Scott 24 Hour 2014 Race Wrap Up #TwentyFailHour

What more can I say?  My debut 24 hour solo ended with me laying in a defeated, exhausted, dehydrated and distraught mess.  To say I am disappointed with the result is an understatement.

As I don’t have much riding to report on for this Race Wrap Up, I’m going to quote some numbers before I get into the nuts and bolts of the time I spent on the bike.

Kilometres ridden in the two months before the Scott: 1167.8km
Metres climbed in the two months before the Scott: 23’851m
Time spent on the bike in the two months before the Scott: 56 hours 31 min
Average body weight while riding during the Trois Etapes: 72.5kg
Body weight 5 days prior to the Scott: 78.2kg
Body weight the morning of the Scott: 76.4kg
Body weight after retiring from the Scott: 71.2kg
Body weight 2 days after the Scott: 72.3kg

The Prep
My preparation in the weeks leading up to this event was ideal.  I was in the best shape of my cycling life, I was mentally prepared and my race plan was ready to go.

And then all my prep went down the drain.  Three days before the race I started feeling sick.  A feeling that rapidly evolved into a serious bout of diarrhoea and vomiting.  I effectively stopped eating solids and concentrated on trying to stay hydrated.

On the Friday before the race I headed out to Mt Stromlo with my Father, and set up my marquee and tent for the weekend.  I was lucky in that the twenty-four hours before the race start I was able to eat a proper meal without fear of having to find a toilet immediately.

On the morning of the race I woke up with my stomach churning, I felt hot and dizzy.  After I tried to eat something for breakfast I found myself alternating between sitting on and kneeling in front of the toilet.  Not a great start to my debut 24 hour solo racing career.

The Race
The hours and minutes preceding a race are quite strange.  I can range from jittery to anxious and calm before I even cross the start line.  On this day I was somewhat anxious.  I knew I was in a bad way physically before I even started pedalling, but I had invested too much time preparing not to start the race.

In the hour before the start I had vomited twice more and hadn’t eaten anything in the four hours since breakfast; which didn’t stay down.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t stay around for much of the rider’s brief; by the time it reached the ten minute mark and the sponsors were well and truly lubricated with an excess of accolades, I headed back to my marquee to get changed and ready to ride.

This skipping of the rider’s brief meant I missed the announcement that the solo riders were starting first.  After working this out I had about four minutes to get to the start line and begin what would become an excruciating experience in the saddle.

I started the race feeling relatively good to begin with.  I kept my cadence high and my heart rate down for the first lap.  I was being passed constantly, which for a 24 hour rider is apparently the norm.  I was running a 32T chain ring and 11-34 cassette on the rear.  I’ve never had any issues with this combo on steep climbs to date and was confident it would serve me well over this race.

The first lap was a brisk 43 minutes, a little bit faster than I intended by I still felt relatively all right considering the day’s leading up.  I rode through transition and headed out onto my second lap.  By the time I reached Bobby Pin Climb some 3km into the lap I was sweating profusely and feeling the urge to vomit.  I kept grinding along and by the time I reached the start of Tall Trees I had pulled over and purged my stomach contents all over the ground next to me.  This sudden and violent vomit fest enabled me to continue riding and reach transition for my third lap.

As I rolled into transition I stopped for a few minutes to swap out some bottles and check in with my support crew.  I put on my long sleeve shirt and knee warmers and  headed out again for what was to become another lap with another spew stop.

Laps four and five were similar with water being the only thing I was able to stomach without instantly retching and vomiting.  As I descended down Breakout towards Old Duffy’s Descent, I knew my race was going to end very soon.  Not five minutes later as I headed into the Crit Track I felt my stomach begin to cramp and I started to shiver uncontrollably.

I pulled into transition and got off my bike.  I found a comfortable spot in my tent and laid down for the next 45 minutes and contemplated what was going to happen next.  I had in my head that I could rest for a few hours and do a night lap or two, rest until morning and finish off with a few more laps before the 12pm cut off time.

My overly ambitious plan was also deeply flawed.  There was to be no more riding.  I was medically retired from the race just after the sun went down.  I was exhausted physically and mentally.  I was disappointed and I felt ashamed.

I had trained hard and had planned for this race.  I had carried the reputation of Soldier On and it’s supporters on my back and had failed.

This won’t be the last time I attempt a 24 hour solo and it won’t be the last time I ride for Soldier On; but for now it’s time for me to get back on the bike and enjoy riding again for what it is for me.  Recovery.

A huge thank you to everyone that sponsored me by donating to Soldier On.
An even bigger thank you to my Wife and Parents, friends, family and the Soldier On crew.