To start off, I had been training specifically for this event since May. It is not usually in my pre-race training regimen to throw in a XC event just two days before a big 24hr event. However, that’s exactly what had fallen into my lap. The Summer Firefighter Olympics was going on and there was a XC event on Thursday. The past three years I have been successful enough to nab the Gold Medal in as many attempts. So this was going to be going for four in a row. The race was held in San Martin (just south of San Jose) and at 8:00, the weather was already in the high 80’s. The course was a short 14 miles with 1900’ of climbing. Thankfully, we were to do only one lap which normally doesn’t suit me as I have been training for the long stuff. Anyway, I was glad not to have to put in a long hard effort before Boggs.
So the race started with a two mile fire road climb….Perfect! I like to start out on the fast side and this was going to be a short race so why not. We hit the dirt and I hit the gas. I quickly made mincemeat of the field and looked back at the top and noticed a sizable gain. I turned off the gas and started the first single-track descent. Now I had no knowledge of the course which isn’t ideal when you’re hoping to win an event. I just had not put a lot of thought into this race. Anyway, my main competitor (Chris Masiguerra) put in a hard chase to catch me on the descent. I knew he had come with his A-game. I let him pass me and I latched on his wheel. We rode together as I tried to make small talk with him but he was not about talking. He was racing and obviously had come to this race to prove something. Normally, I would be the same way except that all I was thinking about was my big race in just two days. So mentally, I was a bit checked out. I had to check back in on the second big climb as the percent gain ramped up in earnest. Chris quickly downshifted to his granny gear (22:34) and I did the same except that my easiest gear was 34:34). Basically, I needed a granny gear for this climb. I used up a lot of fuel to stay with Chris on this climb and at the top I had to back off to recover. I kept him in sight as the race went on. Once you lose sight of the carrot it’s kind of hard to muster the energy to catch it. So I kept the carrot in view. Without knowing the course I was sure when we were going to hit the fire road descent to the finish. Unfortunately, my timing was off and he started the descent about 15 seconds ahead of me. Chris is a great bike handler and he clearly was taking risks on the gravely loose fire road descent. I, on the other hand, was not about to take an unnecessary risk in “trying” to catch him. I gave up the ghost and safely coasted to the finish. Silver medal this year.
So back to Boggs….I arrived at Boggs at 3:00 on Friday and was met by some severe heat. The temp gauge in my truck read 98 degrees F. I hastily off-loaded all of the pit equipment that included an easy up, tables, lights, generator, bikes, and other bike related items. I had originally planned on camping the night at Boggs but the weather made that decision easy. I retreated back home so I could secure a home cooked dinner and good nights sleep in my own bed. My wife and kids left for Folsom to spend the weekend with the grandparents so I had the house to myself. I got back home around 5:30 and made my “standard ops” pre-race dinner which consisted of a leafy green salad followed by pesto spaghetti with ground turkey. After chow I made my way to the couch to watch the TDF.
Saturday morning started early as I woke up at 6:00. Once again I made my usual pre-race breakfast of three scrambled eggs with blueberry and walnut pancakes chased down by my favorite blend of Flying Goat Coffee. I hit the road around 7ish to make the hour drive back up to Boggs. When I arrived at Boggs my pit team (Keith Flood and Kurt Pickle) was up and hanging around camp. Together were dialed in the pit area and went over the plans of the race. The time ticked out quickly and before I knew it, it was time to don the GBE kit and hit the start line.
My plan for the start of the race was to start off on the fast side and try to open up a lead. I really didn’t know too much about my competition other than my main competitor (Brad Cole) was not going to make this race as he was pretty sick. I was sincerely bummed out by that fact as he and I tend to push each other to our limits when racing. A good friend (Brian Sevall) was there ready to do battle and I was stoked to be able to race against him. He was at my first 24hr race and I have since learned a lot about 24hr racing from him. This was our first time racing since that race back in 2008.
We’re off! It was a mass start so being out front was important so I wouldn’t get stuck in any traffic on the singletrack descent. I lead out the field until we hit the singletrack and was passed by a couple of team racers. No big deal as I knew they were going to peg it the entire lap. I found a comfortable rhythm just below my threshold. I knew the course very well as I helped Jim (the race promoter) design it. Each lap was just less than 10 miles and climbed about 1000’ per lap.
Did I mention the weather yet? Yeah, it was hot, very hot. I had a feeling this race was going to be a race of attrition. The heat was going to be a factor in this race. I tend to do alright in the heat so I thought I would try to capitalize on that. I kept the fluid coming and started as soon as the race was on. Keith and Kurt did a superb job of keeping me full of fuel and fluid. At the start of each lap I would douse myself with a bottle of ice water and don a fresh Camelbak loaded with iced water.
In previous 24hr events I usually don’t try to keep track of my competition unless I am going backwards. I pretty much knew I was in front of the entire solo field so I just kept on the gas. I started passing other solo riders somewhere around lap 6. When I came in at the end of lap 9, I spotted my friend Brian Sevall. He was just about ready to head out on his lap. I shouted at him and made a quick pit stop to for food and fuel and chased hard to catch his wheel. I wanted to do a lap with him and talk to him. He led out for most up the lap and we were able to catch up on life. Unfortunately, when we were descending the semi-technical single-track at a high rate of speed, he crashed. I stopped and waited for him to get up and fix his chain and then we bombed down the trail. I must have put a small gap on him as I finished that lap without him in sight. I rolled through the pits and found out later that he had dropped out of the race.
So the hours and laps ticked away and it was time to put on the bike lights. After my successful finish at the Coolest 24hr race I secured a product sponsorship with AY UP Lights. The lights worked out perfectly and kept trails brightly luminated the entire night. It was at the early night laps that I decided to get a run down on my competition. I had two laps on the entire Pro/Expert geared field and three laps on the SS field. I felt comfortable in my lead but kept the pit times under five minutes and my laps consistently around an hour. I wanted to race as if I was being chased. Anything can happen in a 24hr race so I wasn’t about to count my lucky stars too early.
The night laps were made easy by the fact that the temperature hovered around the high 60’s. That was a first, being able to race all night with only a jersey and shorts. As the morning hours approached it was like waking up from a slumber. My lap times started to drop and I felt great. My Pit Team started to do the math to figure out how many more laps I “had” to do to secure the overall win as well as the win in the SS field. At 8:30ish I rolled through the start/finish and was met by Jim Northey (my team manager and race promoter). He left it up to me. I had enough time to do two more laps without any issues so the fitness was there. However, it would not have changed a thing about the overall standings. At that point in the race (21 hours into the race) I had enough laps to stop. I figured that there would be no “fitness gained” by doing one or two more laps and that it would only put me at risk of further physical damage or worse yet, crashing. I elected to shut it off and end the race.
I am super pleased with the race. I trained very long and hard for this event and I came to win. I only wish Brad was there to do battle with him. I ended up with the most laps overall (21 laps) and also put down the fastest solo lap (46 minutes). Now it’s time for some R&R and then train for the Tahoe Sierra 100 (Sept) followed by the 24hr Nationals in Moab Utah (Oct). Stay Tuned….
Special thanks to my wife for her undying love and support. I literally could not have does this without you.
I’d also like to thank the following:
Keith and Kurt – You guys stepped it up and ran that pit crew like a NAPSCAR pit
Jim Northey – what can I say? Oh maybe Niner!
Phil Fifer and the guys at Breakaway Bikes – you always come through at the 11th hour
Sponsors: Camelbak, AY UP Lights, and Rudy Project
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