2014 12 hrs of Millstone race recap

2014 12 hrs of Millstone Race Recap

Saturday, July 26th, 2014 was my second 12 hr solo attempt at the 12 hrs of Millstone (race web page).  I had come back to break my personal record set in 2013 where I had completed 7 laps in 9 hours and 15 minutes before my body decided that it had had enough and basically cramped from my foot to my neck to let me know it was done. This year I was determined to ride more then 7 laps and more then 9 hrs or whichever came first.

Granite slag piles as high as a mountain in the middle of a forest

The course at Millstone weaves and winds through 6.5 miles of trail that skirts along multiple abandoned quarries that were dug about a hundred years ago to pull the granite from the mountain (race course).  Throughout the forest there are tons of slag piles that reach as high as several hundred feet and several quarry ponds.  Nature has reclaimed this area and one could be walking through a thick pine forest only to stumble upon a huge hole in the ground filled with water and flanked by steep granite cliffs.  It is a very unique and amazing place. 

The area is situated in Barre, VT, at the top of a hill.  The race venue utilizes a large field for camping and support tent set up and offers a great place for camping with fantastic Vermont views, and excellent star gazing at night.  The course itself doesn't seem to be that steep (at least for the first few laps) but does have about 800 feet of climbing over the 6.5 miles.  The elevation gain is sneaky though and really starts to wear on you over the course of the day.  The trails are technical, a lot of roots and rocks, and tight, flowy single track.  However, the course makes for some excellent mt biking, but is not for the beginner or even intermediate rider.

I got to the field on a Friday evening and picked a spot for my tent and set up.  I had a nice dinner and registered and mingled with fellow riders, but not for very long.  I was eager to get a good night's rest as I knew I was about to endure a very tough and punishing course.  I went to sleep by 9pm and slept a solid 9 hrs.  When I awoke I put my race number on my bike and realized that I was #12.  A good sign as I was a solo rider, attempting to ride for 12 hrs.

The race started promptly at 9 am.  The weather was a little humid, but not too warm.  The high for the day was predicted to be in the 80's but the majority of the course would be in the forest so I was not worried.  My strategy was to complete 2 consecutive laps and stop at the end of the second lap long enough to eat solid food and do some stretches to avoid the cramps from last year.  I relied on a Gu pack every hour and 2 endurolyte salt pills every hour, on the hour. 

The first 4 laps went very well.  I had consistent times and felt really good.  The 5th lap started to hurt, and the 6th lap was my low point.  At the end of my 6th lap I took a 20 minute break eating some soup that my camp neighbors were kind enough to provide and to stretch.  By this point I had been riding my bike for over 6 hours and had experienced significant elevation gain.  My legs were starting to feel awful and my back was one giant knot.  I had decided to stop after every lap going forward.  I still had plenty of time though to attempt to break my record.

7 rhymes with heaven, but my 7th lap was the lap from hell.  Nothing seemed to go right on this lap.  I was making very dumb mistakes in regards to my race lines.  I crashed into a small tree on one of my miscalculations and I felt like I was pedaling in slow motion.  By this lap I had consumed far too many Gus then I care to remember and this was the lap that my gastro-intestinal system decided to mutiny.  It wanted nothing more to do with Gu, yet I had to somehow find the courage to down yet another packet.  The Gu on the 7th lap felt like the consistency of tar by this point and tasted like old bubblegum, like the kind you find stuck to a chair in an old movie theater.  I was slow and I was starting to feel like crap, and I was having trouble seeing the trail in front of me.  I felt dizzy and faint and for the first time I started to think about how nice it would be to stop. 

When I finished my 7th lap I stretched for a solid 10 minutes next to my tent.  I changed my glasses lens to clear because it was starting to get darker in the shadier parts of the woods.  There was 4 hours left to the race at this point.  I had been on the bike for 8 hrs and was starting to feel it.  I gathered enough strength to commit to an 8th lap.  My 8th lap started good.  I was feeling strong and was feeling happy that I was breaking my PR, but after the first steep hill I lost my momentum.  From that point on I walked every single hill, including the small and not steep ones.  I was gassed, completely exhausted, but determined to finish the lap strong, and dare I even think it?  Attempt a 9th lap?  I got through the 8th lap, but it was one of my slowest.  When I crossed the race tent I decided that 8 would be enough for the day.  There were about 2 hours left to the race, and I could have tried a 9th lap, but I was exhausted, and I would have had to race with lights, and I had other races coming up and the risk of an injury at this point was just too great.

When I finished, I had completed 8 laps.  I rode my bike for 9 hrs and 50 minutes.  I had covered 60 miles of very technical and punishing single track and had climbed 7,500 feet of elevation.  I put my bike down and sat on the ground, then laid on the ground and just didn't move.  My legs were numb, my stomach was feeling very weird (with a slight nausea), my back was destroyed, and my arms were shot.  I got up to get some finisher BBQ, took 4 steps and literally crashed to the ground.  The world was spinning, and I felt like I was going to pass out and puke at the same time.  I took about 30 minutes of my time just lying on the ground and eventually (and slowly) got up and ate 2 plates of BBQ.  I took a shower at the open facility across the street and then grabbed a beer and waited for the race award's to hear how the other solo's and teams performed.

At night  I could see every star in the sky, and even saw the faint white band of the milky way, as well as several shooting stars and satellites reflecting sunlight form orbit.  I crawled into my tent with a huge smile and sense of accomplishment.  My body was sore as hell, but my spirit was soaring.  I came to break my PR and that is exactly what I did.  I overcame extreme adversity and suffering to do what I love and I was very grateful for it.