Topic: Santos 13 Hour post ride

[EllsRider]

OMG!!!      Whoa Nellie!!     Dang!!!!!           What else can I come up with?   What a day at the ole race course!  The course was fantastic! The first lap had a little mud, but this was almost entirely packed into the course after the first lap.  The rest of the course had a great pack that got better and better and better. By 3- 4;00 clock the course was bermed and the corners were rippin. I was getting more speed coming out of almost every corner than what I had going into it.  It was a beautiful thing. For someone not firing on all 8 cylinders, this was the perfect course.  Dr. Ruth and Sinkhole were technical enough with the rocks and tight switchbacks to keep it interesting.
          A huge turn-out of racers and spectators for what was a very hot and sweaty morning and early afternoon. The humidity was up and the sweat  that dripped onto the course kept the pack perfect.    A  monster afternoon rainstorm with the obligatory lightning shook things up at around 4:15. I don't know what the course was like for  the 13 hour riders after this storm but it was a helluva rain. I was on my last lap with about 2 miles when the rain started coming down and by the time I was at 1.5 mile to go it was 4"  deep on the singletrack. I rode it in and fortunately the teamies had everything all packed up and ready to roll. I heard it was quite a show in the parking lot and infield. Alot of tents being blown around and collapsing and pandemonium going on. I kept my head down and rode out my final lap, hoping not to be struck by lightning. I passed Sandpine before the storm hit as he was taking a break about 1/2 way through. He said he was on his 6'th lap, which is strong. Everyone was cramping up big time.
        My cramps started in my legs after lap 2. As I rode up to the finish line and dismounted, my leg cramped on me as iI got off the bike. Every lap after that, by the time I was at mile 6.5 - 7 on the 8 mile course, I would begin  to experience  leg cramps, and every time at the finish line it was a pain fest as my legs would cramp up as I got off the bike.   I was dreading finishing each lap because I knew I  was going to cramp. Each lap I said thats it, I'm done, but then I would chill at the tent and recover and try one more lap.
         Personally, I finished with 5 laps. My computer registered 4 hours of ride time and I averaged 9.9 mph. After lap 3 I took at least a 35 min. break, had me some sliced turkey,  a luna bar, gatorade, Molson Lager beer, water and stretched out on a towel. It helped to recover a little bit and I think this was the only way I was able to fight through the cramps. I ended up taking 5 Ibuprofens from lap 3 to lap 5. It was tough out there. Not being in the greatest shape really had its price. It was worth it though. I'm glad I was able to ride in the rain because it really brought my core temperature down and gave me a nice shower before we went to Sonny's and feasted.             
        The Sport and Expert riders were slicin' and dicin' as they tore that course up. Really rolling fast. A lot of female racers as well. This up coming race season should be interesting, and I hope theres  a good turn-out for the races.   

[RiskEverything]

They closed the course due to lightening, and then called the race after the monsoon made a mess of the trails. Due to the large turn-out, racing started around 10:30, and due to the rain it ended around 4:30. It became the 6 Hours of Santos for everyone involved.

Jim, Dan, and I raced as a team, with Jim doing the Le'mans style start and slogging through traffic on his first lap, followed by Dan, then me. Jim and Dan both put in 3 laps and I missed going out and doing my third lap in the storm by a minute or two, as they closed the course just before Dan finished his lap. I really lucked out on that one.

Congrats to the Swamp Coed team, as they placed first in the Coed division
Congrats to all the solo Swamp riders who met their personal goals

If I have pictures of you, please send me your e-mail so I can send you the pictures.

Some of the riders out there were absolutely amazing! The FIRST person to finish a lap did it in a blazing 34 minutes- including the Le'Mans running start from the bathrooms I'm pretty sure I saw a 30-minute time in the results as well! There were Solo 13-hour riders that were going through the trails as fast as the relay riders.

Everyone enjoy the extra day off and recuperate from the racing!

[Jimbo]

I just gotta say, what a great freaking time!!  Even though we we're all out there punishing our minds and bodies, it was a blast.  I was a little disappointed that the rain cut us short because I was really looking forward to doing more laps.  Couldn't wait to get into the night laps. 

Congrats to everybody!  We all did a great job!  I'm definitely gonna do another race soon after I recover from this one.  It was the most fun I've had with my clothes on!

[SandPine]

I could write a book on yesterday so instead, go read my blog:

http://mrsandpine.blogspot.com/

[Jimbo]

Marcel, your blog pretty much sums up the whole day.  Good read.  I like the part where I come in.   That first lap was utter chaos! 

5th and 6th place for Kim and Janice!!  That's great!!  We ended up 9th out of 21 teams in the beginner team class.  We didn't do too bad either.

[SandPine]

Everyone on the board gets mentioned since you all made a great day of riding for me yeterday.  It sure was a great time.  I think I took 41st (45th overall) place out of 70 or 80 riders.  Only two categories in the 6hr out.  Beginners and Expert class.  Actually, I am not sure if in the results, they separated us.  Did they throw us all in one cat for the 6hrs?  Hmmm...I managed 6 laps and one more lap would have placed me in the top 25.  First place got NINE (thats right... 9!!!) laps.  Wow.. that is amazing

[EllsRider]

As far as I know, there was only one 6 hour class. Because of the rain  and the shortened race, they may have put all the solo riders, 6 and 13  hours, in the same class. I didn't stick around for the results or ceremony, was there one? We floated out of there before they needed to call the Coast Guard. 

[EllsRider]

Good read Sandpine with the blog. It was almost frickin pitch dark out there in the woods as that storm came rolling in. What an experience. It's something we will remember for a long time. As I was recovering back in the pits, as you say "almost taking a nap" , I was in a 'deep recovery mode'  and your yelling at me was motivation to get back out there and torture myself some more. You did really good to get 6 laps in with your back pain  and the cramps.  I'm looking forward to seeing the pics from Art. I wonder if he kept on shooting pics as FactorE crashed. I think I would get the photo first and then after he stopped rolling around then I would offer some help. You gotta get the shot!!!   ;DI hope you are alright FactorE. Your arm was not looking that good. 

[EllsRider]

About FactorE's crash, I am thinking back to  when I did my first races and not being used to anything  that was happening out there on the course, I remember whenever I came across the photographers I was always startled by them. Number one, I would be exhausted and justtrying to get through the course, the photographers would always be positioned at one of the  most technical sections because it makes a great shot, you  hit the technical section and Bam!!!, right next to the course in the bushes is something unexpected and it can startle you. I wonder if FactorE made a mistake because of being startled?   Once you get used to it, you look for the photographer so you can hot dog it!  Art caught me off guard, so I'm hoping he photo-shops my pic a little bit, maybe put about 2 feet of air under my tires!!   

[FACTORe]

i had a smile on my face when i was crashing (the first 2 of 3 ceashes that is)...haha

i am hurting today - hardest thing i have ever done physically and maybe mentally...EVER

to all those that wouldnt let me quit..thank you

[treadlight]

Managed to do a painful 5 laps on my 13 hrs solo. The only thing that keeps me want to finish 8 laps is that six pack Sam Adams bet with Jimbo.
Hey Jim we can still do it next race.
Hats off to everybody. i.e. Mrsandpine for the six laps. Great Job Bro.

[Jimbo]

Managed to do a painful 5 laps on my 13 hrs solo. The only thing that keeps me want to finish 8 laps is that six pack Sam Adams bet with Jimbo.
Hey Jim we can still do it next race.
Hats off to everybody. i.e. Mrsandpine for the six laps. Great Job Bro.

That bet's still on for wherever we race next.  I was only one lap away from getting my six pack before the rains came.  If it had stayed dry, I might have been able to crank out 6.

[FACTORe]

About FactorE's crash, I am thinking back to  when I did my first races and not being used to anything  that was happening out there on the course, I remember whenever I came across the photographers I was always startled by them. Number one, I would be exhausted and justtrying to get through the course, the photographers would always be positioned at one of the  most technical sections because it makes a great shot, you  hit the technical section and Bam!!!, right next to the course in the bushes is something unexpected and it can startle you. I wonder if FactorE made a mistake because of being startled?   Once you get used to it, you look for the photographer so you can hot dog it!  Art caught me off guard, so I'm hoping he photo-shops my pic a little bit, maybe put about 2 feet of air under my tires!!   

lap one:

it was really packed up going into sinkhole and there was no space between riders - after a dismall attempt at a run at the start, i was well back in the pack.  there is the big steep climb with the root 3/4 of the way up.  rider stalls out in front of me - i try to go around him and when i try and torque over the root, i back flipped and then cartwheeled onto that big boulder.


lap two:

uneventful except I was un-nerved through the technacil section due to still being shell shocked from that wreck.

lap three:

pulled over to let aster rider pass right into a big spider web - one of those big ass spiders is dangling from my helmet gets my attention  and i run my shoulder into a tree

lap four:

there is a little tricky climb that is followed by a downhill with a root that runs straight down it - it was getting rutted pretty bad by this lap and when i cam,e over the climb my front tire went on the right side of the root and my rear tire went on left - needless to say it threw me off hard - knocking the wind out of me.

lap five:

i limp around it is getting dark from the dark clouds rolling in - i miss time a turn and go over the top of a berm and fall for the third time on same arm (same on i hit on the tree as well) 

get up dust myself off and then make my way to sinkhole when the bottom falls out - it is lightening like crazy - and pouring HARD.

as i try and gather myself a 12 year old boy that lost walking around comes running up screaming and crying  - we are on top of a ridge so i take him down to the bottom of a valley so that we are not on top of a hill in all that lightening.  we ride the storm out and I finally calm him down.  I then walk the rest of the trail out and walk him to his family.  As bad as I was hurting, the joke is who was out in the woods crying and who walked who out...haha  The guys at the scorer bench heard what happened and gave me credit for the last lap - They put me at the end of the 5th lap - so i ended up being the last place of the 5 lap riders. 

conclusion:

i did 35 miles at the croom 35/50 - this was waaaaaay harder than that.

I wasnt going to go out on for the 5th lap but I saw Marcel as hurt as he was with the ribs tough it out and I got up dusted myself off and got back out there.

Marcel..much respect for your performance...very very good

[SandPine]

Congrats to Garry, Humberto, Belinda, and Julianne on their 1st place co-ed finish. 

[FACTORe]

Congrats to Garry, Humberto, Belinda, and Julianne on their 1st place co-ed finish. 

much respect - way to go swampers