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Races - 24 HOGG '09

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Forum -> Races -> 24 HOGG '09
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Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Sun Aug. 02, 2009 4:36 pm
Looks like the Masters Team will have it's own Medical Support Team.
Ryderjag

Posts: 884

Posted: Sun Aug. 02, 2009 5:33 pm
I hope you don't need the medical support. Keep the rubber and the pasta down.........good luck.

If you need anything I have,,,,,,, give me a shout.

PJ
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Sun Aug. 02, 2009 6:35 pm
Everyone have their lights tested and ready to go? Ran mine through today.

On another note, I say the 4 person Sport team laps novice team by midnight and will lap masters by race end. :twisted:

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Sun Aug. 02, 2009 7:35 pm
It'll never happen Ken, there is a reason they call us Masters. But if by chance it could what kind of a victory would it be for you youngsters to beat a group of nice older gentlemen out for a leisurely bike ride? Besides you'll be changing diapers and feeding babies instead of sleeping so you'll be very tired during the second 12 hours of the race.
chrisnaimie

Posts: 112
Location: Bow

Posted: Sun Aug. 02, 2009 8:45 pm
Good to see some posts from you guys ... especially Dan and Dana.

I am ready to go ... and hoping for dry weather between now and next Monday.

A teammate of mine has been doing the weekly MTB series at the glen and will report back to me again this week regarding conditions there.

I am coaching this Friday morning (summer nordic training) ... so I will be arriving at the glen late in the afternoon. I am looking forward to seeing what type of land claims you early settlers have made!

I plan to give my team everything I have for as long as I can. My goals for the event have little to do with who I am faster than ... they have more to do with trying to make my final lap as fast as my first lap!!!
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Sun Aug. 02, 2009 9:06 pm
I'm with Chris,

[quote:12930caf81]and hoping for dry weather between now and next Monday.

I plan to give my team everything I have for as long as I can. My goals for the event have little to do with who I am faster than ... they have more to do with trying to make my final lap as fast as my first lap!!![/quote:12930caf81]

Tim What time / day are you heading up? It's sounding like Friday is the day. I will probably head up Friday to join the encampment.

PJ, if your new light isn't spoken for, I would love to have it along for a spare.

Ryan
Ryderjag

Posts: 884

Posted: Mon Aug. 03, 2009 5:47 am
Gurney made claims to the light. I do have an easy up. and camping stove (2 burners) that may prove useful.

P
WTG13

Posts: 120
Location: Claremont, NH

Posted: Mon Aug. 03, 2009 7:48 am
[quote:d144d18510="kwiley"]
On another note, I say the 4 person Sport team laps novice team by midnight and will lap masters by race end. :twisted:

-- Ken[/quote:d144d18510]

You'd better pack an extra lunch
 
www.masonracing.com
www.gtbicycles.com
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Mon Aug. 03, 2009 7:50 am
Ok PJ, will keep those in mind. Guess we have to get organized.

Ryan
timNkeene

Posts: 120
Location: keene, nh

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 6:25 am
I will be up Friday, leaving Keene around noon. How many canopy tents do we have? I can bring one. Dan the fire pit was a hit last year hope it makes it back. Anyone think of anything else we need?

Tim
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 6:35 am
Yes the fire pit is coming back. I'll bring a bunch of wood too but most of my wood consist of larger logs so if someone has some small stuff to start the fire bring that too. If not we'll just use various pieces of Kens clothing to start the fire.
DanaW

Posts: 567

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 8:21 am
Hey Chris,

Glad to see you are ready to go and look forward to seeing you at GG.

Ken's challenge will give me that little extra drive each lap when I could have been thinking about slouching in the middle of the night, since the MTBmind masters team won't be there this year.

Dan, I have some dry kindling that I am willing to get rid off in the fire. I may be up there before 10am Fri riding the course since I have a lunch engagement elsewhere in the afternoon.
Ryderjag

Posts: 884

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 8:55 am
Looks lke the Landsharks have a master team...........I can tell you they are hearty bunch that rides real well, you will have to be on your A game.


I would be surprised if anyone is lapped in the sport/master battle. Remember age and treachery can overcome youth and skill.

I am hoping to keep track online.
DanaW

Posts: 567

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 9:15 am
PJ,

That's great knowing the competition is there, win or lose it will be more fun, but winning will be the "funnest!!!"

So, you're staying up through the night to monitor our progess? That will give me another reason to keep my game on...
timNkeene

Posts: 120
Location: keene, nh

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 11:53 am
Ken-
Your way off !! we will lap both groups by midnight :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :lol: :lol:
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 2:57 pm
Are we re-instating the dress this year??
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 3:19 pm
http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200908/single-speed-world-championships-1.html

Ken are you thinking about something like this?
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 3:21 pm
As long as it fits you.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
chrisnaimie

Posts: 112
Location: Bow

Posted: Tue Aug. 04, 2009 8:35 pm
In preparing for this year's race I have been thinking about some of the best things I have brought to the race the other two times I have done it:
1. A fresh set of cycling clothing and wool socks for every lap (or set of laps if doing doubles) ... I am bringing 8 sets this year!
2. A 5 gallon bucket to throw all of the nasty clothing in after each lap ... I think I might bring two this year! When you get home, you can just pour the bucket into the washing machine!

See you Friday,
Chris

P.S. I will really miss PJ, Brian, Nathan, and Aaron ... they (along with Mark) really took good care of me when I raced solo two years ago!
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 8:03 am
Yes, and this time if you say something to me, I will double check to make sure I heard you correctly. "My legs are dead" is not quite the same as "My lights are dead".

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 8:11 am
Dana
Do you know if there will be a wireless connection available for the campers to get the real time race data? If so Helen and I will bring our laptops.
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 8:35 am
Chris,

Thanks for the info. I have some ideas but being a GG Virgin I might being missing the boat somewhere. If anyone else has any ideas they are much welcome.

So far I have the following list:

3 lights & chargers,
tool box,
bike,
helmet,
spare tubes & tires,
2 pair of cycling shoes,
all of my cycling clothes & socks,
wet bag for used clothes,
clothes to change into,
tent,
air mattress,
sleeping bags,
pillow,
alarm clock,
camp light,
toilet paper,
easily digestable and pre-prepared food (nothing to cook),
bars, gatorade, & elixir (i.e. the usual stuff)
couple gallons of water,
& money

Ryan

p.s. I figure the deodorant can stay home as the smell of the wild will help bring out my instinctual nature :lol:
chrisnaimie

Posts: 112
Location: Bow

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 9:59 am
Here is the trail conditions report I just received from my teammate who does the weekly Tuesday Night mtb series at Great Glen:

[color=green:3d3ba44114][i:3d3ba44114]Carriage roads are good, but the singletrack is littered with mudholes -- at the moment, the mudholes are not that long, but they are deep.

We didn't race on the whole 24 hr. course, but the siingletrack that does overlap is showing signs that it will be soupy, with many exposed roots/rocks.

You have fun out there. And bring bug spray -- and maybe a screenhouse.[/i:3d3ba44114][/color:3d3ba44114]
Brian

Posts: 854
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 10:00 am
Good list Ryan, other stuff we have found useful in the past:

Beer (Friday night and Sunday after your last lap)
Frisbee
Sun screen
Rope (Many uses pop up)
Trash bags
Disposable plates/cups/utensils
Sense of humor
Hammer
Grade stakes (again, many uses)
Tape (duct and electrical)

I disagree with the no cooking, warm food always feels good. Keep it simple stuff that just needs to be warmed on the stove. Raman noodles have been a popular choice by many. And do not pass up the cookout that is part of your entry fee, always good. The breakfast Sunday morning, well do that at your own risk.
 
[img:7c60f52a7e]http://www.team-pinnacle.org/albums/bc_personal/120x90.png[/img:7c60f52a7e]
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 10:50 am
Thanks Chris for the updated trail conditions. I suspect that is not likely to change between now and then. Weather outlook is really too good to be true, I'll believe it when I see it.

Thanks Brian, that is very helpful. I was planning on the cookout.

Does anyone have / use their own charging station or does pretty much everyone use the one provided?

Ryan
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 10:59 am
Ryan
Over the years I have seen guys use their car for recharging, use the charging station provided and I have seen guys bring extra batteries or use batteries that don't run out. It's all over the map. If you use the charging station you run the risk of having someone mistakenly take your battery plus it's quite a distance from the camp site.
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 11:46 am
Yeah, the risk of my battery going missing is what I would be concerned about.

My light has a 4-5 hour life on high power although I haven't run it that long in a long time. By my calculations if all goes evenly, we could each get (2) 2 lap night rides in, which theoretically would not exceed one charge on my battery. A full charge only takes 1.5 hours and a partial less, so preferably I'm thinking a charge between would be the safest root.

My NiteRider has 3 power settings on the main lamp plus 3 on the LED lamp. The LED will run for 60 hours but isn't ideal light. Never run the main lamp at a reduced level because I have never needed to but alternatively I could run the main lamp at one of the two reduced power levels and I would not need to recharge but when you have full power, don't you just want to use it.

So Dan, what are you doing about a recharge? What are others doing about a recharge?

Ryan
DanaW

Posts: 567

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 11:54 am
Dan,

I'm not sure if they have wireless there. I don't know what they're using to transmit results, could be by phone.

I do know that Granite State Race Services in NOT timing the event this year, so I don't know what technology is being used for the timing.

Dana
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Aug. 05, 2009 1:30 pm
Ryan
I won't be re-charging I can run 5.0hrs @ 700 lumens, 10.0hrs @ 350 lumens
or 20.0hrs @ 175 lumens.
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Thu Aug. 06, 2009 6:31 am
I talked with Mary at 24HOGG and she said it is their hope that the campers will be able to get wireless signal to view their positions during the race.
Gurney

Posts: 237

Posted: Thu Aug. 06, 2009 8:08 am
There's a couple of other items on the "stuff we need" list:

The Master's team is bringing up two EZ-ups, typically used for common areas for bike maintenance, cafeteria, and just hangin'. While we love to share, we have 12 racers, plus friends and family. If anyone can get more, please do so (has anyone snagged PJ's?).

We need a couple of folding tables to go in the EZ-ups, and Brian mentioned grade stakes. Does anyone have either?

If we all bring a little bit of firewood, we'll have a good night. The fire was a great addition last year, although I think just about everyone melted a piece of clothing using the fire as a dryer.

FWIW:

If your light has different output levels, on long climbs it can't hurt to turn down or even turn one off if you are running a bar and helmet light. I've always carried a small pocket LED flashlight as a backup, too. Never needed it, but I still carry it.

Finally, a warm jacket and a winter hat should be on the list of "stuff you need."

See y'all Friday.

Cheers,

Mark
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Thu Aug. 06, 2009 8:28 am
I'm pretty sure that I can get an E-Z up tent and a table.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
Gurney

Posts: 237

Posted: Thu Aug. 06, 2009 9:29 am
Grade stakes made from sustainable materials have been locally sourced.
timNkeene

Posts: 120
Location: keene, nh

Posted: Thu Aug. 06, 2009 9:54 am
I'm bringing an ez up tent.
jewels

Posts: 108
Location: Sunapee

Posted: Thu Aug. 06, 2009 8:50 pm
So, everyone's all packed up and ready to go tomorrow! You all know that those of us that aren't there with you this year in person are certainly there with you in spirit! We (I speak for Greg and for myself) wish you all fast, DRY laps and a very [b:33b5191932]uneventful[/b:33b5191932] event this year. I plan to watch you on real-time on the website whenever I can. Have fun and know that we're cheering you on even if we're not there with you! Have fun!

Julie & Greg
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Thu Aug. 06, 2009 9:09 pm
Thanks Julie.

Ryan
Nathan

Posts: 271
Location: Newbury/Newport

Posted: Fri Aug. 07, 2009 6:57 am
Good Luck TP @ GG!
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Fri Aug. 07, 2009 7:09 am
[quote:f7994da429="Nathan"]Good Luck TP @ GG![/quote:f7994da429]

Thanks Nathan. Its just not going to be the same without the Expert team up there this year. Hopefully you guys will be back next year.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
Nathan

Posts: 271
Location: Newbury/Newport

Posted: Sun Aug. 09, 2009 4:28 am
How about an update from the field? Is anyone packing a crack-berry at the race? :P Go Team Pinnacle!
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?
Brian

Posts: 854
Location: Newport

Posted: Sun Aug. 09, 2009 6:26 am
Here is the best updates you can get. The new scoring system rocks!

[url]http://www.grannygear.com/realtime/public/gg_index.php?view_race=grannyg_2009_greatglen[/url]
 
[img:7c60f52a7e]http://www.team-pinnacle.org/albums/bc_personal/120x90.png[/img:7c60f52a7e]
jewels

Posts: 108
Location: Sunapee

Posted: Sun Aug. 09, 2009 7:44 pm
Did you see? Did you see? All THREE of the TP groups [b:4a4735128a]WON[/b:4a4735128a] FIRST PLACE in their categories!! Way to go, Team Pinnacle (and CCD)! My, you make us proud! My reports are about rain, one "substantial" injury and a very jubilant win for everyone! Okay--so a good night's sleep, food and then STORIES! The "real time" was such a bonus! I will write to the 24HOGG folks and let them know how nice it was to be here, but still know what was going on there. Well done to all!

You will also appreciate the work that was done in you absence on the trails of your "training ground"--about 175 folks showed up for the first Jake Maxfield Connection event on Saturday!

How lucky are we to live in this community and in such a gorgeous state?

Julie.
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Mon Aug. 10, 2009 10:07 am
Very quick report. For all the rain we had, the trails were incredible. The mud was all rideable and the work they did on the plummet (they are now stairs) made that rideable for all categories for all 24 hours.

The Real Time scoring system was amazing. I loved being able to see exactly where we were for the entire race. I knew exactly who we were up against, there lap times, ect....

All the training paid off for me this year as the miles went by much faster than my 2 previous years. Thanks to Ryan for being willing to race this and Chris for driving all the way from TN just to race with us. Thanks to Tim for pulling some awesome lap times and being consistent. We did great guys.

Masters team and Beginners were awesome. I can't believe we got 3 first place finishes.

Also, as a side note. I have to give a big thanks to Mr. Currier. I have been riding with him a lot this year and he made me push myself harder than ever before to try and keep up with him. The biggest help was actually on the Monday before the race we went out and did a hill climb over 3 major climbs in Lebanon. As we were climbing them, he was comparing them to the 3 major climbs of 24HOGG. During the race, every time I got to one of the climbs, I would tell myself, this is nothing compared to King, and I can do King. Those hills were much shorter this year than previous years.

More details later.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Mon Aug. 10, 2009 12:58 pm
The Master team has been a long time in coming. I knew that if I kept riding long enough some of my buddies would be old enough to join me in this adventure. Dana, Chris, Mark and I made up the Team Pinnacle Master Team. Helen and I drove up to Great Glen early Friday morning with the truck full of camping and biking gear and enough food for a week?s stay. Upon our arrival we saw that Mark had staked out the perimeter of the campsite in anticipation of 12 Pinnacle/Cycle Depot riders and their support crews. We set up in the rain as usual. I have never seen a place where the weather changes as fast as it does there. Fortunately the strong wind and brief sunshine dried out the gear by the end of the day. At 4pm about 8 of us went out for a pre-ride or the course. We were all pleased with the good trail conditions. On the pre-ride Dana tacoed his front wheel. Not a good omen. There were no surprises on the course except for the improvements on the plummet where they inserted logs for drainage control. They acted like big steps and stayed rideable for the entire race for most riders. Helen, Mark and I stayed in Friday night for a campsite steak dinner and later we had a small camp fire. Mark worked late into the night with his pencil and clip board talking to himself as he played out different strategies for our victory. (Must be an engineer thing). Various teammates arrived through Friday and early Saturday. After the rider meeting at 10:30am we got together for a team picture then fully fueled on banana bread and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies we were ready for the racing to begin. Our order was Mark for the run followed by Chris, me then Dana. We all had good first runs then on my second lap I broke the chain at about one mile into the course. It broke at the cottage drive way after the steep hill. I coasted down to the parking lot and repaired the chain but stupid me I did not run it through the derailleur correctly and I had limited gearing and an awful noise. Eventually it stopped working and I would mess with it again to get it going. I ran about 3 miles of the second lap. Back at camp I replaced the chain and put on a new derailleur with the help of Todd the mechanic racer on our novice team. This lap was such a bummer. I was happy with my riding on the first lap and felt good. The stress and energy used to complete the second lap hit me hard. The rest of my laps were good and I had a fun night time double starting at 3am. Riding at night is odd, it?s like time and space are not connected. You are ridding in this dark tunnel with not much reference to location then all of a sudden you are at this hill or that obstacle. Even if you are slower at night the time you spend out there seems shorter. I had a few off bike experiences with the usual cuts and abrasions but no injuries that restricted performance. At about the halfway point it looked like we were stuck in second place and we resolved to not get bumped to third. Chris injured himself quite seriously and we needed to put him in charge of the clip board. After about two more laps we were in first place. The joke was that Chris has superior clip board strategy. But in reality the first placed team was DQed because they had two riders under 45 on their team. The last lap was assigned to me and I was told to not come in before noon and if I did I would have to do another lap. So I took the last lap as a tourist in the woods and got to see all the beautiful features of these trails and roads. When you are racing you don?t see much of the surroundings. I really enjoyed this last 8 miles the best except for the last part where someone disturbed a hornets? nest and the trail went directly through the middle of the angry bugs. Camp life was good. We always had warm food to eat a fire in the pit and support from our crews. Helen took a bunch of pictures and they?ll be up soon. The Real Time scoring feature was great. As soon as you crossed the line your time was posted and you could see where you and the competition stood. Family and friends were able to watch us online from the comfort of their homes. All three Pinnacle Cycle Depot teams took first place in their divisions. Thank you to all those supporters out there and team mates Mark, Dana and Chris. A big thank you to Helen for putting up with my crazy hobby and seeming to have fun too.
Dan
Gadget

Posts: 50
Location: Newport

Posted: Mon Aug. 10, 2009 3:28 pm
Edited: Mon Aug. 10, 2009 3:40 pm

Since I cannot seem to add photos to this site, you can see the pics from the race at: [url]http://picasaweb.google.com/hmoneill/24HoursOfGreatGlen2009?feat=directlink[/url]

Enjoy.

Had a great time once more. Outstanding performances by all 3 teams.

I will certainly miss going to this if Dan insists it is the last one!

H
 
It doesn't matter where you go in life .... it's who you have beside you.
Gadget

Posts: 50
Location: Newport

Posted: Mon Aug. 10, 2009 3:38 pm
Here are a few bonus scenery pics from the trip to 24 HOGG for those that may want them.

[url]http://picasaweb.google.com/hmoneill/SceneryFromTripToGreatGlen2009?feat=directlink[/url]

:)

H
 
It doesn't matter where you go in life .... it's who you have beside you.
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Tue Aug. 11, 2009 7:28 pm
Chris, Tim, Ryan, where are you????

We need to hear from some beginners too!!

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
timNkeene

Posts: 120
Location: keene, nh

Posted: Tue Aug. 11, 2009 8:50 pm
Wow! We did it guys ? teamwork and a little luck!!
No flats, no light failures, no mechanicals, no missed transitions, no injuries, and consistent riding efforts led us to victory.

30 laps completed
Distance Travelled: 249 miles (Great Glen, to Newport and back to Glen, NH)
Elevation Gain: 35550 ft (Mt Everest)
Sport Class place: 1
Overall place: 9

We started with the lead in the Sport class and never looked back, we extended our lead on almost every lap following. Once everyone had rotated through two times we had a good lead, I thought we would be fine but you never know what is going to happened especially at night. I told everyone we have to keep building this lead b/c anything can happen. I felt much better after a successful series of night laps and we were still in the front. Then came the final nail ? we posted 3 ? 46 min laps and a 55 and went up by a lap and 15 minutes, we didn?t need the last lap (30) but I wanted to do a victory lap and man it was sweet!! I had a tear in my eye as I came in to tent for the last time! I am so proud of our guys ? Chris, thanks of driving (16 hours one way) from Knoxville, TN, to race with us it was fun racing together again, - Ken, your really strong, you posted some fine lap times and I see Expert in your near future. Ryan, we couldn?t have done it without you, glad you were part of the winning effort ? your 1 for 1 you can?t ask for a better record than that. One thing, I?m not sure we can go back as a sport team, we might be called sandbaggers!

And also I want to congratulate the Masters Team ? Mark, Chris, Dan and Dana and the Beginner Team ? Jeremy, Robin, Todd, and Jason on their victories. What a great weekend!

Thanks to all the wives, kids and friends who were there in support, we appreciate you!!

Email I just got from Chris---
We're back in K'town, safe and sound. Tell everyone Thank You! from all of us! We had a great time.

How about that realtime scoring that was awesome!!

Tim T
WTG13

Posts: 120
Location: Claremont, NH

Posted: Wed Aug. 12, 2009 7:54 am
What can I say that hasn't already been mentioned...

What a wild ride! Not only this race but this race season so far! I've been riding bikes for a long time, but when Jeremy asked last winter if I would be interested in doing 24HOGG it changed my whole outlook completely. Spent the whole winter in the gym or on a spinner/trainer for the sole purpose of being prepared for this one race. Started racing on the EFTA circuit to get some "race seat time" in to get the feel of it. This was unlike anything I have ever done before. The physical and mental aspect was huge... and it was awesome! On Friday afternoon when we arrived after we set up camp we got out the wipe board and layed down a tentative schedule using 1 hour lap times as a guideline. The whole douple lap thing for the evening was a "grey" area and we weren't sure quite how to tackle it. During the preride on Friday afternoon I can remember thinking to myself that the course was way to much fire road. Then comes Saturday morning. We're getting everything situated and before I knew it Robin was running around the pond and was on his bike. Now ready or not here we come! Robin comes back from his first lap running in with a broken chain and is full of fire! His lap was a 44:41 and he ran for the last mile! I scan out and go out on my first lap thinking well, go hard but save some for later. 48 minutes later I'm back and this thing is well under way. At the end of out second cycle (8 laps) we are an hour and twenty minutes in front of where we thought we'd be, so our preliminary schedule was out the window. All of us were riding well and we were opening up a good lead on second place. We decide to go through one more round of single laps and then do one cycle of doubles which would get us to 6am just in time for the bag pipe guy :D
I got the 12am - 2am (ish) shift, and I must say that I ride throughout the fall every year with lights but this was weird! It felt like I was alone in the woods! Trying to sleep, eat and drink were every bit as hard as riding the bike. We started and finished the night laps 2 laps ahead and never looked back. I was the fortunate one to get to do the "victory" lap for our team. I was entering the singletrack just after mile 7 as I heard the cannon go off. As I entered the shute and could see the tent and the base area, it felt amazing! Coming into the roped off grassy area and just giving it 110% for the last time, like Tim mentioned above, brought a tear to my eye too. Rob (our support guy) had been shaking a PBR for about 5 minutes and as I crossed through the archway he sprayed me with it! SWEET VICTORY!!!!!!!

Let me say this: I loved this race! I will definately do this again!

Big thanks to all, but the following people get 2 thumbs way up:

Rob- Without his hard work keeping us on schedule, waking us up, helping with repairs, and keeping us fed and our spirits up none of this would have been possible... He is the MVP of our team
Jeremy- Without you asking me to be a part of this, I would be reading this again this year thinking, "that sounds like fun, I'd like to try that".
Mark Gurney- You may not be aware, but I rode your wheel throughout the preride taking mental notes and listening to everything you had to say. Your constant positive attitude and insite were priceless. Thank you sir!
Sport team- As you guys move up (as you should) the next team to take that spot has big shoes to fill, and I'm very happy to be a part of that as you guys move along to expert... good job guys!
 
www.masonracing.com
www.gtbicycles.com
kwiley

Posts: 940

Posted: Wed Aug. 12, 2009 8:57 am
This is my 3rd year doing 24HOGG and I really wanted to win this year. The first step to that is putting together a strong team. I knew Tim was going to be strong and I knew that Ryan would rise to the occasion. The fact that we were able to get another rider just as strong as Tim made me think that we actually would have a chance this year. My only concern at this point was to make sure that I was not a disappointment for the team. This year I was going to train hard and consistent and be strong for the race. As it turns out, my training went very well this year and I was stronger than I expected.

I arrived at Great Glen around 3:30 on Friday just as some rain was coming down. I helped Ryan setup his tent in the rain and when the rain stopped, I setup my own tent. Afterwards, most of the guys headed out for a pre-ride, but I hung back with my family waiting for Tim and Chris to arrive. By the time they arrived, it was getting pretty late, so there was no pre-ride for me. At this point, my family and I checked into our hotel room and then went to Mr. Pizza?s for dinner.

Saturday morning rolls around, and I start eating as early as possible. As always, I start out with sausage, egg and cheese on a bagel. Nutrition was a big deal for me this year. The 2 previous years I started having stomach pains about 2 laps into the race and would never recover. This year I wasn?t going to let that happen. Throughout the race, I made sure to constantly be eating real food. This worked out quite well since I didn?t have a stomach ache that lasted longer than 30 minutes and I didn?t eat even a single Gu or Cliff bar the entire race.

The race starts with the cannon going off. Chris is in a good position and comes in with only elites and experts ahead of him. We take the lead at this point and never relinquish. Tim headed out for his lap and gets back with a great time. Now its my turn. I had been warming up on my trainer before my lap and this seemed to help because my legs were not burning as they normally are. I make it over the first climb on the other side of Rt. 16 and up the bench cut section without any mistakes or slowdowns. This is a first for me even on the first lap. Usually by this time I am already winded. I knew that I was going to feel good. I make it to the carriage road and start cranking. I am flying through sections that usually slow me down. At this point, I am dreading the long rocky climb that always seems to kill me every year. I make it and before I realize it, I am up and over the top. I think to myself, did they shorten that. It was wayyyy to easy. Oh well, not going to complain. I continue through the course, make it down the shute and through the finish line with the fastest overall Sport lap. How sweet is that, I didn?t lose our first place position. My second lap felt great also and turns out to be the second fastest lap overall for sport.

My favorite part of the night was about half way through my second lap of my doubles. It was about 1:30 in the morning and I am coming up on a rider in blue. I look at his number, it is 124, the second place team. I catch up and pass. He tries to stay on my wheel for a minute, but when we make it to a climb, I turn on the heat and drop him. YESSS, we have lapped second place. I get to the finish, check the results and sure enough, we are a lap up on second place.

The rest of the race continued quite uneventfully. We kept the pressure on just because anything can happen. The only thing that concerned me was right at the end when a team all of a sudden pops into the 4 person sport division and they are only minutes behind us. Apparently, they were registered as Masters, but had 2 guys under 45. Fortunately, we would have beaten them anyhow, but they were DQ?d, so it didn?t matter.

I still can?t believe we won and can?t believe we managed to get in 30 laps. That is awesome. Congrats again to the masters and beginners teams.

As Tim stated, huge thanks to Family and Friends for your support. The race just wouldn't be the same without you.

Helen - You need to make sure Dan keeps racing 24HOGG. Not sure what I would do without your Banana bread and cookies.

Mark - You should look into doing a "Strategies for racing 24HOGG" class. Looks like Jason and I have both benefited from having you around.

Chris - hope your feeling better.

Looks like 4 person Expert is on the horizon. Lots of work to do for that one for sure.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini
Ryderjag

Posts: 884

Posted: Thu Aug. 13, 2009 9:41 am
Great stuff, I actually followed it a bit......online. Looked like a great effort. that timing system rocks.....Down here in PA, I could tell when something went wrong and when things were firing on all cyclinders. What happend on Dan's masters lap.... I think he was out or Gurney, and no time checked in. I thought something broke or got hurt, then checked a bit later, and back in business.

Well done teams.....once you recover, I want to put a bug in your ear.

I am thinking......road trip. Big Bear, West Virginia.

PJ
Forum -> Races -> 24 HOGG '09
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