infinitely sustainable pace

Check out this video of the race here. It gives you a great overview of the whole spectacle of the singlespeed world championships and the winners and so forth.On Friday we did a pre-ride of the first part of the SSWC09 course.  After a fun singletrack and  a little bit of easy climbing, the course started up a series of steep, challenging switchbacks followed by a wicked steep and long section of hike a bike. Once we got to the top of the ridge, it was a long section of super technical rock riding. Gorgeous views, but challenging riding. At the end of the preride I was feeling pretty beat down and definitely NOT world championship material.

top of the ridge on the pre ride

I put on my big girl panties and headed out drinking and dancing to prepare for the big race. We got home and into bed at about 1am, and luckily the  race didn’t start until 11am the next morning. I wasn’t feeling too bad when we got up, but definitely not my best work.

george at the start

The startline was a spectacle of riders in various stages of undress and costumes. We pushed our way onto the street and stood around waiting for the start. George was in a bad mood, wasn’t talking or much fun in the midst of all sorts of pre-race craziness.

There were people everywhere, hundreds of riders. This was pretty fun on the road roll-out, but as we started the first singletrack section it quickly became really annoying. And then we started the climb and the line just stopped. We waited for minutes to take ten steps.I got to know my line neighbors really well. As we finally crested the top I was pretty bummed. My legs were hurting, likely from our pre-ride, and the thing had just  begun.

A big beer hand-up at the top adjusted my attitude and I was able to tackle  the ridgeline with a bit more bravado than i mustered a day earlier. There was a lot of walking going on during this section, but not quite the  congo line we had earlier. Though I had put some distance between us at the start of the race, at the end of the ridge George actually caught up to me and passed me. But as we started the descent I passed him again while  he  was adjusting something on his bike.

I rolled into the start/finish area at the start of the 2nd section and was informed that I had just made the 2:30 cutoff and would be the last racer let through. I think I might have had some sort of haggard look on my face as the race guy got in my face to ask me if I was sure I wanted to do it. Though I considered the pain relief that would come with quitting, i knew that I hadn’t put all that effort trying to become faster on a singlespeed to quit. So off I went for the next 9 miles or so.

For a while  I rode with a guy wearing nothing but a black tutu, but then I passed him. Then I passed a bunch of racers taking a nap on the side of the trail and that’s when i gave up my dream of winning DFL. It was hot and dry, my water was limited, there were no water stops. My legs were trashed and I ended up suffering along with a little group of folks in a similar slow and walky state. On the last miserable hike-a-bike we passed the bacon station (out of bacon) and the whiskey stop (plenty, and yes I had some) until we could finally start the downhill  toward the finish.

Four hours and thirty minutes into my experience, I crossed the very enthusiastic finish line. Though there was still a crowd, not one of my friends, traveling partners or even my husband was there waiting for me. No one to give me a high five or a congratulatory hug. No one handing me a cool beer, or even a bottle of water. FAIL. So I just put my helmet back on and rode back to the house.

Overall, I was really happy with how I did. Though the first “climb” sucked up at least an hour of my time, and although my legs felt like crap, the fact is that I made the cut-off and hundreds of people did not. I got to race my race, and many more people ended their ride early. George didn’t make the cut-off, he was a few minutes behind me and he was all done. DNF. So I beat him when he was teasing me a  few weeks ago about how he was going to have to wait for me.

Durango did an awesome job with the event, they did it BIG and pro and enthusiastic and arty. I had the chance to meet people from all over the country and world as well as ride incredible trails. It’s been so worth the effort to become a better rider so I could come out and enjoy this. At the end I do believe I achieved my goal of ‘not sucking so much’ and I look forward to kicking George’s arse again at SSUSA in February.