Juice Lubes Jam - 1st Vet 6hr Solo

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BY: Rob Smith

Published: 13th May, 2013

After an early season of flat out red line heart rate racing and training, Saturday was time to dial back the throttle and see if all the riding through the winter, eye bleed inducing roller sessions and my first foray into Time Trialling had born fruit.  Juice Lubes 6hr Enduro would be my first long race of the season and really the only event in which to gauge form for the first 12hr event (Erlestoke 12) coming up in a couple of weeks time.

Over the last few months I've been reading a lot and debating going from a 9 speed double to 9 single. With the help from Ed at Certini we rigged up a single 36 front ring using the derailleur as a chain guide. Knowing what Jay and Maddie from Fullysussed had in mind, before I headed to Newnham park for a practice ride on the Friday I went even smaller with a 34 tooth chainring.

Don't believe everything you read and most definitely don't overestimate your own ability! Despite making it round a lap on that gearing I spent most of Friday night fretting about the gears and that maybe my legs just weren't that strong (Jay and Maddie had found the three steepest climbs to ascend and I had 6 hrs to complete) so at 0700 Sat morning I was out in the garage, unwinding limit screws, dismantling cranks and putting two rings back on the front.  Lesson learnt - don't listen to what you read listen to your body! At the same time I took the semi slick tyre off the rear and threw on a captain, figuring the course might improve but for the first few hours the extra grip might be useful.

Down at Newnham the riders had started to congregate as well as 6hr solos there were events for 6hr pairs as well as a 3hr option for both pairs and solo.  As is the case at events like this the start was a much civilised affair with none of the first corner arms and elbows usually associated with XC racing.

As the course was going to be the same the following day for the Regional XC champs it wasn't going to be a featureless ride around Newnham park; it was going to be testing, fast and, to give the 3hr riders a chance to do a good number of laps, not too long. It was also going to have the highest Double/Triple arrow count for any endurance course I've ever raced at, as it included the infamous "Bear Pit" a feature that had, I think, 2 triple and 2 double arrow in that one section alone. It also had two river crossings and a trip down cottage return. All in all a fun lap and one the newly crowned SW champ lapped in under 20 mins!

I wasn't going to get anywhere close to that, I am never ever going to get close to that ever, let alone during a 6hr race.  Having spent so much time recently racing at 100% it was interesting/odd to be riding well within myself with a heart rate a good 25-30 BPM below what had become normal. It's all about pacing and knowing what is sustainable and also what feeding is required to maintain that output.

For the last few years I've been using infinitnutrition's bespoke 100% liquid feed for all my races, instead of the usual electrolyte drink and energy gels. It easier to digest as I was able to tweak the mix to lower the flavouring, it's simple to manage; I don't have to think about gel's per hour, there's no yucky gel wrappers in my jersey pocket, and if I'm self feeding I only have to pick up a bottle. OK I do add the odd jelly baby or cereal bar but that is more for a change than part of a scientific feeding strategy.

Race plan, keep the heart rate where it's sustainable, keep feeding the engine, and let everything and everybody do their thing.  About as scientific as the feeding plan but it's worked in the past; in fact, the only time I've ever come to grief is when I ignored the plan and raced Rich Long for the first 4hrs of a 12hr race,  I've mentioned it before but we both learnt a valuable lesson that day!

I'd figured I was doing OK as the event went on as I had only been passed once and was lapping consistently in around 28 minutes. At about 4hrs in I was told I was a lap up on the rest of the Vet field, which actually messed with my head a bit.  I got a bit blasé, forgetting that 2hrs left meant actually 4 laps or there about, and a lot could happen in that time.  And of course it almost did, as the clock ticked down towards the finish at 1600 and the number of laps completed increased my ratio of silly mistakes and "incidents" per lap increased.  Of the trips down the bear pit I don't think I made a clean run once; there was always a dab, crash or tuck somewhere along the way, and I have a chainring shaped hole in my leg to prove it.  I think I offered entertainment to the Maverick SW Youth Squad who had taken up residence after competing in the 3 hr event, there may have also been a learning opportunity or two for them as well; they say you can learn as much from those doing it wrong as those doing it right.

At the end of my 12th lap I had a big enough gap not to have to go out again and as my luck was running out I decided to call it a day as I reckoned a 13th lap would be pushing it!

Thanks to Juice lubes for the Jam (what else) and the very cool Chapeau! Café jersey and Cap.

I don't normally name check people at the end of these ramblings but I've been very fortunate recently to have been helped out by companies and individuals going above and beyond to get me sorted. So in no particular order.

Thank you:

Mrs Smith, Jane, well she had to come first! Most of the irregular readers will know how much she's had to endure and put up with but you know what?  It might be my turn soon as she's recently ridden at the Filthy Foxes weekend and I had the real pleasure of listening to her telling me about all the good bits of Newnham Park as opposed to her having to listen to me.  She may finally get why I like riding my bike so much!

The friends, parents, uni mates who offered to marshal at the weekend after Jay and Maddie were let down at 1930 the night before by the organisation who had agreed 5 months ago to provide manpower.  Without you lot standing around in fetching Hi-Viz Tabards the rest of us wouldn't have been able to have the enjoyable day we had.

FullySussed, their reputation for course design is spreading, we in the SW are lucky to have an organisation (OK Husband and Wife team) willing to risk a lot to put on events and to search out challenging and exciting course. Also I've been lucky enough to have received coaching advice and help from them for the last few years and seen my results improve every year; one year I might follow it to the letter!

Certini, the bike spotters amongst you may have noticed that since Rd2 of the Nationals I've been riding an S-Works Epic 26".  The week before the National round it became necessary to change the frame and as I now appears to be riding a vintage bike a direct replacement was unavailable. Certini were able to sort me out with the S-Works frame and despite it only landing in Cornwall late afternoon on the Thursday, Ed had the bike rebuilt and ready for me to take down to Wheal Maid by 0800 the following day.  It's an amazing bike and one that flatters my ability.

Deborah at Sports Shades On Line. Ed building the bike, all the marshals giving their time, Jay & Maddie building cool courses; none of this would have been worth anything if I couldn't see.  Due to some hamfistedness and a bit of frustration I'd managed to snap the hinge on my Adidas Evil Eyes.  Deborah made sure I had the part I needed and got them posted out to me so that it would arrive before the weekend. 

Having spent the winter riding in normal glasses I'd forgotten how much better riding with Light Stabilising lenses was, with the added benefit of the silvering hiding the fact I had prescription lenses tucked in behind.  Vain? Me? Never!