Even though I was worried going into the race because I hadn't been feeling good all week, I had a plan and was determined to stick to it. The plan included four goals: 1) pick a reasonable pace on the first and stick to it; 2) follow my nutrition plan; 3) only stop for water, food and bathroom breaks; and 4) maintain a good mental attitude. Goal number one was key because I tend to completely blow myself up on the first lap going as fast as I can making the rest of the race even harder than it is.
Here's a blow by blow of each lap:
Lap 1 (1 hour 33 minutes): It's a running start (about a 1/4 mile run) to the bike. I took my time because I HATE running. I got to my bike and got going. I had no idea how long it would take me to do my first lap but I had planned about 1:30 - 1:45. It was easy to keep this pace because I got stuck behind a string of riders in the tight singletrack. It was a fairly casual pace and I didn't try to pass anyone because it helped me keep goal #1 on track. I talked with some riders around me and enjoyed the trail. Before I knew it, I was back to the start/finish. I loaded up on energy drink and gels and talked with my friend who was helping me out. I felt great and definitely felt I could have done that lap a lot faster which was good because that meant I didn't tire myself out.
Lap 2(1 hour 39 minutes): I started drinking my energy drink and things went downhill after that. My stomach was feeling really icky and I thought I was going to throw up. I saw my friend Carrie at this point and she definitely was the highlight of that lap with her support and cheers. I rode for about an hour and things got much better after getting the energy drink through my system. (I stopped the energy drink after that and realized a lot of my stomach problem during races was that). I even continued my good karma by stopping to help another racer fix his flat tire.
Laps 3-5 (approximately 6 hours): These laps were great even though I was getting slower. I felt really good and had a great mental attitude. There were some ups and downs of feeling crappy but overall I ate consistently and really enjoyed the course. This definitely prepared me for my last two laps.
Lap 6 (2 hours 7 minutes): It was now time to put on my headlights and I figured I would have about 45 minutes of daylight and 45 minutes of darkness on this lap. I was definitely getting tired and I really wanted to be done. I kept thinking about how I wish I hadn't told my friend who was helping me that I wanted to get 7 laps in and how I really just wanted to sit down and be done. I turned my headlights on and after about 15 minutes they went completely dead which totally sucked. I was really tired and having to ride in the darkness (I had a small backup light but it helped only marginally) was not any fun. This is when the mental games started. I wanted to quit so badly but a couple of things motivated me - I wanted to stay in third place, I wanted to ride 100 miles, and I had planned on getting in as many laps as possible and I still had time for a seventh lap. Plus, just as I was finishing my sixth lap, I saw my friend Kim who asked if I was going out again which I replied "yes." Way too many reasons not to go out so I did.
Lap 7 (2 hours 16 minutes): Worst lap of the seven. I was unbelievably tired and completely freaked out that my other lighting system would die and I would be out in the woods for two+ hours with no lights. It was on this lap that I almost started to cry because I was smelly, incredibly sore and tired and could barely keep going. However, I stayed on track and finished that lap. When I got done, my friend announced that I got second which made the last lap worth it.
For my non-biking friend and family who might read this I'm sure you're wondering why I do this to myself. There are lots of reasons but to put it simply, I get to ride on some great trails and be outside, challenge myself like I've never challenged myself before and in the end I feel stronger, more confident about myself, and more at peace with my world.
I had a bunch of friends racing and they all rocked. Janet, Nicole, Kim and Dana got 2nd place in the 12 hour women's relay category. Lynn, Josh, Carrie, and Barry got 1st place in the 24 hour coed relay category. Thanks to all of you who cheered me on. It definitely kept me motivated!
I don't have many pictures but here's a few.
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