I FINISHED!!! and I Wasn't LAST!!!

Sea Otter Classic XC Newbie

This race was a big one for me.  I had pre-ridden the course three times and bonked on the final rollers all three times.  I had a strategy of eating a Gu chomp every 15 minutes and water, water, water.  I also had some liquid Cytomax in my back pocket.  My goal was to finish between 2:30 and 2:45 (hours:minutes). 

The day before the race, I was so nervous, I couldn't keep food down.  I was dizzy and nauseous all day.  I kept eating in the hopes that my body would take in any nutrients possible before giving me back my meals. 

The day of the race, I was up early.  My hubby was racing at 7:00 am and I wasn't on deck until almost 10:00.  I made us breakfast and we were off.  I felt GREAT!  I kept waiting for something bad to happen but nothing did.  After the hubby took off, I did some warming up of the legs on the road behind the start line.  I still felt GREAT!  I then sat in the shade until my group was about fifth in the line-up for taking off.  As I stood at the start, and felt GREAT, I kept telling myself to race my own race.  The goal was to finish.  I reminded myself to spin my way through this as I needed to conserve energy for that final set of rollers.



Starting my first SOC Race

We took off on the race track at Laguna Seca and I edged to the rear and started to spin.  Things were going well so I upped the gear and kept spinning.  Still feeling no pressure on the legs, I upped another gear.  I started passing women while still on the track.  I kept evaluating myself and I felt so good, I upped another gear.  Still no pressure on the legs and I entered the dirt at about mid pack.

As we tooled along a gravel road to 'the wall' I was passing some and being passed by others.  I wish I had a camera at the wall because all you saw were fifty or so mountain bikers walking their bikes up this massively steep hill.  Nobody was riding this one.  My goal at this point was to keep moving even though I was walking.  It was good to know I wasn't alone in this.

After the wall, there was more gravel road and we finally hit 'Trail 49'.  I'm a local gal, so I knew this trail like the back of my hand.  I still felt GREAT!  I let my bike do the work and passed many on this one.  Got a little hung up behind a couple walkers but the trail was narrow and wasn't always easy to get by.  Then it was time to climb 'Trail 50'.  Some gals were standing at the bottom looking lost (or catching their breath) and they followed me up 50.  I chatted with them and let them know about roots, sand and steep moments.  We were passed by a bazillion 12-14 year-old kids going up this climb.

It was getting hot and I stopped to refill my water bottle at this station and threw back a Gu chomp, letting about 20+ riders go by me.  Time to go up to Pilarcitos Ridge and down Trail 22.  I have never ridden this all the way through.  I get too freaked out by all the sand and ruts.  This day, I rode all but the drop my friend Mary crashed on in our pre-ride and the sand pit at the end, otherwise known as 'The Beach'.  I still felt GREAT!  I was passed by many as I rode this section cautiously but I was still moving.  I was half way there.

Then it was time to find Trail 82. A bit of gravel and then MORE climbing.  I was starting to feel the heat and forced myself to drink water.  Somewhere in the middle of this climb, I started to get really hot.  I removed my gloves and kept drinking my water.  By half way up, I could no longer stay on my bike.  I was walking and riding and walking and riding.  I passed a bunch of other walkers but was passed by as many riders.  I was so hot!  Then my chest started to tighten.  I stopped to evaluate myself.  Wasn't asthma, was the outside of my chest, must be muscle fatigue.  I drank more water, ate another chew and continued on.  I ran out of water for the second time at the top of 82.  As we hit the road, I asked the check point for water and was told the next water station was at the top of the next hill.

I then walked  and rode my bike up the 'the rock' at the top of 'Trail 49' and the lady at the water station told me I was dehydrated and made me drink a bottle of water before refilling my bottle.  Then it was down 'Twisted Sister'.  I was leading a group down and felt a small breeze and enjoyed the shade.  I was feeling OK, but my stomach was starting to cramp from all that water.  At the bottom, I set my bike into spin mode on the dirt road and started a mantra of 'not much farther, I can do this.' 

I had forgotten about the climb up 'Ewok'.  UGH!  As I started the climb, I was soooo hot and soooo hungry and in soooo much pain (chest and stomach).  I pretty much walked all the steep parts of this trail.  I wasn't the only one.  I average this climb in eight minutes, this day it took me twelve. 

Then it was time for the long climb out.  All gravel road with rolling hills but constantly climbing back to Laguna Seca.  In my head, I had only a couple miles to go.  Even though I felt awful, I knew it wasn't much farther.  I was riding and walking the ups and riding the downs as fast as my bike would go (no brakes).  I am amazed I didn't crash since I felt so wobbly.  After a couple miles, I realized that I still couldn't see the finish yet.  They told us at the start that it was a 14.4 mile course It was really 16.2 miles.  I asked the next check point how much further and he said about 25 minutes or so.  I was deflated.  I glanced at my Garmin and realized I was still going to make my goals of 2:30 if I kept moving.  Soooo, I kept moving. 

The more I rode, the worse I felt.  I was having trouble taking in large breaths due to the pain in my chest and now my left shoulder.  I started to curl in and was constantly reminding myself to relax my shoulders.  Water, spin, look up, water, spin, look at Garmin. . .walk a bit.  Some guys on horse asked if I was OK, I came back with, "I hope so," and they moved on.  I really felt off.  I wanted to throw up and I was ready to quit.  Then I looked up and saw the tower for Laguna Seca.  I was going to finish this. 

Last hill in. . .I was now cramping badly in my stomach area.  I was doubled over my bike walking five steps, stopping, counting to 25 and then doing it again.  Even at this miserably slow pace, I was passing people that were stopped, completely, on the side of the road.  I stopped for a moment to text my husband that I was on the final climb out.  I heard him text me back but didn't look too see what he said.  It was just reassuring to know he was aware of me.  I wanted to cry but it required too much effort.

FINALLY, I has ready to descend back down into Laguna Seca.  I got on my bike and I was really shaky.  I dropped in on things I typically walk through just so I could get to the finish line.  I crashed on some rocks and was struggling to stay upright all the way down to the finish.  I heard my name as I cleared the finish line.  A glance at my Garmin 2:35, GOOD! 



Finishing my first SOC Race

I strolled another fifty feet or so, got off my bike and put my head between my knees because I was so dizzy.  This was where things got sketchy.  I remember people around me.  I remember my legs not working right.  I remember I was in a lot of pain.  I remember two ambulances.  I remember liking the men in ambulance one but not liking the women in ambulance two.  I remember freezing on my ride to the Emergency Room because I was soaking wet and they had the air conditioning on.  By the time I hit the hospital, I felt more lucid and could talk again.  I was given heated blankets and went through the usual tests:  EKG, Blood, Urine and X-ray.  Conclusion:  Heat exhaustion combined with damage to my rib muscles.  My heart leveled back to normal and I was released to go home and rest.  FINALLY, I got to eat.  Breakfast was at 6 am and my first meal after was at 4 pm.  I was STARVING!

I am thankful for all those friends at the finish line (my hubby had to tell me who):  Tom, Henri, Mary, Daphne and the hubby.  Though I wasn't conscious of who you were, I remember feeling well taken care of.  I thank you guys with all my happy, healthy heart!!!