24 Hours of Adrenaline Conyers, GA Race Report
I was standing on the start line enjoying that all the nervous energy that was flowing when I noticed the skinny guy with the tattoos. He looked familiar so I struck up a conversation. I offered up my name and asked his. “Mark Hendershot” he said. “Damn” I thought. Mark is a pro rider and that was going to make winning this thing difficult.
The 24 Hours of Adrenaline race at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers was set to rock. 150 runners lined up representing teams and along with the solo riders. The run was short and followed by a parade loop on the bikes. I was mid-pack on the run and made up a few spots on the parade loop. I hit the woods in a group of 7 or 8 and waited my turn to pass. My goal was to not get caught up in the race early on, but to just set a good pace until dark. I was doing a good job keeping my adrenaline under control when on the last climb of the course I busted on rear dérailleur. I actually didn’t realize it right away. The spring in it popped and sent the chain to the biggest cog which at the base of a steep climb is right were is should have been. It was at the top when I tried to shift when I discovered the problem. I had to spin like mad to get back to the pit.
I switched bikes and headed out on the hardtail. It’s not ideal for this course which has a lot of exposed granite but in a pinch you have to do what you can. While I was out riding Charlie, the mechanic from Cartecay River Bike Shop, went about fixing my Epic. It turns out that the dérailleur broke 3 spokes in the rear wheel. Luckily Mavic who manufactured the wheel, does neutral support at the 24 HOA events. They had it ready to go a few laps later.
Most of the day laps were pretty uneventful after that one. I was back on the Specialized Epic by the 3rd lap and I had a flat while running a tubed wheel on the back (while Mavic was fixing the spokes on my tubeless), but other than that I was consistently turning good laps without issues. I moved between 3rd and 4th until midnight when I took over 2nd. The sun set around 7:00 PM so I donned my Light & Motion lights to begin the 12+ hours of darkness. I was standing outside our pit tent while my lights were being tested eating a PB&J. My whole pit crew was there: my brother Dan, nephew Jimmy, director sportif Richard Walker, cousin Ryan, mechanic Charlie Martin, and photographer & motivator Namrita Kumar. My mouth was so dry I couldn’t chew the sandwich at all, so I took a swig of water to help it down. It went down the wrong pipe and made me choke. I couldn’t quite get my head turned before half chewed PB&J spewed from my mouth all over Dan. All he could do was stand there. I was still laughing about that a lap later. I’m still laughing now.
Around 11:30 PM I had my first cup of coffee. They put it in a insulated water bottle and sent me out with it. Wow. I was so amped I was challenging team riders. My friend Art from Florida caught me early in the lap as I just getting going. For a few minutes I was content to sit on his wheel, but he was too slow on the down hills. I was twelve laps in, so I had the course dialed in. I knew where I could milk every bit of speed out of the trail without expending much energy, especially on the front half where the hills weren’t so steep. I may have gone a little to hard on some of the climbs, but I was having too much fun. I let him go on the back half of the course and tried to remember to drink something other than coffee. In the future maybe I should only carry half a bottle.
I put in a couple more laps before in went into survival mode. My laps time went from 50 minutes at lap 11 to 1:10 at lap 14 to 1:30 by lap 16. My heart rate dropped down to 110 bpm and I lost all power. It was like World’s all over again and after about 3 hours, 2 laps, of this I was not happy about it. I spent a long time in the pits between laps despite my crews efforts to hurry me along. I did need to eat more. Dan had noodles or soup warmed up between each lap, but nothing was giving me much energy. Even the coffee’s magic powers were limited to short bursts.
Lap 18 took me two hours. I came in from lap 17 and sat down. Richard, Charlie and Namrita were out on the course. I had just passed them. Jimmy and Ryan were passed out in the tent and Dan was barely awake. It must have been close to 5 AM. I put a blanket over my legs, a towel over my head and slurped ramen noodles for 20 minutes. I didn’t care if I was losing places. I didn’t think I’d even finish. I babbling about how “this wasn’t supposed to happen, I did everything right.” Finally Richard, Namrita and Charlie came into the tent and said “what are you doing here?” “Who me” I replied. I was stood up and pushed out. I didn’t even get to change my clothes. I stuck a newspaper up my shirt to keep warm while got started, since the temperature had dropped to about 45*. I trudged on, but slipped to 3rd place.
The next lap they didn’t even let me stop. My legs were getting chaffed from the wind tights I was wearing, but I didn’t have the energy to argue. I knew the sun would be up soon so I didn’t mind so much I guess. I still didn’t have any energy, but because I skipped the pit stop I pulled a 1:26 lap. At that pace I wouldn’t hit my goal but I could have a decent finish. While I was out on that 19th lap the sun finally came up and the lights where no longer necessary.
I came in to the pit again. This time I did change clothes. I finally got rid of those stupid tights. They were warm, but the chaffing was killing me. I ate some more noodles or oatmeal or something bland and had some coffee. It was about a 10 minute stop. Fairly quick compared to some I had during the dark hours. I spun up the short incline to the single track and took a big wig of coffee, then had a nature break. All systems were go now. I rolled out and shifted to a bigger gear and then another. Before I realized it I was in the big ring and flying. I had energy. I recovered and them some. My heart rate monitor read 140. I finished the front half of the course in 21.5 minutes. That’s about a minute faster than my fastest lap so far. I was psyched. Ryan told me before I headed out I was in 3rd, but he didn’t say by how much. That means it was too far for them to want me to worry about it. It turns out it was 20 minutes. On the second half of that lap I caught rider #2, Jim McMillan who was in second place.
I passed him with about one and half miles to go. I made my move and dug deep. I wanted to drop him right away. I couldn’t get into a long battle when I didn’t know how long this recovery was going to last. I could bonk any minute, so I wanted to be out of sight when it happened. We made the creek crossing together and then the long climb. I looked back and he was still there. I dropped into the rutted down hill and took the fastest, but roughest line. I climbed the last big hill with power I hadn’t had for 10 hours. I crested the top and looked back to see Jim pushing his bike up the hill. This was it. I dropped into a long down hill and turned the biggest gears I had. It was a short climb to the last downhill and I was home free. It’s all granite on the last downhill. It had been killing my hands an hour ago, but now I couldn’t feel a thing. I passed a few team riders on the way down, one of them stuck to my wheel. As we came into the straightaway before the transition we passed by his pit tent. I could hear him yelling behind me to his wife “I’m getting killed by a solo guy!” I stood up with a 100 yards to go and yelled “Come on.” Then I dropped him too.
I came racing into the pit and no one was to be seen. I was yelling at the top of my lungs for some help. I had no idea how far ahead I was, but Jim’s pit was just passed mine and I didn’t want him to see me hanging out. I needed to be gone. Dan, Ryan & Richard came running. They didn’t expect me for another 20 minutes, so they were warming them selves by the fire. I took some drinks and gels and was on my way. I passed by Jim’s pit and didn’t see him. I hammered out another lap and a half at that pace before I knew I had to back off or bonk.
No one knew the current standings when I came. It was about 10:30 AM on Sunday. I was turning sub one hour laps. That meant technically I could do two more laps. Some where during the night I had in my head I was on lap 25, but that’s what happened when you ride all night. I was really on lap 23. I did know for sure what place I was and who I had to be concerned about. I just had to finish this lap and maybe one more.
The first half a lap when by pretty quickly, but the second killed me. All that adrenaline that was masking all the pain faded away almost as quickly as it appeared. I stepped off the bike to walk up a steep hill and every muscle in my lower back and hips contracted in every direction at once. I crawled to the top looking over my shoulder every time I heard a rider coming. As long as it wasn’t #2 I was golden. I was also watching the clock. If I took 1:20 on this one I would just miss the cut off. I was beginning to think that was a good thing. I stopped at one point where I could see the a quarter mile back on the trail and watched for 5 minutes. No #2. I moved on and finally rolled down that granite hill again. My hands and feet were in agony. I came up the straightaway toward the transition. There would be no dropping anyone this time.
Richard yelled to me “You don’t have to do another one.” I was elated. I stood turned the cranks a few more times and coasted into the finish line. The announcer was there talking to the riders as they came in. He asked me “Are you going for another?” “Not a chance” was all I could say. I went straight to the pit and laid down in the grass. I was still in second, two laps back on Hendershot. McMillan stopped at 22 laps. I made the podium.
23 laps, 196 miles, 27,000 feet of climbing, 12,600 calories and 186,549 heart beats in 23:51. I was aiming for 24 laps and had time to do another, but since I didn’t have to and I was hurting so bad I had to be content.
I want to thank my pit crew: Richard Walker, Charlie Martin, Namrita Kumar, Dan O’Dea, Jimmy O’Dea & Ryan O’Dea. You guys were awesome.
I’d also like to thank my sponsors:
Mechanical & Product Support from Cartecay Bike Shop – Ellijay, GA
Supplements from GNC 5361 N Socrum Loop Rd, Lakeland, FL
Energy drinks from Source Drinks makers of BURN & BURN2
Nutritional & health advice from Dr. Jamie Brenon.
Chiropractic Services from Dr. Josh Glass
Addition Product Support from Chainwheel Drive Bike Shop in Clearwater & Palm Harbor, FL
Eddie O