyon at LAST! She gave me my PINK event wrist band, said a prayer for me, and set me on my way. I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS RACE! This year’s challenges at home made training and racing very unpredictable, but I AM HERE. NOW. AND I WILL FINISH! I rounded the corner, started the most welcome, most beautiful, descent of the race — and there was Seana, cheering me on with her cowbell! I was ECSTATIC to see her - it gave me chills, and a few tears, as I knew how hard it must have been for her to pull out. I assumed she would be sleeping by now, but to see Seana, my ultra mentor, cheering me on at this most difficult moment —- well, there are no words. I rode on through this last 15 miles - at 109 degrees — and crossed the FINISH LINE! I learned SO MUCH from this race: I’ve contacted a nutrition advisor for my off-bike nutrition, am researching high altitude racing, tweaking my Hammer Nutrition plan with Steve Born, and reviewing my bike fit with AthletiCamps. And riding more double centuries. There is a LOT to coordinate to become a successful ultra rider, and I will be adjusting for next month’s Silver State 508 in Reno NV. And when I return to HooDoo next year - my goal is No Stomach Issues! Broken toe - not an issue - sore, but not unbearable. Neck - NOT a problem! Whew! Stats: Day 1 SS = 607! On several long climbs I rode 5 minutes faster than last year and I’d earned 6 Top 10 trophies. My elapsed time for the stage was identical to last year, my bike time was 5 minutes faster. My descents were also faster - so - a win on day one! Day 2 - the 30 mile climb into Cedar City was 7 minutes faster! And the descent at 105 miles was 5 minutes faster! I’m really happy looking at this, because I felt SLOW out there. Bike time was 9 minutes faster than last year, but elapsed time was 15 minutes slower. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa. |
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