24+ Hours of Insanity!!

It is amazing what the human body can accomplish and what new definitions we can put on the word "possible" when we push ourselves. This weekend, Chris competed in an insane event with 3 friends, Jeramy, Dave, and Josh - 24 Hours of Steamboat. Starting at noon yesterday, they took turns riding an 11 mile course, consisting basically of 5.5 miles of grueling uphill and 5.5 miles of fast, fun singletrack. Each lap had 2500 ft of vertical gain! The goal was for each rider to do 4 laps, that's 44 miles and nearly 2 miles of climbing each! Chris was the 3rd rider to go. His first lap was good and he felt really strong, although pretty nervous about what he had gotten himself into. The weather was HOT, but pleasant.

By about 9 the course was dark. You could make out dots of light as riders made their way to the start/finish. It was surreal. The first round of laps went well for the guys. Round two would be more eventful. Jeramy, the first rider, cramped up partway down the downhill and had to spend nearly an hour replenishing his electrolytes supply and getting a massage until he felt slightly better.

Dave was next, and was expected to finish around 9:30. We waited at the start/finish for Dave until 9:50, growing more worried by the minute. Eventually, we saw a pair of lights bobbing toward us - someone running, not riding. "Please don't be Dave, please don't be Dave", Chris muttered ... but to no avail. Dave had completely ripped his rear derailleur off, losing his chain and busting his rear wheel in the process. It happened at the top of the course, and so he had basically coasted and ran the final 5.5 miles back to us. We were glad he was okay, but concerned about his bike. Luckily, Dave is a bike whiz. He just happened to have a spare everything, and within an hour had his bike ready to go for lap 3.

Meanwhile, Josh's wife, Karen, had kind of vanished. She left for a long (15 mile!) run shortly after noon and it was now after 10. She had called Josh around 8 to say she had gotten lost, but hitched a ride with a nice woman who was driving her back to her car. That was the last we'd heard and Josh couldn't get in touch with her. He had to get ready for his next lap but he had to be severely distracted. Christine (Jeramy's wife) and I got Karen's vehicle information and left on an impossible mission to find her car ... all we knew was it was at a trailhead. Do you know how many trailheads there are around Steamboat?? Thankfully, she called Josh right after we left and said she was on her way back. Her 15 mile run had turned into a 30 miler and she was exhausted and dehydrated, but okay. Whew!!

By now I was pretty exhausted. I had ridden my mountain bike for a heavenly 3+ hours earlier and didn't have time for much of a dinner in all the excitement of the evening. I went down to wait for Chris to finish his 2nd lap, with his recovery drink and extra layers. I was nervous for him because this was his first night ride. After about 1:45, he came flying into the start/finish. "How was it?" I asked, tentatively. He was grinning ear to ear. "It was AWESOME!!", he shouted, drawing lots of happy glances our way. Well, I guess he had a good time! He was all jacked up on adrenaline. And Karen had made it back in time to see Josh off, so things were looking up.

I helped Chris get some things together back at our trailer and then went to bed just after midnight. Jeramy got up shortly after we hit the sack for his 3rd lap. We were all anxious for him, hoping his cramps were gone. Well, a few minutes after he left the trailer I heard a loud, "Owwwww!!!!". Jeramy toughed out that lap, cramping most of the way. While Chris and I slept, Dave left for his 3rd on his newly fixed bike.

At 2:45, Chris woke me up. He had to eat to get fueled up for his next ride, and I had to check in for a shift at the top aid station I had volunteered for from 3:30 to 8 AM - what was I thinking?? I met up with my fellow volunteer, Brian, and we were driven up to the aid station, passing many riders on the way up, suffering in the darkness. Our job at the aid station was simple - write down riders' numbers and times, offer food and water, and cheer them on as they summited the insane climb.

Not too long after I showed up, Dave passed, feeling good and with a functional bike - good news! He was happy to have a familiar face cheering him on. By about 4:30, we could make out a faint glow behind the mountains. The riders' long slog in darkness was almost over. This was a tough time for many of the riders, both physically and psychologically. Although Chris was on a 4-man team, there were many ways to compete, including solo! It is beyond my comprehension how the solo riders were able to do what they did. The winning solo man rode 16+ laps (176 miles!!!!!!!) and consistently had lap times under 1:40. The winning woman rode 10 laps, that's still a lot! The 2nd place woman "only" rode 8 laps, but she also had a stroke last year. These people are amazing.

Finally the sun came up. Dawn was beautiful. The Yampa River valley spread out below us and it seemed we could see forever. As the sun came up, birds began chirping and riders' spirits picked up - it was going to be a good day! Chris arrived around 6 AM, feeling good and actually a little disappointed to not be riding in the dark. He was psyched, although a little angry when I suggested he try a new carbohydrate gel that turned out to be gross. He set off flying down the singletrack.

Because of Jeramy's cramps, he took himself out of the race. The team turned to Josh, the ultrarunner, to do 2 laps in a row to make up for it. What a feat! He rode from 6:44-8:24 and then from 8:24-10:30, almost 4 hours of riding straight!

I came back to our trailer around 8:45 and the mood was relaxed. Jeramy and Dave were done, and Chris was actually excited to start his 4th lap. The team had pulled together when necessary, supported each other, and so far achieved its primary goal - to have fun. Chris was a little worried about bonking though, and I decided to come along to keep him company. Unfortunately, this was a last minute decision. I hadn't drank very much in the 6 hours since waking up and had just eaten half of a breakfast burrito. I was about to find out if sausage, sour cream, green chile, and beans make good pedaling fuel! But I was riding for the sheer joy of it. Watching so many exuberant bikers pedal by the aid station had made me yearn for a ride of my own. Besides, Chris had been riding all night and I had semi-fresh legs, it would be no problem.

Hah. Chris' blazing 3.7 mph pace up the mountain felt agonizing to me, but I stayed with him and we chatted and encouraged each other on the flatter sections. Every now and then I would sing the refrain to some random song - "I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike." After about 45 minutes I had a gel and immediately felt the effects. I was easily keeping up with Chris until my hamstring suddenly cramped up. Well, that was the end of that, I got off and walked as Chris hauled it to the top. I was so impressed by his stamina and strength. This was a huge accomplishment! He finished in 1:38, his second fastest time, still feeling good and loving life. Meanwhile, my cramps subsided and I had a blast on the rolling downhill. What a fun course, and so beautiful, winding through mixed lodgepole pine/aspen forests, and across wildflower-speckled meadows with infinite views of valleys and mountains. I finished about 5 minutes behind Chris, not too shabby.

So, now we are back home, somehow still awake, although probably not for long. This was a great event. There was so much energy in the people there, and it was cool to see the range of competitors - from awe-inspiring performances like the 16 lap solo effort, to the guys and gals out there just living life to the fullest and loving every pedal stroke, it was truly a 24 hours to remember!

I'll attach a picture of Chris, Dave, and Jeramy on a practice run over Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully I can put more pictures on shutterfly soon.