I will be doing a 24hr solo mtb race at the end of June and I am wondering if anyone else has done one? It is my first solo. I have kinda cobbled together a nutrition strategy based off of my IM experience, but I was wondering if anyone has found something that works particularily well?
Are their any tricks you know with regards to set-up, maintenance, rest, etc. . .
I plan to ride the full 24hrs, and am a reasonably good mtb’er. I have no expectations of placing, but I would like to do relatively well.
Well let me be the first to offer commiserations, Mtb 24 solo is way freakin harder than IM. I found that IM strategies only work up to a point. At some point in the night your body really needs solid food if you are running on gels/liquids. I like salted baby potatoes and chicken soup, your results may vary.
I cant emphasise enought the importance of having a good support crew who can help take care of things for you, and yell at you to get your arse back on the bike and pedal even though you hate them for it.
I would say plan to ride pretty much straight through until dusk where you can take a short break when you lights are mounted, then plan on another around 2am or so when your spirits are lowest and then at sunrise to take the lights off. Its amazing how much better you feel when the sun comes up.
Have fun, its an amazing experience even if you never want to do it again!
I did half of a 12-hour race once (which, I’m certain, is nothing like what you’re about to experience).
For me, I found out that PBJ sandwiches are no good for this sort of event—they’re just too dry. My turkey, mayo, cheese and mustard sandwiches, on the other hand, were golden! Hammer HEED is good stuff (I think they have a long-course version though, Perpetuem or something?). I found that in between my laps I was eating like crazy.
The solo folks (who, I might add, looked like zombies by the end of the day) would take bucket showers (aka, dump a 5-gallon bucket on your head) during the heat of the afternoon. Some would have two Camelbaks—their support teams would refill the other Camelbak with ice and water and then switch them out every couple of laps. Still, we were doing 10-mile laps (about an hour per lap), so some of the faster guys would just switch out bottles.
That race doesn’t exist anymore (Park City E100 series), but if it did, I’m sure I’d have done it again.
Is there some sort of online directory or website for races such as these? I am interested in the 12/24 hour mtn. bike races, especially those that offer a 2 person relay option as I’d like to do it with my brother. I just don’t know where to look.
Is there some sort of online directory or website for races such as these? I am interested in the 12/24 hour mtn. bike races, especially those that offer a 2 person relay option as I’d like to do it with my brother. I just don’t know where to look.
Thanks.
12 hour races are getting rare, although Lance Armstrong did one in Steamboat, CO, last year.
Is there some sort of online directory or website for races such as these? I am interested in the 12/24 hour mtn. bike races, especially those that offer a 2 person relay option as I’d like to do it with my brother. I just don’t know where to look.
Thanks.
Don’t know of any directory and maybe there’s better resources/groups for you in VA…but there’s this:
Like the other guys said, dont try to get by with gels and energy drink. The thing is, you can’t possibly eat enough. so start eating every 15 minutes from the beginning. I remember the first time I did a solo 12 hour. I figured 6 cliff bars and 12 bottles of cytomax would be fine. To make a long story short I nearly mugged a guy for a roast beef sadwich after about 9 hours. The first 24 I did I brought only real food. Sandwiches salty pretzels etc. Things went much better, and I probably could have done a few more hours if needed.
Remember you will be burning a 500-700 calories per hour for 24 hours. That is 12000-14000 calories. Eat eat eat.
hmm. not liking your tone! :> I am fully expecting a completely miserable night, but what doesn’t kill you right?
Yeah, solid food is a big consideration. In the past doing team races tuna pasta was good, but I would have a few hours before riding again. I do have my wife as support, and I will tell her to yell at me to keep going. (I’m sure she will love the opportunity!)
I lived off of PB before, but I get the dryness issue. Cold water in your camelback eh? I will have cold water at the site.
I’m thinking of just bringing a bunch of different food options and whatever strikes my fancy I will eat!
Do you eat much on the bike? I was thinking of designating a spot on course where I would take a GU every lap. Probably somewhere flat.
I did a 2-man 24hr MTB relay once, definitely the toughest event I’ve done. Part of it was the course; even when you were trying to take it easy and just muddling along in survival mode, there were a few steep sections going up a ski hill service track that were max effort just to keep the cranks turning, and bombing down the backside over countless rocks & roots went from being a blast on the first lap to brutal punishment by the 3rd or 4th time around. It’s one thing to be sucking wind way the hell out on course in a double century or some crazy-long trail run, where you pretty much don’t have any other choice but to keep going just to reach the end, but on a multi-lap timed event like a 24, it’s mentally waaaay harder to make yourself head out for another lap when you’re already at the finish/staging area.
I found a good looking race in New Hampshire, I am in the northeast. 24 Hours of Great Glen it is called. My brother and I have been tossing the idea of doing something like this around since having done a 200 mile adventure race together a couple years ago.
There are 12 and 24 hour options, 8.25 mile loop course. Looks like it could be a lot of fun.
went from being a blast on the first lap to brutal punishment by the 3rd or 4th time around.
+1
The third lap was the worst for me. By the fourth and fifth laps, I was cruising along chatting with people because I just didn’t feel like hammering anymore.
Lots of info at the MTBR.com endurance forum as well.
24 Solos are a crazy experience that leaves a lasting impression. 10 - midnight is not too hard, but by 2 am the excitement of racing at night wears off and those last 4-5 hours til sunrise are brutal. Then the sun comes up and you’re all happy til you realize there’s 6 hours of racing left. As others have said, well organized pit is critical. Also watch the thermal management at night - you’d be amazed how frigid 50 degrees feels when you are dead tired and stop moving during your pit stops.
your food lan sounds excellent. bring a bunch of stuff, and see what you feel like. salty pretzels saved me, and i never eat pretzels. 24 hours is a lot longer than a IM, so you need to have some variety, unless you are trying to win the thing.
start slow. to win, you need to race it, but if you are looking for a decent finish only, you will pass a LOT of guys in the night who start too hard. in my race i was sitting around 20-something outta like 40 something guys at 9:00 PM - i rode all nite, even picking it up some and i was top-ten by dawn, which i held.
ride the thing, do not stop. even if bugs on the ground are passing you, you do not stop.
you do not need a pit crew. nice to have maybe, sure. but not needed. the race is in your head. a pit crew is outside your head, so it is an option rather than a necessity.
expect at some point a perfect storm of suffering. pain, fatigue, bad attitude, bad physical symptoms. after 6-8 hours or so you will always have one of a couple of these things, but at some point they will all be present - maybe for a while. just know that going in, and be ready. do not stop because of them, that sorta thing is what you paid for.
do not forget extra shoes. if your feet start to go it’s all over.