It's Going to be a 24 Hour Mudfest!

[pinkbikes]

I've been looking forward to the Insomnia 24 Hour all year. Now it's almost here. My DH, friends and I have three teams and a solo entered. This is THE race that convinced me to forsake my "roadies only" policy and become a part-time mountain bike rider. I have been looking forward to it SO much!

And it's been raining NON-STOP for the last three days! It's going to be muddy and miserable! I've had a cold and I've shut my thumb (that'd be my SRAM shifter thumb) in the tailgate of the 4WD! I've just made a hole in the nail to drain out the blood (man that feels much better now!) but it's still going to be ouchy.

I can't believe after waiting for this race all year, that I am so unwell, wounded and under-prepared and it is going to have the sort of mud that just tears your legs off! What did I do? Spit at a nun or something?

How on earth am I going to find the fun in me to give this a go and get the team all excited? I'm usually the person in our group that does that!

[crazycanuck]

Blech! I hear ya on the weather..

Ya know what..Think of it this way. You & your team are out there giving it what ye got in the conditions. Others..are at home in bed thinking..hmm..i wonder what it would be like in the mudfest & gee..I wish i was there.

Give it a go & remember to smile Get some cowbells & pretend you're in a paddock of cows? Umm..oo..Make lots of noise & headbang?

I've been riding(road) in the rain to prepare myself just in case it's pouring on our 6hr as per last year..

[Drtgirl]

Once you get wet, you're wet. So nothing left to do except have fun and slop around in the mud! Enjoy-I'm sure you'll have some great stories to share

[pinkbikes]

Thanks guys!

At least we've had a couple of dry days, so it's not as bad as it could be. But they are forecasting more rain for tomorrow night and Saturday (clearing).

I suspect it will still be VERY muddy and it is supposed to be cold too! I think we've pretty much got to a point where so many people in our team are a bit under the weather health-wise that we've decided to go, ride, and eat until it stops being fun. Then we'll think long and hard about having a quiet sit, chat and drink. And then a sleep.

The weather Sunday is supposed to be lovely, so if it's at least not TOO muddy, we'll get out and play some more and just see how it goes. But there will be no pressure on anybody and we'll try to keep it just a fun weekend.

Roll on some good health and nice warm, dry weather racing with DUST not MUD!

[Andrea]

You have some good mud tires? I'm kinda fond of my IRD Fire Pros. I've got them set up tubeless, too, so I can run lower pressure without risking pinch flats.

[TrekJeni]

Mud???? Did someone say mud?????

Dirt, Sweat, Gears 12 Hour race
Fayetteville TN May 9, 2009.


First lap - 11 miles 5 hours and 29 minutes



Clean and ready for lap 2. My teammate has just gotten back from his lap. (We didn't do a Lap 3 - we drank beer instead with everyone else)




The PreWash