12 Hours of Santos
How we drove from PA to FL, won a race, and drove back to PA all in a long weekend
1st solo open women for Jess, 6th solo elite men for Joël
Gone Riding race series, Ocala, Florida
February 17, 2018
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But that is how Joël and I do things. With all the gear needed for a long-distance endurance race in which both of us are racing we need to drive, just way too much gear to take along. The van makes things so easy, with the loft and bed in the back we can sleep in any location, just pull over and climb into bed. And of course our dog Clifford goes with us, so driving is a must so he can go along.
Our plan was two days of driving to get to Florida, race day, then leave the day after the race and take two days to drive home. After a ride on the hometrainers Thursday morning we all piled into the Nankvan and hit the road. Lunch and dinner were already prepared so it made for convenient and quick stops along the way. By bed time we made it well into North Carolina and picked a Cracker Barrel parking lot to be our sleeping location for the night. Side note of our drive; only in the rural south do you see roosters at a gas station!
Waking up at a decent time on Friday morning we ate breakfast and quickly got on our way. Since we had a little extra time to spare we decided to take a detour and check out the city of Savannah. It was just a quick walk around the historic area along the river but it was a great way to get into some tourist time during our trip south. Clifford wasn't too keen on walking around there, guess he is just not meant to be a city dog.
After leaving Georgia, it was a few hours drive until we arrived in Ocala. Getting there in the afternoon on Friday we figured we would have an ample selection of pit spots to choose from. That certainly was not the case. It was amazing how many people were already there. The parking area was crowded and good spots were at a premium. Being that each of us ride solo and unsupported, a site directly along the racecourse is a must. In addition, parking in a shady spot is a necessity due to Cliff so that he can stay cool. This makes us a bit picky when it comes to a parking spot but our reasons are valid.
After much scouting of the area we found a great pit spot that fit all our criteria. As were were setting up our neighbors came over to us to introduce themselves and give us a warning. They were the party bunch of the race. We had picked a spot right next to what would be the loud, rambunctious, drunk group during the weekend. I have to admit, I was a bit concerned about this, but as we talked to all the guys and got to know them a bit more I actually decided it was the perfect spot. They were friendly, helpful, and I knew in a jam they would help out. By the time the race was complete I can say I would not have wanted to be parked anywhere else. The guys were courteous, kept things interesting, and their heckling was quite motivating.
Race set-up went as usual. Joël and I have a system; we each have our own set of tasks and we do our thing. It's goes quickly and efficiently this way. During all of this Cliff usually just wanders around and spends his time in the van. After getting set-up we went to register, getting our race numbers and racer goody bags. Then it was time to relax by watching a movie on the computer followed by dinner made on the camp stove and then get some sleep.
The morning of the race we were up and ready well before the start. This always seems to happen. We give ourselves more than enough time to get ready and then end up with too much time. Oh well, it's good to put our feet up and relax a bit before the start. Better than rushing around and getting stressed. I did some reading, Joël took Cliff out for a bit, and then before we knew it time for the racer meeting and the race start.
The race began with a LeMans start. This means we had to run to our bikes. All racers put their bikes in what is called the coral area and have to run from the race starting line, grab their bike, and then ride. The run was maybe about half a mile or so, not so fun in cycling shoes. Once to our bikes the course started with a prologue to help spread out racers. The course was much better than I expected; to be honest I thought racing in Florida would be flat, smooth, and non-technical. This course had some challenging technical sections, there were quite a few challenging rock features. Good for Joël and I, these were definitely places we could excel and gain some time. A few wooden bridges, skinnies, and wall rides were dispersed along the course which just made for plain old fun to ride. There were no sustained climbs but there certainly were many short, steep climbs which made for punchy efforts. And yes, as expected, there was twisty and turny single track. As I mentioned, this course was more challenging and interesting than I expected; it kept me on my toes the entire time. It was also fun, which is good when having to ride it again and again and again during a 12 hour race.
Remember above I noted how we were parked next to the party group and their heckle pit? Well, it was quite the experience during the race. Lights, a megaphone, and blow-up dolls and animals were present every lap. There was a ramp to jump off of that was light on fire, yup, on fire. I believe at some point there was a smoke machine. One of the guys was wearing a very skimpy Speedo-type thing and was in compromising poses at times. The guys would yell to us every lap though, something funny and yet supportive at the same time. A good group to be pitted next to.Not much to report about the actual race itself; it went smoothly with no glitches. Joël and I each had our race planned out as far as effort, heart race, and paced we had planned to keep. We each followed our plan things worked well for us. Lap times were consistent for each of us and besides a few minutes here and there to put lights on, lube a chain, go pee neither of us stopped for any extended period of time during the race. No mechanicals and no major crashes. This was the first race on my 2018 Pique and it performed great. Nutrition and hydration went well. Despite the Florida heat we both kept cool with icy-cold towels and sponges to avoid overheating. Our plethora of food choices, our "convenience store" as one other racer called it, gave us more than enough choices for calories that we could eat whatever our stomachs felt like they could handle.
Everything noted above fell into place perfectly, I took the top podium spot for the solo women. Joël was 6th solo elite men (riding single speed).
Post race podiums were done quickly and that was it, race over. After a sunshower clean off we climbed into bed. The party next door was still going on and both Joël and I wondered how we would be able to sleep. Well, when you are tired you sleep. Even with everything going on around us we both fell asleep right away. The next morning we packed up, went for a short recovery ride with Cliff on the Santos trails, and started our drive home.
The traveling back was saddening. As we made our way north the temperatures got colder and snow started to appear. We spent the night in a welcome center in Virginia and it was in the 30s at night. Sure, normal for that area this time of year but after being in the 80s in Florida it was tough to handle. By the time we arrived in PA Monday afternoon snow was everywhere! It was terrible. It was our rude awakening that we were back to our regular routine. Once we arrived home, we unpacked, did load after load of laundry, cleaned all our bottles, and packed things away for the next race. Then it was back to the regular routine of life.
After our short stint in the warm Florida sunshine here's to dreaming about warmer weather and onward to the next race.
-Jess