VQ - Ticked Off

Well after all the anticipation and it being in my mind since the 1st of November when I signed up for the Warriors Society Vision Quest (or VQ) and was one of the 175 hardout idiots who got a spot before it sold out in 4hrs, well it’s over.

The race was yesterday, the same day as the classic NZ Mountain Bike race called the Karapoti. I have still yet to crack 3hrs due to unlucky incidents such as 2 punctures in the last 5km last time I raced the Karapoti. Next time I want to get into the 2hr 40s however especially after feeling good about my race yesterday. Damien hold me to this aye. I want to crack 2hr 50 mins.

Being on the same date was the only similarity however between the Karapoti and the VQ. This is I have to say the best race I have ever done and one of my best sporting achievements. Not only did I finish the 92 odd kms and over 3500m of climbing I did ok. I got I believe 28th out of the 175 and was real happy with that. Not to mention I of course had a dam puncture which cost me about 12 mins. Before I say anymore, yeah this was something insane to do (a real fitness challenge) but for all those who may think it was just a fitness race this had some of the best single-track I have ever ridden anywhere. I mean wicked downhill single-track. As in I cannot think of a track that is all single track and descends over 1000m in one shot as the Upper and Lower Holy Jim trails do. It was intense and amazing fun and made the massive climbs well worthwhile.



If you read my blog about the shortened XC race I did last weekend you would know I was quite worried about my body and in particular this race. Well I learnt my lessons. I prepped food wise much better and after seeing the results I will never be complacent over the nutrition side again. I watched what I ate over the week and had protein to build back my damaged muscles after the debilitating cramps. The day before I had lots of carbs and some electrolytes and the morning of I got down more electrolytes and porridge, peanut butter sandwiches. The key for me was during the race. I had my camelback and two bottles which in the end was a little over kill because there were two aid stations. However better safe than sorry. I forced myself to drink and drink and then take some squeezes and a peanut slab (oh that was like heaven (I’m pleased I saved that from my trip to NZ). With some oranges at the aid stations that’s all I ate. The only time I felt I may have cramped was actually after the 2nd climb and going down Holy Jim trail. I slammed another squeezy, drank more and I never cramped. Man I never even cramped after the race. It was awesome and this was 7hrs of effort (though paced) vs. less than 2hrs of harder effort form the weekend before. Real stocked.

As for the race well I stayed with Al and Katrina in their RV near the start of the track. We were still up at 4am however to be ready on the start line for the 5.30am start. It was freezing too. About 4 degrees c at the start. 350 riders all up. 175 doing the VQ and another 175 doing the shorter version of it which cuts out the last climb and decent but is still a huge race itself. So we all took off into near darkness. After 20 mins there was enough light however that we did not need any lighting. So I put my little head torch in my back pocket. Well the first climb went on and on. Was incredible looking back down the valley at the snake of lights coming up from below. I paced myself and settled in alongside an arrogant bugger on an S-Works Stumpy. Every time I went to pass him he wouldn't let me and would speed up. Was fine with me because I was controlling the speed. I tried to say gidday and he just glared at me. So after maybe 1.5hrs of climbing (1200m) and some steep pinches we got into the first single-track.


Lovin the Down after fixing my Flat

I was buzzing at this point. I felt I had paced myself perfectly and then two minutes into the single track decent and it was rocky I pinch flatted the front tire. I was fuming and was not too worried it caused me a high speed crash into a lovely bristly yet impact softening bush. I was running 40psi in it as it was, dam do I need to buy some tubeless wheels). So the Stump guy passed me along with many more in that 12 odd mins I lost. Anyway back on the bike and I tore it up. I was angry and loved every minute of it. I passed heaps of people and a guy in a coilair passed me but I stuck on his wheel. Was a rough ride on the HT but awesome. I tell ya the brakes were smoking after this effort.

Anyway I hit up the first aid station and refilled my empty bottles and had some orange and a squeezes then it was into the unknown once more. There was a couple of miles of pavement then back into dirt. This climb had no steep pinches. I think I middle chain-ringed the whole thing however it was maybe a 2hr effort of just climbing. Maybe more. I need a GPS. In one sustained effort it was 1100m of UP. Anyway because I lost time I ended up passing many people. That 12mins really meant I lost my rightful spot in the hierarchy of competitors that had all settled into their individual comfort zones on the first big climb (this occupied my mind for ages thinking about this during the race). I had many a good conversations with people. Some were arrogant (maybe cause you caught up too them and were to pass them) but some were great. Jens, a German who lives in San Diego was great. He was riding a Seven Sola (almost like my bike) and upped the ante and went my speed up the climb. We chatted for ages. It was very cool. Was funny talking about world politics, crazy Germans, lazy Americans, tubeless wheels and the benefits of titanium all during a race. Oh. And I also passed Mr I’m too good for you Stumpy. Anyhow after this effort and the incredible views from the top we descended down a little fire road (with snow on it in patches) before we entered the Upper Holy Jim Trail.



OMG. I rode all but a few bits and had it not been a race I would have tried them. No time to scope it out. It was good having the Talas on the front. I popped it up to 120mm travel and let it rock. Jens was a great decender too and the two Sevens were passing many people. This track for you NZ fellows, well imagine a dryer version of Deliverance in Welly. With bits like Ridgeline and Aratihi with switchbacks like on the Scout Hall track as well as many parts like the Captain Thomas Trail in Chch. Now put all those tracks together with no uphill at all and you have an idea how good Upper then Lower Holy Jim was. I have no idea how long it took other than my hands and fingers were in the death grip for ages and the ever reliable Juicy Sevens held up as those particular ones always have. The decent was amazing. I don’t know what else to say. I wish I had a video off it. It was epic.

So after this massive decent I must have had the biggest grin. The only issue were hikers walking up the trail. They meant I had a few moments of "Holy Cow", I nearly slammed that little girl off the cliff cause she decided it was better for me to try and ride over rocks and an embankment that was near vertical instead of herself stepping to the side when I was doing 25ks and my bar would have chopped her in half. Mountain Biking really has to be one of the sports that require some of the best reactions and split second decisions. Especially when riding/racing and track for the first time. Marke this might well be a trail to hit up when you are here in June. We will have a massive climb to contend with in Mid-Summer however.

At the bottom of this decent the Counting Coup racers (shorter version) headed out down a 4wd road to the finish and we headed back up to do another 900 odd meters of climbing. This time it was different. The climb was all single-track and much of it steep and loose. It was a hike a bike and we were off our bikes for maybe 400 vertical meters of that climb. Again I don’t know the numbers but I was pushing/carrying for maybe 30mins. It started off up this valley and was technical and rocky. Pretty fun I gotta say actually though painful. I passed a few people here, it was great. All up in this last climb/decent I think I made up a good 6 or more places. By this stage it was also real hot so I was pleased I took off my merino base layer before I started up this climb. Anyway after the climb it was some up and down fire-road. Man at the top they had a BBQ going and were offering burgers. Oh man that was so tempting. I almost stopped but forced myself to push it onwards. I kind of regret it but I wanted it all just to be over. After more climbing on the fire roads than I thought we entered back into the bush. Much of the following decent was sort of shaley loose rocks with a little dirt compacting them and then leaf litter over the top of them. It made for fast, fast but sketchy descending. The corners if you hit them and weighted the outside bar seemed to stick and again I caught a few people. I really enjoyed this decent also, nearly as much as Holy Cow, I mean ‘Jim’ trail. I was real easy on the bike and tried to un-weight the wheels as much as possible after 6.5hrs of racing a puncture here would have brought me to my knees literally.



So after reaching the aid station where I ripped right through it there were 5 miles of slightly downhill rough as 4wd track to deal too before the finish. This was all a blur suffice to say that the idiots in their SUVs who thought they were doing 'real' 4wd driving were a right pain in the butt. The dust they threw up was horrible. Anyway I was in the big ring and more than any other part of the race my back got super sore. It was rough and fast and because it was pretty flat you were sitting down lots. It was the first time I thought a Full Sus would have been the ticket. Anyhow I crossed the line in a bit under 7hrs (official results are not out yet, and in about 28th place). I was pretty happy with this especially cause I still felt pretty good and I did not cramp at all. Just to put this into perspective however the winner was a top Pro and did it in 5hrs 14mins. How sick is that aye. It ridiculous. Al managed about 9th in a little over 6hrs and he was happy with that as you should be. The other Don's member, Lisa was sure she got 2nd woman home in about 8.5hrs. A huge effort considering few women would race it let alone complete it.

So after all this when I thought the off-roading was over for the day we as it turned out and it was ironic we had to take the Camry up that 4wd track to pick up some of Al's gear which he had dropped off at the Aid Station including his Truck keys. Suffice to say we proved to the SUV owners that an old Camry can make it up the track, all be it with a few tender moments of scrapping rocks on the underside and a little scoping and line picking required. I think it made it out alive, no holes in the muffler I don’t think. So yeah what a day all up. I got home after a fast drive on the 91 freeway and continued to eat all manner of things. I slept for over 11hrs last night. Actual sleep. I cannot remember the last time I slept for that long. It was heaven.
Next adventure. 5 days in New York next weekend to explore the Big Apple.

Over and out,
Kurt

P.S - Sorry. It was a lecture but some people like the stories and those that don't. Well don't read the dam thing. I'm not forcing you too ;-)