Mark’s race report from the 24 Hours of 7 Oaks

This is something I wrote and posted on the mtbr.com forums Monday after the race. Meant to repost here before now, but we’ve been a bit busy at the shop.

-Mark

Okay, that title is a lie. This is actually a report on the 12 hour solo race.

Background on me: 28 year old bike shop employee that doesn’t ride much but commutes (9-ish miles round trip) everyday. I’ve got some good base from years of longer riding, but this year my mileage is way down. I’ve been at this event every year (this was #7) 4 years as part of a unicycle team, once solo 12 (went very poorly, 4 laps) and last year on a 4 man team.

bike: XL Salsa El mariachi 1×9, rigid front end.

plan: ride nice and easy and try to do 6 laps. never go very hard, take breaks between laps, have fun, and just enjoy riding my bike all day.

I’ll break my thoughts and feelings down by laps, as that makes the most sense in my head.

Lap 1: nothing serious, fun, easy riding. Passing and being passed. Dropped the chain a couple times, that made me worry that i’d have to stop and fix it frequently, but otherwise felt great not troubles.

Lap 2: More of the same. Less traffic, didn’t drop the chain, started getting a little hungry by the end.

Lap 3: Took a decent break before this lap, got some food + more fluids. Legs started to notice some of the longer/steeper climbs. had a couple bobbles and required walking a switchback or two but no crashes, still feeling pretty good.

Lap 4: About halfway through shoulders started feeling heavy and a strong headache started coming on. I seriously wondered if my day was going to be done.

Lap 5: Long break before this lap to try and fix some issues I was having on the last lap. More food, more fluids, some energy drink (caffeine to stop headache I hoped). Felt better but not 100%, figured I should go again. Start of lap 5 was a little shaky but i started feeling better about 3/4 through. Hands and lower back started to notice the rough spots on the course and my lack of suspension. Started walking many of the steeper climbs, figured I needed to start actively saving my legs. Took a couple mini breaks (2 mins tops) on the trail to stretch and eat a gel pack.

Lap 6: Took a bit of a break to install my helmet light. It was about 6:15, and you start needing lights in the woods around 7:30 despite sundown not happening until 8:30-ish. The singletrack is very well shaded and eats light. Still feeling better than I was on lap 4, but definitely having fatigue creep in. couple twinges of calf cramps, and my upper body was feeling more beat up.

Lap 7: longer break again for food and installing handlebar light. Never needed the helmet light on lap 6, but i used both lights for nearly all of lap 7. Temperature started cooling off. Started feeling really really good for some reason, possibly the fact that I met my goal/prediction and ate quite a bit. Started getting ahead of myself and thinking about laps 8 and (hopefully) 9. Maybe even squeezing in 10. Had to force myself to stay in an easier gear in the laps, and walk some steep uphills to try and make sure I had legs for any additional laps. Finished this lap around 9. Out of prefilled water bottles when I got back to camp. Damn.

Lap 8: Filled bottles, grabbed a quick bite, and headed out a shade after 9. Took my time, felt pretty good. Shoulders were getting increasingly sore. When darkness and fatigue combine, it seems that trees grow extra limbs and the trail is suddenly filled with roots and rocks and loose sections that weren’t there in the light.Grazed several trees, clipped a pedal a few times. Somehow kept everything upright and undamaged. A couple of those roots or something on the ground jerked my front wheel around a few times and tweaked my right shoulder. It’s in rough shape after years of baseball from ages 6-18, I’ve hurt it opening doors and sneezing before, so I knew how to hold that arm to avoid some of the pain. Felt like I was flying on this lap, at least when I was moving. Didn’t have legs for many long climbs, and when thinking about how I usually navigated certain sections I was sure I wasn’t going fast, but damn it felt like it. Came to the scorer’s table at 10:15, and several people were excited for me, and encouraged/berated me to do another lap. I thought I had it in me, but wasn’t sure, and kinda made a deal with myself that if it was before 10:30 when I finished i’d at least try for lap 9.

Lap 9: Off I went , plenty of time, no pressure, pretty beat up body. Fair amount of walking, several mini breaks. For some reason the amount of traffic on the trail went way way up on this lap. I got passed a bunch and passed a couple people. Taking a little breather about 60% around I asked someone what time it was, 11:05. I was pretty pumped. I was sure to get done. Hell, I figured I could just about walk the rest of the course in that time. With the pressure basically gone I just rode easy and tried to stay smooth. Stopped briefly to advise someone on a bent wheel after an endo, and to try to help someone with a chain issue. Didn’t spend much time, just 30 seconds or so each. Cramps threatened but never actually happened. About laughed to myself about how much better I did than my goal, and how with some training I might’ve won the thing. I figured I was towards the top, certainly not first but, hey maybe 2nd or 3rd. But no matter what, I was pumped about how I did and how I was feeling. Rolled in at 11:35. 9 laps. Then someone tells me I missed 3rd place by 10 mins, and the guy passed me on that final lap. D’oh. Not that I coulda done anything about it, but that took a little wind out of my sails of self righteousness. Changed, showered, ate pasta, drank some beers, hung out, heckled those still riding, fun fun fun. Winner did 11 laps, 2nd did 10 and third was 9 at 11:25. Very solid 4th, and i felt great about my effort.

Today(Monday): ugh, slept fitfully, hungry but fill up quickly, so i’ve had a few small meals.  I actually hurt worse now than I did an hour after. Low back, right calf, shoulders and hands are all pretty beat up. Gonna try to train more next year and definitely gonna get a bike with a fork, if not a dual suspension.

Hopefully that made sense. I’m definitely not 100% right now. I didn’t take any pics, but I know several people did, if I can get my hands on some photos I’ll add them.