RIP to the 4 hours lost…12 to 8 Hours of Santos
Event: 12 Hours of Santos
What: 12 hour mountain bike race
Organizer: Gone Riding
Where: Santos Trail System, Ocala.
Florida
When: February 17, 2024
This is a usual
yearly event for the Nankmans. It’s a great way to escape the cold and snowy
weather of Pennsylvania. We use this as our pre-season testing grounds to
determine how our riding and training is going so far this year. To make the
travels even more worth it Joël and I have family and friends in the area that
we visit. Racing, riding, and visiting
all in one quick trip south.
Quick tutorial
on 12 Hours of Santos. 12 hour mountain
bike race. Lap format; approximately
nine mile laps. Race winner determined
by most laps the in 12 hours of race time. Course is primarily flat, twisty,
sandy trails with a few good rock gardens and short punchy climbs thrown in.
Leaving Pennsylvania on Thursday morning we made good time getting to Florida. Driving our self-converted Dodge Ram hightop camper van we slept in a rest stop overnight and arrived at the race site, the Vortex Trailhead of the Santos Trail System in Ocala, around noon on Friday. Arriving at this race early is key to getting a good parking spot. By mid afternoon on Friday most spots along the race course are already taken. Being that Joël and I each race 12 hour solo event and are self-supported getting a spot directly along the route is essential for our event. Our “pit” which is all our food, coolers, equipment, clothing is kept in our van so we need to have our vehicle directly along the course for easy access. Additionally, our dog Clifford accompanies us to all races so we always want to get a good parking spot that allows our pooch shade, easy access to the forest for roaming and nature breaks, and that is not too busy or noisy for him. All this being said, however, if we do arrive to this event late we have a wonderful friend Jimmy along with his teammates and family who always offer us a spot to park with them. We thank them for always being supportive and helpful to Joël and I!
Friday evening was uneventful. Staying on-site we had dinner and a movie at the van. We chatted with neighbors and caught up with others we usually see at this race. Registration was quick and easy. Both Joël and I felt ready to race for 12 hours the next day.
Saturday
morning, race day, we woke up to clouds and cooler temperatures. Poofy jackets, hats, and gloves were needed
attire while getting ready. I donned a
light weight undershirt and even put on a light jacket; not what I expected to
wear while riding in Florida. Rumor had it rain was expected later in the day.
Oh well, adverse conditions are all part of racing. And hey, a little challenge lets the real
competitors shine through because it tests both the physical and mental
toughness.
12 Hours of Santos starts with a LeMans start, meaning racers set their bikes
along a predetermined area of the trail and run to their bikes from the start
line. It’s a way to spread out the pack so that not everyone is trying to enter
the trail on their bikes at the same time.
For those that are competing in the 12 hour solo race this is usually
just a light jog or even walk. No point in wasting too much energy or slipping
and tripping while trying to run in cycling shoes.
For both Joël
and I the start and first few hours of the race went well. We were both riding as expected. We both felt
strong; riding along at the effort we wanted for a good race but also that
could sustain for 12 hours. Our minds
felt good and we were mentally ready for 12 hours. Nutrition and hydration were right on. Stopping
at our pit for supplies was quick and efficient. Everything was in place for a superb 12 hours
of racing and we were both working our way towards top podium finishes.
As mentioned in the opening statement, this event is used a gauge for what has come and what is to come. Is our training going as it should? Or do we need to change something? As both Joël and I get older we know we need to mix things up to prevent overuse injuries and to help challenge our bodies to stay fit and strong. More recovery in rest days and recovery workouts. More cross training with hiking and running and plyometrics. In addition, I have added strength training in a few times a week. Hey, I am a woman well into my 40s and I need to combat age-related changes since muscle and bone loss are happening. Also, I need to find other ways to get stronger and faster and reduce my bike time just to mix things up. Enter Main Street Gym and the experience and knowledgeable personal trainer (and gym owner) Kevin. With his guidance and gym sessions I am hoping for good things for 2024. 12 Hours of Santos was the first test for all of these things.
Now, back to
the race and the changes that were about to ensue.
Six hours in and everything was right on. I was feeling great; pedaling along and feeling like the next six hours would be just as fast and strong. I was in the lead and making my lead growing. Joël was also having a great ride. He was just off a podium spot but was gaining on those in front of him and felt confident he could move up to an award. This is when things changed. The rain hit. A light rain at first, not too big of a deal. The course got sick and some of the rocky areas became quite sketchy. But that’s fine, it is what racing is all about and all riders had to deal with the same conditions. Both Joël and I, along with all the other riders, just rode smart. We used caution in the slippery areas, took our time in the technical areas, even walked at times. Some riders opted to stop for a bit to wait out the rain. Riders added extra layers to combat the temperature drop and wet conditions; who knew I would need insulated gloves, a long sleeve jersey, and rain jacket in Florida but I did! Ready for adversity the Nankmans were ready to pedal on and finish out the last four hours not matter what.
Until we didn’t have to. Unknown until we each crossed
through the lap start/end area the race was being stopped at eight hours.
Surprise! Essentially riders were being
told this as they finished their laps at this time. Concern for course conditions and rider
safety prompted the decision and everyone understands and respects that. But what a bummer. I was in the lead but wanted to see how much more I could increase that lead. Joël was 4th but was just minutes behind those riders in front of him; if
given four more hours to ride and/or knowing he only had one more lap to ride
he feels he could have caught and passed riders. However, the real disappointment was that
neither Nankman really got to ride to their full potential. We didn’t really get to see what the full 12
hours would bring us. This was supposed to be our early season testing ground. We were both feeing so strong and ready to continue our ride. Were all those hours in the gym helping me? Was it the cross training helping Joel? We can only surmise? We will just have to hope that what we
learned in the eight hours…that we felt strong and were ready to ride four more
hours just as strong, will be sufficient to get us started for 2024.
RIP in the four hours we lost but here’s to eight hours of great riding.
Support by:
- - Words by Jess
- - Photos credit to Joël and the Gone Riding team