For the last 5 years Sea Otter has been my first big goal of each season. The event is mid April, and training gets underway mid December. Like I’ve said before, the “race” is really just the Cherry on the cake, what really stands tallest as the reward is the ton of hard work we invest in training. 4 months of preparation for a 1 day shot at glory.. and if the result isn’t what we had hoped, we can’t lose sight of the huge accomplishment we achieved in preparing for the big day.
Training in December, January and February means 5-7 days per week enduring foul weather, long challenging rides at night, and a seemingly never ending battle of chiseling down the body into a lean, mean, racing machine! Week after week of calorie debt, trying to avoid the myriad of bugs and ailments that pass by, and trying to stay focused on recovery and staying as healthy and fresh as possible as you pound on the pedals in freezing rain, snow storms, relentless winds, early sunsets and a cold slap in the face every time you set out to produce fatigue.
Thank God for friends! I road with the MTB night riders Tuesday, hammered out long intervals with Greg Turpin on Wednesdays and Thursdays, joined the Coffee Shop group rides on Saturdays and slugged away at the 3-Towers Death ride with Calorie Killin’ Cooley on Sundays. Week after week of high training loads through the Winter can be mentally quite a challenge, but with friends.. I looked forward to every ride and have some wonderful memories of Chuck attacking the Tuesday night rides, Greg pushing me to new highs on interval nights and Dan making sure I was sufficiently depleting every available calorie in my body on Sundays. Sounds brutal, but it was great times!
As luck would have it, the cycling gods delivered a Sinus infection the week before Sea Otter.. and a 10-day course of Antibiotics. The meds worked quick, but in the last few days prior to launch I was still not feeling the energetic boost of my training taper, and as I lined up for the start was really hoping that things would open up and I’d feel that motivation to drop the hammer when the moment called.
We rolled out on the Laguna Seca raceway in a knobbie humming peleton to the entrance of the MTB course. It’s a short paved climb before the dirt, and always where the first surge takes place. We surged up the pavement and turned left onto the dirt where the rider in front of me hesitated into the ruts and made himself the first to hit the dirt in our event. Roadblock, as half the peleton surges by, I find hole, jump in line and make a quick effort to get back to the front. Fortunately it’s double track for a ways so I’m able to work my way up to 5th position as we enter the Single Track. A small gap forms ahead as #1 (Sho Air) and #2 (Dermot Carroll) slay away at the ST. We enter the first mild climb and the pace is moderate, feeling pretty good, and the gap to the front isn’t too dangerous. We exit the single track and I pour on the gas to start a chase across the double track and am quickly joined by Mike Hogan (40+ Masters Marathon Champ).
Mike and I work together to keep the leaders in sight as we descend the tricky beach and roll into the first sustained climb of the day. I lead our chase group into the climb and can see Dermot making his way through a switchback up ahead. This climb is where I always make my moves, and right now, I need to bridge, so yes, it’s time to drop the hammer. After about 1-minute it becomes painfully obvious that yes I dropped the hammer, but unfortunately it wasn’t very big and it’s still sitting back there i-minute from the foot of the climb.. dang! I can’t push, it just ain’t happening and I’m gonna have to ease it back. Oh well, it’s a long race, still a good 2hrs to go.. we’ll see what happens.
I forge on, but by now Dermot is gone, I managed to get by Sho Air, and Mike is on my wheel. Mike and I trade positions a few times as we grind through the course and make our way to the feed zone where I get a Dixie cup of water.. ya, a Dixie cup! Last year it was bottles (plural), this year its Dixie cups. Not good, I’m in a bad mood, my plan was to drink lots as its warm and Sea Otter has a way of sucking the water right out of you. Fortunately I still have 1 full bottle to get me through, but compared with last year’s 7x Bottles, this year is gonna be a dry run.
Mike and I stay pretty close as we start the long climb out of lap 1 (of 2). At this point my last bottle is going dry, I’m feeling like I have lead saddle bags on board, and the thought of doing 1 more lap on a Dixie cup of water sounds like it just might not be that much fun.. especially when I don’t have the legs to get out of my own way. I think it may be time to pull the plug, it’s not my day, I’ve been I’ll, I crashed bad on the pre-ride, there were about 200 reasons to DNF (did not finish) plowing through my head. BUT! And this is big, really big.. the reality is.. I don’t really look forward to the podium show, and the Jersey’s nice, but the best times were during training. What I truly look forward to is the Phat Burger’s (Monterey) Bleu Cheese Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and Chipotle dipping sauce that I treat myself too immediately after the event. In addition, I commence with a 2-day binge of Ben and Jerry’s and Pastry at every bakery from Monterey to Carmel. I mean, this is a full on eating disordered food binge for 2-days.. I’ve earned it, I like it, and yes.. that is really what I want most!
So, how is that Phat Burger going to taste with a DNF? Will I feel I’ve earned the full on pastry Binge? Will I be happy after I finish 2 pints of Ben and Jerry’s or will I lie on the floor and cry? I’m screwed! The decision was made, I must complete the 2nd lap, I will try and hold my 3rd position, and I will absolutely have the disordered food binge of my life!
During this long mental struggle Mike has managed to roll away, outa sight, but that’s ok.. I’ve committed to defending 3rd, he can go ahead and kill himself to find the leader. I am just gonna ride this lap at a pace that fits the situation. No need to die out here, I’ve found new motivation, I’m feeling good again, this will be a fun 2nd lap.
And it was, I rode a solid pace, I tempo’d up the hills, I punched it up and over the short stuff and just kept the motor rev’d up to a spot that my body was ok with. The feedzone restocked and actually gave me a full bottle of water, this 2nd lap is going pretty good, and I’m having a pretty good time on the course. The slower riders are now all behind us, so the going is fast and my rhythm is feeling good.
As I approach the final climb out, the last burn before the line, I see Mike up ahead. Wow, this is a surprise! I manage to make my way to his wheel and on the first steep I put in a surge and he gladly lets me go. Mikes done, at least too done to respond, so I’m off and on my own.. to 2nd place! I continue the pace, and roll into the finish circuit, which is new, unexpected, kinda lengthy and full of short little switchback climbs. I’m feeling good, motoring through and actually taking the climbs pretty aggressive. Definitely having a late race second wind.
I cross the line and ask Dermot if he already showered and shaved for the podium.. he said, nope, just got in! I thought, ya right, he’s just being nice. Then they posted the results.. I was only 16 seconds back! Amazing, 2hrs and 46min out on the course, of which I seen Dermot for maybe the first 30min.. now I start wondering if I may have lost 16sec while contemplating that DNF! Doesn’t really matter, what matters is how did that Burger taste, and let me tell you, it was the best Burger I ever ate.
Training in December, January and February means 5-7 days per week enduring foul weather, long challenging rides at night, and a seemingly never ending battle of chiseling down the body into a lean, mean, racing machine! Week after week of calorie debt, trying to avoid the myriad of bugs and ailments that pass by, and trying to stay focused on recovery and staying as healthy and fresh as possible as you pound on the pedals in freezing rain, snow storms, relentless winds, early sunsets and a cold slap in the face every time you set out to produce fatigue.
Thank God for friends! I road with the MTB night riders Tuesday, hammered out long intervals with Greg Turpin on Wednesdays and Thursdays, joined the Coffee Shop group rides on Saturdays and slugged away at the 3-Towers Death ride with Calorie Killin’ Cooley on Sundays. Week after week of high training loads through the Winter can be mentally quite a challenge, but with friends.. I looked forward to every ride and have some wonderful memories of Chuck attacking the Tuesday night rides, Greg pushing me to new highs on interval nights and Dan making sure I was sufficiently depleting every available calorie in my body on Sundays. Sounds brutal, but it was great times!
As luck would have it, the cycling gods delivered a Sinus infection the week before Sea Otter.. and a 10-day course of Antibiotics. The meds worked quick, but in the last few days prior to launch I was still not feeling the energetic boost of my training taper, and as I lined up for the start was really hoping that things would open up and I’d feel that motivation to drop the hammer when the moment called.
We rolled out on the Laguna Seca raceway in a knobbie humming peleton to the entrance of the MTB course. It’s a short paved climb before the dirt, and always where the first surge takes place. We surged up the pavement and turned left onto the dirt where the rider in front of me hesitated into the ruts and made himself the first to hit the dirt in our event. Roadblock, as half the peleton surges by, I find hole, jump in line and make a quick effort to get back to the front. Fortunately it’s double track for a ways so I’m able to work my way up to 5th position as we enter the Single Track. A small gap forms ahead as #1 (Sho Air) and #2 (Dermot Carroll) slay away at the ST. We enter the first mild climb and the pace is moderate, feeling pretty good, and the gap to the front isn’t too dangerous. We exit the single track and I pour on the gas to start a chase across the double track and am quickly joined by Mike Hogan (40+ Masters Marathon Champ).
Mike and I work together to keep the leaders in sight as we descend the tricky beach and roll into the first sustained climb of the day. I lead our chase group into the climb and can see Dermot making his way through a switchback up ahead. This climb is where I always make my moves, and right now, I need to bridge, so yes, it’s time to drop the hammer. After about 1-minute it becomes painfully obvious that yes I dropped the hammer, but unfortunately it wasn’t very big and it’s still sitting back there i-minute from the foot of the climb.. dang! I can’t push, it just ain’t happening and I’m gonna have to ease it back. Oh well, it’s a long race, still a good 2hrs to go.. we’ll see what happens.
I forge on, but by now Dermot is gone, I managed to get by Sho Air, and Mike is on my wheel. Mike and I trade positions a few times as we grind through the course and make our way to the feed zone where I get a Dixie cup of water.. ya, a Dixie cup! Last year it was bottles (plural), this year its Dixie cups. Not good, I’m in a bad mood, my plan was to drink lots as its warm and Sea Otter has a way of sucking the water right out of you. Fortunately I still have 1 full bottle to get me through, but compared with last year’s 7x Bottles, this year is gonna be a dry run.
Mike and I stay pretty close as we start the long climb out of lap 1 (of 2). At this point my last bottle is going dry, I’m feeling like I have lead saddle bags on board, and the thought of doing 1 more lap on a Dixie cup of water sounds like it just might not be that much fun.. especially when I don’t have the legs to get out of my own way. I think it may be time to pull the plug, it’s not my day, I’ve been I’ll, I crashed bad on the pre-ride, there were about 200 reasons to DNF (did not finish) plowing through my head. BUT! And this is big, really big.. the reality is.. I don’t really look forward to the podium show, and the Jersey’s nice, but the best times were during training. What I truly look forward to is the Phat Burger’s (Monterey) Bleu Cheese Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and Chipotle dipping sauce that I treat myself too immediately after the event. In addition, I commence with a 2-day binge of Ben and Jerry’s and Pastry at every bakery from Monterey to Carmel. I mean, this is a full on eating disordered food binge for 2-days.. I’ve earned it, I like it, and yes.. that is really what I want most!
So, how is that Phat Burger going to taste with a DNF? Will I feel I’ve earned the full on pastry Binge? Will I be happy after I finish 2 pints of Ben and Jerry’s or will I lie on the floor and cry? I’m screwed! The decision was made, I must complete the 2nd lap, I will try and hold my 3rd position, and I will absolutely have the disordered food binge of my life!
During this long mental struggle Mike has managed to roll away, outa sight, but that’s ok.. I’ve committed to defending 3rd, he can go ahead and kill himself to find the leader. I am just gonna ride this lap at a pace that fits the situation. No need to die out here, I’ve found new motivation, I’m feeling good again, this will be a fun 2nd lap.
And it was, I rode a solid pace, I tempo’d up the hills, I punched it up and over the short stuff and just kept the motor rev’d up to a spot that my body was ok with. The feedzone restocked and actually gave me a full bottle of water, this 2nd lap is going pretty good, and I’m having a pretty good time on the course. The slower riders are now all behind us, so the going is fast and my rhythm is feeling good.
As I approach the final climb out, the last burn before the line, I see Mike up ahead. Wow, this is a surprise! I manage to make my way to his wheel and on the first steep I put in a surge and he gladly lets me go. Mikes done, at least too done to respond, so I’m off and on my own.. to 2nd place! I continue the pace, and roll into the finish circuit, which is new, unexpected, kinda lengthy and full of short little switchback climbs. I’m feeling good, motoring through and actually taking the climbs pretty aggressive. Definitely having a late race second wind.
I cross the line and ask Dermot if he already showered and shaved for the podium.. he said, nope, just got in! I thought, ya right, he’s just being nice. Then they posted the results.. I was only 16 seconds back! Amazing, 2hrs and 46min out on the course, of which I seen Dermot for maybe the first 30min.. now I start wondering if I may have lost 16sec while contemplating that DNF! Doesn’t really matter, what matters is how did that Burger taste, and let me tell you, it was the best Burger I ever ate.
