This is part one in a five part series, I have written about my experience with training, racing and the adventures of 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in 2023.
Part 1: Training and Prep
One of my favorite things about 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (24HOP) is the training leading up to it. When most are on their off season, I am building a fantastic base. I don’t have off-season blahs as I’m ramping my volume into higher numbers in November, with a bit of a lull around Christmas to take time with family. And another big ramp up into January. Twenty-four hour training suits my personality well. As there’s nothing I love more then spending long days outside on the bike.
Historically, the weather has been fantastic for winter training. But 2023 proved to be a challenging year with all of the wet rainy days. My rides were limited to areas that remained open during all the wet weather. In one way, this benefitted me, as these were the routes right out my front door. I wasn’t driving to get any where for rides. It was efficient and easy.
When it was all said and done, I was thoroughly exhausted chasing all those weather windows. I got caught in rain shower after rain shower for a month on end and I was depleted. It’s one thing to be in the rain for an hour but when you have 2+ hour rides on the schedule being cold and wet for so long can be very draining. Not to mention the wear and tear the wet weather has on the bikes and all the clean up that it takes.
If I had this same weather the previous years, I’m not sure I would have had the energy to muster training for this day in and day out. Every year.
Despite all the weather challenges I was right on with my training. I don’t think I missed a workout. We shuffled some days around to accommodate the weather, but it was with determination and dedication that I was able to get it all done. I was certain that all this time I put into bad weather and wet cold rides had to be good karma, right? Well at least I had acclimated to the cold for those chilly night laps.
One of the things that I always forget every year is how much your life basically goes into chaos the month leading up to the race. All I literally am doing is working, riding, eating and sleeping. There is no time for any housekeeping, laundry, and any other life stuff. There’s about a 2 week span where I almost loss my shit because I feel like things are falling out of control. The house is in disorder. My brain is disorganized. The clutter is starting to accumulate. And then I remember “oh yeah…this feels familiar. I’ve been here before and this too shall pass.”
This year was no different and in fact I over stretched myself committing to working 10+ hours extra hours a week at my second job leaving not leaving adequate time for recovery activities like restorative yoga in the evenings, or long soaks in the bath after cold wet rides. I must make a mental note not to do that to myself again. I definitely was walking a fine line of burnout and not enough recovery. Not because of my workout volume but because of the added work hours and commitments I had put onto myself. Yes, I did it to myself, if I did it again with the added commitments I’d cut the ride volume to have more recovery. Or cut the extra work hours the last few weeks of high volume.
10 days before the race I was stoked to able to put in one last big 8hr day with 10,000ft of climbing and after that it was smooth sailing and taper time for me.
The other thing that happens to me the month leading up to the 24 hour race is what I call to “24 hour race brain”. My brain has 24HOP on the mind for 24hrs a day. I’m constantly thinking about the prep, making sure I have everything lined up for the weekend. Lights, batteries, food, supplies, clothing, whatever it may be… What food am I going to want? What did I do last year? Why did I not write it down? I was continuously running scenarios through my head. I even found myself laying through one of my relaxing massages with “24HOP brain” obsessing over race particulars.
There are a lot of unknowns about going into a 24hr race. I knew I had the volume and the endurance to ride the 24hrs. Having been there before there was no doubt that would be an issue. I was more concerned about the unknowns. When was my eye going to flare up? How long would it take me out? What other challenges are going to come my way? What kind of bike mechanicals would I have? Would I get delirious? And the list of questions went on? “What ifs” can be a wasted energy but it’s a fine line between that and the mental preparation for what this event can throw at you. I tried to prepare for most scenarios in my head, so when the challenge came up I could problem solve quickly.
Needless to say, the work was done. The physical prep, mental prep, it was all done. All I needed to do was show up and pedal and let the 24 Hours of Old Pueblo unfold in front of me.
Fueled By TheFeed.
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