So it has been done.
As far as I know, Rob Roberts and Myself are the only two people that have ridden from Santos Parking lot, to Tucker Hill Parking lot utilizing a mostly off road route.
Those intending to participate in this one of a kind event in October are in for one heck of an adventure.
I will answer some of the questions I have been swamped with for the past 10 or so hours.
Is it harder than the first leg. Hard is a relative term. I say its just as interesting as the first leg.
Why only 70 miles? Well Frankly, I think the route as it is laid out is more than enough, Maybe next year we will go the other direction and throw 20 more miles of single track at you after you have already ridden 160 miles.
Do you think you will still win? Hmmmm, Sure why the hell not. But first, I better buy a heart rate monitor, chart a graph or two, hire a coach and spend a lot of money to win this free race with no trophy or prizes.
Has my strategy changed? My strategy regarding this race is constantly evolving. In fact I feel completely different about it today then I did yesterday. But even if I did have a final strategy down, I would not share it till after the event.
Well on to the story then...
Late I got to Rob's house I did. Why, well read my previous post, Im a single dad with two sons who works Freaking 60 hours a week.
Rob cooked a fabulous meal and I ate it all up, cause, coincidentally enough, since I was busy working my 6th day straight and I had not ate all day, I was starving.(can you tell Im mad that I work so much)
Got to bed good, slept good, got up good, ate purrty good, then went and packed good, got a latte that was good and some more food good, and then started riding.
The ride went great, and my poorly undertrained barely rides self managed to make it to the end of Nay'ls from the Santos Parking lot, following most off the Epic route in one hour 57 minutes. The effort (since I am anti heart rate monitors unless your afraid of a heart attack) was casual. Meaning I could off pushed way harder but I didnt.
I didnt have any food with me so I wanted to hit the convenience store and scout ahead for my food options. I ate, stocked up on grub, and then we got going again. Not long after, while riding the limestone road out to pruitt, I felt what I believed where the beginnings of a migraine head ache? Weird? I have not had a Migraine in over a year. Well, luckily my nutrition caught up, and I was able to ride it out.. By the time we made it threw the Hell track out the back of Haltapaki reserve, I was clear of the migraine but still had small tinge of a headache.
Rob and I felt fine, but Jonathan, which is usually a rock, looked like he got kicked in the nuts. Apparently he decided a hot day effort after a bout with the Flu was a good idea. Regardless, I knew we needed an oasis and not even 1/4 mile up the road, we stopped at the this restaurant with a big ole fan and a deck. I suggested we wait as long as needed, and it also gave me time to fight this small head ache.
I drank a beer, figured the natural blood thinning effects of alcohol would be the equivalent of taking a tylenol, and then ate a little of the fruit they bought and decided to close my eyes. I have not slept more then 5 hours in one night in weeks, I been trying to learn more about sleep deprivation. So far, Interesting, but thats for another post.
We got suited up, got going, head ache gone. Now once we cleared Nayl's I decided to scale things back a bit, I figured I was gonna do 20 miles of Croom single track after all this I better save some legs. Jonathan and Robert rode away from me, but I was doing my own ride, I was not concerned, I was scouting the future event and measuring my effort.
We continued on Rob's route and I really enjoyed it. The sun was scorching hot, but in a relatively short time we made it out of Potts (which I really liked) and then down the road to the convenience store. I refueled and once again, ate the wrong thing. As Rob explained to me later, I should not eat a bunch of protein in the middle of the ride, universe collapse, dehydration, working stomach, in the end, bad news. And the Bad news didnt hit till, I GOT TO CROOM. At that point, I wanted to take a nap.(sleep deprivation anyone) And I had nothing left, we took the shortest way we could back, probably under Rob's protest, but I guarantee, everyone will thank me come CFiTT day. As it is the ride will be a Tall Glass of HEY HOW MUCH FUN!
So, on a Sunday, Rob and I made history, and then on October 10th, we will all make history as we set out and do a one of a kind race that the state has never seen the likes of. And it was the Genius of Rob and myself that made it happen.
Its good to see people contributing to the growth of the sport in the state. It's also good to see people participating. To all that intend to come, I tell you this, finishing will be a huge accomplishment enough, winning will make a you a God amongst men.
Laters,
The NaKeD InDiaN
PS: I think one of the basic skills people need to have is reading comprehension. I think its a blessing(thus the title of the post) and I envy those that have the time to train and ride. BUT, I think the ones who spend money on coaches and such, and train so hard, only to eat like shit at the end of the day are fools who are wasting their money. If your gonna train, then do the whole thing, train hard, eat right and do it big. Alot of people, from the comments I have read, didnt get that point, they missed it entirely. They thought I was saying training doesnt work. And it doesnt if you only do half the program. If your gonna train hard and then still eat fast food and drink soda and poison your body, then your just wasting your money. BUT its probably all my fault, since my english is so awful, since how come it wasnt my first language.
I say this out of LOVE, and that means its GOOD! Ciao Bitches!
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