24-hours of Adrenalin - 8 hour Solo
I have raced the 24-hours of Adrenalin 3 times in the past. I was on a 5-man coed team for 2 years. And last year I raced on a 9-man corporate team.
24-hours of Adrenalin is a 24-hour mountain bike race done either solo or as a relay team. They also have a class for 8-hours solo. As a relay team, one member rides a lap, and then he hands off to another. Soloists ride lap after lap usually without rest. The winner of each class is the rider or team who finishes the most laps in 24 hours.
Each year I had a really good time with my friends on relay teams. But I wanted to try something different this year. I decided to train for and enter the 8-hour solo class. Cliff, a friend from my former team also raced 8-hour solo. It was nice to have someone to train and commiserate with! So over the past 6 months or so, I rode many, many laps of the course. My race goal was 5 laps. I was pretty sure I was capable of this. I trained hard. I worked on nutrition, hydration and pace. I felt I was ready.
OK… Friday night before the race, I talked to the trail manager about the course. He told me that they added about a mile to the route. Oh boy! I did some quick calculations. 5 laps was going to be tougher, but still possible. The problem is that I had never ridden this new section before. I had no idea what to expect.
Saturday morning the race started. The new section was incredible. It had a treacherous downhill section (LOTS of falls) and a very difficult, technical climb. It added about 15 minutes per lap, but more significantly, it took soooo much energy. After lap two, it was clear to me that I was not going to be able to finish 5 laps in 8 hours.
My husband, Robert was my crew chief (also known as my PIT B!TCH). He and several of my friends were ready for me after each lap. They fed me, changed my camelbak, lubed my bike, massaged my calf, and sent me back out for more torture! I couldn’t have done it without them!!!
Race results… 4 laps, 3 falls, many bruises and scrapes, 1 VERY tired crew, and 2nd place women’s solo 8-hour division. It was the hardest thing I have ever done on a bicycle. I am very happy I did it. I’m glad it’s over. The feeling of accomplishment is huge. And I will NEVER do it again!
Robert's view on the race
Robert is an avid motorcyclist and a former motorcycle racer. He posted this on one of his motorcyclist forums. His post is so much better than mine...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sp2pilot
After racing for decades then retiring to do only trackdays I have had my fair share on the track side of the fence. This last weekend I worked on the other side of the fence. I have done this before working with several disciplines of riders and drivers in the AMA, SCCA and AFM. However this weekend it was different. I was crew chief for another Haas.
Lisa raced in the "24 Hours of adrenalin" at Laguna Seca this weekend. She raced in the Solo class in the shorter yet unbelievably difficult 8 hour race. My duties were light to say the least. filling camel backs(Dual bladder system with Cylomax in one and Water in the other). Preparing food and having fresh gloves ready for each lap. I also had minor mechanical work like a quick wipe and lube of the chain and with a hearty thumbs up send her back out for another 13 mile loop. The course was the most difficult they have ever laid out with an additional 1000 feet of climbing added the day before the race. Lisa had been training on the "announced" course for several months and had her laps worked out to the minute, however with the change in the course all her preparation went south. She is a trooper and went out on the course and I could see her anxiety not knowing what lay in wait for her and the rest of the grid.
She had 2 pretty heavy falls on the new section and returned on her first lap battered, but ready to go out for the second. I felt so helpless not being able to do anything to help her, just give her a kiss and send her back out to what must be sheer torture. Every lap she returned a little more battered and obviously tired, however always smiling and determined to not give up. Around the pits it was a different story with riders dropping out, some not even returning to the pits but being picked up on the course and brought back in the sag wagon or worse, in the ambulances that kept disappearing with their red lights flashing way to frequently for my comfort. Hours dragged by and as the end of the race drew near it was like the Bataan death march. Riders would return with a haggard face and thousand yard stare not responding to questions asked rapid fire style by their support teams. But not Lisa, every lap she pedaled into the pit with a tired body but a happy demeanor. On her final lap Several of her friends and I waited at the bottom of the Bosch bridge and cheered for her as she finished her lap. The track layout has the riders do a 1/3rd of a mile loop before crossing the finish line and she spun on around while I stood at the finish line with a camcorder to capture the final moments of the most difficult thing she has ever done. She wobbled across the line with her legs shaking from the punishment of the last 8 hours and I had a difficult time keeping her in the view finder as the tears in my eyes from witnessing such a huge accomplishment was more then I could bare.
I have been lucky enough to taste the glory of victory in my racing career. I have never felt this kind of joy as witnessing Lisa's monumental accomplishment. It pales everything I have ever done.
She out performed many of the men and finished on the podium with a second place finish in her first and I hope last 8 hour solo. Damn I am so proud of her
