First 24 hour mtb race-any tips?

Triathlon Forum
1

After my running comeback came to a premature and untimely end with a right hamstring injury that still prevents further running I started looking for new challenges. I have also to confess that I suffer from endurance athletic ADD, having bounced in the past from road cycling to triathlon to duathlon to off road triathlon to mountain bike racing, back to road racing…you get the idea.
This year I have made the decision to focus more on endurance mountain bike racing and have to say I am really enjoying it. I have done a couple of “marathon” races of about 50 miles. No drafting packs to worry about, just you, your bike and the trail with some lapped traffic to negotiate through, but without the constant always on the edge pressure of racing expert level distances.
In two weeks I am going to 24 hours in the Old Pueblo to compete on a co-ed team and I am really looking forward to the race. About 4 years ago I was part of a 4 man team but crashed hard on my first lap tearing a hole in my right knee and was unable to continue racing so this will hopefully be my first 24 hour finish. Plan is next year to come back for a 24 hour solo event or perhaps a 2 man event. We have a team of strong expert level riders so hopefully we will be in contention for an overall top 3 place.
Any sage words of wisdom from anyone on Slowtwitch who has competed in the past would be appreciated.

Kevin

2

Before I give you any tips, what age category are you in? :slight_smile: On a serious note, have you done any pre-riding?

3

Have fun, and enjoy one of the most unique sporting experiences around, especially the night laps. I’ve raced solo 24’s for the past 6 years, and the single biggest controllable factor is race nutrition. You burn an incredible amount of calories MTB racing - far more than tri’s - and you need to figure out a system for replenishing them en masse.

If you’re racing on a team, then you’ll have enough breaks that this won’t be as big an issue. My advice is to bring a variety of food, because you never know what tastes good at 3am vs 4pm. Remember to include some warm food. As you go later in the race, the calories will most likely need to be easy to ingest e.g. gels & puddings, liquid nutrition (boost, etc). Even better - hire a friend to be a team cook.

Clothing is also very important, and a source of problems among first timers. Bring lots of clothes, and change into new and dry shorts/jerseys every time it’s your turn to ride. All to often you see people pack for all conditions, but forget to bring multiple shorts & jerseys. Starting a lap in the dark with wet clothing is a miserable experience.

There is so much more, but it’s more fun to learn via trial & error. So, have fun, and if you think you want to do a 24 solo my advice would be to do a couple of 8’s first and figure out the obstacles, and learn from them as a prep for the big 24. I find an 8hr solo far more mentally and physically gruelling than even an IM. A 24 solo MTB is quite frankly beyond anything else, except maybe things like RAAM. It’s crazy and will push limits in every way.

4

4 person team?

5

OK, now that I have some time, here are my thoughts on the 24HITOP race. Be advised that I am no expert. I have done the race once (5-person COED) and have ridden the course several times.

I have to agree that nutrition is key for any 24 hour event - team or solo. Some of the best advice I got was to constantly eat. On some of your night laps, eating afterwards is a struggle because you really do not feel like eating, but you have to recover from each of your laps as a whole and individually at the same time if that makes any sense.

Regarding the course, I am not sure if you are familiar with it or not. As with most MTB courses, I believe the key is to take advantage of your strengths. If you are a good technical rider, push yourself on some of the single track. Granted, the HITOP course is not technical so be advised. If your strength is endurance and/or hills, the bitches are a good place to make up a lot of time early. Assuming you have a lot of endurance, I believe the best part of the course to make a push is the climb on the back half of the loop. It is a long, gradual climb that I think most people underestimate because of the bitches. Also, a lot of people are tired by this point and if you are a strong rider there are plenty of places to pass and let your endurance just take over.

Hope this helps. Also, ride the rock face when open but be careful if there is a backlog. Sometimes it could be faster to just ride around.

6

Lights, lights and more lights.

Remember that many rechargable light only last a couple of hours and take a long time to recharge. IS there a place to recharge??

Carry a backup light incase you crash and break your light.

Have a backup light in camp - incase you use your back-up - you will need another back-up.

Have back-up batteries for your back-up light.

Eat real food - Gel are not enough for 24 hours.

Carry extra toilet paper.

Change your shorts and socks.

Since you are doing a relay - bring music - that will help you relax when not riding.

7

Here are some good tips from one of our team’s emails:

Tips to help you be efficient with your time and energy so you can pay more attention to your rest and nutrition: How long are the course laps? How difficult is the terrain? Do you have lap time goals? What is the weather forecast (temperature, precipitation, headwinds, etc)? If you will be doing a relay, encourage your teammates to train and plan a strategy too. Who will start? Will you do back-to-back laps or will you be passing the baton after each lap? Regarding equipment, support, and facilities… Is your bike in good working order? Do you have tools and spares? Do you have a mechanic to wash, clean and lube between laps? Do you have head lights with spare batteries? Make sure your base camp is well furnished with lamps, heaters, fridge, stove, microwave, etc. A tent is helpful, but an RV can provide cushy digs for a 24hr race. Will you have access to a shower, massage and food vendors? Though these points about the race details and gear preparations may sound off the topic of nutrition, please take note that anything that wastes time or energy during the 24hr event will take away from your ability to rest and replenish your fuel stores!

Nutrition for 24 hour racing can be complex: Unlike an Indy 500 race car a cyclist not only has limited fuel storage capacity, but also has no fuel gauge. You may be used to consuming sports drinks, bars and gels during a 2 hour ride or race, yet 6 hrs into a 24 hr race these are going to be much less appealing. Believe me, when you are tired, your ability to make good decisions is gone. You will be best served to estimate your needs and have a support crew to remind you to eat and drink when you get tired. If you will be racing solo then you will likely consume most of your calories in motion and will place a greater dependence upon your support crew to prepare your fuel. If you are doing a relay you will be able to eat more solid foods and should consider treating each lap as a separate race with pre and post meals that mimic those used for short races.

How to roughly estimate your hydration and calorie needs: Plan to drink at least 8oz of 6-8% sports drink every 15-20 minutes (or water). Your general food consumption should be mostly carbohydrates and low on fiber. You will be using somewhere between 6-15 calories/kg/hr for exercise depending on your speed and other race conditions. If you are doing a relay you can expect to make up for some of the calorie deficits while resting between laps. Shoot for replacing a minimum of 4 calories/kg/hr which would be about 300 calories/hr for a 165lb person.

Some practical examples of useful foods and beverages: Be sure to bring lots of water, sports beverages, cola and tea might come in handy. Foods to consider include: macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (alternates are banana, honey, or fluff), bananas, fig bars, bagels, salty chips, trail mix, pretzels, soups, cookies, baked goods, pancakes, waffles, hot and cold cereal, spaghetti, and breads. Antacids are always good to have along to help with electrolytes and a sour stomach. I would recommend including a wide variety and moderation of foods and beverages.

Planning your strategy: Educate yourself about the course and available facilities. Train specifically for the duration and type of terrain. Practice with different types of foods and beverages during training (pre, during and post exercise) to find out what agrees with you. Seek advice from veterans whenever possible. Estimate your calorie and hydration needs. Make sure your bike is in good working order. Prepare and freeze foods prior to the event so they are ready to heat and serve. Recruit family, friends, or hired help for support to prepare foods, clean up and to remind you to eat and drink. Arrive at the venue early to organize everything for easy access and greatest efficiency. Bring more of everything than you think you’ll need. You can always share with those less-prepared or use for bartering if needed.

I LOVE night racing because I have crazy-good night vision (which is apparently also why I’m so affected by glare and bright light) but if you’re miserable just think that like climbing, if it sucks for you it sucks for everyone else! Listen to your body and have fun!

8

I am racing as part of a 5 person co-ed team. I did a pre ride last weekend and will go down this weekend for another three lap ride. Not a difficult course by any means, but it is fast so the consequences of crashing…I have a scar on my knee to prove that one! Our team is in the 150-199 age group, one of the most competitive. divisions.
Thanks for the good advice.

Kevin

9

Seems that everyone forgot to say pace yourself, perhaps because it’s obvious. I didn’t relaise that the sport went so high into the age groups. If 150-199 age group is competitive at what age does it start to tail off 250? :wink: