Just curious if other STers are going to be racing in the Austin Rattler this coming weekend in Austin, TX!
I did the Rattler last year and had a blast. Wish I could make it down this weekend but I have a 70.3 the following weekend. Fun event. Did you do it last year? Those long mud sections were brutal but made for good stories.
This will be my first time! Heading down from Iowa tomorrow and camping all weekend. Can’t wait.
Looks like we’re supposed to have dry conditions. No rain in the forecast this week and the last rain was a week ago. Couldn’t get any better!
Yeah we had come any storms last year bit weather looks really good this weekend. Enjoy and keep pedaling!
YB im in. Flying in from the snow in boston on friday, racing/riding sat morning and flying home back to the snow after the race at 6:50pm. Looking for fun.
just saw this… flew in Friday, left yesterday morning… hope your race was better than mine! but I finished!
I flew in Friday and flew back Saturday night. First MTB race. Middle of the pack. Fun, but I need to work on the single track through the woods. Not much of that around here in Boston. That rain and mud at the end was a bit of a scary situation, but got through it and it was an experience. Like you, glad I finished.
Best,
Fred
yep - did it. good race and big field - Josh and team always do a great job.
Thunderstorms and slick mud made things interesting in the last few miles, but slogged it out. Just glad there were no mud pits out in the fields this year.
I guess Fire Road 100K coming off the Leadville qualifying schedule had an impact for southwest riders, and therefore the increased field, but thankfully the longer loops helped spread out the traffic a bit. Still frustrating to come to a stand still at the first water crossing but small complaint on otherwise really good event.
Stuck around for some friends doing the running races the next day. I was not there, but heard the 66K running start in the pre-dawn darkness with just headlamps for lights was eerie.
Any word on the guy who had to be medivaced on the helicopter. Apparently he hit the bridge with speed down the muddy slope and landed head first. I wiped not far beyond but just slid sideways and left some skin.
I flew in Friday and flew back Saturday night. First MTB race. Middle of the pack. Fun, but I need to work on the single track through the woods. Not much of that around here in Boston. That rain and mud at the end was a bit of a scary situation, but got through it and it was an experience. Like you, glad I finished.
Best,
Fred
Fred - wondering if you are the Boston Guy I was chatting with on the long line for the bike wash… I was wearing the Cutter’s Jersey… Weren’t too many of us Northeasterner’s there!
Very interested in what happened with the Medivac… guys parked next to me went looking for a missing friend of their’s that hadn’t yet showed up at their truck at 7+hours…
Yes, that was me. It was a pleasure to meet you. Tough way to find out about a friend for the guys parked near you. If I find out what happened I will let you know. At the showers I spoke with a rider who was a doctor who said the guy hit that bridge at the bottom of that muddy hill, went head first and then didn’t know his name or where he was and that he didn’t look good, but that was all I heard. Good luck with the rest of the season. I didnt get a lottery slot but going to Whiteface.
I was not down there but this is a Facebook post from a friend who was doing the race and was first on scene to help out the guy who was injured. He may have made the cutoff but chose to help instead.
Sorry it is long, but tells you about this guy and why he did the race:
(Ps-not posting as a shameless plug for his cause to raise money for Kidney disease, but dude has heart of a lion, hard not to be impressed)
"UPDATE: I went to Austin TX this weekend to race the Austin Rattler. Feel supper blessed for good friends and health. As you all know I am I training for the Leadville 100 mile mountain bike race in Colorado this summer, and raising money for the American Kidney Fund. Part of my training is to get more comfortable riding my bike in a racing environment. As many of you know a year ago I was in stage one kidney failure and I was coming to grips with my kidney disease. It was very frustrating being a very active person and in a very short time barely able to walk a few miles. I was lucky to be under the great care of my nephrologists, and he was able to improve my kidney function by putting me on high doses of Prednisone. I’m excited to say that in six months I’m back on my mountain bike, and although dealing with side effects of the steroids, this past weekend I was able to spend 4.5 hours on my mountain bike completing 66KM on a very challenging mountain bike course. You ask why only 66KM and not 100KM?
I had a interesting and sad turn of events during the my race. I was about 10KM from completing my second of three laps, I realized that I was about 15-20 min off the pace to make the cutoff, and I knew it was going to be tough to make to make the time cut off. I was dealing with some pretty bad leg cramps. I ran out of fluids and was without hydration for 45 minutes before I was able to fill up at an aid station. To make things more challenging half way through the race it rained pretty hard and the course got muddy and slippery. I counted; I crashed 5 times, and once hit a stump and went head over my handle bars. Fortunately I did not injure myself seriously and only bad bruises. I’ve always believed it’s not the start or finish line that defines us, it’s how we respond in the journey and not quitting is never an option. So I went for it!
Well not more than 10 minutes later this gentlemen in front of me was travelling at a good speed while trying to cross a ditch on a wooden bridge, and slipped taking a gruesome fall hitting his head really hard, he hit so hard he knock his helmet off and gouged his head on a rock. I jump of my bike to see if he was OK; he was unconscious, as called out to him he regained consciousness but was obviously in bad shape. All my lifeguarding and industrial first aid training when I was in college paid off. I immobilized his neck, and kept an eye on vitals. He had no idea what his name was, where he was, and that he was in a bike race. We must have been alone for 5 minutes which felt like forever. I tried using my phone but no reception. Finally, a couple other racers came by and I told them what the gentlemen’s bib number was and to go get help. Shortly after a doctor and EMT rode by and took over for me, I was so relived but still very concerned for this poor guy. When he started to come around he was complaining about neck pain and to make things worst his calves were cramping up bad, and he was moving around compromising his neck injury. I was given the duty to message his legs to provide comfort while the EMT and doctor took care of him. I stayed with him for 45 minutes until they brought an ATV to get him out. Once they got to the EXPO area they had helicopter to take him to the hospital. I really hope he is OK. I then got back on my bike finished the loop. I miss the cut off and was not allowed to continue, but really that didn’t seem to matter to me at the time.
All in all it was good weekend and very thankful that I didn’t get hurt, and I’m feeling extremely grateful to be back on my mountain bike. I’m especially thankful for my friends “The Renal Renegades” who are in my corner helping and cheering me on to reach my goal of completing the Leadville 100! Love you guys!!
Please help me reach my fundraising goal and visit my webpage to make a donation. Your support is greatly needed and appreciated! Thank you, Sean
Thank You for posting. Good luck to your friend at Leadville and to the fellow who crashed our thoughts are with him.
Update-“I heard today the gentlemen that got hurt is ok and was released from the hospital. Sure glad he’s doing better.”
thanks for posting - It is good to know that people on the course are there to help! hope your buddy gets in/ does LV!