6 hours of kettle

Lessons, endurance racing is full of them. When I do an endurance race it seems like I learn something every time. This time I learned the hard way!

The race started out a bit harder then most 6 hour race Ronco blasted off the front to take advantage of a slight pile up in a poorly place. shikane. I get into a position I have become far too used to this year, trying to chase down the lead group in no mans land.

After a bit I let them fade and decide it is better to wait it out then to try and keep their pace by myself. So I get into a comfortable grove. The first three laps are solid 55 minute efforts and I am feeling good. I have picked up three riders out of the lead pack and have a solid pace, little did I know I was now in third.

At the beginning of the fourth lab I notice my self spelunking a little deep into the pain cave, so I start to eat a bit more. This was a mistake, on the 5th lap my stomach starts to do somersaults on me. I can’t eat anything this lap, I finish the lap in a respectable hour but I am not feeling to hot. I ask the judges if I have time to do another lap and they say I had an hour and 9 minutes.

So I go out again, the minute I hit the trail the fourth place guy rolls up behind me, We do a bit of chit chatting and I ask him if he is a series rider and if we were racing for anything, I decided to let him go as I was really starting to feel bad. Then it happens my head starts throbbing, my stomach is a disaster and i have no strength at all, yes, I bonked. I have had worse bonks in my life, but it was a good reminder of how bad it sucks.

The last lap was my slowest by 12 minutes, I rolled in three minutes too late for my lap to count. I also lost three place on my pain march pushing me from 3 to sixth. It wasn’t how I wanted the race to end after feeling so good for 4 hours, but at least I learned what doesn’t work for me.