Perseverance to the Podium
How husband and wife solo riders earned podium spots
Joël 5th solo singlespeed men, Jessica 3rd solo open women
Tucson, Arizona
February 16-17, 2019
An Epic Rides event
Video featuring the race and the 6000 miles of traveling associated with it; click on video to play
24 Hours in the Old Pueblo 2019 and the Travels That Went with It
This was the Nankmans second trip to 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (24HOP), our first time being 2017. It was something we needed to do again; to learn from our 2017 travel and race experiences and hopefully do things different this year, hopefully better this year. More travel time, better race clothing packing, and getting to the event site earlier were all planned improvements for 2019. The goal being these changes would make for an improved experience overall and a better race experience. Some of these goals happened and some did not.Before getting into the details, if you want to check out the 2017 race story click here for the 2017 24HOP blog report and photos. Good for comparison to this year's event.
Traveling out this year was definitely improved upon. The 2700 miles of driving was done in four days instead of three. Daily we stopped somewhere to hike or ride; stretching our legs along with giving our dog Clifford some trail time. Nashville (Cedars of Lebanon State Park), Fort Worth (Players Parkway), and Tucson (race site) were our activity locations en route. Sleeping at night was also improved upon. Our camper van makes it easy to just pull over anywhere but instead of noisy highway rest stops as in the past we tried to get off the road to state parks and quite Cracker Barrel parking lots. This allowed us to be better rested along the way and keep to a more regular sleep/wake cycle. All of our meals were made along the way; meals were pre-prepped and easily cooked on our camp stove. Quick, easy, and healthy. Travel went smoothly and no hitches in our plans.
We arrived at the race location, known as "24 Hour Town" on Thursday afternoon. Why is it called 24 Hour Town you ask? Because it's an area used just for the race, where for a few days every year approximately 5000 people in RV, tents, and vans live for the weekend making a town erect just for the race. Arriving 48 hours prior to the race start allowed us to set-up our camping location in a prime spot directly along the course. Arriving earlier than we did in 2017 was a good choice; we had a pit spot we were happy with and it lowered our stress levels knowing we didn't have to squeeze into a sub-par spot on Friday as we did last time. Being directly on the course is something we need as two unassisted solo 24 hour racers. We have no one to help us; no one to hand us bottles, bring or take clothing, give us food, lube bike chains. We need to have it all as easily accessible as possible so that we can just grab or throw down and go. Despite arriving on Thursday we really didn't need to be at the race site until Friday. So all we did on Thursday was set-up our stuff to mark our sport, went for a short ride, and then left to get a hotel for the evening. We are glad we did this. Just as we were leaving 24 Hour Town Thursday evening a huge storm hit. Torrential rain, wind, flooding all occurred. It was great to be in a warm, cozy hotel eating dinner in a restaurant rather than cooking outside on the camp stove and sleeping in the van during a deluge.
We returned to 24 Hour Town on Friday afternoon. Did all the typical pre-race stuff; registered, set-up our pit, watched a movie in the van, and socialized. We hit the vendor area, had some beer at the Four Peaks Brewing tent, and hung around with our pit area neighbors. What awesome, friendly, helpful, neighbors we had. This can really make a difference. It's always nice to know there are others there to help if needed and to be supportive during the event. Thanks to those guys who were around us, you were all so awesome. But Jesse, where is the bananas foster I was promised?
Final race prep occured Saturday morning. Clothing prep was the most difficult thing. What to wear and what to get ready. Both Joël and I were extremely happy it wasn't raining like it was in 2017. But the temperatures were going to be all over the place. It was sunny and in the 60s F where we started the race and it went as low as the mid 20s overnight. When tired, calorie deficient, and one's body is being pushed to the max these temperature swings can be even more difficult to manage and plan for. So we put out all the riding clothing we owned; base layers, jerseys and pants, leg and arm warmers, jackets, gloves, hats, ear warmers, neck warmers, Bar Mitts, winter boots, shoe covers were all included. We figured we would change, putting on and taking off layers as needed.
Race start time was noon; racing from noon to noon (or even as late as 1-2pm depending on when one finished their final lap). The start was a Lemans, meaning racers ran to their bikes. A shout out to the red umbrella man who held our bikes for us; a wonderfully kind and helpful stranger. The course was primarily all single track interspersed with a few sections of double track. Overall no major sustained climbs; there were a few short, steep climbs and some false flats that went on for a little while. The trail was overall fast and flowy. Near the end of each lap there were some rocky, chattery spots. This was a fun course, a quick course, a beautiful course. The views were amazing, seeing the sunset and sunrise over the mountains. Cactus of all varieties were everywhere. Coyotes howled throughout the night. Jack rabbits, pack rats, and cattle were interspersed along the course. The Rock Drop had people there throughout the event, cheering on racers. The Whiskey Tree was ultimately the happening place to be, people partied there the full 24 hours handing out alcohol to racers. Joël and I each stopped a few times, wow, that honey flavored stuff was good.
As for our individual races, we each had very different experiences. Two racers with two very different reports, very different physical and mental feelings over the 24 hours. We only saw each other once and didn't do any riding together like we usually do.
Joël had an impressive race. It was an extremely competitive single speed field; many of the top single speeders putting in just as many or even more laps than the fastest geared riders. It was a course conducive to single speeding; a gently rolling course with a few technical sections. Joël put in a total moving time of around 23 hours. He only stopped to change bottles, eat, change clothing, and fuel the generator. He just kept going and going, with laps being extremely consistent. The cold weather definitely was a factor, but he just kept adding and adding more clothing to stay warm, even utilizing his favorite thing ever, Bar Mitts, to keep his hands warm. His race even came complete with a sprint at the end, two single speeders spinning as fast as they could to the line. In the end Joël lost the sprint, but little did he know at the time it didn't matter, the other guy was a lap ahead. Joël's consistent pace and continual riding put him on the podium at 5th solo singlespeed men.
My race was not what I had hoped for or expected. 2017 I put in 14 laps, I was planning for at least the same this time. Things just don't always go as planned. A few hours into the night laps everything just went downhill; multiple body systems felt terrible. In addition, it was getting really cold. The van, my zero degree mummy bag, and dog Clifford all seemed so cozy and inviting. I changed clothes to get warm, sat around for a while deciding what to do, cried tears of disappointment, and then I gave in and decided to nap. My sleeping bag and Clifford were never so warm and comfortable. I had set an alarm for early morning and when it went off I seriously wondered if I wanted to go back out again. Why? The thermometer said it was 26 degrees. I was sore and stiff. It was dark. Clifford was curled up next to me. But I got going and started pedaling again. I saw the sun rise, the frost melt off the cactus, and put in a number of really good laps. I felt great and was happy to be on the bike. I really didn't want to sleep, most 24 hour races I don't need to sleep, but this time it is what I choose to do, it's just what I needed to do. Will I ever forgive myself? Probably not. Will I learn from it and become a stronger rider because of it? Of course. Even with napping, I still put in fast enough laps when riding to place 3rd in the solo open women's field, which I have to admit I was quite amazed about. There were many "DNF" (did not finish) in the open women results, guess I wasn't the only one feeling off during this race.
And that's a wrap. After the race Joël and I attended the awards presentation, talked with some friends and fellow racers, and then packed up and started the long journey back home. Some races go well, some don't. Sometimes one of us has a good race while the other doesn't. That's just the way things are. With each race we learn something to help us at the next one. Will we be back to 24 HOP again? Who knows? It's a lot of travel and a lot of commitment but it is a good time and a well done race. For now, it's time to concentrate on the 24 hour races we will be doing along the East Coast this summer- when it's warm!
Liv Cycling and Saucon Valley Bikes make this all possible for me. Joël represents Bicycling Magazine and Saucon Valley Bikes. My co-workers really deserve a huge shout out, allowing me to take enough time off of work to drive to and from Arizona to do this event. The volunteers and those helping solo riders were awe inspiring, out there all night long being cold and tired, thank you for doing what you do.
For additional race coverage, check out an additional race report via Liv Cycling by clicking on this link.
-words by Jess
-photos by the Nankmans and Sportograf Photography