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2018 DragonSlayer


DesertNomad

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19 minutes ago, HoneyBadger said:

That's a great time throet.

I was planning on doing two laps, but only did one. A few minutes before the finish line I got a small cramp in my left quad, it gave me the perfect excuse to call it a day after one lap. It was the responsible thing to do 😉 I wouldn't want the person sweeping the course to find me crying somewhere in Cedar Breaks.

Glad I finally finished a lap of Georgetown and got that monkey off my back. I've tried it 7 times and failed to complete it because of mechanicals, injury, or flooding (last time I separated my shoulder and tore my rotor cuff). 

It was a great event and I'm glad I did it. Next year I'll be back for two laps and a rock trophy.

A big thanks to DesertNomad for putting on the event, it was the smoothest run race I've been to.

 

There are some truly impressive numbers posted on Strava from yesterday's event. There are guys finishing 3 laps in times better than what my best effort would produce for 2 laps, and some of them were on single speeds!

For me it was really just a learning experience. It was actually the first time I've ever even tried consuming solids while riding. I had some jelly beans and gel blocks in my front pocket and even had enough sense to open the packages prior to starting. However, I didn't have enough sense to keep the pocket unzipped and quickly learned that getting the pocket unzipped with only one hand would in itself be a chore. I finally managed to do that while dodging rocks with one hand on the bar. Then because I was wearing my thicker insulated gloves I couldn't really get anything out of the packaging. Finally I managed to just dump the contents of the two packages into my pocket and would just grab what I could at various times throughout my time on the course. Suppose I could have just stopped, but I was determined not to get off the bike unless I really had to. With an 11am start, my only goal was to not get passed by the 3 lappers on their final lap.   

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30 minutes ago, CBaron said:

 The first lap was damp and a bit sloppy, but the 2nd lap was MUCH MUCH better.  

A bit sloppy?  I went where my bike wanted to go.  It was a bit scary in the first lap.  I wondered about the bigger tires.  I rode part of the last lap with a guy on a fat tire (I think his name was Phillip) in a 'stache and his tires seemed to just wrap themselves around the rocks and not bounce around.  I was envious and wondered how those tires did in the first lap.

It is shocking how good the 2nd lap was.  

My first lap I used a ton of energy because I started at the back (my fault) and there were people in front dismounting for everything (totally OK, I dismount for stuff too) but they were aggressively holding the trail instead of yielding to us still riding.  What I should have done is gone to the bathroom right after the start, let things spread out then pass people more leisurely.  I burned too many matches in the first lap for nary a boost in time.  

The 2nd lap felt easy and was really fun and I totally felt like I had a 3rd lap in me.  As I was refilling my camelback, I discovered I had left my lights at home.  I almost went to get my 2 lap rock but Todd asked if I wanted to borrow some lights.  Joe (I hope I got the name right) who was recording data let me borrow his Gemini for my 3rd lap.  With only a bar light, my goal was to get to the flat lands before sunset, and only have to worry about the last mile, walking it if I had to.  I ended up needing to turn the light on before the steps, so it wasn't too bad.  I definitely walked about 30% of the last mile though.

I didn't feel my toes from the first water crossing at Cedar Breaks until after halfway home after blasting the foot heater for 30 minutes.

I was very worried about my upper body holding up considering how little off-roading we've been able to do the last couple of months, but it held up just fine other than the traps starting to tighten up halfway through the last lap.  What really bothered me was my right hamstring:  note to self:  don't be goofing around the office with your work buds trying to high kick a golf wiffle ball that your buddy is driving with a sand wedge toward you 4 days before a big ride.

I normally only do liquid (Infinit) but I found myself not drinking enough.  Having learned something from the TdH last weekend, I brought along Skratch labs gummies and bars.  That saved me.  I was on course for about 12 hours, about 10.5 hours moving time. I had brought enough Infinit for 10 hours.  I drank about 7 hours worth.  I supplemented with 2 packs of gummies and 2 of the pistachio cherry bars.  The gummies are super sour, almost like sour patch kids so they may help with cramps too.  The bars are delicious.  Best bars out there.

This is so much fun and is so different from the other endurance races.  I really feel like the miles just tick on by because there is never a dull moment. You can't really zone out until the double track and at that point you're relieved to be done with the rocks (for a while) and are focused on just pinning it to get the speed up.   The trail was perfectly marked, very well trimmed.  I can't imagine the hours Todd put into it just for the love of the sport.  Thanks Todd!

 

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In the car on the way to the event I was lamenting my lack of training and kept telling myself it was all going to come down to nutrition and pacing.  So to get myself in the "slow down and finish" mood I followed a car on Parmer with a bike on the back that was going exactly the speed limit, but the dude kept driving slower and slower as we got closer to the park, and then I was trapped on a country road behind him with no way to pass.  So I got my pacing out of the way early.

I grabbed my number plate at the last second and joined the start about a third of the way back.  I enjoyed the banter of those around me.  "I'm from Dallas, are there rocks on this trail?"  I passed a dozen or so people early but then ended up in a really good spot, where I hardly had to pass anyone and hardly anyone passed me.  I ran into Dewayne who I vaguely knew from around town, and we rode a lot of the first lap together.  The problem was, Dewayne was here to mountain bike while I was just trying to cling to survival by my fingernails.  So he was tearing down the descents and powering up climbs, while I was worried that I was burning matches.  It was a fun ride though, and we finished in about 3:20 with me feeling like I spent a little too much effort.

In previous endurance events I've blown up and been scolded that I'm not eating enough, so I used this ride as an experiment in how to get a tummy ache.  During the first lap I ate 2 packs of shot blocks, a honey stinger, and 24oz of gatorade.  At the first pit stop I had a cream cheese, jelly, and walnut sandwich on a croissant that I figure was about 320 calories, 1/3 a tube of pringles, and some pickles.  I tried to keep the stop less than 10 minutes.

On the second lap I quickly ran into a guy named Don who was setting a good pace, so I tagged along.  He told me stories about riding bikes thousands of miles around the country, and once again I felt like the pace was a liiiitle too quick.  Food was like a video game power up though.  The more I ate the better I felt.  I had 1 1/2 more packs of shot blocks (getting old at this point) a honey stinger, bottle of gatorade, and another pit stop sandwich.  We finished the second lap in 3:20 again.  Once again I was worried I pushed the pace a little too much, but at this point I knew I could battle through a 3rd lap.

Second pit stop I ate the same stuff as the first.  I tried eating some macaroni and cheese but it tasted like stomach danger.  This stop was probably a couple minutes longer, but less than 15.

I set out alone on the third lap.  Maybe five miles in a guy on a blue Chumba single speed passed me like I was standing still.  It was surreal.  A few minutes after that I encountered Ulisses for the Nth time.  Dude was riding a single speed and had been battling cramps all day.  We'd pass each other occasionally, and he didn't really stop between laps so he'd always have an early lead on me.  We rode together for a half hour or so then he stopped to take a break.  I couldn't imagine riding a single speed out here for a single lap.

I passed mile marker 18 and realized for the first time that the signs all have text by the mile number.  This one said "What sort of person would do this to them self?"  I laughed out loud with no one around as I struggled to eat my 5th package of shot blocks.  3rd lap food was identical to second.

I stopped at Camp Tejas to get my lights out of my pack.  I met a guy named Cody there and we rode together for a few miles of the singletrack.  He stopped for a second and at that point I was in hammer-to-the-finish-line mode so I rode on.  I stopped and got a rock, I wanted one that was as manged as I felt.  I needed lights as I entered the last rocky bit between the single track and the park.  I finished the 3rd lap in about 3:45.  Cody finished right behind me, and then Ulisses a few minutes after that.  What an animal 

At the end I honestly didn't feel too bad.  That probably means I should've tried to ride faster.  This ride was a huge lesson for me in the role nutrition plays.  I think I ate around 3500 calories, mostly on the bike.   Also, I was seriously completely untrained for this.  This one ride was almost 10% of my mileage for 2018.  For someone who had no business being there it was alright.

20181119_130216.jpg

Edited by Kyle
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These are great stories for inspiring us single lappers to push for more next year. @Kyle I'm curious how you feel today given the lack of training / preparation and yet still pushing yourself to complete 3 laps. Great choice of rocks BTW! The guy on the light blue Chumba SS was probably Andrew Sayers - a real beast on the bike!  

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40 minutes ago, throet said:

These are great stories for inspiring us single lappers to push for more next year. @Kyle I'm curious how you feel today given the lack of training / preparation and yet still pushing yourself to complete 3 laps. Great choice of rocks BTW! The guy on the light blue Chumba SS was probably Andrew Sayers - a real beast on the bike!  

One thing I think I did right was riding a test lap this August on my XL SB4.5 and determined the length and more aggressive posture wasn't right for this kind of trail.  I rode my old clapped out 2015 Niner Jet with a large frame and it was a lot more comfortable for all those hours.  I feel sore but nothing too acute.  My left pinkie fingertip is a little tingly and my left tricep is more sore than my right.  Not sure what's going on there.  I've done a couple other rides of almost this length, but none that required you to be this active the whole time.

17 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

Wow Kyle!  Great job!  Also, I can't believe you can eat all that stuff.  Any issues digesting it?   If not, I also think you could have ridden it faster.

I felt positively great the whole ride and until the moment I got home, where I developed a stomach ache that lasted until after noon today.  Just ate breakfast.

I  never really cramped the whole ride.  I felt a couple of twinges warning me to back off, but nothing too bad.  I had tums in my pocket that went untouched.  I put a pinch of light salt in each sandwich and bottle of gatorade, maybe that helped.

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Its fun to read the ride reports and hear how thing went.  I've been debating whether to put something together.  I was planning to drop it into my Strava, but I figure since everyone's laying them out here, then why not...

 

The problem for me was that I personally considered the DS as a "B event" for me.  This meant that I wasn't placing much emphasis on it this year.  My fall season had essentially fallen apart due to acute back issues that kept me off the bike for 2 weeks  (leading up to my Epic Rides Race [Bentoville], then all the rain prior to EB which was subsequently canceled (2x's), thus I've felt under prepared for much of the past 2-3months.  So with the weather report leading into the DS being so bleak, I was fully prepared to skip it.

Therefore Saturday night before the race I had made a few phone calls to some riding buddies.  One was in, one was out.  So around 7pm that evening I sit down with my wife on the couch planning to watch TV and hang out.  But we end up in a DS, riding, racing, weather discussion and she pretty much ends up calling into question my manhood, my resolve, and my commitment to the cycling community!  WTF!?  It's worth noting that she'd had a few margaritas and tends to get punchy...  So here I am at 7:30pm finding myself ushered off my warm spot on the couch to start prepping for a 10(?) hr cold, wet, miserable sufferefest the next day.

Luckily for me, and everyone else who's wife made them go, the weather held up remarkably well that night.  Yes, it was damp and yes it was cold, but I distinctly recall that it had been humid and dewy for the start of last years DS event too.

Skip to the start of the ride and I find myself with some familiar faces on the starting line of the 3 laps crew at 7am.  I myself had very low expectations (remember B race).  My Strava time last year was 9:21 and my total time was around 9:40.  So I was preparing myself for something along those lines + 10 or 15 minutes.  Boy was I wrong.  The gun goes off and our group rolls out.  It was very steady and I was happy to settle into a good pace while I watched the front 5-6 guys disappear.  I was sandwiched right in between 3 of my riding buds and we were chatting and catching up.  As I entered Cedar Breaks the group had been slowly self-selected to be my riding compadre Barry, some dude in blue and myself.  Much to my surprise I found the conditions for the Cedar Breaks rocks to me noticeably worse than the Hogg Section of rocks.  Thus I opted to dial it back and be very calculated with my line choice.  Barry and the dude in blue road away.

I had a good ride through the hills after Cedar Breaks rocks and found myself picking up the pace as I entered Tejas.  Behold, I rolled up on dude-in-blue and Barry.  I motioned for them to jump on the train as I put my head down and pedaled with vigor.  By the time we were approaching the rocks preceding the finishing area I noticed that I was all alone.  I rolled into the pits and needed to make some adjustments.  I really HATE to stop, but given the conditions and the event length it was simply necessary.  As I fiddled with my digital tire gauge (I run 29+ and tire pressure is critical) and make adjustments, along with adding some high quality H20 to my electrolyte mixture, I notice out of corner of my eye Barry, dude-in-blue, and Davis (FJSnoozer) gathering up and heading out for lap 2 together.  Dammit, I'm missing the train as it leaves the station!  But I gotta do what I gotta do.  So I quickly wrap up and then head out for lap 2.

According to fuzzy math and my Timex, lap 1 was about 10 under (2:50).

I had not intended to ride that fast.  But the good news was that I felt like I had bought myself some margin for later in the race.  As the pit area begins to fade behind me, I make a mental note to goes as steady as I can in hopes of catching someone/anyone from the group that had left before me.  Deep into the Hogg rocks I found myself feeling really well.  The trail had dried up a good bit and I was feeling pretty fresh.  So I soldiered on.  I make strong time across the dam, up the hill and into Cedar Breaks.  Much to my surprise the Cedar Breaks rocks were comparably better too.  So I let myself push the pace a bit deeper knowing that I could "rest" on the flats at the end of this lap.  I get to those flats and upon never seeing anyone from the group I'm chasing, I decide to once again push it into the headwinds and subsequently along the tailwinds too.  I made note that this could be a tactical error as I was finding myself going much harder over the course of this event than I'd planned.  But since it was a B-race for me I figured I'd just roll the dice and fall apart wherever....  The only (3 lap) person that I saw during this entire  2nd lap was Noel Rueter.  I had passed him on the side of the trail during first lap as he was changing a flat that occurred while he was battling for the front position.  About halfway through lap 2 he returned the favor as I was taking a nature break in Sawyer Park.  

Much to my shock as I roll up into the pit area to start my transition into lap 3, Todd yell's out that I'm in 3rd place!  WTF!?  And he says Noel is just ahead...  Shocked, I inquire about Barry, dude-in-blue and Davis.  Come to find out Davis was only riding 1 lap...and nobody had seen Davis or DIB.  I was pleased, but confused.  Looks like lap 2 was coming in for me around 2 under (2:58).

I quickly make my transition and head out onto lap 3.  Overall, I'm feeling pretty good.  My biggest issue is my saddle/chamois/butt interaction isn't faring so well.  But this is what you get signing up to ride 80 miles in rock infested trails.  Or rather in my case, getting brow-beaten by my wife to come and ride 80 rock infested miles.  My 3rd lap plan is to use my 13 minutes of built-up margin to turn in a bit slower pace, but still shoot for a 9hr event time.  Seems entirely plausible.  I can't see anyone in front, nobody in back, its just me and my bike, and some quiet suffering.  About 2/3 way through the Hogg rocks section I find myself needing another bio-break.  So rather than pull off into the woods, I decide to continue riding over to the other side of "that" big cove.  Even though I'm skipping my natural modesty, it allows me to look quite far back onto the route on the off chance that anyone happens to be closing in.  WTF?!?  Here come 2 riders!  They are far enough away that I really can't tell who they are.  But at a glance, they look steady and determined.  So I tuck myself back in and head off.  I'm super bummed that I have now given these guys a rabbit to chase....and that my 3rd place finish could be challenged.  I had already begun rehearsing my podium speech.

My hope is that if I can just keep riding steady I *should* be able to keep the gaps the same.  I mean after all, its 60 miles in and everyone has got to be tired, right?  Once I exit the trail area and get onto the pathway that leads to the dam, I decide that if the gap has gotten closer, then I'm going to burn a match across the dam.  In my mind that would show my dominance, which could lead to me developing enough of a lead to safely "hide" in the tech stuff that's coming up next in Cedar Breaks.  I give it as much as I can.  I lock out my fork, I place my elbows on my bars and I don't look back.  I let that match burn across the levee, down the hill, up the climb and passed the metal gate.  When I figure its safe to look over my shoulder, I take a glance back...WTF?!?  This dude is about 50 ft behind me!  I feel gutted.  Now its HIS DOMINANCE thats been put on display.  And I'm now with at least 1 less match.  He comes around me about 1/2 mile into Cedar Breaks and I feel too demoralized to offer up a chase.  Truth be told, my tactic had backfired and I simply knew that I couldn't keep *that* kind of pace for any amount of time.  Therefore, I wad up my 3rd place acceptance speech and throw it into the trash can.  Certainly I'm locked into 4th, right?

Now that I've had my doors blown off by someone who seemed to kick my dog and make fun of my haircut as he passed by, I recall that I should still be within reach of my personal goal of a 9hr DS event time.  I gather myself up and resolve to get back to riding steady through the jagged chunder.  Pleasantly, I found that I had a decent amount left int he gas tank and I managed to pull off every technical section and climb from Cedar Breaks to Camp Tejas (except the BIG stairs after the Crocket Garden Springs).  I found strong satisfaction in this accomplishment even though I could hear my crumpled up 3rd place speech rolling around in my mental garbage can.  Once again, I lower my head into the wind and make war with the pedals as I churn along the flat to and from Tejas.  As I was exiting the Walnut Springs detour I gave myself a moment to look back and check to see if the coast was clear.  Yep, nobody there.  My trusty Timex was showing about 20 min til my personal goal time and I felt some relief that the 3 lap flying monster was beginning to wane.  As I downshifted to enter the final 1.5 miles of rock leading to the finish, I took inventory to recall that so far I've essentially ridden a no-dab 3rd lap.  Could I find a consolation prize in completing the whole thing without a misstep?  I steadily climb the first 2 tiered section.  I'm tired, sore and slow, but I'm committed.  Next up is the very techy section that today follows some mud pools.  On a good day, I'm about 50/50 on this spot; today, I'd never even considered it.  But this time, I'm all in.  NOPE.  Doesn't happen, not even close.  Oh well, I'm just glad the camera guy isn't there this time to capture my disappointment.  As I push myself around the rocks, I think I here a bike rattling 'over there'.  But I determine that its my delirium getting the best of me.  I finish out the last 1/2 mile in an uneventful manner.  I cross the line to some cheers and accolades.  I'm happy, but shattered.  I'm cold and a bit hungry.  And I finished in 4 place which is one spot better than last year.  No sooner had I completed bathing in the finisher's applause, Mr Dude In Blue rolls up behind me!  He's outa breath and saying that he's been chasing for a few miles.  I honestly congratulate him on a great finish and I'm quietly pleased that he didn't snatch my 4th place speech and throw it into the proverbial trash bin too!  After all, how could I face my bully wife with that news?!?

After the hype of a few more finishers dies down, we find ourselves around the fire pit sharing stories and tactics.  Much to my surprise, I find out that "the group" that I thought I missed at the start of the 2nd lap, was actually a figment of my imagination.  He and Barry (and maybe another) had actually rolled off BACK TO THEIR CARS to refuel and such.  Thus, I had been chasing a ghost for the entire lap!  In the end, I think this was the catalyst in my over achievement for the day.  I unknowingly through caution to the wind and it stuck.  And if you were wondering, I was greeted with hugs and kisses from my wife as I darkened the doors of my house at 7pm.  Luckily, I got home before the next batch of margaritas had been mixed up!  ;)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Sorry for the novel, but its just what came out.  :)  Here are some interesting stats that I've found today after digging through the data.

John Russell the winner finished in 8hr 20min.  He set the fasted lap of the day (for 3 lappers) at 2hr 38min his first lap.  He also recently won 24hr RHR on a SS (200+ miles!)

Jason Schaller who was the guy that hunted me down and kicked my dog halfway thru 3rd lap, set the 2nd fasted time of the day....DURING HIS 3RD LAP!  (2hr 45min)  He bested my 3rd lap time by 22 minutes and went from 6th to 2nd in one lap.

I ended up accomplishing my sub 9hr goal at 8hr 54min.  

Dude-in-Blue (Josh Eggar) is actually listed with my same time (8hr 54min).  But he did come in about 10 seconds after.  Given another 1/2 mile and we would have been sprinting for the finish after 9hrs of riding!

*NOTE* these are all event times...not Strava times.

 

In closing, I wanted to thank Todd and the volunteers for all the hard work.  During the ride, I was thinking that it seems Todd feels about LGT the same way I feel about Thumper.  They are our 'babies'....but mine is 5 miles long and near my house; his is 27 miles long and 30 minutes away!  The local riding community is blessed to have someone who cares as much as Todd does.

Until next time,  -CJB 

Edited by CBaron
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Kyle's report inspired me to write up my experience, something I haven't done before. I'm the only other Cody at the race (as far as I know), and the one Kyle ran into at Tejas.

I had a pessimistic approach to DragonSlayer this year, as my training has been cut short by rain, pain, responsibilities, and laziness. Last year, I completed two laps in 9:11, including a 40 minute pit stop during which I internally debated whether to do a second lap or drive home. I was over the official cutoff by 11 minutes, but Desert Nomad kindly sent me off with a trophy rock despite my late finish. It was a miserable ride with the heat and humidity, cramps, and poorly timed meals. I told my friends I would probably not do it again. I still can't explain why I decided to return.

This year, my fitness is not any better. I've put on a few pounds and have not ridden more than 4 hours since Moab in early September. Without much of an endurance base, my plan was to keep it low and slow, eat and drink a lot, and focus on my body's needs: hydration/nutrition and back/palm/foot pain mitigation. My rides lately have ended in acute palm and lower back pain, so I made a conscious effort to assess my comfort every 30 minutes, stopping to eat and stretch. These breaks added up to nearly an hour over the course of my two laps, but really enabled me to keep going. Next time, I need to figure out how to eat while riding.

Before the event, I had convinced myself that I would probably ride a single lap and go home due to either pain/cramps or missing the cutoff. I thought maybe, just maybe, if I keep a snail's pace, eat a lot, finish my lap in four hours, and don't feel like I have a sword in my back, I might be able to go for a second lap. I started near the back of the pack at 9:00am, and quickly set into the groove. The staggered start times this year really helped to thin out the field early, resulting in fewer traffic jams and making the event feel smaller. Despite the recent rain, the rocks around Jim Hogg were dryer this year (during the first lap) and the conditions were surprisingly good. The temperature stayed in the mid-40's the entire ride, with constant cloud cover, which made it easy to regulate my body heat and also wear knee pads without suffering. I don't remember any other riders with knee pads, but I have an itchy old keloid scar on my right knee and I don't want another. I wore some baggies, a 3/4 sleeve jersey, and a Buff under my helmet (I'm bald). I had arm warmers on at the start but took them off 30 minutes into lap one. I was able to avoid getting my feet wet at every water crossing, and I don't regret the time spent tip-toeing over rocks for that.

I crossed the dam and arrived at Cedar Breaks, pleased to see coolers of HEED and water. I had forgotten about this unique DragonSlayer perk and had 3 liters full of water weighing down my back, which was total overkill. My previous laps have all been in the heat, so my water estimations were very liberal. I still managed to drink 5-6 liters over the day, which ultimately led to many long bio-breaks. I could probably dial back my hydration, but I didn't want to be put out by cramps.

Somewhere around Sawyer, I did some hamstring and quad stretches, cat-cow, assessed my pain levels, and realized that two laps was totally within my command if I stayed focused. I continued on alone. Oddly, I didn't ride with anybody for the vast majority of the ride. I think everyone I know was in the 7:00am group, and I didn't run into any of them.

I finished my lap at t+4:07, feeling fatigued but unexpectedly pain-free. I told Desert Nomad I was still on the fence about doing a second lap, and he reminded me that I don't have an excuse not to. I ate a couple of donuts (Thanks Donut Taco Palace), drank a cup of coffee, and forged on. My nutrition for the ride was mostly Gu or Hammer gel packets or energy bars every 30 minutes. I have an iron stomach and didn't have any issues with this approach aside from some MASSIVE farts during and after lap two.

Lap two was pretty uneventful. I had started to develop some light pain in my palms, but the cold weather kept the inflammation low, so my palm skin wasn't folding over on itself (does that happen to anyone else?). I had some chaffing due to forgetting chamois butter during the first lap (luckily remembered during my pitstop between laps). But overall, I was comfortable and not nearly as painful as last year. I mostly tried to enjoy the ride, which was surprisingly possible even after 6 hours of riding in the cold. It was probably about this time I started to "lose it" a little bit. Somehow I can momentarily totally forget where I am on the course while battling rock gardens.

I stopped at Tejas at t+8:08, added a little HEED to my empty hydration bladder, and realized I needed to get lights ready. I had neglected to charge my primary night riding lights before the event, so that morning I had grabbed my Petzyl headlamp and a cheap chinese bar light "just in case" assuming I would just probably only do one lap. When I pulled them out of my bag, I realized my cheap light was missing a bolt on the mount, and of course the Petzyl headlamp is not designed for helmets, so I put it on awkwardly over my eyebrows and went with it. It was during this stop that Kyle rolled up and we chatted for a minute while shuffling our gear. It was nice to have a small bit of social interaction after being in my own head for 8 hours, but my brain was not working and I was getting a little anxious with nightfall setting in, so we kept it short and pushed ahead, riding together for a few miles.

At this point, I felt great and I had a lot of energy for final sprint back to Russell. Kyle commented that I had a lot of gas in the tank and he was surprised I was still out there after nearly 9 hours because I was apparently pushing a 2:30/lap pace during this section. It sure helps to have somebody on your tail to make you realize you could be going faster.

I continued on, spotted a nice little white flat rock to serve as a trophy, and finished my two laps in 8:56, barely making the cutoff, and perhaps making me the last two-lap finisher? I felt WAY better finishing this year than last year, which I attribute to weather and nutrition. I now have hope that next year, I can actually finish three laps in under 13:30, especially if I actually train a little bit, drop a few pounds, and try to find a good pace rider to follow.

It can't be said enough how awesome it is for Desert Nomad and other volunteers and sponsors to put this together. It clearly involves countless hours of trail prep, signage, permits, insurance, communication, setup, teardown, etc, etc. We are very lucky to have such a ludicrously awesome event.

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Will keep it short since my ride was on Saturday.

I was worried about the weather on Sunday and decided to ride on Saturday instead.  Was expecting 3:30 lap 1 and 4 hour lap 2 times based on my previous lap times.   I've managed to get decent road biking miles in despite the weather so I  expected to pick up where I left on my last loop times.  

My effort was pretty high on lap 1, but the results weren't showing.  I finished with about a 3:50 lap 1.  My left arm was cramping up and my sometimes soar shoulder was now throbbing. 

I've never done more than one lap so took my time with lap 2 to make sure I didn't have a fatigue related crash.   Was not able to make all the climbs on lap 2 and had to take one or two breaks in the rock garden section between Russell and Hogg.  That section was the hardest part for me after riding for 40 miles.  

My overall 8:50 time was about 50 minutes slower than what I was aiming for.  But I've never done more than 1 loop before so getting in 2 laps is still a victory for me.

Even thought about going again Sunday for a single lap to see if I could get a 3:30 time, but I knew my legs were too sore for that.  So I went and bought a new bike instead.  I plan to take my new Fuel out there Sunday to see if I can get back to my 3:30 time and start improving from there. 

Next year, I'll be complaining that my 3 lap time was 50 minutes slower that I was expecting.

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On 11/19/2018 at 9:33 AM, throet said:

There are some truly impressive numbers posted on Strava from yesterday's event. There are guys finishing 3 laps in times better than what my best effort would produce for 2 laps, and some of them were on single speeds!

For me it was really just a learning experience. It was actually the first time I've ever even tried consuming solids while riding. I had some jelly beans and gel blocks in my front pocket and even had enough sense to open the packages prior to starting. However, I didn't have enough sense to keep the pocket unzipped and quickly learned that getting the pocket unzipped with only one hand would in itself be a chore. I finally managed to do that while dodging rocks with one hand on the bar. Then because I was wearing my thicker insulated gloves I couldn't really get anything out of the packaging. Finally I managed to just dump the contents of the two packages into my pocket and would just grab what I could at various times throughout my time on the course. Suppose I could have just stopped, but I was determined not to get off the bike unless I really had to. With an 11am start, my only goal was to not get passed by the 3 lappers on their final lap.   

good job man! I've always liked LGT

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18 minutes ago, 512 said:

Nice reports guys, here's mine. 

http://www.sbtec.com/

"We learned that folks don't want to know they'll finish, people want a real challenge. Riders seem to crave a setting where the risk is real and the outcome isn't predetermined. That you're going to get congratulated if you roll across the line, not just if you roll in top 3."

 

Nailed it! 

You have such a great talent for words and story telling my friend!

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Yes, great ride report Thad!  Good job getting it done.  Sorry you had such a rough day, but its good that there was "a reason".  Sometimes when I have a bad day and can't figure out why, it drives me crazy.  

And I L-O-V-E your EB 2018 Podium image!  It truly makes me want to go out and ride the EB route soon!

Later, -CJB

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I’ll write my ride report from the other side of the tape for the 2018 Dragon Slayer.  I wanted to wait until 512 had written his report before I wrote mine out.  I’ll get to the reason later.

Last year I finished the triple DFL with just a few minutes to spare before cutoff.   I left that event a better man for surviving the highs and lows from the experience despite what my chapped ass and virtually every muscle in my body thought.  I would not have finished without the support of the Endurarace team (both Todds) so this year I wanted to volunteer to give back to the event that gave me so much. 

The day started trying to get everyone parked as Ms. Ingrid the parking supervisor helped guide cars into open spots.  We tried to put the triple and double riders closer to the end near the trailhead which left the single lap riders all the way down near the park entrance.  It turns out that many of the single lap folks were going out to set some crazy fast lap times (looking at you Davis and Ashley) while others were just out to ride their very first lap of LGT.  Trying to explain the nearly 20+ miles of rock gardens was a challenge.  Having three start times was nice and it made parking logistics a bit easier.  Had everyone showed up that had registered, we would have had to start putting riders on the county road outside the park.  Keep that in mind next year as you decide when to set your alarm clocks.

The next few hours were pretty chill and involved some minor logistics, cheering, and wheelie practice.  When the two and three lap riders started coming in, I made my way to the finish.  You can generally tell when a rider comes in if they have anything left in the tank to attempt another lap.  It’s not how hard they push at the finish but more like the fire you see behind their eyes when you ask them.  I saw several people question themselves and their sanity as they considered another lap.  Most of the time, that voice in their head told them they would regret not going out so they pulled their shit together and hit it again.  100% of the time, the next time I saw them at the finish line they were happy with their decision and smiling.  This included Antonio who wanted to do a third lap but didn’t have lights.  I offered him my set-up because he was ready to destroy lap 3 and I was looking for any reason possible to avoid sweeping since I was still tired from the Enduro out at RPR.  Win,win.

Now I get to my 512 reference.  I’ve tried to ride with Tad before and he is just too strong and too fast for me to keep up with for any distance.  He makes that single speed of his dance across rocks and flies up climbs like someone is about to taze him.  When he rolled in after his second lap, he looked like he had been fired from his dream job, had his lunch money stolen, and beaten with a rubber hose all in the last 4 hours.  I assumed that he was sick and was heading to his car to get home and recover from the beat down.  It wasn’t until later when I saw his two little girls and wife start hiking out onto the trail with inspirational signs that I realized he must have gone out for lap 3.  About 45 minutes later, his girls came hiking back to the finish and the littlest one said she was worried about her Daddy because he should have been finished by then.  Expectations!  I told them that their Dad was still riding and that he would really need their cheers when he saw them.  In fact, I told them that he might be so excited to see them that he might start crying and that they would be tears of joy.  As they set off back into the woods, I was really hoping that Tad was going to be able to finish in the light so they wouldn’t miss him.  Sure enough, he came blasting into the finish a little while later with his cheering squad running to catch up.  It was epic and after reading his report, it all makes much more sense now.

The rest of the night was filled with cheering in riders, helping clean up our mess, and ensuring that the experience was everything it possibly could be for everyone putting in the effort.  The entire Endurarace team and their families stepped up and put together another fantastic event.  Congratulations to all those that came out and completed 1, 2, or 3 laps.  This event is about overcoming your personal challenge whether that be trying to complete three laps in less than 8:30 minutes (NUTS) or complete one lap in less than 13 hours.  You will get out what you put in and I saw a lot of people walking, hobbling, and riding away from that finish line with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that they truly deserved.

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I am glad everyone had an experience worthy of reminiscence.   I won't bore anyone with all with my stories of how the sausage was made.  I will say that this year's DS was the 8th sizable race/event I have spear-headed and I feel was by far the best for the participants.  The rock trophies, originally conceived as a low to zero-cost trophy alternative mid-event at the 100km of Muleshoe in 2012 have become an important momento for so many.  No one posted up any pictures or mentioned the swag they won - it's the rocks and the number plates.  It's also rare to see write ups for any TMBRA event, but we see them for the Enchilada Buffet and the DragonSlayer - because they are HARD. Like 512 said, the attrition rates speak to the fact that there are no promises of finishing.

Without the volunteers like JW and TD and more - along with the incredible sponsor list - and especially without participants like you guys - it could not happen.

It is impressive to see the finely honed athletes blast a sub 2:45 single lap or a sub 9 hour triple.  No one gets to that level without thousands of miles over a few hundred hours of training.   What I like though are the weekend-warriors who show up to ride two or three laps and really have no business in terms of preparation of doing either distance - but they do it anyway.  They enjoy a victory many will never realize.  Their two or three laps would be like John Russell or Jason Smith finishing five, six, or more laps.  There comes a point at which their glycogen levels are tanked, their body refuses to process nutrients, they have nothing left physically to give, but they keep riding. They ride on heart and guts alone.  In those hours in the twilight leading into the dark, long after most have finished and gone home, they find out something about themselves.  They find they are strong in a way that no amount of training or preparation can provide.  And they finished a changed person. 

Manuel S finished this year with 50 seconds left on the 13:30:00 clock.  Across an hour ahead of him, a half dozen other riders finished what they may have initially deemed impossible.  Some rode together and some rode alone. 

Michael W finished with his son Tim.  Last year, Michael had to abandon his final lap with five miles to go. He could not pedal anymore and could not even walk without collapsing and was dangerously close to a long stay in the hospital.  That was the year we had colored ribbons on the handlebars to mark the distance you planned to go.  Michael left that ribbon on his bars for the entire year to remind himself of his failure to finish that third lap.  When he finished this year, he came across the line shouting out and requesting a knife to cut that bit of ribbon off his bars. 

Stories like these of victory and defeat, these epics of human fortitude of heart and soul, are what keep me wanting to put on sufferfest after sufferfest.  It's why the DragonSlayer will return in 2019 - bigger, badder, and harder than ever.

Oh and on a side note - this event was just what this trail needed.  I rode a lap today to pull all the signs and I have never seen the trail in better shape.  It is well-defined, hard-packed hero dirt for 99% of it. a total of 257 laps ridden inside of 14 hours will do that I guess. The cold little water crossings are things we will miss mid-summer and the seeping bits will seep until April from all the October rains.  Really, those are the only instances of trail issues.

Thanks again for coming out to suffer!

-TEG aka DN

 

 

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