Laguna Seca 24 Hr. Report

**cliffster5** · 05-20-2002, 03:32 PM

Well I started the morning like all tried and true racers... I locked my keys in the car overnight and I couldn't go off to the race until my wife got home from my daughter's soccer game. So I thought I'd make myself a bowl of cereal and watch the Giro while waiting and I promptly broke the the bowl with cereal all over the place after it slipped out of my hands. You can imagine the expletives.

I get up there and we have this nice tight little campground thing going with my friend's pop-up camper in place and more food and drink than necessary. Being the team captain I volunteer to go last in order figuring I'll only have one night ride. Our fastest guy is the youngin (age 41) and we make him do the LeMans start. He pulls a 52 minutes lap to get our 5 person co-ed team going. For some reason on my first lap (probably from being so amped up to ride) I also do a 52 minute lap (was just killing people on the grind- Pilarcitos road) which bettered by a minute my race-speed practice run earlier in the week. I pretty much left it all out on the course however, and knew that that would be my fastest lap. What was scary (and Zonic and Sabine can concurr on this) was how ripped up the course was getting. The dust was making things really sketchy, especially on all the hairpin turns. At the end of our first rotation of riders we are 55 minutes ahead of schedule. At this point I'm figuring we might be able to not just get the 20 laps I figure us for, but possibly 23.

It all came apart after this unfortunately. On the second round, the fourth position rider came in at over 1 hour and a half ( I knew he was in trouble and had already asked about him with course officials). As he's handing me the baton he says that he thinks he broke his rib. It's now about 11:30 pm (must have been right there w/Zonic) and I go out there and pretty much just survive. The dust is hard to see thru, I'm getting passed by riders with death wishes, I get a bad case of chain suck right as I entered out-house trail which requires 2 minutes off the bike, and my back wheel is just not finding the right line. I manage a 64 minute lap and feel apprehension about having to ride again at night. After one more lap by our woman rider and the guy with the rib they both drop out of the race. I do another 64 minute nite lap but with much more comfort and ease. In fact the light is coming out as I come up the grind and I really start getting into that survival place knowing that our 5 person co-ed team is going to go down to a three man team and eventually a two person team. We lucked out in the weather dept. as a slight tail wind pushes all the riders up Pilarcitos Rd. and feeling somewhat rested from a 2 hour nap, I ride a 57 minute 4th lap. Our fast guy goes out and rides a sub 55 minute lap leaving me one more to do. For the fifth lap I tried to enjoy myself some as I left at 11:20 am. and simply needed to be back by 1 pm. I pulled a 62 minute lap but not before falling once on the switchbacks at the end of Out-house trail right above Ewok. My tires just slipped right out from under me. In the end, we did 20 laps.

In sum, I couldn't believe how studdly all of the other racers were, particularly the solo riders, the single gear folks, and the 2-person teams that were pulling 12 or so laps. I've never raced before and despite doing many double centuries, I've never riden at red-line like this for an hour. It totally takes it out of you. I was even cramping up real bad after my second lap which never happens. I'm up for this event next year btw, and would be happy to get a monkey team put together. Sorry I missed you Zonic but congrats on the graduation. Next year, we need to get some practice runs in (and I'm not gonna let you punk out on the night ride again).

05-20-2002, 03:39 PM

Great writeup, cliffster.

I think riding the course ahead of time woulda helped.

I enjoyed reading it...sorry I missed you too!

**tammy** · 05-20-2002, 03:42 PM

Way to go Cliff! Now you're MY hero!!!

**Heidi** · 05-20-2002, 04:07 PM

Thanks for the write-up Cliffster! Hooked now?

Sabine · 05-20-2002, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cliffster5

It all came apart after this unfortunately. On the second round, the fourth position rider came in at over 1 hour and a half ( I knew he was in trouble and had already asked about him with course officials). As he's handing me the baton he says that he thinks he broke his rib. It's now about 11:30 pm (must have been right there w/Zonic) and I go out there and pretty much just survive. The dust is hard to see thru, I'm getting passed by riders with death wishes, I get a bad case of chain suck right as I entered out-house trail which requires 2 minutes off the bike, and my back wheel is just not finding the right line. I manage a 64 minute lap and feel apprehension about having to ride again at night. After one more lap by our woman rider and the guy with the rib they both drop out of the race. I do another 64 minute nite lap but with much more comfort and ease. In fact the light is coming out as I come up the grind and I really start getting into that survival place knowing that our 5 person co-ed team is going to go down to a three man team and eventually a two person team. We lucked out in the weather dept. as a slight tail wind pushes all the riders up Pilarcitos Rd. and feeling somewhat rested from a 2 hour nap, I ride a 57 minute 4th lap. Our fast guy goes out and rides a sub 55 minute lap leaving me one more to do. For the fifth lap I tried to enjoy myself some as I left at 11:20 am. and simply needed to be back by 1 pm. I pulled a 62 minute lap but not before falling once on the switchbacks at the end of Out-house trail right above Ewok. My tires just slipped right out from under me. In the end, we did 20 laps.

Bummer about your team disintegrating. What happened to your female rider? Why did you eventually go down to two riders?

**cliffster5** · 05-22-2002, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sabine

Bummer about your team disintegrating. What happened to your female rider? Why did you eventually go down to two riders?

Our woman rider has only been riding for a year or so and has only started serious training in the past few months. She was magnificent out there and did about all she cared to do. The guy with the rib injury gallently added one more lap (his 3rd too) after his fall. Our third guy I guess just had enough after 4 laps. Our fast guy (all of whos laps were sub 60 min) probably could have done a 6th and I think I may have been able to have done a 6th lap as well. This riding at red-line for an hour straight is really a different kind of riding than I'm used to. Looking forward to a different kind of training for next year's Laguna Seca 24 where I'll had many more hour long tempo rides. BTW Sabine, great job on your end. Sorry I didn't get to meet you too. I live really close to Laguna Seca. If you are in the area ever again PM me if you want to go out and do a ride. East Garrison on the other side of Ft. Ord is amazing riding too if you haven't tasted that yet.

Sabine · 05-23-2002, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cliffster5

Our woman rider has only been riding for a year or so and has only started serious training in the past few months. She was magnificent out there and did about all she cared to do. The guy with the rib injury gallently added one more lap (his 3rd too) after his fall. Our third guy I guess just had enough after 4 laps. Our fast guy (all of whos laps were sub 60 min) probably could have done a 6th and I think I may have been able to have done a 6th lap as well. This riding at red-line for an hour straight is really a different kind of riding than I'm used to. Looking forward to a different kind of training for next year's Laguna Seca 24 where I'll had many more hour long tempo rides. BTW Sabine, great job on your end. Sorry I didn't get to meet you too. I live really close to Laguna Seca. If you are in the area ever again PM me if you want to go out and do a ride. East Garrison on the other side of Ft. Ord is amazing riding too if you haven't tasted that yet.

Thanks...I am finally recovering from the effort this weekend.

Does the female rider live in the area? If so and she's interested in riding and maybe evcen racing more, you should have her check us out. We offer encouragement to beginning racers and riders and plan to have some clinics in the near future. We also do a pretty mellow girls ride every Friday evening on the EG trails. She can read a little more baout us and email me through the website below.