Do Your Remember The First Time?
Like the title says- Do you remember the first time? Meaning do you remember your first endurance event? Solo, Team 24, 100 miler, 12 Hour... Share. I'd like to know. What made you go back for more or what made you say "never again!".
Later.
posted by Jason @ 9:49 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Hi Jason, my 1st 24 solo race was last year. I was really motivated after watching 24Solo film during my turbo trainning sessions. I did't thought about how much time I had do do till Sunday at 12 am.
My experience:
http://asminhaspedaladas.blogspot.com/2008/06/24-horas-btt-de-lisboa-2008-para-mim.html
http://asminhaspedaladas.blogspot.com/2008/06/24-horas-btt-de-lisboa-2008-2200-1200.html
http://asminhaspedaladas.blogspot.com/2008/06/24-horas-de-lisboa-2008.html
In 2009 I what more!
Regards from Portugal
Hey Jason, my first race was a 12 hour event up in NY. My account of the event is here:http://uncledanbiking.blogspot.com/2007/07/hudson-river-ramble-12-hour-race-twelve.html
It was a great experience, and I will be doing the same race again this year.
Oh, and the reason for going back: I really felt like I was a part of something that only a few people are willing to do. And the people are awesome, too!
I guess my first (and second) events weren't "races" per se. They're on national forest land, so can only be timed events, not actual races. Counting Coup in 07 and its big brother Vision Quest in 2008.
The Coup started Mar 3, 2007 at 5:30 am. In the dark with only the lights of other riders I tried to hold my husband's wheel, got separated and as I went to ride through 2 riders (spaced about 10 yards apart) one of them turned into me and we went down on broken gravel. I was 50 yards from the start, total yardsale, and dead last. I had no idea how badly I was cut up, but everything hurt.
Hubby said, "Quit now or finish." I guess that really started it all. I hate giving up. I had trained for months (ha, "trained") and wanted a feather, so I hopped on my bike and pedaled.
As the sun rose in the east and pinked the sky I was able to tell I had cuts on my left wrist (nice scars today), both elbows, and my entire left leg screamed in agony. Abrasions on my outer shin, and as I later saw, my left hip was covered in deep road rash. Not to mention I had a massive dent in the top tube of my newest bike (only 5 months old - my first Dos Niner frame).
I held on, taking 2 Aleve about 12 miles in because everytime I hit a bump massive pain shot through my arms through the tender and exposed nerve endings.
I made both of the cut offs and finished, and even went back for the longer, more difficult version the next year.
Oddly enough in 2008 I crashed on the initial climb (fell in a rut in the dark) breaking my Garmin off my bar which led to me not eating as much as I should have, and having massive paranoia about the time cut off (I had no idea what time it was all day). Made the final cut off with hubby and a good friend and broke out in tears of joy. I hammered all the way to the finish line after 50 miles and was soo happy to finish. Said I wouldn't do it again in 09, and I didn't lie.
Since then I've done two 12 hour races (they keep getting harder, but oh how I love them). Doing #3 tomorrow. It's low on my race priority and I'm mid-base for XC racing, so gonna try to take it easy. haha! Good luck with that one, eh?
Thanks folks! Some good, stuff, I might use a bit of this for a project I'm working on. I'll keep you posted on that. J
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