18 Hours of Scouts Honor
Chickens and Aliens Are Out and About
By: Adventure Sports Racing
Place: Heart of Virginia Scout Reservation, Maidens, VA
Ridden: September 24-25, 2016
So how crazy are Joël and I, this was our third 24 hour race this year; on top of an already packed racing season. We had one bad 24 hour race in which we learned from our mistakes. One that went well where we learned what worked. Hopefully this one would put it all together.
Joël and I had always heard good things about this race and decided to make the journey down to Virginia to check it out. By now we had our prep and packing for 24 hour races down pat. We made quick work of getting ready and headed down to the race site Friday afternoon since camping was available all weekend for racers. It's always nice to arrive at a 24 hour race the day before, it helps alleviate stress and strain on race day to just wake up, roll out of the van, and be at our pit spot on the morning of the race.We set our pit area up directly along the course, close to the start/finish. Many other racers and teams set-up in that area also. It was nice to have neighbors. One of the race sponsors, Blue Ridge Cyclery, was set-up right next to us. They were the neutral mechanics for the race and all around great people who offered to help us whenever needed. Being that Joël and I each ride solo and crew for ourselves, it's always nice to have others around to help if needed.
The race started late afternoon and it was still quite hot. Knowing the heat would take it's toll later on, the goal was to stay well hydrated and not overheat for the first few laps. Wiping down with ice-cooled sponges and rags each lap helped with that. Joël started out at a nice, conservative, aerobic pace. I on the other hand started a bit too hard, which would come back to haunt me later.
The beginning hours of the race everything was going as planned. Hydration and nutrition were on par. I was singing songs to myself and talking to every racer I came across. I made many new friends this way and found some great people to ride with. With sunset the lights came out and then things started to fall apart a bit. The hard effort I put in earlier in the day was wearing on me, so it was time for damage control; time to slow it down for a awhile and recover a bit. I was also having some stomach issues, so I switched over to all liquids for a few hours. Chicken broth, Boost drinks, and Coke are great ways to get in calories but are easy on the stomach. Chamois chafing required constant re-application of chamois cream. Luckily by this point I had lapped all the other females, so I had enough of a buffer that I could take it easy. Joël lapped me a some point during this time, we chatted for a bit and then parted ways. He was still feeling good and was in second not far behind the leader so he had to press on.I was plugging along, feeling not the best but just OK, and then around 1-2am the rain started. The course was rooty and already a little sketchy at places, and now it became super sketchy. More easy riding, as the goal was now just to stay upright. It also now became more of a mental game than anything else. It was lonely out there, during the rainy lap I only saw one other race. I wasn't really enjoying it much anymore, it was getting chilly, and the riding treacherous. There were some deep, black holes that I went into mentally during this lap. But...that is what these races are about. Persevering when the going gets tough. I found some things to be happy about, stayed upright, the rain stopped, and all was good again. Continue onward.
After the rain stopped all sorts of magical things started to happen. Forest creatures emerged during the night. Frogs everywhere; along with a snake and salamanders that I spotted. Skunks and an opossum darted along the trail. Besides the forest creatures many other beings showed up. Extraterrestrials lined the trails at different locations. Rubber chickens, minions, and big stuffed-animal frogs also popped up on the trail. Grabbing one of these earned racers a prize. Disco balls also light the course, bathing the forest in lights and colors. Both Joël and I found chickens. Things can get quite bleak in the wee hours of the morning; having distractions like this help the time go by and help bring racers back from the deep, dark, unhappy mental places they most likely are in by then.
Just before day break Joël and I met up at the tent. Our placings, Joël second overall male and my first overall female, were pretty much solidified by then. All we had to do was slow pedal a few more laps to make sure those placings stuck. So we rode together for the last few laps. Both of us were feeling pretty much like zombies on the bikes; just staying on the trail was a challenge at times. It was nice to have each other to help keep our minds occupied and to keep each other going. We ended our last lap just after 7am. Rules were racers had to finish by 8am to have the last lap count. No way were either of us going to do a sub one hour lap, so we called it. 15 laps for myself for the overall female win, 16 laps for Joël for second overall male. We are happy to report no mechanicals during the race. Our Lust Advanced 0 and Giant Anthem Advanced worked flawlessly. Our Lupine Piko lights light the way with no issues. The Liv/Giant and Jakroo clothing and equipment felt comfortable the entire time. Concentrating on ourselves and dealing with our own bodies is hard enough, It's nice to know we can feel confident in our equipment and gear.
To summarize, this was a great race. The vibe was awesome. The race directors, Bill and Billy, were always helpful and smiling, one can tell they really cared about each individual racer and giving every competitor a fun and safe experience. The other racers were friendly, supportive of each other and always talkative and cheery on and off the course. The 7.6 mile course was a good fit for an 18 hour race, just technical enough to challenge riders but not dangerous when fatigue kicked in. The climbs were decent but not unrideable or overbearing, even when tired. The scout camp was the perfect location for this event. Great camping during the weekend; complete with flush toilets and showers. The large mess hall made a good central location for registration and awards, along with the post-race breakfast. And what a breakfast it was! Eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausages...everything a hungry racer with a bottom-less pit of a stomach needs. Sponsors were plentiful and supportive; with impressive prizes for finding the chicken/minions/frogs during the night and quite nice payouts for top finishers.
Joël and I have done many races this year; some we will not return do and do not recommend, others we can not speak highly enough of and would recommend to all. This is one we would say go to. Put this on your race itinerary for next year. You will not be disappointed.
- written by Jessica with input from Joël
