Eddie O

NORBA 24 Hour Championships at 24 Hours of 9 Mile

The heavy AM rains had passed, but the sky was still cloudy. About 30 racers toed the line at the Le Mans start for the NORBA 24 Hour National Championships which awarded the “Stars & Stripes” jerseys to both solo & team categories with another 150 solos & teams lined up behind us for the regular 24 Hours of 9 Mile race. This was a big race with all the top solo riders present each hoping to bring home the honor of being this year’s national champion.

I began the run close the front, but was quickly passed by the horde. We ran straight for a 100 yards, then pulled a 180 and had about 500 more to go before being corralled through the tight finishing shoot. I may a surging sprint as we near the shoot entrance, gaining about 50 position with that one move. It was single file through the shoot and chaos on the other side. I ran right passed my bike, but quickly figured it. I mounted up and headed off.

Out on the course I drafted where I could because of the mostly flat terrain. A few minutes in we hit the first bit of single track which was tight and twisty. It was very reminiscent of Florida trails, making up for a lack elevation with as much technical riding as possible. We hit another short section of double track before a hard right hander into the trees again.

In this section I realised I how well placed I was. Just about 20 seconds up the trail Erneasto Marenchin and Mark Hendershot were making their way through the fading team riders. It took 10 minutes to bridge the gap to Mark’s wheel because Ernie was cruising on the double track, but once there I had to do very little work. Ernie continued to pull for the rest of the lap. He gunned it on the open double track, but I was more than comfortable with the pace in the single track. I decided the best thing I could was just sit on and let these two do the work.

We swung through the pits with each of us making our appropriate stops or slow downs as the case may be. We regrouped as we headed back out with Ernie taking the lead again. I managed to get away with only one pull for a few minutes on this one and again sat on while we caught, passed and dropped fellow solo rider Jeff Kerkove. This made me wonder if I was pushing a little too hard to stay with these two, more experienced riders. I decided to stay with it if they were going to drag me to the front of this race and not expect me to do any work.

On the third lap I thought I was feeling the effects of the first two laps when Mark & Ernie began to pull away….turns out the brakes were on. After a couple of passing riders remarked on the wobble in my rear wheel I knew something was not right. Turns out that I cracked my rear rim and my disc brake rotor was rubbing the pads. There was little I could while out on the course. Luckily this was not my good American Classic wheels, but a back up set on the King Kikapu. This is why I usually run my “spare” bike on the early laps because I tend to break stuff early.

The pit lay out at this race was ideal. I could slow down enough to grab a fresh bottle and let Richard know what I needed as I headed for the timing tent. Then we passed by a second time on the way back out. Richard was waiting with the second Kona and I was off and riding.

I rolled out a couple of uneventful laps feeling pretty good, but not really very motivated. I lost contact with Mark & Ernie and had not seen another solo rider at all. The later was a good thing, but I knew the race was in front of me and I just had to give it some time get back into it. It was early still.

Richard relayed the news that was only 5 minutes off of Mark & Ernie while we switched bikes again. He scored a wheel from the Mavic support guys and they straightened my rotor. I immediatedly feel amazingly faster. The news inspired me, but this bike felt different.

Both had been fit with the Wobble-Naught system, but I was supposed to get a new seat post for the Kona King and in all of the chaos of starting a new biz, quitting the corporate job, doing odd work for my bother, training and racing I some how negecelted to take care of this detail. My spare bike, the Kona King Kikapu, had a straight seat post and I was able to get that extra 10mm over the cranks I needed. Because this course was pan flat leg speed was a huge factor and that 10mm made a huge difference. Looking back the lap time difference was 3-5 minutes bewteen the two bikes. Fit matters and that’s a lesson I will not forget anytime soon.

Back to the racing. Over the next two laps I closed the gap on Ernie and drew within two minutes of Mark. Mark upped the pace, but I caught Ernie as we exitted a single track section early in the lap. I waited a few seconds to relax and then slide up on the saddle and let the legs fly. He chased hard, but once in the single track again I lost him pretty quickly. There is a long double track section in the middle of the course and I looked back repeatedly expecting to see him at any moment, but he didn’t come. Time to go after Mark.

Mark managed his lead nicely through the next 3 laps until dark. He held just 5 minutes on me. Richard did a great job of limiting my stoppage time, feeding me and giving me updates. I did notice Nam in the pits, but it would morning before I’d know that she had pulled the plug on a what she called “a bad day.” She still managed 60 miles, but she has high standards.

I felt great in the dark. We approached the half way mark of 10:00 PM and I was still only 5 minutes back on Mark. Ernie suffered in the heat and fell off the pace, so my only focus was on staying near Mark until the AM when I could bury myself to pass him and hold him off…that was the plan any way. Everytime I felt like I was making head way a my helmet light blacked out half way through the lap. Because it was so twisty in the last 5-6 miles I really needed that light to see through the turns. I’d have to stop and switch the bar light battery.

Then around 4 AM both failed within minutes of each other! I had to follow other racers in the dark. I’d stay as close as possible without rubbing wheels and then watch what was coming through their lights. This would work until I over turned or stumbled on an unseen root or rock and I’d have to wait for the next rider to come. It was painfully frustrating, but I had no choice and tried to remain calm. We still had at least 6 hours of racing or so I thought. Later I found a pair of newly aquired chargers to be at fault, which will no longer be an issue thanks to wonderful warrenty folks at Light & Motion.

Richard says to me “someone called so and so and they say this storm is going to the pass to the north…not gonna hit here, so go get’m. I’d been watching lighting all around for the last 30 minutes. He also informed me that sun rises a little after 5:00 AM this far north and the lights shouldn’t be an issue much longer. I had given up 30 minutes to Mark, but had only given 10 back to Ernie which kept 20 minutes up on him.

Then the storm came alomst as suddenly as my lights had gone out earlier. It started with wind gusts and few drops, but within minutes I was getting pelted so hard I couldn’t see. I got flagged down as I came the halfway checkpoint and stopped. There was 6 or so racers standing there looking a little confused, tired and hungry. Every couple of minutes another couple racers would so up. Soon there was 60 up us huddled under this 10 x tent while Mother Nature gave us a good lashing. I wormed my way to the middle to keep warm. I even dosed off a couple times while standing. Then I noticed Ernie at the end of the tent, then Nat Ross, Slone Anderson and finally race leader Chris Eatough.

So here I am tired & shivering standing next to Ernie & Slone, whom I had comfortable leads on at the begining of this lap. I hear over the race radio that we will start again at 6:45. Lots of questions arose, but the most important was “What about the previous time splits?” No one had answer, but it was time to go!

There was a lot of traffic as we funneled into the single track that immediately follwed our stop. I kept a tab on Ernie as I consdiered him the biggest threat to my 4th place. I excited onto the double track with him just in front of me and picked up the pace, mostly to get warmed up, but he didn’t respond so I attacked. I took off so hard that I nearly ran right into the back of Chris Eatough. I righted myself, passed Chris and just ripped through the rest of the course. I passed all but one of the team riders that had been stopped with me.

I came in the pit and was greeted with great confusion. I was told Mark now had 40 minutes becuase he made to the end of the lap before he was stopped. Nam offer me pancakes and sausage. Then while stuffing my face Ernie came by. “Are we on the same lap?” I ask. “Yeah.” “We’ll &*$#@# I have to go!” Off again like an XC race, but after 20 so hours of racing. I kept the pace high, but manageable on the double track, but ripped the single track knowing I could get through it faster than Ernie. After gunning it throught last 4-5 miles of tight single track I looked back and still saw Ernie. He was like the villian in a horror movie and I was the victim that ran as hard as he could while he just walked, but kept pace.

I took a deep breath and said to myself “not with out a fight” and mentally prepared for the hardest effort of my life. There was time for one, maybe two more laps.

As I blew through the pits I saw Mark Hendershot standing there talking to someone and heard Namrita yell something I could not understand. I was not about to give a single second more back Ernie. There is a short single track bit before the finishing straight and in there I heard what sounded like canceled from spectators. Still I kept pace until I hit the finishing shoot, then the timing offical gave me the news. I walked 3 feet to folding chair, dropped my bike, took a seat and put my head in my hands. I feeling of relief swept over me and I felt like I wanted to cheer, cry & scream all at the same time. I just sat there until I could feel eyes on me and decided to move on.

Many thanks to Richard Walker for his amazing pit duties & Namrita for her unending support. I’d also like to thank my sponsors for their amazing support.

Eddie O

This entry was posted on Friday, August 4th, 2006 at 8:13 am and is filed under Announcements, Race Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.