Jason Miller's (Team Buckwheat) 24 Hours of Clear Springs 2009 Race Report
I posted this report on our website (along with photos) and it may be easier to read there. Thanks again for the race and see you guys next year:
http://www.midsouthmasters.com/jmclearsprings09.htmWith the 24 Hours of Clear Springs Mountain Bike race still a few months out, it looked like we may have had enough interested riders to complete two teams. The event is always held over the weekend when the time changes and unfortunately this year that was right smack on Halloween. Potential racers with younger kids were almost instantly excluded - either by choice or at the strong suggestion of significant others . A few others backed out following completion of a long road racing season due mostly to fatigue. With a few weeks remaining before the race, Ed Novack and I were still up for the race and were planning to join up with Branden Morvant and Mike Lew to complete Team Buckwheat. Rusty Bernard, one of the original Buckwheat's, was planning on racing the solo event and Rosanne Simons would be providing support to both Rusty and us.
October has been a very wet month in the area and there was a lot of concern about the course. The course has been dry the last few years I raced so I didn't know what to expect. Those in the "know" were cautious and weren't even sure if the event would take place for the noon start time on Saturday. Strong storms came through the area Friday evening forcing Branden to work late that night. The muddy course kind of kept us all on the fence and the late night at work pushed Branden over. Ed and I were too naive to know what were getting into and made our way up to Clear Spring, MS Saturday morning like moths being drawn to a light. Rusty jumped in with the team instead of doing his solo event (thanks again Rusty) and Rosanne was even going to do a lap if needed in the event Mike didn't make it. Mike pulled in shortly before registration closed and Team Buckwheat was set with Ed, Mike, Rusty and me.
As expected there were fewer people racing this year with the sloppy course. We started along with seven other teams and were followed by nine solo riders. Rusty would take our first lap. They had to modify the course slightly since some trees fell taking out the bridge over the creek at the bottom of the first downhill and a few more were ready to fall. The transition area would be now be held at the group campsite instead of the trailhead. The course would start out around a lake with several wooden bridges that were so slick you didn't dare try to turn on them. After a steep rocky hill, we would come out on a gravel road and then pick up the course at check point 2 of last year's route. I think the changes now made each lap a little over nine miles instead of ten.
I was doing the second lap for the team. Although the course was a mile shorter, the muddy conditions were going to slow the lap times. I wasn't sure when Rusty was going to finish. One of the things we always do as a team is have a rider ready to roll in transition. When the race clock is running, we want riders on the course instead of at the campsite looking for the next guy. Rusty came in at 56 minutes - well ahead of what was expected. I was close by the start but not actually there which cost us a few seconds. Ed, handed me my helmet as I left to start my first lap.
As I round the lake, I miss my turn up the hill. I can see stairs ahead of me and know we won't be riding up that. I quickly double back and start running up the rocky hill. I can see second place is behind me. The hill is fairly long and I am quickly spiking my heart rate. I crank up the speed on the gravel road as I head back into the woods at check point 2.
The course is very muddy through this section. I come off the bike several times as I try to rider faster than my abilities and the course will allow. I am not used to my wheels sliding around much during road races so it takes a little time for me to get my "sea legs" under me. Eventually things start falling in place and I am staying on the bike and riding through the muddy sections without as many problems. I don't hear anyone coming up behind me so assume I am fairing at least as well as other racers.
The wooden bridges are very slick. I start to turn on one of them just as I am exiting it and my back wheel slides out. I am able to recover without falling and make sure not to try that again. There are a few times when mud gets through my glasses and in my contacts causing some short term vision problems but other than that no issues. The course improves as the lap continues and there are even some sections that aren't even muddy. I come across one section with water high enough to cover my bottom bracket but it also helps clean out some mud in my gears.
I make the last climb out of the woods and onto the paved road leading to the transition area. I jump to my highest gear picking up speed the whole time heading down to the group campsite. I yell "buckwheat" so that Ed knows I am coming in. He clips in and starts his lap just as I finish mine. Race on! I managed a 1:02 lap putting six minutes on the second place team, Easy Riders. Mike stays in transition while I head back to the camp to get out of my wet and muddy clothes and eat.
Ed does a solid lap in 1:05 and Mike follows with a time of 1:08. Both make a wrong turn just before the transition which adds a little extra to their time. We continue to put time into Easy Riders and the third place team Tunica Trail Riders. Things are moving along pretty well but so much unpredictable stuff can happen in these 24 hour races and things can quickly go south. Unfortunately Rosanne is sick so we are trying to keep a couple guys ready at the transition in case one needs to head out for some type of mechanical problem. Rusty comes in from his second lap a little after 5 PM and I head out now with lights.
The course has gotten considerably worse since my first lap. I am not just coming off my bike this time, I am crashing. I take a mouth full of muddy water as I face plant into a big water puddle. There are many spots on the downhill where it is more like skiing then riding. I have to fend off a few trees as I slide into them. Things are getting harder. It is harder to clipped in due to the thick mud stuck in my cleats. I had to clear the mud between my front tire and fork when I couldn't get going again with it wedged in so thick. My chain is constantly jumping gears in the back and I need two hands to try to shift the front chainring. I don't discourage easily and keep plugging away at the course. We have a pretty solid lead by now and we just need to avoid any major mistakes.
By this point in the race things are getting pretty spread out and I pass riders as I go along. I know everyone is having a tough time on the course. Brian Coleman mentioned at the start that he may need to end the race early and it is looking like the course won't offer him much other choice. It is starting to get a little dark in the woods and harder to pick up the trail in spots so I turn my lights on just before the end of the lap. I know things won't be getting any easier from now on. I finish my lap in 1:15 as Ed heads out to start his second lap and our teams seventh.
I am eating and fighting off some cramps back at the camp when some hippie looking cowboy walks up. It is Brian in a wig telling me he will need to end the race after 13 hours putting the last rider starting right after midnight. I figure I will likely be the last rider from our team to start a lap. I hear Ed yelling "buckwheat" all the way from the camp as he finishes his lap sometime around 7:45 PM and Mike heads out on the course. Ed gets back to the camp as I am preparing to leave. He mentions that he is really itching to do a third lap and I tell him to be ready to go by 11 PM if he wants to take my lap. Far be it from me to prevent someone from punishing themselves.
I am waiting with Rusty at the transition and it seems like Mike is taking longer than he should on his lap. It seemed like he had been out for over two hours when we hear the radio from CP3 say that a woman crashed on her bike and didn't want to race anymore. She was being walked out of the woods by Team Buckwheat. My heart sunk as I am sure Rusty's did. There wasn't a lot of information available at the time but we decide that I will start riding the course backwards until I meet up with Mike and then walk the women out of the course while he gets back into the race. As I am heading out of the transition area they find out that the women is Alison who I passed on an earlier lap and her husband is in the transition. He is heading out on his bike to meet her so I can be ready for my lap.
They call again on the radio to request someone to pick up Alison since she has a pretty bad cut on her face. It turns out she took a spill and hit something that put a very long cut on the side of her face. When she looked up, she saw Mike's headlight and was able to call out to him. Mike is not only a nice guy who would help anyone but is also a nurse so at least Alison was lucky in that sense. I think he was able to stop the bleeding with a shirt and waited with Alison until help arrived at CP3.
Mike obviously did the right thing but unfortunately for Team Buckwheat it would cost us the lead. Easy Riders finished their eighth lap three minutes before Mike completed ours erasing a lead of over forty-five minutes. For some reason they didn't have a rider ready to go in transition so their guy takes off back to the campsite to round up a teammate. When Mike makes it back in, Rusty takes off for our ninth lap in high gear knowing that he won't have much lead on Easy Riders. Mike did the right thing and knows it although he still looks a little disappointed that it cost us some time. Lucky for us, it is about ten minutes before Easy Riders sends out a rider on their ninth lap giving Rusty a cushion.
Ed shows up at transition and still is up for doing the final lap. I am certainly fine with that but will still be ready in case Ed has any problems or can finish his lap in time for us to start another. Rusty arrives after a 1:13 loop and Ed starts our tenth lap. We wait to see when second place will show but time keeps ticking by with no one coming in.
Tunica Trail Riders currently in third place have a guy ready to go in the event their rider makes it back before the cutoff (12:06 AM). Their current rider is on their team's ninth lap and started about thirty minutes behind Easy Riders who is still out on their ninth lap. As the cutoff time approaches, Justin with Easy Riders comes in dragging his foot on the top of his rear tire. He lost his rear brakes some time during the lap and didn't have any front brakes installed on the bike. They have a few minutes to start their tenth lap but no rider in transition. If Tunica can make it in within the next couple of minutes, they will get a rider out to at least attempt a tenth lap. I get colder as I just hang around. I am also getting a little concerned that Ed may actually make it back before 12:06 AM sending me out for another lap.
The deadline to start the last lap passes and about three minutes later Tunica's rider comes in. They will settle for a close third place to Easy Riders' second. Team Buckwheat will be the winning team now even if Ed doesn't finish his lap. I wait another twenty minutes at transition for Ed to come it. The course is now even worse and a few solo guys still have to suffer on it. The solo winner, Kevin Conerly, rang up enough laps to quit before 10 PM. I head back to the camp to relish some unexpected sleep satisfied with a solid season of bike racing.
As always Brian does a great job with this race and I continue to look forward to it serving as the final race of the season.
