50 Mile MTB Marathon, Part I: Pretending I'm Ready

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, and considering the mountains of feedback I've been receiving, I feel compelled to write another post.  By "mountains of feedback," I am mean that my dog looks at me with a questioning look.  Of course, Chase is likely wanting food, as he is a Labrador.  But if I ask him, "Hey, Chase, should I post again?  Should I?  Huh?" he starts wagging his tail and gets very excited.  Plus, much has happened to write about.  It seems it's always a game of catch up.  That said, I need to get someone to read the blog, as a sort of accountability thing.

On September 8, I raced in the Racers and Chasers Mountain Bike Marathon.  It's a wonderful excuse to go ride really hard for 50 miles.  The day before, I previewed the start (and end) of the course.  I wanted to make sure that I would be comfortable riding the Grandpa Bike down the only real descent from Raptor Peak.  I had been on it many, many years ago, and it was more than sketchy: exposure AND off-camber rocks.

I went and rode the course, and it was great.  I felt great.  I went fast, but it didn't feel hard at all.  Ooh, boy, was I ready.

Evidence I thought I was ready:

Sweet.  I also had an opportunity to try out something I borrowed from a friend of mine.  You see, that morning I was trying to decide if I wanted a Camelbak, or if I wanted to go bottles only.  I was chatting up my friend (I'll call him CycloCrusher, because he is really fast cyclocross racer) to ask his well-reasoned opinion, and he said, "Actually, I have this nifty thing that hangs from your seat and holds water.  I lent it to [a mutual friend].  I can ask him if he has it."  Fifteen minutes later he walks up, carrying a bag, and says, "It's a sign from the Lord."  Apparently, mutual friend walked up to CycloCrusher's desk, bag in hand, and handed it to him, without any input from CycloCrusher. 

I needed to go over the bike that night, get it nice and shiny, and get ready for the race.  While I was checking out the bike, I noticed a couple things.  These things were, in fact, goat heads.  Not actual heads of goats.  I suspect I would have noticed that during the ride.  No, these are dreaded pokey guys that sit on trails and wait for tires to leap at.

If God made spike strips

I found two of them in there.  Ack.  At this point, I need to tell you a bit about the Grandpa Bike.  It is called this because it belongs to my dad.  He'll be 76 in October.  The fact that I'm borrowing my dad's bike is awesome on so many levels.  It's an S-Works Weight Weenie Mobile.  Very light, full suspension, with tubeless wheels.  Now, I haven't been a tubeless guy, because of all the problems I've seen others have with the beasts.  Well, I pulled them out, heard some hissing, and did the pump and spin.  I checked them an hour later, and they seemed to be holding up just fine.  I was ready to go.

I went to bed, and managed to wake up without an alarm at 4:30 a.m.  I managed to get up, and spend some time in the Word and in prayer.  I wanted to glorify God and have a good time, and bless those around me.  I also wanted to go really, really fast, but wasn't too worried about it.

I drove out to the race course, had plenty of time to get checked in  and get my number.  I chatted with some folks, including a guy I had raced against before.  He was bemoaning the fact that he just got back from a trip the night before.  He also had a flat tire, and put a tube in, but figured he'd bring his valve, so he could convert back to tubeless if he had a flat on the course.  Throw in the valve, some Stan's, and air it up.

I then went off to get the bike together.  Looking at the front wheel, I found...another goat head.  I pulled it out.  Hissssssss......  No worries, just pump it up, and spin the tire.  Didn't hold.  I have 10 minutes until the scheduled start.  There was neutral support, so I went trotting over there and had him put in a tire. Anxiety was setting in.  (I know, be not anxious...) He put in a tube, and made sure I had a spare, and an extra CO2, and I went off to line up.  The start wasn't exactly on time, so I had another five minutes to stand around, chat some more, and get ready to race.

Looking back, I thought I had it all together.  I thought I was a man completely ready to race.  Smoooooth.  Maybe a couple more Os in that word even.  Prepared.  Then, one little thing happened, and I was thrown for a loop.  Had the fact the God is sovereign, and the fact that He loves me, and the fact that all things work for the good of those who love Him, according to His glory, and the fact that it really is just a bike race, actually sunk in, I would never have been anxious.  I hope and pray that the next time a little something goes wrong, I can remember all of that.

As for the race itself, that will need to wait until the next post...