Fast Fitty Race Recap

Here comes the Fast Fitty race recap. 

I checked the weather before I went to bed on Friday and I was already waffling. While it wasn't a huge chance of rain....pushing 50% for thunderstorms was making me pause a bit. 

I checked in the morning to find good news with a green light to load up and head to Charlotte.

I learned that this was the 6th edition of this race. It would be my 4th attempt. I was hoping for the best, but honestly my confidence was waning. My riding has been down and....well.....probably shouldn't bother to start with excuses. Lets just get into it. 

I drew a very misleading number plate. All this means is that I was the 6th person to sign up....and nothing more. lol. It was, however, funny to get glances in the starting pen. One guy looked at my number, then slowly looked up at me.....with just a blank stare. I am not sure if he was trying to sort out who I was or if he was wondering why I was towards the back of the start area. lol. 

I got to the start chute about 10 minutes before go time. I rolled in and found my spot. I was feeling decent. As ready as I could be. It was time to go. They announced a 'controlled start'....but it felt like anything but. I jumped onto a wheel and we were cruising. The start being pavement helps to spread things out. I saw the main group make the left onto the gravel and I was settling in. I found a people riding my pace and we made the left into the gravel, and the wind.

The wind wasn't bad, but I was thankful to have someone to tuck in behind. I don't think he liked it much, because he tried to accelerate and drop me. But 2 others latched on with me. We had a small group of 4. My heart rate was doing good, but the pace was pretty high (even in the group). We made the next left back onto the pavement and the destruction started. With all different levels of climbers the group spread out pretty quick. I was in the middle, holding my pace over the top. After a fast descent, the pavement ends and dumps you back into gravel.....and it got ugly quick.

Right off the pavement it was pure washboard. I couldn't avoid it. It was high speed, and it sucked. We had built the group to around 10 at this point. People scattered. I ripped into the bumps and got slung out of the group. This was where my problems started. Not a major impact, but just a rough segment. I tried to bridge back to the group. 

I caught back up but the group was thinned down and spread out for the next 15 miles. There were people here and there. But every hill would break us apart. Consistent climbers would leave me behind and the gaps just kept getting bigger. 

Around mile 20 I was riding alone. I had a guy catch me. He moved ahead of me and waved me to follow. We worked together for the next few miles trying to catch people ahead of us. It was exactly what I needed and what I wanted to do. Work with people towards the finish line. Unfortunately he was stronger and I couldn't hang on a long climb. He slowly churned away and I was alone again. 

Not exactly sure where.....but I had two incidents with potholes in this stretch towards mile 30. The transitions into the shadows are where they happened. One was a descent where I was stretching my legs. I was eyeing my computer and slammed into a deep hole. I didn't crash, but it did send some shivers up into my left shoulder (which is still uncomfortable as I type this). Not great, and this will come up again later. 

The second incident I was just cruising along when I smacked another one. This time I hit so hard that it clanked my teeth. Simply just didn't see the hole as the sun shifted to shade in the trees. Not great. But not anything that killed my ride. Just factors that were starting to pile up.

Maybe I cooked the start. Trying to hard to keep up with people faster than me. Maybe it was the surging of a group pace that I haven't been training for. Maybe it was a lot of things. I started to fade at mile 30. Mentally I was doing ok, telling myself to just keep going. But the body was starting to break down.

My shoulder was bothering me to the point that my hand was going numb. I kept having to let go and just shake it out, work the shoulder around to try to loosen it up. Stomach started to feel full. I wasn't processing my Perpetuem the way I needed to. I was feeling full....and that isn't great when you need to keep water intake up due to the heat. I was trying to drink more, but was starting to feel like I couldn't get any more in. Then my feet started to hurt. Again, something I have experienced before....but not at all this year. 

Then my mind broke. 

My speed started to tank from all of the factors above. When I started to wonder how many miles I had left, it was over. I got to an aid station and stopped for a water that I couldn't drink. I took a sip, poured some on my body to try and cool down. I walked up and across the road before trying to pedal again. I was ready to quit here.....35 miles in. I pressed on as much as I could but I was just gassed. I passed another aid station at mile 42. I was going to keep going, but I simply pulled off and found a giant oak tree to sit under in the shade. A volunteer came up to check and make sure I was ok. I was ok....and not ok. 

I was done and dusted. 

Looking back at the aid station and crossing where I finally gave up. 

My trusty steed, waiting patiently to be picked up.

It was dry and dusty out....

42 miles in and I couldn't do anything but find some shade and relax. I was ready to puke. Legs were toast. It was hot, so I was pouring water over myself (since I still wasn't able to drink much). I just sat and hung out until the SAG vehicle got there. I got back to the car and I cleaned up. I had some crackers and a protein shake waiting. It was good to get some solid food into my system. I got a DNF, but I lived. I heard one person had to leave in the ambulance. The heat must have gotten them. It got me too, on top of everything else that happened.

I was sick earlier in the week. I was hoping for the best here, but I HAD to listen to my body and shut it down. Pulling the plug was the smartest thing I did on this day. I could have pushed on and potentially done some damage. Or I could have pushed and left in an ambulance. There are worse things than a DNF. The decision was made easier by the laundry list of things that happened in the many miles leading up to where I stopped.

Still, 42 miles was rough. But, those tough 42 miles were better than sitting on the couch. I did that Sunday. lol. 

Bike was super dusty after being hauled on the back of a van for many miles. 

One of the worst parts is that if I had hit my average speed goal I likely would have been on the podium. That is a tough one to think about. But a 'what if' won't get me anywhere. Would have been cool to hit a podium in a gravel race though. I just have to remember that there is always next year. 

I am only a year removed from my surgery. I have been riding a lot, but not as much as I would like. My focus and motivation have been all over the place. I have thankfully been dropping a little more weight and I am currently at the lightest I have been since my surgery. With only a year of training I am doing pretty good overall. I only have a few rides that hit 40 plus miles, and only 1 that touched the 50 mile mark. So this event was going to be a huge test. 

Reach for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~Norman Vincent Peale

This quote above came to mind. I tried. And even though I didn't reach my goal.....I was out there doing my best. It sucks that this was my 4th time at this event and my first DNF. I was hoping for more, but I know that shutting down was the best choice. Looking at the last 12 miles I did have around 1000 feet of climbing left....so I am glad I bailed. haha! 

Its a fun event that is growing every year. This year just under 500 people were there. Give it a look if you are interested in a flatter gravel race. There is a reason they call it 'fast'. Plus its for a great cause. And....if you finish on time there is free beer. So....incentive.

Maybe next year I will do a shorter distance, maybe not. All I know is that I have to keep moving forward. We don't do this for money or fame. Its about health for me. Sure being fast is cool, but being healthy is the goal. Gotta keep that in mind when things go sideways.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for the support! As always....keep moving forward.