Not all end well that goes well

Solid race under really hot conditions. I kept hearing Jason's voice in my head, take your pills. And boy did I ever.

Food tally:

4 camelbacks of water.

2 bottles of cytomax

5 packs of Cliff Blocks

2 cytogels

32 Endurolytes



Equipment total:

One tire

2 tubes

Several boots.



I was through rest station 3 at 53 miles by 4:13. Rolling solid and with most of the major climbing almost over, things were looking well for the sub 8 hour finish time I wanted. When I hit rest station 6 at mile 90 at 7:05, I knew my goal was acheivable. The last part of the cours is some gently rolling NC style singltrack and then a great decent into the finish stretch along the road. I entered a rock garden a little out of the intended line and heard a loud hissing from the rear. Trying to stay calm I cleanly dismounted and set to fixing the flat. Knowing I was tight on time, I went straight to the tube. Got it in clean, booted the area that was slashed, checked for thorns and hit it with the pump. Everything went wrong, The bead had been torn from the tire and was not going to re-seat at all. Realizing the situation, I started down the trail riding the rim on the tire and tube. This last section of trail and road that should have taken me 40 minutes to fly through and down, took almost 2 hours with having to pick lines over everyroot and rock. All totaled, I rode the rim and tire 7 miles down the mountain. Plus if the speed got up at all the tire would start to fall from the rim and was leading to some sideways skidding that would have made me proud when I was a kid.

All said, I made it in at about 9:08. Not a horrible time, but not my goal either.



As they say, "Ya win some, ya lose some."



I will be back to finish what I set out to do.



It looks like Deni just rolled by at a sub 10 hour time. Details to follow.

-S

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