Oleta weekend recap

After the 1200 mile drive from PA to Miami Gary and I meet up with the wife and Girlwonder (both flew down) Friday afternoon for a little pre ride of the race course. I'd rode Oleta dozens of times having lived in the area for a couple years, but it was the first time for both Gary and GW. Was more of a good way for Gary and I to stretch our backs and legs then anything, but it was good.

Heading out of the hotel on race morning things were not looking good on the weather front.

But things cleared up just in time to set up the pit area and get the racer meeting in before start time.

Gary and I planned on riding together and the pace was nice and steady. Our laps times were in the hour range, but it's the pitting that slowed us down. This being his first endurance race he/we were wasting to much time in the pits. After the first 3-4 laps things were worked out and we cut our pit times in half, just now our laps times were slowing. Some of this was the course turning nasty from all the mud and some was just us slowing down, but that's how endurance races go.

Gary was rocking Hammer Nutrition products and loving them. But all I can say is that the Endurolytes he kept pumping into me every lap are now going to be a MUST for me on race day. I was taking two caps per lap until one minor cramp on lap seven (about eight hours in) then we bumped that up to four caps. Never had a problem again......HN Endurolytes here I come.

Things were going sweet till the 8th lap. About 15 minutes in I have no idea what happens but I just could not go. I still felt the same, I just keep falling back from Gary and my heart rate was about 5-8 beats lower. Gary keep rolling thru with me and we finished the lap 15 minutes slower then normal. Wanting some sugar fast I hit the Sweetarts......two small bags of these things and I was ready to rock.

Heading out for our ninth lap we knew we were gonna be cutting it close on the cut off time for a tenth lap. Know this we pushed a little harder in the first parts of the course, this was not a good thing for Gary. Halfway thru the lap he hit the same wall I did not the lap earlier. He nursed me thru my lap so I was happy to do the same for him. We did finish the lap but missed the cut off by about ten minutes, no big thing. We finished 6th and 7th out of 35 men and this being a low priority event for myself I was happy with that.

Girlwonder rocked out and placed 3rd in the women's solo 12. She's done two 12 hour events (the Tree Shaker 12 Hour Challenge being the other) and has a 2nd and 3rd place.....not to bad at all.

Looks like the "color change" will be complete in a couple of days, I'm still looking and doing paperwork. I'll get into all that once things are finished up.

Off to find my saddle now.....wonder how the legs are gonna like this?