Vision Quest 2010

Satruday was Vision Quest and it was a good day.  This was second time i have raced Vision Quest, the first time being in 2008 and last year i did shorter, but still brutal, Counting Coup.  I had originally planned on doing Counting Coup again this year, but after missing registration and it selling out in record time I decided I would take a slot for VQ or CC....whatever i could get.  The first offer i got was to buy an entry into VQ so I jumped on it and I am glad I did.

totals for the day:
6:23
55.14 miles
10,686 ft of climbing
avg hr: 153
max hr: 184
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27549310

Here's the report... out my training log:

me descending motorway.  rad shot from Jason Zidroski - highrev photography

no warm up before the race. ryan and i made the call just to get to the front before the crowds. cold but could have been way worse. wore the perfect gear (thanks Skinfit!).

race started and i was able to latch on the front pack rolling out on blackstar. good thing because my lights were not good enough for how dark it was. the packed split about half way up and i hung on to a sho-air guy's (jason - cool dude) wheel until the golf ball. sitting on his wheel was probably a good there were times i thought he as holding me back and other times pushing me. helped me keep my effort in check.

blackstar (gate 2 gage): 44:30

i was feeling good and sun was coming up. killer views. stayed on it heading to motorway. lost sho-air b/c i had to take a leak at 1:33 mark and didn't want to have to descend motorway with anything on my mind.

top bstar gate to top of motorway: 55:01

motorway descent went well. rode smooth and stayed in control.

motorway: 13:40

rolled through aid station #1 and had them fill my bottle and got back on it. pushed up silverado to maple springs. halfway up maple springs i was feeling REALLY good and kept a consistent pace.

aid station #1 to 4 corners: 59:30

about at third of the way up to the peak i got a rear flat. tear in sidewall which probably happened on motorway descent. used all my air trying to get it to seal. dumb. i should have just thrown my tube in right away.... so i started hiking up the climb and waited for some one to roll up on me. it took about 15 mins for first guy to get to me and he had nothing and then 3 other guys nothing. after 20+ min of walking/hinking my friend craig rolled and game me a co2. lost between 20-30 min.

changed the tire and was getting back on it just as sean past. stoked see him. the "race" was pretty much over for me at this point. i mean i don't if i was racing in the first place. my only goal was to go sub 6 and i was on pace before flat. i knew that was out the window but not bummed at all! just dealt with and knowing i am racing next sunday i decided to play it a little safer.

4 corners to peak: 52:59

rode UHJ like a wimp and then had fun on LHJ. got to aid station 2 and took my time. refilled bottle, took off some gear, talked to dan.

peak to aid station 2: 42:31

stopped again on the road up to take a leak and then another stop just after gate to take off arm warmers. in no rush but i was feeling good. decided i was going to push it again. i started reeling people in and then got to west horse thief. bitch of a climb and saw everybody hiking. i was able to ride about 50% of it at least and that made a huge difference. i was rolling right by people all the way to the top.

WHT climb (from split to top bbq): 34:56

was stoked to reach the top and caught my friend craig on the way (gave me co2) he told me i better step on it because he was coming for me on the descent... so that's what i did. caught one more rider on the fire road leading to trabuco descent and rode hard. legs felt awesome and was able to drop him and then had fun railing the descent. some of the best riding i have done out there.

motorway descnet

craig did catch me near the end right before the gate on trabuco and we hammered to the finish. hands and tri's were achy but that was it. still had plenty of juice in the legs.

sarah was out if full support.  so rad.

finish: 6:23 (14th overall)

- nutrition: prolong, perpetum, vitargo - all worked well.

such a fun/hard day. flat did not bum me out at all. i would rather flat in a race like as opposed to a short XC or cross race. it's a long day and getting through it is what's it's all about... no matter what happens. i was prepared to hike the course if need be. 

I was pretty shelled the afternoon after the race and totally wrecked yesterday.  i got out for some easy spinning and it helped a lot.  i also did a lot of thinking about the race and the more i think about the happier i am with the effort, both physically and mentally.  first physically... i was never over it and had good legs the entire time.  i think i could have pushed it a lot harder.  mentally... didn't let the flat get me down.  just dealt with it.  no negative thoughts.  I am really looking forward to some more endurance races and learning how to actually race for that long.

the beginning of this week will be all about recovery.  my body is starting to come around and soreness is fading but I am still pretty tired and sluggish.  I need to play it safe so i can be ready race hard on sunday.  the weekend is going to be rad.  beth is racing the california 70.3 and saturday and i will be racing the Kenda Cup race on sunday up in Fontana.

post race beer.  i had been saving this one.