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8 Hours at Hurkey Creek |
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Team Bikeman -
Race Reports
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Written by Mark Logrbrinck
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Friday, 11 May 2007 |
24 Hours of Adrenaline at Hurkey Creek Park
8 Hour Solo
Hurkey Creek Camp Ground, Idyllwild, CA
April 28 & 29, 2007
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Well it is the first race of the year. I missed a good one when I was in Texas, the Keyesville Classic. I then missed Bonelli Park when I was in Hawaii. I’ve got to plan my vacations better. Oh well you win some, you lose some. I did get to ride a lot on vacation. This year is not a good one for racing in Southern California. It use to be that there were bunches of downhill and cross-country races. Now there are just a few. Some are still pretty good, one being the 24 Hours of Adrenalin.
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So I thought maybe I would do a 24 hour race. I have never ridden solo in one, how hard can it be? I can stay up for a day. Could I not ride for one? Long story short when I saw the $300 entry fee for the 24 hour solo, I chickened out. I signed up for the 8 hour solo. I thought no problem. They run two races at Idyllwild, once in the spring and once in the fall. The course has not changed much since the first time I raced there. It is a nice loop with lots of single-track. It is hard enough for pros and easy enough for the rest of us.
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So I head up on Friday afternoon, 1:00pm or so. Traffic blows, (photo included). There are people headed to Vegas, Palm Springs, The Colorado River, to other points in between, and maybe even just home. 4 ½ hours to drive 135 miles. Arrrgh. This is why I bike. I finally get off the freeway, Interstate 10, and head up the hill. Everything is better now. I amble along the curvilinear two lane asphalt road. Not a care in the world. My faithful dog Wile E. is my co-pilot. He is quite possibly the best dog we have ever owned. He has a great time camping and is quite popular. We get to the campsite where Cheryl, Russ’s wife, is already set up. As soon as we get there, Wile E. and I get out, and the ranger zips over in his golf cart. He begins his tirade “if I see that dog off-leash one more time, he is outta here”. It is quite ironic, as Cheryl is holding a leash in her hand. I was going to tie him up while I unloaded. Now I do not usually keep him tied, much to the chagrin of Matt and Andy. Well I corral Wile E. in the truck and unload. I wonder ……if they make Wile E. leave, do I have to go as well? I get to bed at around 10:00pm. It is a good sleep.
I wake feeling pretty rested. It seems like it will be a nice day. Might be kinda’ warm. I eat breakfast, which is an unusual thing for me. I think I might need it. The morning winds down as everybody from Team Bikeman shows up. It gets closer to start time and I am doing my best to stay hydrated.
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I mosey on down to the start. I still can not believe that some guys are in running shoes. Call me crazy but do you really think that changing shoes will save you time? I mean really come on now. I do not like running and the back of my knee is hurting. So I might just jog a little. Slowly. The clock winds down to noon and bang we are off. It seems like the first 100 yards is just a cluster of people, then it thins out and you can actually run. I stop jogging, figuring I have a long day ahead.
The first lap is good, the second not so good because of the heat, the third lap is better than the second, the fourth is kinda’ like the third and the fifth is like survival of the fittest. Like Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. I know I am not the fastest nor do I have the most endurance, but I am pleased with my finish, 5 laps at 10 miles each with 1300’ or so of climbing/lap. During the race, a word which I use loosely, I saw a rattlesnake, got bit by red ants (luckily not the rattlesnake), cramped in my groin (which is a new area for me to cramp), and ate too much on the second lap. I stopped at all aid stations (except the last lap). Did I mention cramps in my triceps (which is not new to me standing on the single-speed a lot), plus extremely sore feet and it was hot, dry and dusty.
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The best part was I did not crash, no flats, no mechanicals, no digestive problems. I ate GU and Clif Bloks and drank lots of water and Twin Labs Ultra Fuel, for the pure carbohydrate content (400 calories for 16 ounces). My Surly 1x1 worked flawlessly. I guess with no gears it should. That is the reason I rode it. I finished 15th out of 37, not bad, considering the top two are pro’s and no single speed category. I can not wait until the next one, maybe I will do a 24 hour, but after this one I am glad I chickened out. 8 hours was plenty for my first solo endurance race. Next time I would do at least one thing a little different. Ride a geared bike and if not, wear more comfortable shoes for walking the single speed.
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