3/4th psi Makes A Big Difference!

Coal Rolled & Air Horned During Nighttime FTP Test

Night Ride - Flat Fat Tire!

Afternoon Ride

Lunch Ride

230.3 miles as my official finishing distance. I won't complain about that for my first 12 hour race. :)

There were certainly things I could have done better. But, it's a learning experience for sure. With the MN RAAM Challenge coming up next month, I'm glad I did this race to get a better feel for things I'll need to do better for that one.

I set out with the intent of holding 200 Watts. Shooting for a goal of  maintaining 20 mph. A finishing distance of 200 miles. And, taking 5 minute breaks once per lap (~1/hr) with a 30 minute lunch break at the 6 hr point. For the first 100 miles, I was well above my speed goal at 20.7 mph, I was also above power at ~206 Watts. I also wasn't taking as long as I slated for breaks which meant all things combined I was covering more ground than anticipated.

Initially, in part because of the cooler weather in the morning, I wasn't drinking enough water. That caught up with me by the 3rd hour and combined with the sun peaking out from behind the clouds I had to play catch-up. By mid day, I was drinking 2 bottles per lap and I could have/should have been drinking even more. I also didn't eat as much as I should have on the ride. I was eating more or less on schedule and eating in the pits on each lap. But, I was eating only about half of my burn rate which meant shortly after noon I started to bonk a bit as I ran out of energy. I've practiced this before and I should have known better. My power dropped for a while until I ramped up my eating again to get some more carbs in me. Although, I never did fully recover back up to my 200 Watt target.

Speaking of knowing better... I forgot to put sun screen on my neck and face. OUCH. I also have some amazing tan lines with the new PI BLACK suit I wore. Although... something in that department I didn't anticipate... getting sunburned on my scalp through the vents in my helmet! That's a first for me.

Speaking of the PI BLACK suit... that is an awesome suit. I'm so glad I purchased that. It felt amazing during the race, it felt fast, the chamois is super comfortable, and it kept me glued to my seat. It's the first suit I've felt rock solid on my seat and wasn't sliding around. And the ISM seat to it's credit felt amazing too. I'm looking forward to returning the demo and purchasing one. after spending that much time in the saddle, I can say unequivocally, that the suit and saddle combination was the most comfortable I've been for such a long ride.

The other thing that didn't pan out so well was communications with my pit crew (Beth). I purchased a cheap set of walkie talkies so I could tell her what I needed before coming in so she could have it ready for me. The thought was initially to just pass off a musette bag each lap without stopping. Unfortunately... the walkie talkies didn't work worth a crap. (You get what you pay for) So, after the first lap, we threw them out of the equation and just winged it coming to a full stop and getting what I needed each time. That panned out well. Not so much for time, but for me to get off the bike for a bit to stretch, give my butt a rest, and use the port-a-john.

The ride itself was a lot better than I thought/hoped in a lot of ways. Before the sun came out, I was making great time. I picked up a few riders who drafted off of me for a few laps. At around mile 60, one of those riders took lead and gave me a little bit of a rest. Unfortunately, shortly after I took lead again, she lapped tires with me and crashed. I felt so bad. I was fine, but she crashed her bike, hit her head, and had to go to the hospital for shoulder surgery. :'(  Even though I was physically fine, that kind of messes with your head and I didn't draft again until much later in the race. Unfortunately, the guys I started drafting with were also the guys who set the course record. So, when I was in their wind shadow, I was pushing at about my solo power level. When it was my turn to take lead, I was punching up to zone 3 power which I just knew I couldn't hold for very long considering I was already 130 miles into the race. After about 10 miles of riding with them, I just had to bow out. I couldn't keep taking lead at their pace.

Near the end of the ride, I did push up my power a little bit, I was very close to hitting 230 miles at the 12 hour mark and even though I had already well exceeded my 200 mile goal, I felt the need to push for an even 230. I knew it was going to be close, so I didn't have to make it a sprint effort or anything. But more than what I had been maintaining on the previous lap at least.  With just over 230 in the bag, I was much relieved, I soft pedaled it back to the start/finish line as a cool-down to enjoy the after party. 

On hell of a day for sure. I think I'll be back again next year for this one. :)

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Craig Haydock

Big Jay's Fat Ass 12hr Race

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3/4th psi Makes A Big Difference!

Coal Rolled & Air Horned During Nighttime FTP Test

Night Ride - Flat Fat Tire!

Afternoon Ride

Lunch Ride

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