2013 Baker's Dozen Race Report - Leesburg, VA

Let me start by saying this was an amazing day for a race and it was awesome to see such talented racers on the course! There was a lot of firsts for me this day: First bike race ever, first time going longer than 22 miles,  first endurance race, and the first time (well maybe second-thirdish) really being on my MTB since I bought it a few weeks ago... okay technically fourth time, but the whole "rear wheel taco Patapsco fiasco" doesn't officially count because the bike only went a mile.

The 2013 Baker's Dozen course was a pretty fast 8.5 mile course with some (in my mind) decent climbs at certain spots with a few obstacles to "liven things up", just a side note there were only two obstacles that I couldn't work up the gull/speed to really get over, but for the most part I was successfully able to negotiate pretty much every obstacle on every lap I did. 

The race started promptly at 9 am and my goal for the Men's Solo was to take each lap at a steady pace, allow the better racers to pass when needed, and just keep going as much as I can for as long as I can. The end result was me being able to complete seven laps in about 7 hrs 35 mins (total moving time). I think for the whole time it was around 10-11ish hours, with the three pit stops included. Funny thing is I did four laps before the first pit and then one after each following lap and every time I stopped I'd say, "Okay, I'm done!" but then 15 minuets would go by and I'd want to get back on my bike and ride another lap... this was mainly because I was motivated by seeing the other AFC racers go at it again and again and again! Wicked kudos to you guys!! After my last lap, it was getting dark and even though I had a bike light I decided to hold off and call it a day, I felt that I would need more experience in that area before take up on MTB night riding. 

For the most part everyone was friendly on the course, I did make a few "ride friends" during some laps and the majority of the pro-racers were very courteous when they passed by me. I made sure to give everyone a wide berth when passing and most of the time I would just stop and cheer them on as they flew by (*bones-explode fist bump*). 

As for nutrition, I did a mix of using the three Cliff Shotblocks, one Cliff-shot gel, a water bottle with 2 scoops of Perpetuem, about 3-4 bottles of water, half a Chipotle steak burrito, a couple bananas, a can of soda, some Dunkin Doughnuts minis, and one water bottle a bit of Gatorade mix in it.  I know it's quite the mix of food! In hindsight I didn't know how to fully handle the Perpeteum, so next time I'll make sure to carry some extra water when using that stuff. The good news is I didn't have any cramps or dehydration issues!

For injuries, I went into the race with a shoddy (at best) left hand, thankfully I had the Ergon GP1-L grips to leverage my grip better with the bike. I also small taped my left ring and middle finger just in case I really wrenched it on a fall, etc. Speaking of falls I only had one major(ish) fall to where my bike slid out from underneath me on some rocks, thankfully my arse took the brunt of the impact and all I got out of it was a couple of scrapes and a hole in my shorts. By the end of the day all I could account for was a little sun on the arms/legs, some muscle soreness (expected), a couple scratches and scrapes, and now a even worse left hand. But hey I had fun! It just means I'll be going to see the OT here this week to fix my finger abduction/gripping issue. 

Finally my bike held up to the test on this course, even though I wasn't pushing it, I had both tires set to 35 psi which worked out well with the slightly tacky mud spots in the beginning. I didn't have any blowouts or mechanical issues and those Ergon grips were amazing and comfortable! Surprisingly enough I feel pretty great today, not really sore and definitely still stoked about the 2013 Baker's Dozen Race!!! 

Oh and last time I checked I was 45th place out of 66th (or something like that), not bad in my book.... 

Strava Results

Oh and on a side note, I need to remember to bring a handkerchief to put on my head to reduce the sweating next time, also make sure that my camera actually has a CF card in it... so sorry about that guys!