Furnace Creek 508 ... woo-hoo Peter and Jack!

[RABikes2]

Outstanding showing at the Furnace Creek 508 this past weekend by our local forumite celebrities, Peter Burnett (Peter B) and Jack Brunk (Jack Brunk). Peter was part of a two tandem team and Jack was part of a four man team. Sounds like the conditions got pretty demanding during the race. Way to go ... great finish guys!

Peter - Scarab
Two Tandem Team 40+
509.58 miles in 31:25:12
Fifth overall and first tandem team

And Jack Brunk's information from the results page were:

Jack - Prairie Falcon
Four man team 50+
509.58 miles in 40:11:53

If I missed any other forumites, my apologies. Speak up if you were there.
http://www.the508.com/index.html

CONGRATULATIONS Peter and Jack! Woo-hoooo!! :banana:

RA
How about details or ride reports? :D

[soulspinner]

Great job you guys :beer:

[Jack Brunk]

Tom Byrnes Prairie Falcon

Willy Of Pacifica

I'll post later. I'm still seeing feeling wind and sand. what a race.

[Peter B]

Thanks RA!

Jason (Rudawkning) was there too as a last minute replacement on a four-man team. He had stage 4 from Furnace Creek to Shoshone and #8 from Amboy to the fnish in 29 Palms. Jack had #3 & #7, Trona to Furnace Creek via 5000' Townes Pass and then from Kelso to Almost Amboy.

#4 heads due south down Death Valley for 45 miles of modest rollers before turning east and climbing Jubilee Pass (~1400'), descending and then Heading up to Salisbury Pass (~3400'). The headwinds on this stretch were steady 25-30mph with gusts over 40, and they blew that way ALL night and well into the next morning. The 'Death Valley Death March was one of my pulls and it was the strongest wind I've ever ridden into. We had the tandem heeled over at least 20* whenever the road took a bend to the east and the wind would assail us from the side. Took over 5 hours to travel 45 miles to the base of the Jubilee climb and we reeled in and passed in every rider we saw. 8 DNF's rolled by us on that stretch. I was pleased this morning to learn that Jason completed this wicked pull! He get's my vote for rookie hardman!

I only saw Jack at the start and missed him at the breakfast today.

Ride report please Jack. How was the climb up Townes Pass? And how did e-DA do in the desert?

Willy Nevin (willyinpacifica) was there as a solo. I saw a DNF in Death Valley so I'd guess the wind got him. Please post up a report Willy. Oh and I have one of your totem door magnets. Prairie Dog found it on the highway and gave it to me at breakfast today. I'll bring it to Foxy's in two weeks.

Any other forumites there?

[David Kirk]

Very nice work Gentlemen.

dave

[Jack Brunk]

Thanks RA!

Jason (Rudawkning) was there too as a last minute replacement on a four-man team. He had stage 4 from Furnace Creek to Shoshone and #8 from Amboy to the fnish in 29 Palms. Jack had #3 & #7, Trona to Furnace Creek via 5000' Townes Pass and then from Kelso to Almost Amboy.

#4 heads due south down Death Valley for 45 miles of modest rollers before turning east and climbing Jubilee Pass (~1400'), descending and then Heading up to Salisbury Pass (~3400'). The headwinds on this stretch were steady 25-30mph with gusts over 40, and they blew that way ALL night and well into the next morning. The 'Death Valley Death March was one of my pulls and it was the strongest wind I've ever ridden into. We had the tandem heeled over at least 20* whenever the road took a bend to the east and the wind would assail us from the side. Took over 5 hours to travel 45 miles to the base of the Jubilee climb and we reeled in and passed in every rider we saw. 8 DNF's rolled by us on that stretch. I was pleased this morning to learn that Jason completed this wicked pull! He get's my vote for rookie hardman!

I only saw Jack at the start and missed him at the breakfast today.

Ride report please Jack. How was the climb up Townes Pass? And how did e-DA do in the desert?

Willy Nevin (willyinpacifica) was there as a solo. I saw a DNF in Death Valley so I'd guess the wind got him. Please post up a report Willy. Oh and I have one of your totem door magnets. Prairie Dog found it on the highway and gave it to me at breakfast today. I'll bring it to Foxy's in two weeks.

Any other forumites there?

Peter,

Terrific job my friend. You guys were super strong in a epic weekend of what ultra distance racing is about.
Climb up Townes pass was brutal beyond. Lower third was really hard with constant 30mph winds from the northeast. Middle third had 40 plus mph which at times I was unable to hold myself in my lane of traffic. At that point my 34-28 gearing was not enough and probably putting out 400 plus watts to hold 3 mph finally fried me. I walked a little bit and was finally able to clear the climb but man it was let's say EPIC. Going down the pass was where we encountered wind speeds of 50-60 with higher gusts that made for down right dangerous conditions. I stopped approx 5 miles down when I couldn't control my bike as the gusts from the winds were throwing my rear wheel from under me. As I stood in front of the truck I couldn't keep my bike on the ground and it would lay straight out in front of me 5 feet off the ground. Like you guys Stove Pipe Wells turned into a 30 mile sufferfest that literally cause me to projectile you know what as my stomach couldn't handle the level of effort.
Stage seven was better with winds in the 20mph range and I was able to complete it in less than 2 hours of ride time. That climb being 14 miles just goes and goes.

Average stage time for stage four was 8.5 hours(all riders) when it should of been 3.5 hours.

Di2 was perfect all weekend with no hiccups and that included nasty sandstorms and anything that came along. It's top quality for sure.

Everyone was in agreement that this was the worst weather conditions since 1999. That's why the 508 is what it's advertised to be, the toughest 48 hours in sports. Again great job.

[Matt-H]

Inspiring, to say the least. Congrats to all!

[stephenmarklay]

My goodness that is crazy. I did a century this weekend in the windy conditions in WA state and it was slow going. But 508 in the wind!!!!

My home town fanatic Michael Emde took #2 :) What a showing.

[cleavel]

Peter and Jack, great work out there!

My clubmates did a 2-man team -- fixed, Missing Lynx. They finished in something a bit under 38 hours. Haven't heard from them yet.

[Louis]

2-man team -- fixed

That is insanity plain and simple.

I wonder what kind of cadence they were able to maintain in those winds.

[rwsaunders]

Nice work boys, as I noticed that there were a few Forumites who hit the desert hard. Hats off to you.

[Steve in SLO]

Jack,
Great summary of what was truly an EPIC ride; no black and white photos needed.
What was your steed of choice?

[fiamme red]

That is insanity plain and simple.

I wonder what kind of cadence they were able to maintain in those winds.Several riders have completed the event solo on a fixed-gear, including Emily O'Brien -- twice!

http://www.ultracycling.com/about/obrien_profile.html

http://www.teamquad.org/2006/10/furnace-creek-508-race-report.html

[Jack Brunk]

Jack,
Great summary of what was truly an EPIC ride; no black and white photos needed.
What was your steed of choice?
Steve,

I rode my Giant TCR with Di2. Both were perfect throughout the whole ride. Wheels were not the best choice with edge 68 rear and 45 up front. There was a 21 year old girl who was doing the race on a fixed gear and doing it solo. It was really hard to watch her struggle going up townes pass. On the decent as I was walking she came by me unable to control her bike as she couldn't put enough back pressure to slow the bike. I got back on and was able to catch up to her and at this point she is crying and I'm feeling really bad for her. I rode along side her until she was finally able to get off the bike. She then really broke down and started crying even harder. I believe she finally DNF'd somewhere around Furnace Creek. Aye Aye is her totem. What a truly strong person she is at such a young age. She is a veteran of the race.

[Bud_E]

Steve,

I rode my Giant TCR with Di2. Both were perfect throughout the whole ride. Wheels were not the best choice with edge 68 rear and 45 up front. There was a 21 year old girl who was doing the race on a fixed gear and doing it solo. It was really hard to watch her struggle going up townes pass. On the decent as I was walking she came by me unable to control her bike as she couldn't put enough back pressure to slow the bike. I got back on and was able to catch up to her and at this point she is crying and I'm feeling really bad for her. I rode along side her until she was finally able to get off the bike. She then really broke down and started crying even harder. I believe she finally DNF'd somewhere around Furnace Creek. Aye Aye is her totem. What a truly strong person she is at such a young age. She is a veteran of the race.

From someone who cries when my chamois chafes a little, she and all of you have my undying respect and awe. Very inspiring.

[znfdl]

All:

Very nice effort.

Maybe my contraction of Lyme disease which prvented me from doing the solo 508 was fortuitous..... ;)

[RudAwkning]

I was out there as well. I didn't even know I was riding until last Sunday when i got the call. A friend of a friend had to bow out due to a torn hamstring, so the injured fellow (Dan Sauer) took my place as crew for Mike Deichtman (Unladen Swallow) and I stepped in as #4 for Team Clownfish.

I had stages 4 and 8. 4 was absolutely brutal. 25% DNF rate on this section. It took me 8 hrs and 45 minutes to ride 72 miles. 30-40mph headwinds.

I also had the final leg and we finished at around 11:30pm on Sunday.

This was my first Ultra, and it was unforgettable.

I'm ready to tackle this thing agian next year. I've already been invited to a 2 man fixed gear relay. I also want to hit this one solo (gotta get my own totem!!!!!).

Thanks to my teammates Anna, Brian and Tom for making this happen!

Jason
("Team Clownfish member 2009)

[RudAwkning]

Thanks RA!

Jason (Rudawkning) was there too as a last minute replacement on a four-man team. He had stage 4 from Furnace Creek to Shoshone and #8 from Amboy to the fnish in 29 Palms. Jack had #3 & #7, Trona to Furnace Creek via 5000' Townes Pass and then from Kelso to Almost Amboy.

#4 heads due south down Death Valley for 45 miles of modest rollers before turning east and climbing Jubilee Pass (~1400'), descending and then Heading up to Salisbury Pass (~3400'). The headwinds on this stretch were steady 25-30mph with gusts over 40, and they blew that way ALL night and well into the next morning. The 'Death Valley Death March was one of my pulls and it was the strongest wind I've ever ridden into. We had the tandem heeled over at least 20* whenever the road took a bend to the east and the wind would assail us from the side. Took over 5 hours to travel 45 miles to the base of the Jubilee climb and we reeled in and passed in every rider we saw. 8 DNF's rolled by us on that stretch. I was pleased this morning to learn that Jason completed this wicked pull! He get's my vote for rookie hardman!

I only saw Jack at the start and missed him at the breakfast today.

Ride report please Jack. How was the climb up Townes Pass? And how did e-DA do in the desert?

Willy Nevin (willyinpacifica) was there as a solo. I saw a DNF in Death Valley so I'd guess the wind got him. Please post up a report Willy. Oh and I have one of your totem door magnets. Prairie Dog found it on the highway and gave it to me at breakfast today. I'll bring it to Foxy's in two weeks.

Any other forumites there?

Thanks Peter! Getting props from guys like yourself and Graham Pollock (he was at the finish line and congratulated me) means a LOT! I never thought I'd be doing an Ultra this year. And I never imagined it would be this difficult.

Team Prarie Dog included my friend Louise McCracken. She rode with my teammate Anna last year on Team Kites.

It's amazing how intimate and supportive this Ultra community is. I felt like I was coming in as an outsider. I ended up knowing 20 or so of the participants from various doubles. And ended up making just as many new friends.

I think I'm in love with the girl on team Addax :D

[Keith A]

I had stages 4 and 8. 4 was absolutely brutal. 25% DNF rate on this section. It took me 8 hrs and 45 minutes to ride 72 miles. 30-40mph headwinds.That is brutal! Just above 8 mph average.

[RudAwkning]

Steve,

I rode my Giant TCR with Di2. Both were perfect throughout the whole ride. Wheels were not the best choice with edge 68 rear and 45 up front. There was a 21 year old girl who was doing the race on a fixed gear and doing it solo. It was really hard to watch her struggle going up townes pass. On the decent as I was walking she came by me unable to control her bike as she couldn't put enough back pressure to slow the bike. I got back on and was able to catch up to her and at this point she is crying and I'm feeling really bad for her. I rode along side her until she was finally able to get off the bike. She then really broke down and started crying even harder. I believe she finally DNF'd somewhere around Furnace Creek. Aye Aye is her totem. What a truly strong person she is at such a young age. She is a veteran of the race.

That was Deanna. She's crazy hardcore. She wants to do the Badwater Run barefoot! She also suffers from epilepsy. Props to her for making it as far as she did.

[RudAwkning]

Peter and Jack, great work out there!

My clubmates did a 2-man team -- fixed, Missing Lynx. They finished in something a bit under 38 hours. Haven't heard from them yet.

I saw quite a bit of those guys out there. Really nice guys. Our team was in their vicinity until we missed the turn onto Panamint. 4 miles off course and 4 miles to get back on track did not make our rider happy. Especially since the 4 miles were climbing. He was already doing the longest stage (almost 100 miles) with the tallest summit (5000').

Tell them that the Clownfish say "hi"!

[Jack Brunk]

Deanna was awesome and I'm sure she could complete the Badwater barefoot. My crew chief who is not a cyclist keep saying all weekend that what he was seeing is impossible to describe to people. They would have to see it to believe how terrible the conditions were. That is why the Furnace Creek is the toughest 48 hours in sport.

Jason you guys did a great job. Dave Kirk would be proud that one of his bikes was used in the race. His fillet brazing is beyond perfect. Again great job and it was nice visiting with you Friday afternoon.

[ericspin]

Steve,

I rode my Giant TCR with Di2. .


Jack,

As I live vicariously through those who have more bikes than I, curious about what made you chose that particular bike from your fleet? I always love to hear what was involved in such a decision or was it just a whim (doubt it)?

I have been interested lately to hear you praise your off-the-shelf bikes so highly........your Giant and Cannondale. Sometimes I think we (I) get hung up on the bike needing to be custom.

Thanks

[Jack Brunk]

Jack,

As I live vicariously through those who have more bikes than I, curious about what made you chose that particular bike from your fleet? I always love to hear what was involved in such a decision or was it just a whim (doubt it)?

I have been interested lately to hear you praise your off-the-shelf bikes so highly........your Giant and Cannondale. Sometimes I think we (I) get hung up on the bike needing to be custom.

Thanks
Eric,
I agree that we get hung up on the custom thing and yes there are some fine production bikes being made today. I was dead set on the Speedvagen as the bike to take because it's such a fantastic ride. During the week I thought back on how rough the roads were and maybe the carbon bike would be the wiser choice. In hindsight I should have taken the Cannondale for the 29/44 gearing and a pound and a half lighter weight. I chose the Giant because I have the most confidence in how it performs and over the weekend it proved that it's worth every penny I paid for it. The Di2 was flawless even with most of the bike covered in sand it never missed a shift. I'am going back to Death Valley in three weeks for the Death Valley Double Century and I'm going with either the Speedvagen or the Cannondale. Tough decisions.

[rounder]

I didn't even know there were rides like that. Thank's all.

[jeffg]

You all are awesome (and crazy)!

After my first double someone tried to recruit me to do two-man 508. Ha! is still my answer ...

Great job all ... inspiring stuff!

[Jack Brunk]

You all are awesome (and crazy)!

After my first double someone tried to recruit me to do two-man 508. Ha! is still my answer ...

Great job all ... inspiring stuff!
You my friend are the perfect 508 rider. You know what it's like to suffer for a long time during a race and you choose to finish. I'm guessing that most of the people who DNF'd choose to and could have finished if they really wanted to. Our team never considered quitting as an option so it was never on the table. It's pretty simple really you set a goal and finish no matter what's thrown at you. When you finish there's no time on the medal or on the jersey. It's the fact that you finished within the 46 or the 48 hour time.

[Tom Byrnes]

Well, after sleeping for most of yesterday and putting in a day of work today, I have recovered enough and have gathered my thoughts to offer my comments and reflections on my Furnace Creek experience.

First of all, as you all can tell, the Furnace Creek 508 was an epic adventure. Even without our extreme wind conditions, I really did not know what to expect.

The 508 was certainly a huge step up for me from riding centuries. I knew that many months ago when Jack Brunk kindly extended an invitation to me to ride with him and his team. I accepted his offer and began building up my strength and endurance. I did not realize that our other two team members were going to be riders in their forties. Somehow, I thought that our teammates would be older. Wrong - at 62, I was the Old Guy. So, I knew that I would have to work hard to not let my teammates down.

By reading the information on the 508 website, I thought I knew what would be required of me: two stages (1st and 5th), totaling almost 140 miles with 8,360 feet of elevation gain while riding in the desert. While such an assignment was a big assignment for me, it all seemed doable, even if I am not a good climber.

What I did not pay enough attention to were the areas of nutrition and weather conditions and the simple fact that the 508 is a RACE. And as a result of not paying enough attention to those important areas, I suffered more than I had to.

When riding centuries, I just eat whatever is served at the SAG stops - P & B sandwiches, bananas, etc. However, "the 508 ain't the Solvang Century." There are no SAG stops. There are no fast food restaurants or stores on the race route where I could hop in a buy a snack. It is a race and the riders do not stop and have a leisurely break every twenty five miles.

After falling behind with a flat tire early in the first stage, I suffered very painful cramping as I raced to make up the time I lost. My cramping got so bad in both legs that I could not ride and I came to a complete stop on the Windmill Climbs. I could not dismount from my bike and for several minutes just stood over my bike, using my bike to hold me up and afraid to let go of the handlebars.

I discovered that my hydration concoction of Naked Lunch smoothie, Cyctomax, orange juice and POM with water, while high in calories and easily consumed, was not the right hydration formula for me. Instead, it made my stomach quite upset and may have contributed to my cramping. I wasn't drinking any plain water at that point.

Jack and Charlie, one of our teammates, helped me recover with lots of Endurolyte capsules, plain water and by walking with me once I could move again. Eventually, I got back on my bike and finished the stage, albeit hours behind the front riders.

Later talking with my teammates, I realized how much I did not know about the proper nutrition for an event like the 508. I should have studied much more about this important area before the race started.

In terms of cramping-hydration, my second stage, Stage 5, went very well and I finished with a speed greater than the average of all of the [remaining] racers. The wind was blowing hard throughout Stage 5, but certainly was not as bad as it was on Stages 3 and 4 in Death Valley.

My choice of wheels was not correct. I should have gone with my low profile Bontrager XXX Lite carbon wheels instead of my 5.0 Bontrager Aeolus
wheels. The strong winds definitely made my ride tougher.

My bike choice was spot-on. I had considered using one of my steel beautiful bikes, but ultimately chose my MeiVici, as it is my lightest bike and I felt that the carbon frame and fork would better absorb the rough roads. My MeiVici performed magnificently.

The 508 was a great experience. It is as much, if not more, about endurance and state of mind as it is about cycling skills and strength.
I cannot imagine the strength of character and stamina required to tackle this ride as a solo rider. It was very impressive to see so many people of all ages participating in the epic adventure. Although it is a Race, ultimately each rider is competing only against him or herself.

Fortunately, I had great teammates and a great support crew member, Robert. This companionship made traveling, eating, sleeping in a crowded SUV for two days not just bearable, but enjoyable.

Over the years, I have cycled with many SerottaPals at various gatherings - Finger Lakes Rambles, Hampsten Spring Cycling Camps, Giro de Bozeman, and Nottrott Weekend and you folks know that I am not a great cyclist. Instead, I am a sixty two year-old with high blood pressure who plods along with his bike, especially when the road points uphill. What I am trying to say is that if I can complete the 508 on a supportive, four-man team, so can most of you.

I am already looking to return to Death Valley for the Death Valley Century next March to cycle there during the daytime and hope to return to Furnace Creek next October.

I urge everyone out there who has flirted with the idea of riding the Furnace Creek 508 to sign up.

Thanks for reading,

Tom

[RudAwkning]

Well, after sleeping for most of yesterday and putting in a day of work today, I have recovered enough and have gathered my thoughts to offer my comments and reflections on my Furnace Creek experience.

First of all, as you all can tell, the Furnace Creek 508 was an epic adventure. Even without our extreme wind conditions, I really did not know what to expect.

The 508 was certainly a huge step up for me from riding centuries. I knew that many months ago when Jack Brunk kindly extended an invitation to me to ride with him and his team. I accepted his offer and began building up my strength and endurance. I did not realize that our other two team members were going to be riders in their forties. Somehow, I thought that our teammates would be older. Wrong - at 62, I was the Old Guy. So, I knew that I would have to work hard to not let my teammates down.

By reading the information on the 508 website, I thought I knew what would be required of me: two stages (1st and 5th), totaling almost 140 miles with 8,360 feet of elevation gain while riding in the desert. While such an assignment was a big assignment for me, it all seemed doable, even if I am not a good climber.

What I did not pay enough attention to were the areas of nutrition and weather conditions and the simple fact that the 508 is a RACE. And as a result of not paying enough attention to those important areas, I suffered more than I had to.

When riding centuries, I just eat whatever is served at the SAG stops - P & B sandwiches, bananas, etc. However, "the 508 ain't the Solvang Century." There are no SAG stops. There are no fast food restaurants or stores on the race route where I could hop in a buy a snack. It is a race and the riders do not stop and have a leisurely break every twenty five miles.

After falling behind with a flat tire early in the first stage, I suffered very painful cramping as I raced to make up the time I lost. My cramping got so bad in both legs that I could not ride and I came to a complete stop on the Windmill Climbs. I could not dismount from my bike and for several minutes just stood over my bike, using my bike to hold me up and afraid to let go of the handlebars.

I discovered that my hydration concoction of Naked Lunch smoothie, Cyctomax, orange juice and POM with water, while high in calories and easily consumed, was not the right hydration formula for me. Instead, it made my stomach quite upset and may have contributed to my cramping. I wasn't drinking any plain water at that point.

Jack and Charlie, one of our teammates, helped me recover with lots of Endurolyte capsules, plain water and by walking with me once I could move again. Eventually, I got back on my bike and finished the stage, albeit hours behind the front riders.

Later talking with my teammates, I realized how much I did not know about the proper nutrition for an event like the 508. I should have studied much more about this important area before the race started.

In terms of cramping-hydration, my second stage, Stage 5, went very well and I finished with a speed greater than the average of all of the [remaining] racers. The wind was blowing hard throughout Stage 5, but certainly was not as bad as it was on Stages 3 and 4 in Death Valley.

My choice of wheels was not correct. I should have gone with my low profile Bontrager XXX Lite carbon wheels instead of my 5.0 Bontrager Aeolus
wheels. The strong winds definitely made my ride tougher.

My bike choice was spot-on. I had considered using one of my steel beautiful bikes, but ultimately chose my MeiVici, as it is my lightest bike and I felt that the carbon frame and fork would better absorb the rough roads. My MeiVici performed magnificently.

The 508 was a great experience. It is as much, if not more, about endurance and state of mind as it is about cycling skills and strength.
I cannot imagine the strength of character and stamina required to tackle this ride as a solo rider. It was very impressive to see so many people of all ages participating in the epic adventure. Although it is a Race, ultimately each rider is competing only against him or herself.

Fortunately, I had great teammates and a great support crew member, Robert. This companionship made traveling, eating, sleeping in a crowded SUV for two days not just bearable, but enjoyable.

Over the years, I have cycled with many SerottaPals at various gatherings - Finger Lakes Rambles, Hampsten Spring Cycling Camps, Giro de Bozeman, and Nottrott Weekend and you folks know that I am not a great cyclist. Instead, I am a sixty two year-old with high blood pressure who plods along with his bike, especially when the road points uphill. What I am trying to say is that if I can complete the 508 on a supportive, four-man team, so can most of you.

I am already looking to return to Death Valley for the Death Valley Century next March to cycle there during the daytime and hope to return to Furnace Creek next October.

I urge everyone out there who has flirted with the idea of riding the Furnace Creek 508 to sign up.

Thanks for reading,

Tom

You guys crushed it. Finishing a ride always makes the pain worth it. Wear those cramps as a badge of honor.

It's always the rides you suffer on the most that make you a stronger rider.

If I hadn't suffered through 60 miles of headwinds on Eastern Sierra and 130 miles of cramps on Knxoville, I don't know if I'd have been able to accomplish what I did on FC508.

As my friend Mike Melville wrote me, "You can train and ride all you want...that is cool...fun.....hard.....rewarding - But.... ALL of THAT pales to insignificance when you step up, step in the ring and the bell sounds....This matters and is counted for something. "

Don't diminish your efforts. These rides are just as much mental fortitude as they are physical strength. You rose to the challenge. You suffered moments of duress. And you overcame and brought your team to a finish....no....a victory :D

[jasonw661]

It's pretty simple really you set a goal and finish no matter what's thrown at you. When you finish there's no time on the medal or on the jersey. It's the fact that you finished within the 46 or the 48 hour time.[/QUOTE] :banana:

Very well said! I was crew for a solo racer 5 years ago. I will never forget that race. Just being there as crew gave me a whole new perspective on riding/racing. I have never seen a stop line in a race. Only a start, and finish!

[Tom Byrnes]

Jason,

Thanks for the kind words.

You were great! What a job you did - stepping in at the last minute as a substitute and then getting to ride Stages 4 & 8. Both monster stages.

The road from Furnace Creek to Badwater had to be pure suffering and torture. Our Stage 4 rider was traveling at 3-4 miles per hour during that windy stretch, and he was overtaking many riders. We must have seen 12-15 support vehicles pulled over by the side of the road in those few miles.

I look forward to seeing you there again next year.

Tom

[Peter B]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM9zVcdefiU&feature=player_embedded

[Johny]

Congrats to all of you! You guys are awesome.

This is the best thread: suffering, hope and joy. Hopefully I will soon join you at the Furnace.

John

[soulspinner]

Makes ya wanna train 4 one and do it-inspiring ladies and gentlemen :beer:

[ericspin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM9zVcdefiU&feature=player_embedded

Damn, I love this!! How can you not get a lump in your throat watching this video of folks rolling through it all the way to the finish?

Congratulations to all of you that competed in this awesome event. I hope I get to do something like this someday.

I just really love to ride my bike.

[RABikes2]

That was Deanna. She's crazy hardcore. She wants to do the Badwater Run barefoot! She also suffers from epilepsy. Props to her for making it as far as she did.
Is this the Deanna (21 and has epilepsy) that participated in the Tour Divide mountain bike race a few months ago? Whoa! It sounds just like her.

Every single one of you is a winner! These ride reports are some of the best I've ever read ... fun, thrills, exciting, pain, suffering, determination, and the focus of completing a very hard ride in extremely difficult conditions. Lots of respect to all of you.

Ritaann

[RABikes2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM9zVcdefiU&feature=player_embedded
That video was inspiring, awesome, and ... I have tears. You are all amazing! Great photos of you at the finish Peter. Your team's smiles said more than words could ever.

Congratulations again to every one of you!

Ritaann

[chuckred]

Getting ready to head off for the 24 hours of Moab (4 man team) - it should be a piece of cake compared to what you went through! Great job folks!

What is the night strategy - do you have follow cars for light (plus lights on the bike I assume?).

[Peter B]

Follow car is mandatory at night, as are lights on bike. You really only need the bright bike lights for the descent off Townes Pass as the road has dips that drop the bike out of the van's headlights momentarily. Scary stuff, especially when you consider that our Townes team had a front blowout at about 45 mph due to overheating the front rim. Craig hauled it to a stop and kept it upright, though Robert may still be attached to that saddle due to constriction of a certain muscle. After the repair, the captain didn't have much choice but to let 'er rip. They hit 64 mph and sustained 60+ the rest of the way down.

[RABikes2]

Nobody has said anything about the temperatures (high/low) during the ride, but throughout the video, it showed a variety of different clothing choices. How was it?

Thanks.
RA

[Peter B]

Temps were quite mild for the desert. Highs Sat were maybe mid 90's, lows in the low 50's at the top of the climbs? Sun highs were even lower, maybe 70's. It felt cool at the top of the Kel/Baker climb mid-morning on Sunday. We were very lucky on that score as the weekend before highs at Furnace Creek were 114*.

On an ultra it's always something right Ritaann?

[willy in pacifi]

OK, I will chime in here as the only DNF it sounds like. As the days pass the more I think I could have made it in time but at the time there was no way considering what lay ahead and the condition of my legs. I felt great from the waist up and my stomach is usually what gets to me first. We ended up driving to Baker and the winds were less than in DV but still strong enough that I would have been timed out. So here is my story and if anyone can post a Youtube clip to this site can you do a Youtube search for "Jerboa 508" and attach to clip with me walking then riding.

Here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YztzW1Ii72o

So the story goes,

Well I made it 290 miles in 24 hours. Unfortunately I was shooting for 508 miles in 48 hours.

Leaving at 7am on Saturday I had tremendous tailwinds to the point that I was going so fast down slight downhills it was scary. If I let go of the brakes I am sure I would top 50 MPH and I am a light guy. But the winds were unpredictable so I never know when I would be hit with a side wind so I had to keep it under control. Plus, I am not used to going over 50 MPH so it just scared the hell out of me to go that fast.

One of my goals was to not put my foot on the ground until Townes Pass at mile 200. I was almost able to except I had to stop for one potty break and once to change my right shoe to a Shimano SPD sandal. I am stoked I was able to stay on the bike as it is a big part of getting thru these kinds of rides. JUST STAY ON THE F'ING BIKE.

The temps were perfect and the roads were fantastic. I had lots of tailwinds that on the flats would blow me around 25-30 MPH. Since I had a long way to go I tried to stick to goal number two which was never work that hard. My thinking was if the wind would push me along at 30 MPH why should I put any effort in at all. This worked great until mile 200. This by far was the greatest 12 hours I have ever had on a bike and I had the biggest Sh#t eatting grin on my face the whole way.

Up until now I was riding my Speedvagen with a 50/34 and 12/25 and Reynolds Attacks. I had clip on aerobars and I was able to live in those things it was so comfy. A few times I almost traded out for my back-up Vanilla set up the same way since it had open pros on it and the SV was getting thrown around in the wind due to the Attacks.

Then came Townes Pass which climbs 10 miles and 4,000 feet up and over to Death Valley.

I had my Taylor cross bike all rigged up for this hill with a 52-39-30 up front and an 11- 32 in the back. And due to the now side and head winds I lived in the lowest of gears slowly making my way up following the trail of blinking lights.

Half way up I was starting to cramp and joined a few other pushing our bikes up certain sections where the winds would not allow me to stay on the bike while others managed to ride by me. A few crews’ yelled encouragements and someone in my friend Toms van yelled out "We Love You Willy". I have no idea who that was and she may never know how much that meant to me.

5 miles up the winds mysteriously change to tailwinds. I could not believe my luck and was actually able to put it in my middle ring with a big "Hoot".

I stopped to put on a windbreaker and a blowtorch light one of my crew lent me. I need a brutal light on this decent as I will outrun my van around the corners. Oh Yea, and the hill is 17 miles down 5,000 feet with a road that is as smooth as butter. The tailwinds continued and actually would push me down the hill at speeds that were again scary. If I let it rip I am sure I would have topped 65 MPH. I have disc brake on this bike and had to stop half way down as it occured to me that my crew put the front wheel on when I switched bikes. If you run discs that wheel better be on tight or you can brake hard and lock up the wheel. I tighted it up and continued falling down the hill.

The top of this north bound course now takes a nasty turn to the right and heads south east toward Furnace Creek. That now fantastic tailwind has become my worst nightmare. The wind hits me like a ton of bricks. I was alternating between my middle and tiny ring and rode many of the next 30 miles in my 30-32 just to keep moving forward. I was even passing some of my friend who were on teams who passed me heading up Townes Pass.

I finally made it thru the worst 30 miles of my life but mentally I was fine. But my legs were taking a beating as I had to ride full gas just to make progress. I was never thrown off my bike which simply amazes me. I brought the Taylor for the gearing to get me up Townes Pass but without it I would have never made it thru this section. We spent 25 minutes at Furnace Creek to adjsut my Taylor to survival mode. I planned to be back on one of my other bikes by now but realized I needed every inch of gearing that the Taylor had. So we switched the saddle to a An Atomica for comfort.

Just before I took off from Furnace Creek (mile 260) I pulled my leg up to put my right shoe on and my calf cramped so painfully that I got the dry heaves and almost thru up. I have never felt that kind of pain in my entire life.

Well off into the dark and into the same headwinds not knowing if or when they would let up. Well I have to tell you they got worse for the next 35 miles. The headwinds would require you to ride AS HARD AS YOU POSSIBLY COULD just to stay on your bike and ride 4-6 MPH. The only time it changed was when the road turned left slightly and the same wind blew me all over the road. I had such a death grip on the bars that my shoulders were getting tired and I was still cramping. To avoid a full on cramp I had to stand in the wind. Other teams and solo riders were camping out on the side of the road either resting or waiting for the winds to die down. I wanted to get 50 miles into this leg where the road turns left and climbs out of Death Valley thinking the wind might push me up the 13 miles of hills. But I never made it. I had ridden 290 miles and after resting for 90 minutes I had 24 hours to ride the final 230 miles. The math did not work for me with these conditions. We packed me and the Taylor inside the van and drove to time station 4. There were riders out there and the winds never died the whole way to the next time station and on our way to Baker the winds were still brutal but less than the winds in Death Valley.

I gave it my all and in hindsight I think the only way for me would have been to take a break and recover then hit it after the sun came up.

What I do know is that my diet worked better than I expected and I rode harder than I have ever ridden before. If these winds do not return next year I will get to the finish for sure.

I want to thank Jim and Joe who crewed for me this year. I really feel like I let them down. I crewed for Jim last year when he finished the ride solo and there was a time when he was not sure if he could continue. I remember I was bummed when I thought he would not finish and I remember how proud I was of him and how proud I was to be a member of his crew.

If you go to Youtube and do a search for “Jerboa 508” you will find a couple of videos of me in Death Valley.


Willy “long-eared jerboa” nevin