It is official, I have signed up for the Chipotle Dawn to Dusk mountain bike race. This will be the first in a series of "firsts" for me. It will be my first time doing a race over 17 miles, it will be my first time riding over 25 miles, it will be my first time riding longer then 4 hours, and it will be my first time wearing spandex.
The race takes place on the Pemberton trail in the McDowell Mountain Park. The trail is a 16 mile loop, in the desert near Fountain Hills. The rules of the race are simple; the person who completes the most laps in 12 hours wins. In preparation for the race, I have set two goals. First, I will ride the race on my single speed. Second, I want to ride over 100 miles (7 laps).
This race is going to hurt and its going to hurt a lot, but I can't wait. I'm hoping that in the process of training for Dawn to Dusk, I will learn more about nutrition, training regimens, and how to suffer well. If nothing else, it will give me a good excuse for getting in better shape and getting lots of saddle time.
I'll try to post some of my training here on the blog. I already did a test ride of the Pemberton Trail, and learned that I need a higher gear on the SS. I was spinning too much in the flat sections of the course, and my laps were too slow. I have since switched from a 32x21 to a 34x20 setup. This week I plan on doing three laps or 48 miles. Not only do I want to test my legs, but I also want to test my nutrition plan. I've been researching endurance racing online, and I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do to keep my body fueled during the race. These longer rides will help me test my plan and make adjustments as needed.
Wish me luck.
Strava Data from my First loops on Pemberton
12 hours on this trail can't be too bad. Right?
Some of last years participants
Lots of spandex
No comments:
Post a Comment