ThE GooD, ThE BaD and ThE UgLy: The Monologue

Kurt would have been the winner of the Super Secret Single Speed Class, but I dont think he drank a single beer during the race...

Note: all these photos are from the Goneriding website.


Only I can find a way to make this day the hardest day.
Only I can find the power to suffer by the minute then total up the sum to make 8+hours.
Only I can shred my muscles to the point where on this day they still hurt.

The Good.
So much went right for me this race. My nutrition I do feel was spot on. The beer laps helped alot. The hydration I thought was right, the food. One new thing I tried was using my wired headset during the race for pit communications and it worked lovely. At anytime my pit was able to call, I was able to ride and answer and communicate problems or needs 30 minutes before I rolled threw the pit.
Once again a completely flawless ride in terms of riding. Not a single crash or slip of the tire or miscalculation.
My pit did a fantastic job, thanks to my lovely wife and Warrior Princess Paloma.
I felt the very best in terms of energy and strength levels I have ever felt period.
Too many races I really felt like I held back, I feel good saying I left it out on the course.
My run was good, I was way up in the lead on the run, and it didn't tire me or wear me out in any way.

Look for me in the pic, I was running good, this is the front end y'all!!!

The Bad.
Physiologically my energy and strength levels were spot on. But, physically, to what I believe is a lack of conditioning on my part, I suffered cramps from the end of Lap two all the way threw the end of the race. On a scale of 1 to 10 these cramps measured 15. I had complete calf and thigh muscle lock ups, tricep muscle lock ups, you name the lock up I had it. After careful analysis and reflection I believe this was due to lack of physical conditioning for the effort. I don't think 6 rides in three months(longest being 50 miles) time is good enough prep for a race of this caliber and for the pace I was pushing. I straight hauled ass for the first two laps and rode as hard as I could till my legs quit cooperating.

The Ugly.
The War Machine's Bottom Bracket started creaking like a wounded velociraptor. It was driving me crazy.

The Story with all the details.
Got up early that day. Got out the door quick as we could and Paloma and I did the best we could to prep and get parked and get on the line prepared in time. So far pretty smooth. My confidence was the highest its ever been for a race. I got a little nervous when I hit the line, I started reflecting on how this was only my third multi hour lap race and my first ever single speed solo effort, but I shook it off and chose not to worry myself with it. I was feeling super human and that was my attitude straight up.

As I listened to the riders meeting, I made the line, said my good lucks to fellow riders and team mates, said my final prayers and started stretching my legs for the run. I always try to make the run as fast as I can and this day was no exception as I got off the line good, but didn't do as good a job as parking my bike. So although I had a great run, and I felt not even the slightest out of breath, my bike placement was not strategic enough to take full advantage of my efforts. Lesson learned.
We are making our way threw the grassy part, when on my right I see a Doe (a deer a female deer) kind of change direction away from me. I could see he was running towards the trail and I yelled up ahead for people to watch out, deer crossing. The deer just missed a rider, and it was sure a close call, imagine someone getting run over by a deer going super fast. I saw three deers that day.
Just when I think the Chaos is backing down we are picking our way threw the slower riders climbing past people here and there, staying very busy, picking lines, just doing my job.
After we hit the long flat single track, I start focusing on railing the berms, staying off the brakes and really putting as much speed down as I can. I notice I am like pulling 12 people if such a thing can be done on the trail. So I focus even harder on speed and straight pedal threw the corner son mentality, and after a short while I end up alone.

Next thing I notice is Mr. Ron Bennett catching up to me. Which is cool. We rode for a little while and chit chatted, I was still trying to warm up. We kept going and switched places several times before he rode away from me at the last meadow. It was during this lap that I started having Bottom Bracket problems and asked the bird to see if she could scrounge up some tools for a pit stop repair. I pit stopped, tried to do something, but it was useless and decided just to deal with the noise.
As I stopped My girl told me if I leave now I will be ahead of Ron, so I took off. I saw Namrita O had just taken off so I decided I would try and catch her and you know tell her something silly, like good luck and I read your blog and like what gear did you end up riding, just silly stuff. But just when I thought I caught up to her, she disappeared. Shortly thereafter, the cramps started. I was a little panicked about it cause I really hadn't cramped in many, many and races so I was surprised to say the least. When I spoke to my girl I asked her to up my endurolytes and up my sports legs and lets just hope for the best. It was great as I was on the phone, the guy I was behind thought I was talking to him, it actually happened a couple of times during the race till they figured out that I was on the phone.

It wasn't long that I was forced to walk, everyone has had cramps and this was the worst case I have ever had, but I was walking climbs or just walking when I locked up. I kept moving, I kept going, I kept doing my very best. Damn Sandpine Caught me, good job!!

It wasn't long before SandPine caught me. I figured he would maybe stop before me and I could catch him, so my strategy was to keep riding, don't stop.
After lap 4 I sat down to pit and drank a beer and suggested to the bird that I stop. I told her, no one should have to ride in this much pain. Her response was that was fine, but that alot of people had dropped out already and that I would gain tons of places if I just finished the ride. A good pit boss knows how to motivate and that was just the funky chicken I needed to get up and go.
So I went, my strategy, make the cut off finish with six, and hope that Sandpine did his five and called it a day. I rode my fifth and taught myself to pedal threw the cramp when it wasn't a complete lock up. Somewhere after just dragging myself over climbs, I completely locked up and was forced to lay on the ground, when along comes Morrissson. He ask how I am doing we talk about the cut off and I tell him to go, he can make it. I knew we only had five miles left and one hour to go, I was going to make it, there was no way he couldn't and I told him so. He went on and so did I. I made the cutoff at 5:22pm and sat down for a much needed break and another beer.
At this time I kept wondering, did Morrissson do a sixth, did Sandpine? Then I saw Harvey roll in. I asked him how many laps he did and when he told me 8 I thought, at the 12 hours of Santos, he almost did twice as many as I did, I can go out right now and get within 2 laps of an actual professional bike racer, enough motivation for me to get up and go turn out another, cramps and all.
Finished the ride, feeling proud that I didn't quit, disappointed that my legs and arms were not conditioned, but satisfied with my first single speed solo multi hour/lap effort. You got to take the good with the bad, that's racing. And some days you eat the trail and some days the trail eats you. I suffered so hard and my muscles all over are still so shredded today that I have nothing but the most deepest level of satisfaction that I did go out there and do my very best.

When its all said and done, that's all that matters.

I love this shot, check out Steve with his eyes staring at the camera even though he is on the run. This is truly male model material.On my way out of the sixth lap, this gentleman offered his suport and encouraged me to "get my money's worth"

This guy was going out for his 8th lap. He passed me as I was doing my sixth. I gave him the usual thing I tell people, enjoy, have a good time. He told me, the good time ended like 6 hours ago... My bad...

Every time I saw this guy during the race, I thought, goodness Matt, call this guy and get him a fit, his seat is way too low!!!
Osias, does your face hurt? Cause its Killing Me!!!
I love this classic shot, Geared Steve drafting off Single Speed Morrissson, priceless.
The Chad, coming threw, he actually had on different socks on later in the day, that's the mark of a professional I think.
Snack bowl and Trevor, Karate Monkey Fighters

Enjoy,
Laters,
LOS