I have raced in the Spokane 24 hr race in one form or another for probably the last six or seven years, 2 man team, 5 man team, and cooperate 7-10 person team, but never solo.  It was something I always said I would someday try but never really believed I could do it.  But the 29er Crew changed that for me.  I got sweet new gear that made me feel hot and sexy, but what really did it for me was the new bike.  The Gary Fisher Superfly 100! 

Talk about the ultimate mountain bike, this thing does EVERYTHING well.  The more time I spend on it the more I like it.  I could go on an on but back to the race report for now. 

Going into my first 24 solo was a little intense.  I put a ton of planning into this thing but still wasn’t sure if I was on the right track.  I had no idea what to expect in the way of  results, but knew that I had a solid six months of training preparing for this so I was as ready as I get. 

The gun goes off, we run 600 yards for the lemonds start. (I hate running).  I felt real good on the bike though, almost too good.  One of my biggest concerns was that I would start to fast and burn up early.  As the first few laps tick off I’m running what feels border line too fast, but there are about four other solos running faster.  The xc racer in me wants to run them down, but I resist that urge and hold my pace.  At the 6 hr mark I stop for my first break.  I eat some food while my wife struggles to lube my chain (yeah, we should’ve practice more).  I here the news that I’m in third place overall with first and second a lap ahead.  I think wow a lap ahead, there killing me, but hey, third is pretty good for my first time.  I continue my pace, holding fairly consistent lap times.  I take my next meal break at the 12 hr mark.  I’m still feeling pretty good, I eat a tuna fish sandwich… I don’t feel so good anymore.  I slog through the next lap with a grumpy stomach.  At around 2 am I come up with a plan.  Everyone hurts at this time of  a 24 hr race, and as fast as the top two guys have been going they have got to be suffering now, so I’m going to kill it until I see day light, then eat my final meal and be all charged up for the home stretch.  These were the hardest hours of the race for me and my laps were by no means fast, but that didn’t matter,  it worked!  At 5:00 am I got the news that the leader was out and the second place guy was only six minutes ahead.  I’m not sure if it was hearing that news, the sun rise of a new day, or a big swig of Coke that did it for me, but that was it!  I was on fire!  Ok, the more I think about it it was probably the Coke.  I soon caught and passed the guy ahead of me.  We’re in the final hours and I’m in the lead, I’ve just got to hang on and ride smart.  I’m incapable of riding smart so I end up getting a lap and a half ahead of second place by the finish.  I cross the line and throw my hands in the air and think what the hell just happened?  I won.  I fully expected this to be the longest 24 hours of my life, but it seemed to fly by.  My head is still spinning from the whole ordeal.  I have to say a 24 hr solo race is a pretty selfish endeavor and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my wife and all of my friends, including fellow Crew member David, and of course my beloved Superfly 100!  J

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