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10-13-08, 02:06 PM
This is what I remember and what I can decipher from notes taken while crewing Python through the 2008 Furnace Creek 508 Race. I don't guarantee that anything here actually happened as written since most of what remains at this point is the blurred memory of water bottles, sand, peanut butter tortillas and target brand chocolate diet shakes.
- Kevin Fitzpatrick
October 9, 2008
------------------------------------------------
The Furnace Creek 508 (FC508) is a 509.6-mile bicycle race with 35,000 feet of total elevation gain that traverses Death Valley and is held every year in October. In lieu of race numbers assigned to racers the FC508 allows riders to choose their own "totem." Riders are always referred to by their totem name. The rider I supported in this race was Python. This was Python's fourth successful FC508 race as a solo rider.
http://www.the508.com/index.html
Friday
We checked in among the first riders and had the support van inspected by 1:30. We all had an opportunity to meet our last minute-added crew member Vance Ray. He was staying at the Hilton and would meet up with us in the morning.
We checked into our hotel and returned to the Hilton to walk around looking at other vans. Some of them were quite intimidating in their setups. There seemed to be quite a few that looked larger than the allowed limits including one RV, a 15 passenger van, and a couple of giant pickup trucks. Most already had the little inspection stickers on them so they must have passed inspections. If a rule isn't going to be enforced then why keep it on the books?
At 4pm we met up with another couple of dozen riders including most of the recumbent riders at the Olive Garden for dinner. It looks like this is slowly growing to replace the official pasta feed. After the feed we attended the pre race meeting where Chris Kostman and John Marino both spoke at length about the history of FC508. Then Chris talked through a few of the rules and made a special point that high beams were a "BAD THING." (I think he forgot to tell the on-course race officials though.) Finally the racers took the stage for pictures and the meeting broke up.
After the pre-race meeting it was back to the hotel where we dropped off Python and went for last minute purchases of ice, crew food, and a scoop for the ice. We then topped off the gas and filled Chris' thermos with the elixir of life (found at Starbucks), returned to the hotel and crashed.
Saturday
We arrived at the hotel at 6:30 and dropped off Python. Vance watched the van while Chris and I went to get breakfast in the hotel. The hotel had breakfast that was being prepared two meals at a time. We weren't sure if we'd get served in time to get out to the car and gone before the riders. That would have been a mess since the support vehicles are not allowed on the first 25 miles. We eventually got our breakfasts ten minutes before the start and left the parking lot as the national anthem was being sung.
The temperatures were mild at the start but as we rode up San Francisquito Canyon we encountered thick fog and the temps dropped into the low 50s (maybe high 40s). We were concerned that Python only had a jersey and we didn't know if he had arm warmers or not (he did). A frozen rider at mile 25 would not be an auspicious start. We arrived at mile 25 which is the first point at which a rider may meet up with his support crew. We walked the line of vehicles meeting up with various crews, some of whom we'd see again and again through the next two days and some of whom we'd never see again. It was at this point that Chris found a German speaking blonde among the crew of another male soloist which went a considerable way towards waking him up. The wind by this point was blowing fiercely while the fog and cold remained bone chilling. I especially enjoyed talking to the crew (parents) of Aye-Aye, a 20 year old vegan girl doing the race solo this year. I met her after the race. She rocks! Her mom was just bursting with pride.
At 0819 the first rider, Alpine Ibex flew by followed by a few other riders and at 0835 by Python.
Since Python was going to ride most of his race on a bike that had sew up tires (tires that need special glue when changing a flat) and since sew ups are a pain to change while unsupported he rode a different bike with clinchers (tubes with tires that can easily be changed by an unsupported rider) the first stretch. Then after meeting up with the us he'd swap bikes, turn in his pump and spares and lights and start riding his second bike which he'd use the rest of the race.
We had agreed in advance that it would be too crowded at the 25 mile point to swap bikes so after he went by we leap-frogged ahead to the first flat spot. We did the swap at 0852. Fortunately Python said he was warm (from the effort he was putting in no doubt) and had not suffered in the cold. He grabbed his bike and was gone in seconds. We loaded up the first bike and headed after Python.
Shortly after leaving the 25 mile point the fog had dissipated but the wind remained a strong 20 to 25 mile tail wind the rest of the day as far as Townes Mountain.
At this time we found ourselves riding a lot in the vicinity of Loon and passed them for the first time. A bit later, around the windmills Loon, Wren and we were changing places regularly but once they hit the descent they disappeared ahead.
It was at the Holt Street turn that I learned that (ss) on the route sheet means "stop sign" and not "stay straight." Oops. Fortunately Python knew the course and someone stopped at the stop sign indicated the correct direction. Had they not been there I'd have been pushing Python to go straight rather than the correct left hand turn.
By mile 100 the crew was clicking and we had pretty much settled into the roles we'd each be playing for the rest of the race. Vance Ray did all of the driving with the exception of Stage 5 - Shoshone to Baker. Chris Eisenbarth was crew chief and prepared most of the food from the back sleep... I mean seat. He got to the point where he could add a bit of water to a bottle, three scoops (later 2.5) of Cytomax, a few scoops of ice, top it off with water, cap it, stow it, and screw on the lid to the ice jug in 20 seconds. He also established the routine of washing bottles right after they had been discarded by Python. By doing this I don't think we even dirtied all of the half dozen bottles Python brought. Chris was also our mechanical whiz but fortunately we encountered no mechanical difficulties other than a loose cleat. I did most of the handoffs and was the designated nag when Python fell behind on calories (which happened only rarely.) It felt good to meet up with Python along the edge of the road, have him ask for something and already have anticipated it and have it in hand or already prepared and just have to hand it off at the next leapfrog stop. We never dropped a single bottle though I did botch a handoff of glasses after cleaning them once.
Around this time we were spending most of our time in the vicinity of Spider Monkey, Bumble Bee, Wolf bat, Southern Vole and Crazy Horse.
TIME STATION #1 (83.6 miles) - Arrived at 11:07 / 04:07 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 20.31
As we approached the Trona Bump we couldn't see any other support crews except Southern Vole who was on the distant horizon behind us. The climb was uneventful and Python requested that we shorten up the distance that we leapfrog. He's a bit different than other riders and likes to keep his crew in front of him and in sight, using them as a micro goal. On flats we'd only go two or three minutes drive-time ahead and try to stay in sight. On the climbs we'd leapfrog by only a few hundred yards at a time.
Three miles before the Trona we were still experiencing a 15 mph tail wind.
At beautiful downtown Trona we gasses up, bought a bag of ice and snapped a digital photo of the time sheet at the Time Station for reference down the road. Upon leaving the time station the only support crew in our vicinity was Pound Puppy.
TIME STATION #2 (153.8 miles) - Arrived at 14:06 / 07:06 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 23.52
After Trona Python requested 8 Tums, a Mountain Dew and a fruit cup. This was his first deviation from Cytomax and SlimFast-like chocolate shakes so we were a bit concerned that perhaps his stomach was bothering him. He was in fact experiencing a bit of bloat, probably from the Endurolytes.
The 200 mile mark came just before the Townes Mountain climb. We hit it at exactly 4 PM for a 9 hour double century thanks to the strong tail winds we'd had all day. In a previous FC508 the tail winds in this section had been even stronger and Python had done this 200 mile stretch in 8 1/2 hours.
For the longest time climbing Townes the only support van in our vicinity was Crazy Horse (which made Chris quite happy). They seemed to be staying very far ahead of their rider. Then about halfway up the mountain Python was passed by the 135 pound Southern Vole. Then four others passed us in the next three miles.
We pulled over at the top to put on lights, swap sun glasses for clear glasses, and prepare for night as 6 o'clock was approaching. My biggest screw up happened at this point when I sent Python screaming off down the mountain only to realize that I'd forgotten to hand him his glasses. He'd be doing the 17 mile, 5000 foot descent without eyewear. (Sorry, Graham.) As Python was leaving Townes Mountain Pass Bumblebee was arriving. They had a very spirited crew and I loved their Queen Bee / Worker Bee yellow & black tie dyed shirts.
On the way down we had a small scare when the brakes overheated. We pulled aside with smoking brakes, saw no flames so we proceeded after Python in a lower gear avoiding the brakes. No harm no foul.
A little before 6pm Vance slid the van into follow mode behind Python. At 6 when all riders were supposed to be in follow mode we were still seeing riderless support vehicles descending from the pass. We later found out that some stranded riders were disqualified because of this mis-coordination between crews and riders. This clearly illustrates the point that while a crew can't win the race for a rider it can definitely lose it for him.
Along this next section Python realized that his right cleat had come loose and he would have trouble clipping out when it came time to do so.
After passing through Stovepipe Wells around 6:40pm we encountered an epic section of the race. This for me, will be the few miles I'll remember when I think of this event. To the left as we passed the dunes we could see a double rainbow above Scotty's Castle. Out of the dark clouds filling the sky the horizon was often lit up by bold strokes of lightning striking the valley towards Furnace Creek. The rain started falling diagonally in the 25 mph wind we entered a sand storm. As we followed behind Hammerhead Shrike I climbed out the window to shoot a video of part of the sand storm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6ek4-SACcc
As each bolt of lightning struck the horizon we began to mark off each of the leaders as having been eliminated by mother nature. "There goes Bulldog. We're in 5th place. There goes Sea Waffle. We're in 4th place."
At 7:25 the rain stopped and a slight tail wind picked up to push us into Furnace Creek. There were many wet spots on the road and signs that minor flash flooding had preceded us washing gravel onto the road in low places. We skipped stopping at the FC time station. Behind us it looked as though the rain and lightning had intensified.
TIME STATION #3 (252.9 miles) - Arrived at 19:39 / 12:36 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 18.02
About 5 1/2 miles past Furnace Creek Python dropped a chain on a gear shift and only barely avoided a spill by clipping out on his non-dominant left side and collapsed against the side of the van. We swapped out his shoes, got him going and then tightened the cleats while back in follow mode.
We pulled off at Badwater for Python's first pee break. Afterwards he sat in the door of the van for 30 seconds while drinking a coke. His average calorie intake so far had been 305 kcal per hour but the Endurolytes at 2 per hour seemed to be causing some swelling so he asked us to stop giving him more. Maybe because I had regularly been bugging him to take them he became paranoid about the Endurolytes the rest of the race and was convinced I was still slipping them to him. :)
Just before Ashford Mill we closed the gap on Wild Buck. Python pulled back to the van and requested a Mountain Dew and said "Watch this." Five minutes later in a burst of speed he flew past Wild Buck and just kept going. I swear it looked like Wild Buck was standing still. This just shy of 300 miles into the race. Afterward we pulled up beside him and ginning he said, "Never do that when you just had a can of Mountain Dew." At peak effort the Mountain Dew had chosen to escape our rider through mouth and nose. For the rest of the race, every time we saw Python pausing before passing someone we'd all joke, "Get him a Mountain Dew!" I don't think he had another one until after the race though. Apparently once was enough.
About this time we saw our first shooting star and a fluorescent scorpion in the road ahead of us We were following Loggerhead Shrike whose high-tech tail lights resembled a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica. We passed him at the base of Jubilee and then were repassed before the crest of Shoshone Pass.
At the top of Shoshone he put on his jacket but was visibly shivering as he descended.
At the Shoshone Time Station we checked in with Bill Anderson who arrived as we did. The on-site official wasn't around. Loggerhead Shrike was leaving as we arrived and later as we departed Bumblebee was just arriving. Python took a few minutes to eat a sandwich and chocolate pudding. The first food he'd eaten in two hours. He then put on his now-fixed shoes and departed.
TIME STATION #4 (326.4 miles) - Arrived at 19:39 / 17:53 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 13.91
At the start of the Ibex climb we were passed again by Bumblebee. Python's cleats were still not adjusted correctly but with a wrench of the ankle Python got them into an acceptable position for the rest of the ride. Later in the climb we were passed by the first 4x team we had encountered (they had started two hours later than we had) but we couldn't read their totem name as it passed.
After cresting Ibex we entered hell as far as I'm concerned. It seemed we were always in a slow climb even when descending. It went on and on and Python had slipped into maintenance mode. This is the stretch he had warned us all ahead of time that he dreaded and in 2006 had lost almost an hour while having to stop and sleep. The crew was sleepy and so was he. Chris was driving and once beeped the horn when it looked like Python may have been nodding off. Python isn't a particularly strong night rider so this stretch was a real slog for him. To his credit he powered through it this year and ended it with a still respectable average speed.
Most of this stretch Bumblebee was only 2 or 3 hundred yards ahead of us. Only two teams had gone by us so far, that first one and then 2x Ox.
At 3:00 approaching Baker Python started waking back up and eating, again after two hours of nothing. At 3:18 the first DNF raced past us in their support vehicle, 2 x Garuda women's team.
At Baker we grabbed gas, ice and coffee while helplessly watching Crazy Horse depart the Time Station up the wrong road.
TIME STATION #5 (382.6 miles) - Arrived at 04:32 / 21:32 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 15:41
On the far side of Baker at around 5 am Python pulled over and asked to sleep for 15 minutes. He stretched out and while I don't think he slept he did get 15 minutes rest that did seem to help a lot. During this time Crazy Horse (back on the correct road), Loggerhead Shrike and Spider Pig went by. As Python rested we were also passed for the last time by Bumblebee who went on to be the first female solo finisher. After the short rest he changed socks, pants and jersey, ate and then headed off down the road again.
Sunday
Climbing before Kelso we saw Bulldog go by in his support vehicle having DNF'd with lung problems somewhere before Baker.
At 6:09 with the sun coming up Python was passed by Flying Chamois. Being passed by a recumbent was enough to wake him up and all of a sudden he was back to his daytime cadence with bloated stomach and tired arms set aside for a while. At mile 400 he stopped to pee for only the second time. This he says is normal.
At 6:30 we got passed by 2x BoneDog but then we repassed him and the recumbent Flying Chamois in one quick sweep and finally let BoneDog by for the last time at the base of the descent.
TIME STATION #6 (417.6 miles) - Arrived at 07:43 / 24:43 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 10.97 (includes appx 30 minutes off bike for rest and clothing change)
On the Granite Mountain climb we never saw anyone. Back in Leapfrog mode I was out at each stop with binoculars and couldn't see anyone in either direction. The lack of teams coming by had us wondering if perhaps the storms in Death Valley had wiped out a lot of people or caused a halt to the race back there.
The road along here is infamous for its poor condition. I had read and heard about it but it really has to be seen. Smooth raised areas between ruts can be ridden for short distances but then peter out. We went into follow mode down the mountain but he wasn't going all that fast due to the condition of the road.
Almost to Amboy both Prairie Falcon and Orthos went by. As we were leaving the Amboy Time Station I leaned out the window and told Python he again hadn't eaten in two hours. He replied, "I don't give a toss - I just want to finish." We backed off and rode quietly waiting for his head to over rule his stomach and sure enough, five minutes later he waved us forward and started putting in his calorie requests and was soon back up to par.
TIME STATION #7 (451.3 miles) - Arrived at 09:50 / 26:50 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 15:94
Leaving Amboy we encountered headwinds for only the second time and that only until turning across the tracks. As we passed between the Time Station and the tracks we watched a train cross the road ahead and prayed for it to keep on going. Riders have been stranded here in the past with stopped trains blocking the road. We had been warned that trains at crossings would be treated like acts-of-god and no time adjustments would be made. Fortunately the train was just past as we reached the crossing.
From here on we saw few riders other than Prairie Falcon and team Aggouti on the Sheephole climb. On the Sheephole climb Python stopped mid climb and rested his head on his handle bars for about 30 seconds and then departed while asking for an ice sock. We passed off the ice sock and he tucked it around his neck and under his jersey.
At the crest of Sheephole he asked the time, apparently thinking it was later than it was. It was then that he realized that a sub 31 hour race was within reach and he "switched off the pain receptors" and powered into the finish.
His final time was 30:31, no time penalties and a sixth place solo finish.
FINISH (509.6 miles) - Arrived at 13:31 / 30:31 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 15.82 / Overall average speed an amazing 16.70
Python... You Rock!
- Kevin Fitzpatrick
October 9, 2008
------------------------------------------------
The Furnace Creek 508 (FC508) is a 509.6-mile bicycle race with 35,000 feet of total elevation gain that traverses Death Valley and is held every year in October. In lieu of race numbers assigned to racers the FC508 allows riders to choose their own "totem." Riders are always referred to by their totem name. The rider I supported in this race was Python. This was Python's fourth successful FC508 race as a solo rider.
http://www.the508.com/index.html
Friday
We checked in among the first riders and had the support van inspected by 1:30. We all had an opportunity to meet our last minute-added crew member Vance Ray. He was staying at the Hilton and would meet up with us in the morning.
We checked into our hotel and returned to the Hilton to walk around looking at other vans. Some of them were quite intimidating in their setups. There seemed to be quite a few that looked larger than the allowed limits including one RV, a 15 passenger van, and a couple of giant pickup trucks. Most already had the little inspection stickers on them so they must have passed inspections. If a rule isn't going to be enforced then why keep it on the books?
At 4pm we met up with another couple of dozen riders including most of the recumbent riders at the Olive Garden for dinner. It looks like this is slowly growing to replace the official pasta feed. After the feed we attended the pre race meeting where Chris Kostman and John Marino both spoke at length about the history of FC508. Then Chris talked through a few of the rules and made a special point that high beams were a "BAD THING." (I think he forgot to tell the on-course race officials though.) Finally the racers took the stage for pictures and the meeting broke up.
After the pre-race meeting it was back to the hotel where we dropped off Python and went for last minute purchases of ice, crew food, and a scoop for the ice. We then topped off the gas and filled Chris' thermos with the elixir of life (found at Starbucks), returned to the hotel and crashed.
Saturday
We arrived at the hotel at 6:30 and dropped off Python. Vance watched the van while Chris and I went to get breakfast in the hotel. The hotel had breakfast that was being prepared two meals at a time. We weren't sure if we'd get served in time to get out to the car and gone before the riders. That would have been a mess since the support vehicles are not allowed on the first 25 miles. We eventually got our breakfasts ten minutes before the start and left the parking lot as the national anthem was being sung.
The temperatures were mild at the start but as we rode up San Francisquito Canyon we encountered thick fog and the temps dropped into the low 50s (maybe high 40s). We were concerned that Python only had a jersey and we didn't know if he had arm warmers or not (he did). A frozen rider at mile 25 would not be an auspicious start. We arrived at mile 25 which is the first point at which a rider may meet up with his support crew. We walked the line of vehicles meeting up with various crews, some of whom we'd see again and again through the next two days and some of whom we'd never see again. It was at this point that Chris found a German speaking blonde among the crew of another male soloist which went a considerable way towards waking him up. The wind by this point was blowing fiercely while the fog and cold remained bone chilling. I especially enjoyed talking to the crew (parents) of Aye-Aye, a 20 year old vegan girl doing the race solo this year. I met her after the race. She rocks! Her mom was just bursting with pride.
At 0819 the first rider, Alpine Ibex flew by followed by a few other riders and at 0835 by Python.
Since Python was going to ride most of his race on a bike that had sew up tires (tires that need special glue when changing a flat) and since sew ups are a pain to change while unsupported he rode a different bike with clinchers (tubes with tires that can easily be changed by an unsupported rider) the first stretch. Then after meeting up with the us he'd swap bikes, turn in his pump and spares and lights and start riding his second bike which he'd use the rest of the race.
We had agreed in advance that it would be too crowded at the 25 mile point to swap bikes so after he went by we leap-frogged ahead to the first flat spot. We did the swap at 0852. Fortunately Python said he was warm (from the effort he was putting in no doubt) and had not suffered in the cold. He grabbed his bike and was gone in seconds. We loaded up the first bike and headed after Python.
Shortly after leaving the 25 mile point the fog had dissipated but the wind remained a strong 20 to 25 mile tail wind the rest of the day as far as Townes Mountain.
At this time we found ourselves riding a lot in the vicinity of Loon and passed them for the first time. A bit later, around the windmills Loon, Wren and we were changing places regularly but once they hit the descent they disappeared ahead.
It was at the Holt Street turn that I learned that (ss) on the route sheet means "stop sign" and not "stay straight." Oops. Fortunately Python knew the course and someone stopped at the stop sign indicated the correct direction. Had they not been there I'd have been pushing Python to go straight rather than the correct left hand turn.
By mile 100 the crew was clicking and we had pretty much settled into the roles we'd each be playing for the rest of the race. Vance Ray did all of the driving with the exception of Stage 5 - Shoshone to Baker. Chris Eisenbarth was crew chief and prepared most of the food from the back sleep... I mean seat. He got to the point where he could add a bit of water to a bottle, three scoops (later 2.5) of Cytomax, a few scoops of ice, top it off with water, cap it, stow it, and screw on the lid to the ice jug in 20 seconds. He also established the routine of washing bottles right after they had been discarded by Python. By doing this I don't think we even dirtied all of the half dozen bottles Python brought. Chris was also our mechanical whiz but fortunately we encountered no mechanical difficulties other than a loose cleat. I did most of the handoffs and was the designated nag when Python fell behind on calories (which happened only rarely.) It felt good to meet up with Python along the edge of the road, have him ask for something and already have anticipated it and have it in hand or already prepared and just have to hand it off at the next leapfrog stop. We never dropped a single bottle though I did botch a handoff of glasses after cleaning them once.
Around this time we were spending most of our time in the vicinity of Spider Monkey, Bumble Bee, Wolf bat, Southern Vole and Crazy Horse.
TIME STATION #1 (83.6 miles) - Arrived at 11:07 / 04:07 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 20.31
As we approached the Trona Bump we couldn't see any other support crews except Southern Vole who was on the distant horizon behind us. The climb was uneventful and Python requested that we shorten up the distance that we leapfrog. He's a bit different than other riders and likes to keep his crew in front of him and in sight, using them as a micro goal. On flats we'd only go two or three minutes drive-time ahead and try to stay in sight. On the climbs we'd leapfrog by only a few hundred yards at a time.
Three miles before the Trona we were still experiencing a 15 mph tail wind.
At beautiful downtown Trona we gasses up, bought a bag of ice and snapped a digital photo of the time sheet at the Time Station for reference down the road. Upon leaving the time station the only support crew in our vicinity was Pound Puppy.
TIME STATION #2 (153.8 miles) - Arrived at 14:06 / 07:06 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 23.52
After Trona Python requested 8 Tums, a Mountain Dew and a fruit cup. This was his first deviation from Cytomax and SlimFast-like chocolate shakes so we were a bit concerned that perhaps his stomach was bothering him. He was in fact experiencing a bit of bloat, probably from the Endurolytes.
The 200 mile mark came just before the Townes Mountain climb. We hit it at exactly 4 PM for a 9 hour double century thanks to the strong tail winds we'd had all day. In a previous FC508 the tail winds in this section had been even stronger and Python had done this 200 mile stretch in 8 1/2 hours.
For the longest time climbing Townes the only support van in our vicinity was Crazy Horse (which made Chris quite happy). They seemed to be staying very far ahead of their rider. Then about halfway up the mountain Python was passed by the 135 pound Southern Vole. Then four others passed us in the next three miles.
We pulled over at the top to put on lights, swap sun glasses for clear glasses, and prepare for night as 6 o'clock was approaching. My biggest screw up happened at this point when I sent Python screaming off down the mountain only to realize that I'd forgotten to hand him his glasses. He'd be doing the 17 mile, 5000 foot descent without eyewear. (Sorry, Graham.) As Python was leaving Townes Mountain Pass Bumblebee was arriving. They had a very spirited crew and I loved their Queen Bee / Worker Bee yellow & black tie dyed shirts.
On the way down we had a small scare when the brakes overheated. We pulled aside with smoking brakes, saw no flames so we proceeded after Python in a lower gear avoiding the brakes. No harm no foul.
A little before 6pm Vance slid the van into follow mode behind Python. At 6 when all riders were supposed to be in follow mode we were still seeing riderless support vehicles descending from the pass. We later found out that some stranded riders were disqualified because of this mis-coordination between crews and riders. This clearly illustrates the point that while a crew can't win the race for a rider it can definitely lose it for him.
Along this next section Python realized that his right cleat had come loose and he would have trouble clipping out when it came time to do so.
After passing through Stovepipe Wells around 6:40pm we encountered an epic section of the race. This for me, will be the few miles I'll remember when I think of this event. To the left as we passed the dunes we could see a double rainbow above Scotty's Castle. Out of the dark clouds filling the sky the horizon was often lit up by bold strokes of lightning striking the valley towards Furnace Creek. The rain started falling diagonally in the 25 mph wind we entered a sand storm. As we followed behind Hammerhead Shrike I climbed out the window to shoot a video of part of the sand storm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6ek4-SACcc
As each bolt of lightning struck the horizon we began to mark off each of the leaders as having been eliminated by mother nature. "There goes Bulldog. We're in 5th place. There goes Sea Waffle. We're in 4th place."
At 7:25 the rain stopped and a slight tail wind picked up to push us into Furnace Creek. There were many wet spots on the road and signs that minor flash flooding had preceded us washing gravel onto the road in low places. We skipped stopping at the FC time station. Behind us it looked as though the rain and lightning had intensified.
TIME STATION #3 (252.9 miles) - Arrived at 19:39 / 12:36 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 18.02
About 5 1/2 miles past Furnace Creek Python dropped a chain on a gear shift and only barely avoided a spill by clipping out on his non-dominant left side and collapsed against the side of the van. We swapped out his shoes, got him going and then tightened the cleats while back in follow mode.
We pulled off at Badwater for Python's first pee break. Afterwards he sat in the door of the van for 30 seconds while drinking a coke. His average calorie intake so far had been 305 kcal per hour but the Endurolytes at 2 per hour seemed to be causing some swelling so he asked us to stop giving him more. Maybe because I had regularly been bugging him to take them he became paranoid about the Endurolytes the rest of the race and was convinced I was still slipping them to him. :)
Just before Ashford Mill we closed the gap on Wild Buck. Python pulled back to the van and requested a Mountain Dew and said "Watch this." Five minutes later in a burst of speed he flew past Wild Buck and just kept going. I swear it looked like Wild Buck was standing still. This just shy of 300 miles into the race. Afterward we pulled up beside him and ginning he said, "Never do that when you just had a can of Mountain Dew." At peak effort the Mountain Dew had chosen to escape our rider through mouth and nose. For the rest of the race, every time we saw Python pausing before passing someone we'd all joke, "Get him a Mountain Dew!" I don't think he had another one until after the race though. Apparently once was enough.
About this time we saw our first shooting star and a fluorescent scorpion in the road ahead of us We were following Loggerhead Shrike whose high-tech tail lights resembled a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica. We passed him at the base of Jubilee and then were repassed before the crest of Shoshone Pass.
At the top of Shoshone he put on his jacket but was visibly shivering as he descended.
At the Shoshone Time Station we checked in with Bill Anderson who arrived as we did. The on-site official wasn't around. Loggerhead Shrike was leaving as we arrived and later as we departed Bumblebee was just arriving. Python took a few minutes to eat a sandwich and chocolate pudding. The first food he'd eaten in two hours. He then put on his now-fixed shoes and departed.
TIME STATION #4 (326.4 miles) - Arrived at 19:39 / 17:53 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 13.91
At the start of the Ibex climb we were passed again by Bumblebee. Python's cleats were still not adjusted correctly but with a wrench of the ankle Python got them into an acceptable position for the rest of the ride. Later in the climb we were passed by the first 4x team we had encountered (they had started two hours later than we had) but we couldn't read their totem name as it passed.
After cresting Ibex we entered hell as far as I'm concerned. It seemed we were always in a slow climb even when descending. It went on and on and Python had slipped into maintenance mode. This is the stretch he had warned us all ahead of time that he dreaded and in 2006 had lost almost an hour while having to stop and sleep. The crew was sleepy and so was he. Chris was driving and once beeped the horn when it looked like Python may have been nodding off. Python isn't a particularly strong night rider so this stretch was a real slog for him. To his credit he powered through it this year and ended it with a still respectable average speed.
Most of this stretch Bumblebee was only 2 or 3 hundred yards ahead of us. Only two teams had gone by us so far, that first one and then 2x Ox.
At 3:00 approaching Baker Python started waking back up and eating, again after two hours of nothing. At 3:18 the first DNF raced past us in their support vehicle, 2 x Garuda women's team.
At Baker we grabbed gas, ice and coffee while helplessly watching Crazy Horse depart the Time Station up the wrong road.
TIME STATION #5 (382.6 miles) - Arrived at 04:32 / 21:32 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 15:41
On the far side of Baker at around 5 am Python pulled over and asked to sleep for 15 minutes. He stretched out and while I don't think he slept he did get 15 minutes rest that did seem to help a lot. During this time Crazy Horse (back on the correct road), Loggerhead Shrike and Spider Pig went by. As Python rested we were also passed for the last time by Bumblebee who went on to be the first female solo finisher. After the short rest he changed socks, pants and jersey, ate and then headed off down the road again.
Sunday
Climbing before Kelso we saw Bulldog go by in his support vehicle having DNF'd with lung problems somewhere before Baker.
At 6:09 with the sun coming up Python was passed by Flying Chamois. Being passed by a recumbent was enough to wake him up and all of a sudden he was back to his daytime cadence with bloated stomach and tired arms set aside for a while. At mile 400 he stopped to pee for only the second time. This he says is normal.
At 6:30 we got passed by 2x BoneDog but then we repassed him and the recumbent Flying Chamois in one quick sweep and finally let BoneDog by for the last time at the base of the descent.
TIME STATION #6 (417.6 miles) - Arrived at 07:43 / 24:43 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 10.97 (includes appx 30 minutes off bike for rest and clothing change)
On the Granite Mountain climb we never saw anyone. Back in Leapfrog mode I was out at each stop with binoculars and couldn't see anyone in either direction. The lack of teams coming by had us wondering if perhaps the storms in Death Valley had wiped out a lot of people or caused a halt to the race back there.
The road along here is infamous for its poor condition. I had read and heard about it but it really has to be seen. Smooth raised areas between ruts can be ridden for short distances but then peter out. We went into follow mode down the mountain but he wasn't going all that fast due to the condition of the road.
Almost to Amboy both Prairie Falcon and Orthos went by. As we were leaving the Amboy Time Station I leaned out the window and told Python he again hadn't eaten in two hours. He replied, "I don't give a toss - I just want to finish." We backed off and rode quietly waiting for his head to over rule his stomach and sure enough, five minutes later he waved us forward and started putting in his calorie requests and was soon back up to par.
TIME STATION #7 (451.3 miles) - Arrived at 09:50 / 26:50 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 15:94
Leaving Amboy we encountered headwinds for only the second time and that only until turning across the tracks. As we passed between the Time Station and the tracks we watched a train cross the road ahead and prayed for it to keep on going. Riders have been stranded here in the past with stopped trains blocking the road. We had been warned that trains at crossings would be treated like acts-of-god and no time adjustments would be made. Fortunately the train was just past as we reached the crossing.
From here on we saw few riders other than Prairie Falcon and team Aggouti on the Sheephole climb. On the Sheephole climb Python stopped mid climb and rested his head on his handle bars for about 30 seconds and then departed while asking for an ice sock. We passed off the ice sock and he tucked it around his neck and under his jersey.
At the crest of Sheephole he asked the time, apparently thinking it was later than it was. It was then that he realized that a sub 31 hour race was within reach and he "switched off the pain receptors" and powered into the finish.
His final time was 30:31, no time penalties and a sixth place solo finish.
FINISH (509.6 miles) - Arrived at 13:31 / 30:31 elapsed time / Average speed from last station 15.82 / Overall average speed an amazing 16.70
Python... You Rock!