24 hours of Round the Clock in Spokane

I worked on writing a race report and it kept on getting longer and longer…9 pages in all. Yikes! A 24 hour race has WAY more opportunities for stories to develop than an Indie Series race but jeez, I realize the reading audience limits. So, I have decided instead to send a slightly condensed version including a brief overview of the course and give out “awards” to each of my teammates. With this race it is the synergy of the team that is way more paramount than the course!

Competing in the 24 hours of Round the Clock in Spokane this weekend were the Dirtastic Divas, a team comprised of:

Jenn Sinclair –Team Sega - Gung-Ho Marathon Legs Award
Virginia Matthys – Team Sega - Pinch Rider Award
Ann Davis - Team Sega – Team Leader\Manager -
Deb Romaine - Phil’s South Side Cyclery - Queen of Logistics and Master Packer Award
Lori Williams - Group Health - “I Can Do That” aka Work Horse Award
Gavin Spomer –Team Sega (non-riding volunteer) - “No, Gavin, no. Don’t look at the light!”…“I can’t help myself, it’s so beautiful.” Award

During our adventure we collectively rode just shy of 250 miles, a distance comparable to the driving miles from North Bend to the venue location at Riverside State Park. That is a whole lot of mountain biking miles! I am really proud of our team. We worked together and were able to overcome the many unexpected obstacles we faced, such as having to find a replacement rider just 3 days before the race, collapsing team tents, significant lighting issues, a missing bike, yet we still managed to meet our team’s objective of “having fun foremost and each member riding the best of her abilities.”

Link to pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/thisguyiknow/200824hr

Course Description
The course was reportedly 14.65 miles in length and had approximately 820 feet of elevation gain per lap. The course is a fast, flowy route with several moderately-technical rock-gardens thrown in at various locations for true fun. There were a whopping total of 2 logs, more the size of thick branches that you had to ride over. There were also and six noteworthy hills, the first of which is a half-mile of loose, sandy double-track. As long as you were able to stay on the beaten path you were okay, but if you tried to pass someone you had to make sure you had the strength to endure the loose sand before hopping back onto the beaten path.

The second hill, Devil's Up", wasn't nearly as long but at the top became much steeper and much rockier. Once you reached the top of “Devils Up” you got to experience “Devils Down.” As far as I know this was the location of our team’s only wipe-out and it occurred during the pre-ride. It is definite get your weight behind the saddle, control your speed and be wary of your usage of brakes or you will either launch yourself or end up endo-ing or cartwheeling down, type of a hill. It was the very stuff that got my heart rate racing during the descent but then elicited a “Whoo Hoo” when I successfully rode it. It is exactly the type of hill that I am hoping Chris Bentley will help me learn how to ride safely at a quicker pace.

There was a new section of trail this year. Not too long, but quite bumpy and with short mounds of dirt that you had to time your pedal stroke to maintain traction. The river was quite high and covered a section of trail in the area that is known as Little Vietnam so at this point we were rerouted onto the asphalt road. Each lap I reached the road, I was always amazed how much effort it took to gain speed on the descent on a paved road. I guess that is part of the race trying to keep the pace up even during times whereas if it was just a leisurely ride I would just coast.

Thanks and Next Year?
I owe Black Diamond Bike and Backcountry a huge thank-you for taking care of my bike on such short notice. I discovered the seal on my rear shock was leaking on Sunday at the Whidbey Mudder. Not only did they replace the seal but they also fine tuned the derailleur so it would shift smoother. Peter assured me when I picked up the bike that Logan test rode it around the parking lot quite a bit because the last thing they wanted was for me to have a mechanical in the middle of the night at the race. When I HAD my bike it rode splendidly.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Allan and Eric Beattie at the race. Allan and I chatted for a few minutes after one of his laps. He was riding very fast laps. I did not see him again to hear how they fared during the night laps. He did mention that he would really like to ride on an all Sega team next year. Anyone up for it?

-Ann

P.S. Sorry everyone about the team tents. Gavin and I each have our differing theory on how they failed…something that a box of coffee swizzle sticks and a bunch of Elmer’s glue can help prove as to whose theory is more sound….but we both agree the wind that was the catalyst so are we off the hook?