I'm leaving my wife for my bike, apparently...

[kratz]

‎[2011 Laramie Enduro] Congrats - You're In!

Two days before my 35th birthday, 70 miles of mountain bike race... 8,116ft of vertical climb... 

What the holy hell have I gotten myself into?

http://laramieenduro.org/

[kratz]

Oh, and I started my training a month ago with a big wreck and a broken thumb. 

[cheeba]

This thread is worthless without a pic of your bike .

I had hoped to get a new bike this year but finances and other stuff means it probably won't be til next. I miss my old Stumpjumper.

Good luck! 8k vertical sounds insane.

[Boudreaux]

Man, I would love to do something like this, and yet I have no idea how I would stack up against racing competition.  The only bike races I've done were on the road, where I always fell in the rear of the pack.  I have no idea how I would perform in competitive mountain biking.  

Granted, I probably shouldn't start with a 70-mile endurance race.  

[kratz]

Yeah, my race is totally going to be against myself... judging by the times that people I know have done it in, I'd really LIKE to finish in 7 hours, but if I can get in under 8, I'll be pretty stoked.

Living here, I have the advantage of people able to train on the actual course.

Cheeba, my bike is more or less this: http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/fullsuspension/dakarxct/10_dakarxct3.html

Couple differences, but it looks like that.

[Scuzz]

My ass would hurt so much after 7 hours on a bike............

[kratz]

My ass would hurt so much after 7 hours on a bike............

You spend 10 hours a week on it, and you get used to it... that and padded shorts.  But yeah, my ass and my everything else is gonna hurt.

[PeteRock]

Quite the challenge.  I've done some single-track riding in the past, but as my experience is predominantly road cycling, I really struggle with mountain biking as it challenges all of my habits and needs developed from road riding, such as a complete inability to get into any sort of cadence, fear of crashing even despite quick-release pedals, and the physical effort required from your entire body, not just your legs.  

This is a cool way to celebrate a 35th birthday.  Good luck, and ride safely.  

[Blackadar]

Kratz, you lost 50 pounds a couple of years ago, didn't you?  What got you into the workout bug and made you this fitness madman? 

[kratz]

Fear of death, love of life, the fatigue of feeling shitty... 1000 other reasons...

I lost ~60 pounds ~year ago.

[tiktokman]

Fear of death, love of life, the fatigue of feeling shitty... 1000 other reasons...

I lost ~60 pounds ~year ago.

And here I thought it was all because I was constantly calling you a fatass.

Good luck and try not to die.

[gellar]

Fear of death, love of life, the fatigue of feeling shitty... 1000 other reasons...

I lost ~60 pounds ~year ago.

And here I thought it was all because I was constantly calling you a fatass.

Good luck and try not to die.

Well to be clear, all of us were calling him a fatass.

[kratz]

Tomorrow is the day.  I've been a bundle of nerves all damn week.

I told my wife 'I feel like I've spent all summer on my bike, and like I haven't spent nearly enough time on my bike.'  I basically never hit the mileage on my plan in any week... but I did get in some long rides, and I have a semi-ok fueling plan, but I've been freaking out this week about not doing testing with something liquid like Perpetuem that would be really easy to eat on the bike... I guess I'll test that out after this race and if it works, I can use it when I do the Dakota 50 in September.

They say never use new fuel in a race, and never use new gear... well... two weeks ago we discovered that my frame was broken.  It's the second frame from this company (Jamis) that I've broken in the last year, and with no time for the warranty process to go through, and done with the brand, I bought a new frame which I got one week ago... I've put a whopping 48 miles on it.  Hope it works out... it's a much better bike (Yeti 575), but it is new... oh well.

Wish me luck!  If I don't check in on Sunday, I'm passed out in a thicket somewhere in the Medicine Bow Nat'l Forest!

[PR_GMR]

This thread is worthless without a pic of your bike .

And one of your wife. We need to be able to compare. 

[kratz]

The bike is sexy as hell... for a bike... but there is no comparison.

[lildrgn]

Looks like a girl's bike.

j/k and goodluck!

[Kagath]

Back in my day we didn't have any of the fancy shocks or shit to save our asses.

[kratz]

Back in my day we didn't have any of the fancy shocks or shit to save our asses.

That was my day too!  I'm glad we've progressed.  While I was waiting for my new frame to show up, and my FS was broken, I did a few rides on my old hardtail Gary Fisher with a... I dunno... 70mm travel fork?  Punishing... that stuff at my age is carpal tunnels waiting to happen.

There will be guys doing this race on fully rigid single speeds.  Insane.

[tiktokman]

There will be guys doing this race on fully rigid single speeds.  Insane.

Real men who will laugh at your handlebar tassels and wicker basket.

[kratz]

They have earned that right.

[cheeba]

Sweet bike! I have dreams of a Yeti ARC one day.

[Scuzz]

my ass will think of your travels tomorrow and be glad it is not there....

[El-Producto]

Fucking Awesome man.

[kratz]

I don't know my official time, but it was right about 9 hours.  I think it was close to 90 degrees out there... brutally difficult.  The first 40 miles were a breeze (I was on pace to finish in 7:00), and the last 32.5 were total torture.  I had a pretty hard wreck at about mile 20, which didn't help much, but nothing major. Sore ribs, sprained wrist/elbow/shoulder.  My pinky is numb, for some reason.  Washed about 3lbs of dirt off of myself when I got home.  Feeling tired, and pretty stoked.

[Mithridates]

Congrats on completing the race!

[The Grue]

Kratz is the man.

[kratz]

Finish line!

[Eightball]

Congrats, bud.

[Xmann]

nice Kratz!   i just got into mountain biking this summer after doing triathlon/road biking for years.    i haven't done anything exciting other than some trail rides.  i did ride down some easy trails on Vail, which was cool.   i'd really like to do a ride like that sometime.   i have a hardtail so i would imagine i would have one sore tail-end after 9 hours.

[kratz]

That's cool that you are getting into it - it's an awesome activity!  Your ass is gonna be sore regardless of what you are on... mine was driving me nuts from 40 - 50 miles... after that I was so miserable otherwise that I didn't even notice that particular pain anymore.  Depending on the course, the hardtail has the advantage of putting all of your power onto the dirt, though you do roll over stuff more easily w/ a full suspension.  Saw plenty of guys on not only hard tails, but fully rigid rides yesterday.  Crazy people!

Soreness is starting to set in in a major way this evening.  I think most of it is muscles that took a hard stretch when I wrecked (I was going at *least* 20mph when I went down).  My left pinky and part of my left big toe are also numb/tingly... I hope I don't have some pinched nerve somewhere.