The official race name was “Desafio 120K”, because you know, some crazy dudes did 120 kms, but I’m not going to talk about that here 😛
67 km was going to be a real challenge for me, I was going to be doubling my longest MTB ride on my almost 3 years of riding since I got back in the saddle.
It all happened last Sunday, and must confess I was actually thinking on quitting the night before, I didn’t even tell the wife about it of course, I knew it was going to be tough, and I’ve been felling my body a bit weird/tired due to my nonstop commuting month on La Trurly.
We were waked up not by the usual clock alarm but by a gunfire a couple of blocks from home. Once again, bad and good guys solving their issues with guns here in MTY. I left home a bit late, once we didn’t hear any more shots and I convinced the wife nothing was going to happen to me (like if I really knew it).
Once I got to Mina (a 30 min car trip), riders were getting ready and we were soon ready to depart. From my point of view, the organization was flawless, we even had a helicopter from “Guardia Civil” checking on us, well, mostly checking on the 120 k guys.
The go was given; the whole bunch (77 riders for the 67 k´s and 21 for the 120 k’s) leaved at the same time, and it seemed like everyone leaved with an easy pace. I managed to get in the tail anyways 😛
After the first little hill the whole bunch next to me turns into just two guys in front of me. Behind me just the sag 4 wheeled motorcycle. The first 15 km passed pretty much uneventful, the three of us having our little race, changing positions from time to time. But this was going to change.
Finishing a road section, (do I have to mention I hate road sections?), entering the trail there was a mini sand trap (funny thing, how skinny tired guys call them Sand Traps 😦 ), one of the guys felt, he was ok, but now behind me…there was a little long techy downhill section, la pugsdozer loves downhill…we passed “the other guy” and after the little downhill we saw a rear wheel.
Do not stop pedaling was the only rule for me.
After the little hill “the other guy” reached me and passed me, but not for long. At around km 20 we reached the first long sand trap, 200 to 300 m may be, when we reach it there was two guys in there…that was the last time I saw “the other guy” during the race.
One of the guys in the sand trap passed me a bit later, but like in Km 25, I’m not sure exactly, we entered the river bed… (do I have to mention I love river beds?)…I reached and passed this last guy and also the “rear wheel guy”, and when finishing the river bed section, which was may be 500 to 600 m long, I saw three guys leaving the riverbed.
I knew this river bed from my solo ride in Mina, and I remembered the little hill to get out, I rode it out that time, this time, with more than 20 kms on my legs I couldn’t, and this was the only time I walked la Pugsdozer. Another thing I noticed was an unbearable pain on my ass. Why? Well, the day before I changed the tilt on my handlerbar and on the Brooks Flyer to a position that felt right on the mile I tested them, and that I thought it was going to be good for my race, well, I was wrong. My ass still hurts and to a less degree my hands too. I could have stopped to play with the saddle, but I just didn’t. I lift it up from time to time and shake it ;).
After this big “Sand Trap” 😛 , like in the next 5 to 10 kmr, the same guys passed me and I stayed alone for a long time…I caught them in the river bed on our way back.
the guys passing me are in this pic
I can’t say I really caught them since one of them asked me If I saw his car keys. 😦 He said he was going back to the entrance of the river were there was a checkpoint to ask for help. I don’t know if he found his keys.
After that, I was alone. I didn’t pass anyone else for sure and I don’t remember getting passed after the river…….. most likely someone did it, hehe.
I was focused on finish and on keep pedaling, and actually never felt like I needed to stop. Of my total ride time, 5:30:55, I may have been stopped for 10 min, adding the time when at the checkpoints I was getting some water. I think my energy or stamina was good during the race, not my body neither my legs.
The night before I ate a nice plate of pasta, I had a banana and half snickers as a breakfast and during the race I tried to maintain myself well hydrated and not hungry. Every hour I was getting a Clif Shot Block serving, and every 45 min I was getting half a snickers or a banana. Or at least I tried to do it that way.
Once I passed the last sand trap my legs were not responding as they should, even though I felt sort of good. That was like in km 52, so the next 15 kms were hard to accomplish.
But I did it!
And I’m glad with the results!
We were 36 finishing riders on my category, I placed 34, 73 out of 77 😛
”The other guy” was behind me just by 6 mins!
Any other race with no sand traps and the story would have been a whole different one.