12 Hours of Temecula 01/24/2009

Up to this point I would have thought my training routine would have carried me through this event with some relative ease, but I stand corrected. This event was as tough as they come. From the sandy trails to the multiple steep climbs; I simply found it difficult to find any kind of rhythm. I found the mental aspect of this event to be one of the toughest parts of the challenge because each lap I know that once again I would have to revisit the same steep climbs over and over again. For a while some where around lap 5-7 It became a little easier but the mental strain began to take over once again around lap 8 and it became easy to dog the last couple of laps in the hope that the hour glass would run out.

Equipment: All and all I still have to say that the amount of traction that the 29er tire provides is far superior in the sandiest environments, especially on step climbs. I watched many people on 26 inch wheels spin out as they tried to stand up to reach the summit of the climbs where my 29er would only slip an inch or two before finding the traction necessarily to reach the top of the climbs.

Mishaps: I did manage to brake a chain but luckily I remembered to carry an extra power link.

General Thoughts: I really gained alot of respect for this style of racing. I learned that regardless of how much training you've done; racing in sandy terrain is tough and one should train in that kind of envirnment if one hopes to succeed there.