s0ul_chicken

The Mrs. signed me up for the Road Apple Rally this coming Saturday, which brings me to my question. What do you do to prepare for a race? This will be my very first race and I am a bit on the nervous side. I have only been MTB'ing one season and I have no idea what to expect at all.

Daspydyr 

Let the nerves generate energy! Enjoy the experience, Road Apple is a class operation. This is the "Maiden Voyage" of your race career. Enjoy it primarily and see how it all works out. Exhaust yourself in the final couple miles so you know you left it all on the course. You know the trails, map out your effort output.

What category did your wife sign you up for? If she signed you up for Elite, she might be trying to get rid of you, be careful!

s0ul_chicken

Thanks Daspydyr, great advice as always! The wife enrolled me in the beginner section of the race, which is fine as I haven't taken a trip over 18 miles and I think the 30 mile would just kill me. 15 miles is the beginner section, which should be right up my alley. A big surprise for sure as I told her I wanted to check it out to see what the fuss was all about, and now I am in it! You might be right on the getting rid of me part!

Hopefully this is me come Saturday morning...

Daspydyr 

That is an awesome area to ride. Watch out for those beginners! Last time I was there a friend won the Novice race for about the 6th year in a row!

Wish I could be there. IMBA and Southern NV MBA is hosting a take a kid Mountain Biking weekend. I get to escort the rookies from a Mall parking lot to a trailhead called Bear's Best. I have a feeling I can outrace most of that crew!

https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/425957

s0ul_chicken

Wow - 6 times in a row? I was looking at last years winner from my age group and saw the leader take the 15 miles in just over an hour! Granted, there are a couple miles of asphault and maybe that is where the fast times are helping him. So, tonight I will take some laps around Anasazi to see how that is coming along since the washout, and work on my Rigor Mortis time either tomorrow or Wednesday. Anasazi loop to Rigor Mortis and back is the route for the race. My goal for next year is the full course - I shall see how that works out when the time comes.

Here is my Rigor Mortis Garmin page.

That Bear's Best looks like a great course to go ride on! Do you use MTBProject quite often to plan your trail riding? I noticed there wasn't anything listed for around here, so maybe I should do my part and contribute to it.

Daspydyr 

Its always good to post for others to look at. I usually just talk to people and find out where they ride. Around here if you see 3 or 4 vehicles parked in the desert with bike racks it pretty certain that there are single tracks somewhere.

s0ul_chicken

That is one thing we need more of around here - singletracks. As rural as we are out here, you would think there would be more to go ride on.

My RaceFace Narrow-Wide chainring will be arriving today - I cannot decide if I want to make the change before or after the race.

Daspydyr 

The oilfield roads have always given a ton of access. As I remember, many of the single tracks were shortcuts between pumping locations. I used to love those. I would find all kinds of tools laying around. I would also find where the teenagers would have keggars and find money laying around from where people had passed out or maybe something else and stuff falls outta their pockets. It was my tire fund.

The local IMBA chapter, SNMBA is an aggressive trail building group. Got big plans for another 50 miles of single track in the next couple of years.

s0ul_chicken

Good stuff Das! We do not have a local chapter out here, but it would be a good thing to have due to there is no-one maintaining trails out here at all - unless you consider mother nature. The trail has been marked for the race on Saturday, but that is all they have done.

Daspydyr 

48 hours SC, you shaken yet?

s0ul_chicken

More like stirred, Daspydyr! Here is the link to the Garmin info.

I had a blast! That was probably the fastest 15 miles of my life! I learned a lot from the race, and know I can do much better when it comes time again next year. 13th overall, and 3rd in my age group. I will say this, I made a mistake starting from the pack in the back - the first few miles were brutal. Watching people wreck, break a chain, get stuck in line with no room to pass was quite the challenge at times. Next year I will be toward the front at start. You were right though, I had a lot of riders pass me on the road up to the trail, but I caught them all on the trail and then some as they ran out of gas. I even caught and passed two riders on the last mile of the course - one of them on a Pugsley!


No.355 by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr


3rd Place by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr

Daspydyr 

You are da Man! Great report and excellent results! Garmin post was good.

s0ul_chicken

Thanks Daspydyr! I might have to go do the Alien Run race this coming spring!

Couple things I have learned - I ran with 2L of water, didn't drink any of it. Perhaps due to the milk chug I had 20 minutes before the race. I also saw many a riders not even carrying a pack, only a bottle of water. Not sure if I could take the chance of needing a tool in case I broke down like the rider in front of me about 2 miles into it. He broke a chain and ended up walking back and not finishing the race.

ColinL

that is strange to not drink any water for >70 minutes in an event like that, but 2L was definitely too much to carry or consider drinking.

whoa, 41 degrees. that's a tad chilly. did you warm up before the start?

s0ul_chicken

I did do a warmup, the high school is right next door, so I rode over there and did slow laps around the parking lot until I felt loose. I had so much nervous energy that morning though that I never felt cold to begin with, and I was riding in shorts. I felt great through the entire race, and drinking water never even entered into my mind during the whole ride.

ColinL

cool! if you weren't suffering at any point, it's safe to say you could have gone faster and likely will in your next race now that you know more of what to expect. 3rd in group and 13th overall is good stuff.

dminor 

Good job!

Ya, at 41° especially that's a one-water-bottle affair. If you want to pair down, a small under-seat pack should handle your tools/tube and won't affect the bike at all.

Podium first race . . . don't let it go to your head .

s0ul_chicken

Thanks ColinL!

Good point sir! I have an underpack, but never used it -- forgot about it actually. That is a grand idea for next year!

2 wheeler

That's a very impressive result for a first race! Congratulations!!

joyota

Congrats! I've never raced (yet), but sounds like you tore it up! Your result is inspiring!

s0ul_chicken

Oh yeah, I am hooked for sure - looking forward to the Alien race in the spring and going back to the Apple in the fall. Thanks guys!

s0ul_chicken

They finally posted results, and I received a bump of two positions somehow... 11th overall? I will take that!

Daspydyr 

Be sure to check out the Mountain Bikers thread in the Racing Forum. You are legit now.

Dewey Getz racing the Long Course? He was my dentist back when I had teeth. His daughter babysat my kids.

ColinL

I like seatbags that have a quick release which attaches to the rails because it is more secure and quick to remove when you need to get something out of it. The basic 2x velcro strap thing is OK... but not good. Ortlieb and Topeak make bags like this.

Some saddles have built-in connectors; Fiz'ik has a proprietary one, and WTB makes some that actually use Topeak's quick-connect. My WTB Vigo has such a connector, and I have the a Topeak microbag... but I very rarely need or want to use it, instead putting stuff in my hydration pack.

Doug has a good point and this race was one of those times where you would want it. I don't even have a bottle cage on my bike... so it's hydration pack or nothing for me.

s0ul_chicken

The world just gets smaller and smaller! Those guys that raced the long course are BALLERS - watching Todd Wells come in at 1:42 was just nuts. 30 miles - they did twice the length I did and it only took them a half an hour longer. Of course, he does race for Specialized, and has been on a couple of Olympic teams. Either way, that is some serious rolling.

I have a bottle cage on the Giant I could easily rob since it is just sitting there collecting dust. I can't believe I didn't think of using that saddle bag though - that is a face palm right there. The one I have is like the velcro one you are describing - I think the Mrs. bought it at Target or something, just never took it out of the packaging. Sounds like there are better options out there than a Target special.