12 Hours of Mesa (Messy) Verde 2012

Photo courtesy of Terry Gorsuch.

Well, another 12 hours of Mesa Verde in the books. No, I didn't make it in the top five on the podium but what I did do was ride my race/ride my way and finished strong which has been a hurdle here for me many times. Typically the heat gets to me as I like to go out hard and fast. Not this year, I chilled out on the first few laps and kept my wits about me. I didn't care who was behind me or in front of me. I wanted this year to be about ME finishing strong and not quitting before the race was over. Mission accomplished!!! I completed my 7th lap at 7:02 pm in 10th place out of 43 single speeders. Total of 116 miles and 9600 feet of climbing for the day. I ran a 32x20 on my Salsa Selma Ti frame. It was good. It was a stacked field. Out of the 12 hours I pedaled over 11 hours of that. I would pit a bit slower than normal; drinking a Coke between laps and trying to digest some food. I also wore a bladder on my back so I would hydrate more and that seemed to work well for me. I didn't eat a bunch of food but just enough to keep me going. Therma tabs were my best friend that day as I didn't cramp at all. The food I did eat would be some licorice, turkey wrap slices, some Hammer gels, a Hammer waffle, breakfast drinks and lots of water. Not much caffeine to speak of except the Coke's. I really think it went well. A big thank you to my wife and friends who helped me in the pits that day.

Congrats to all that raced well and even those who didn't ride well and had a rough day. The course is brutal after a few laps. In my opinion THE toughest endurance course out their in the 12 hour arena. Hand's down. After riding a few laps on Tuffy Rim the true beating starts to set in, especially on a hard tail. The course lets you know that you are a true mountain biker. This is endurance riding!

Photos here by Wildcat Studios.

http://wildcatstudios.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=8515677&g=304T00E414