The Hardcore 24 was certainly true to its name. I rode laps in blistering heat, torrential rains and cloud-like fog, all the while suffering the physical pains of an amateur on my first mountain bike race ever.
The race took place at Ontario County Park in Naples, New York, which is a 400 parcel of heaven, chock-full of rocks, roots, hills and, most importantly, mountain bike trails. The race course itself was a little over 7 miles with 850 plus feet of climbing, ranging from steep, small-ring climbs to windy rollers and had some grassy climbs through some open fields as well. The course was almost entirely 12”-18” singletrack, the very best type of trail for a real cross-country bike race.
As a newbie to the racing scene, I was a little worried about sticking with the pack, making good numbers and trying not to get in the way. So to be the most competitive, I chose to ride as part of a two-man team, which typically doesn’t garner as many pros as the solo or 4-person team categories.
We came prepared, with a big Eureka camping dome and a 14-foot canvas marquis tent that looked like it was straight out of the Middle Ages. We had folding chairs, tables, and enough food and drink to feed a small army for a week. Among the various foods, there were: bagels, bialys, three different cheeses, crackers, bananas, apples, peaches, grapes, cherries, two different fruit breads, sliced deli meats, juices, trail mixes, and plenty of sport drinks from Gatorade, Hammer Nutrition and First Endurance. If anything, we had too much food. I also brought lots of clothing, lighting, tools and spare parts for the bike. In terms of supplies, we were missing only the kitchen sink, but that’s was it.
The race began at noon on Saturday the 24th, and my teammate took the first lap. I rested, tuned my bike, buttered up my unmentionables and otherwise prepped my gear for the race. When my first lap kicked off at 1:15pm, the trail was dry and fast. My first two miles was fraught with nervous energy as I sped quickly and dangerously down some perilous hills, braking too hard, taking corners too fast and otherwise banging up and down hills like a fool. But as I settled into a good pace, I was able to spin and grin my way through the rest of the lap without seeing any other riders along the way. I took that as a sign that I was putting out a respectable lap time. I came in feeling good at a very solid 1:18.
Click here to view some GPS stats for my first lap.
I began my second lap with a snapped chain right off the line. I’m not sure what happened here, but I somehow sheared a pin with my massive weight. Shimano might be making some kind of fat joke with their wimpy 9-speed chains, but I ignored that and used my spare replacement pin in my bag, and got going after a few minutes in the pit. The weather was cooling off, drawing in some refreshing breezes at the top of the hill. Unfortunately, I ran out of water around halfway and started to overheat, so I took it slow to the finish. My second lap was completed in 1:38.
Around 6:45pm, as I prepared for my third lap, a dark and ominous storm approached. The minutes preceding my start were chimed like clockwork with lightning that boomed like mortar strikes through the surrounding valleys. And then the sky cracked open and the all the rain poured out. The water roared down in waves, making it difficult to see, hear and do just about anything. I left the starting pavilion and was completely soaked in about five seconds. My glasses were useless, so I crammed them in my pocket. The water was gushing down off my head, stinging my eyes with sweat and particulate matter that was coming down from the trees above, which creaked and groaned in the high winds. With the rain and clouds, the forest was so dark that I could hardly see the ground three feet in front of me. Luckily I had just set up the NiteRider Pro 1200 as my headlight to beam me through the muck for the rest of the lap. I finished the third lap in 1:47, covered head to toe in mud. I like how things don’t have to be fun to have fun. This was my favorite lap.
The storm passed and things dried out over the next few hours. I began my fourth lap around 10pm under a thick blanket of fog over the majority of the forest. The fog made everything quiet and reduced visibility to about thirty feet, making it difficult to anticipate power climbs, hairpin turns and other unusual deviations in the trail. I had the Pro 1200 beaming in high mode, with both LED clusters visibly illuminated in the fog like giant Hollywood spotlights. If it were any brighter I could’ve thrown a shadow puppet and called Batman to come rescue me. The fourth lap was long. I was dead tired, losing focus and riding sloppy lines through the slippery rocks and roots. But my trusty bike guided me through the night like stallion carries a wounded cowboy home at the end of a sad western. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done…almost.
I crashed somewhere near the fifth mile marker, when my bike suddenly dropped like a dead horse. I flew forward feet first, as if I were pencil-diving horizontally into a cliff wall, and crashed into a combination of trees, rocks, leaves and other stumpy objects. Running on ego, adrenaline and the last few ounces of Gatorade, I was able to walk it off and make my way toward the finish. I then blew out my rear tire about a half-mile from the finish, which made for an anti-climactic grind toward the end, which I rode slowly and jogged into the finish line, trying not to mess up my wheel or tire any further. This lap clocked in at 2:08, ending sometime after midnight.
Though I still had some gas in the tank, my left ankle was hurting and slowly ballooning with fluid. I iced and elevated my foot, but I just couldn’t ride on it, so at 2 or 3am, I decided to call it quits and my teammate was left to carry us to the finish. By 12pm on Sunday, I had finished 4 laps, and my teammate had finished 7, putting us just one lap behind third place for our category. Though some would argue differently, I believe that I walked away victorious, feeling good that I competed and walked away without any broken bones.
The Hardcore 24 was a fantastic event. The race organizers, supporters and racers were positive, enthusiastic and always helpful on the trail, offering kudos and motivational words to each other throughout the night. The race had prizes, raffles, live music, food, drinks and tons of friendly people adding to the good vibe.
After a hot shower and a chance to recover for a few days, I’ve decided that I like the 24-hour format because it tests much more than a rider’s ability to go fast to the finish. To succeed in a 24-hour race you need to endure the elements, stick to an effective nutrition plan, and you need the intestinal fortitude to deal with the pain and fatigue and to push your body past the limits of your mind. I wasn’t able to deliver on all of these points over the weekend, but if there’s another good opportunity in the future, I would definitely like to try again.
Thanks again to NiteRider Technical Lighting Systems and Tommy B. for the hookup with the goods and support throughout the race.
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