about 4pm the skies open up with some pretty heavy rain and a few rumbles of thunder. i was contemplating on whether to wait a few laps before heading out(let everyone else make a path through the muck) or try getting a good start and let the carnidge happen behind me...Rick said the rain might be a blessing cause it'll thin out the mud. at the riders meeting they said ironman will start last. so much for getting a good start.
the rain tapered and quit by race time but the humidity remained. they do a Lemans start, run to the quad and fire it up and go. i was 2nd to the last guy in line and there was 6 of us trying to ironman it. one of the guys was from the cardiostack team and was running multiple classes i heard, so there was only 5 of us that were seriously gonna try it.
6hr at Rausch Creek, PA
being that the pits area was so messy, i decided to let everyone go rather than get showered with the mud and water that was everywhere.
the gun went off and everyone sprinted to their machines. there was 44 machines all headed into the first turn, one 450R still kicking on the line and myself causually moving out. didn't take long to catch up to the tail of the pack. and i quickly realized why people hate using roll offs in the mud. after a while i figured out a technique that worked most of the time so i was quite happy about that.
we reached the first tight little hill section and as expected, there was about 10 quads there. but the Rausch Creek staff was well prepared and had track workers there to assist and direct traffic. passed a couple guys there and in the next tight section and a few were already sitting off to the side of the track.
the gun went off and everyone sprinted to their machines. there was 44 machines all headed into the first turn, one 450R still kicking on the line and myself causually moving out. didn't take long to catch up to the tail of the pack. and i quickly realized why people hate using roll offs in the mud. after a while i figured out a technique that worked most of the time so i was quite happy about that.
we reached the first tight little hill section and as expected, there was about 10 quads there. but the Rausch Creek staff was well prepared and had track workers there to assist and direct traffic. passed a couple guys there and in the next tight section and a few were already sitting off to the side of the track.
i was riding loose and feeling pretty good. i tried to keep a steady pace going, not real fast but not real slow, so i wouldn't get tired too fast. after the first couple laps the riders really cleared out. i was riding a good portion of the lap without seeing anyone. which was good cause noone was spinning mud in my face but was bad cause i had nobody to pace myself off of.
it was so muddy you couldn't tell who was who and the pits had to be the worst mud hole of it all. you could really fly through there and look cool with mud and water flying and engines racing. but everytime i tried going fast my goggles got covered with mud and the mud directed my bike to places i didn't belong, almost fell off the seat a few times. so i took it easy most of the time through there.
it was so muddy you couldn't tell who was who and the pits had to be the worst mud hole of it all. you could really fly through there and look cool with mud and water flying and engines racing. but everytime i tried going fast my goggles got covered with mud and the mud directed my bike to places i didn't belong, almost fell off the seat a few times. so i took it easy most of the time through there.
Rick waived me in for gas probably around 6:30-7:00. i was feeling good and the dale already lasted longer than i thought it would. couldn't tell what position i was in but it was too early to worry about that anyways.
went a few more laps and pulled back into the pits. i did alot of cardiovascular exercise the last few weeks and wasn't winded at all nor did i have arm pump, but my lower back was starting to kill me and i needed a drink. they said it was 8:00, half way. Rick powerwashed the dale and me and i switched to my other goggles with tear off's. i pulled up my pants and took off again.
went a few more laps and pulled back into the pits. i did alot of cardiovascular exercise the last few weeks and wasn't winded at all nor did i have arm pump, but my lower back was starting to kill me and i needed a drink. they said it was 8:00, half way. Rick powerwashed the dale and me and i switched to my other goggles with tear off's. i pulled up my pants and took off again.
you wouldn't think that pulling up your pants would matter much but i felt like a new person! monkey butt was becoming a concern but it was put on hold for a few minutes. these goggles have a clear lens where as my others have a red lens. red works fine in daylight but as i found out... it sucks when it gets dark. i was feeling pretty good till my pants fell back down...:mad:
teams were dropping like flys as darkness set in. alot of tires falling off for some reason. i saw 4-5 three wheelers out there.
naturally i loaded the tear offs onto my goggles backwards, the track wasn't as sloppy now as before and i could just about get a lap before removing a tear off. had to remove all the tear offs on the next lap, that was bad. goggles started to fog and it was nearly dark. stock cannondale lights are USELESS!! i removed the goggles and only got one piece of mud in my eye.
teams were dropping like flys as darkness set in. alot of tires falling off for some reason. i saw 4-5 three wheelers out there.
naturally i loaded the tear offs onto my goggles backwards, the track wasn't as sloppy now as before and i could just about get a lap before removing a tear off. had to remove all the tear offs on the next lap, that was bad. goggles started to fog and it was nearly dark. stock cannondale lights are USELESS!! i removed the goggles and only got one piece of mud in my eye.
couldn't do anything but wait till my eye teared,my hands and clothes were so filthy muddy that i'd do more harm than good if i tried rubbing it. made it back to the pits and decided to stop and check the leader board. i wasn't gonna kick my own a$$ if noone else was left in the race. they said i was 2nd in my class and 24th overall. i was on the same lap as the class leader but he had a 7 minute lead on me. i think i let him past me earlier in that lap.he came up behind me and i saw he had some bright lights so i left him past. he wasn't wearing any goggles so i thought i made a mistake but he was moving well and pulled away from me. but it was so hard to tell who was who and what was what. unfortunately, i knew i must continue on.
hopped back on the bike and tried to start it. wouldn't start... sometimes it'd fire but as soon as you gave it gas it'd die. i tried many times and was worried about killing the battery. finally i pushed it across the pits with the help of a stranger and was gonna jump start it, figuring more juice wiould get it going. Rick got out the pressure washer and hosed it down, then it started right up. i grabbed a pair of safety glasses and took off again. they said it was about 10PM now, so if i go real slow 2 more laps should do it:)
i was so beat by now i was hoping the bike would blow up! seemed like as soon as it got dark my energy and enthusiasm disappeared fast. sections that i went through 3-4th gear was now 1-2nd gear. i had a death grip on the bars and could hardly see anything infront of me. i was outrunning the headlights in first gear.
i was so beat by now i was hoping the bike would blow up! seemed like as soon as it got dark my energy and enthusiasm disappeared fast. sections that i went through 3-4th gear was now 1-2nd gear. i had a death grip on the bars and could hardly see anything infront of me. i was outrunning the headlights in first gear.
any bump went straight to my lower back and my butt felt raw. i was looking for a reason to stop and stretch, didn't have to be a good reason either.
the long straight through the woods became foggy at dark and was extremely dangerous(for me at least). i knew at one point there was a quad or two sitting off to the side in that section and eventhough it was wide, it seemed like i was always either on one side or the other. there was some big trees and rocks along those edges. i was hitting 5th gear earlier now i was in 2nd. the woods seemed deserted. everyone came through at about the same time and it didn't look like there was many people still going.
crossing the finish line on what i hoped was the last lap...
the long straight through the woods became foggy at dark and was extremely dangerous(for me at least). i knew at one point there was a quad or two sitting off to the side in that section and eventhough it was wide, it seemed like i was always either on one side or the other. there was some big trees and rocks along those edges. i was hitting 5th gear earlier now i was in 2nd. the woods seemed deserted. everyone came through at about the same time and it didn't look like there was many people still going.
crossing the finish line on what i hoped was the last lap...
i was mentally crushed to see no checkered flag:cry: one more lap had to do it. i know i can putt along for one final lap. i was constantly reaching over the bars to scrape the mud off the lights which made them twice as bright, but still worthless. got through the big switchback section after the pit area and was going around the first sweeper on the first mx section when a train of fast guys approached. i decided to go wide and let them go under me. but thanks to my crappy lights going wide meant going through about a foot of thick mud. the dale wouldn't turn and i was stuck pointing up hill. tried to push with my feet but i couldn't find neutral so i got off and had to lift it(or try to) but while climbing off i yanked out my tether and killed the engine. got it straightened out enough and hooked up the tether, hit the button and MRRrrrr, mrrrrrr, mrr, m. nothing. waited a minute and again all i got was m...m, nothing. so with 1 lap to go i was dead in the water(or mud). and with my fan constantly running it took about 5 minutes to completely drain the last little bit of juice from the battery.
after the race was over they came to rescue me. they tried to pop start me so i could cut over across the finish line, but i knew it wouldn't work. so they towed me back to the pits.
so close, but yet so far(about 5 miles)
oh-well still got second and still stayed 24th overall out of 46 teams.
after the race was over they came to rescue me. they tried to pop start me so i could cut over across the finish line, but i knew it wouldn't work. so they towed me back to the pits.
so close, but yet so far(about 5 miles)
oh-well still got second and still stayed 24th overall out of 46 teams.
bike ran good all day, not sure if it still runs now, but it ran good. lost my back brakes after 1.5 hours(or so). they still slowed you down but every time you hit the brake pedal you'd hear the grind of metal to metal. took the headlight off today and there's no water in the overflow bottle. the rad is still packed with mud even after i made guards to keep it from doing so...