Full Circle...and Then More Circles.

I suppose everyone has a race that has broken them and changed them. The last race I had done before I took my decade long hiatus, the one that made me tell myself this is the last one for a while, the one that made me lose taste in racing was the Sea Otter Classic. I distinctly remember the road race being so brutal and unforgiving, that I laid in bed after I DNF'd after getting dropped and thought I don't want to race for a long while. I had no idea at the time that it would be almost fifteen years until I would do the race again.
When I signed up, I knew it would be a significant race to do again. I did and will never take this race lightly. Since I was beaten and I needed to redeem myself I had been training specifically for this race which included a few races leading up to Sea Otter. I even remember in several crits trying not to risk too much as to not screw it up for the big one. In addition to all the usual training that goes on for this race, I took to some mental prep as well. I signed up for both the road race and circuit race. Each with it's own level of pain and suffering. My non bike prep including playing a sim on Xbox that featured the exact Laguna Seca course. I practiced a ton trying to remember and take all of the right lines.

Just getting to the race is quite a spectacle. I drove up, parked in a big mountainous field and walked a few minutes to the big registration place and tried to make heads of it all. Sea Otter has just about every bike discipline on tap. Down Hill, MTB, Road, Grand Fondo, Cyclocross, Dual Slalom and not to mention industry peeps and an army of volunteers and staff.

After I did all the paperwork and got the timing chip, I wanted to preride the course but before I did, I wanted to check out the view of Laguna Seca and soak it all in. I got to go out on the ledge and just stare. There were simultaneous races going on, loud music and a bike sensory overload. The weather was perfect with some cool breezes and bright sunshine.

After a bit of refocusing, I got on my bike and rode the course. It is located on the old Fort Ord base where we would be using the entire road where the only thing about it was there was never a flat section. If you laid a basketball on any part of it, it would roll and roll fast.
I was lucky enough to be staying with the Skratch Labs crew for the weekend. They got a mansion in Pebble Beach and were cooking up some tasty grub for hungry racers and fans. That meant I would have to contribute what I could to representing the brand, cook and shop and give out samples to the thirsty public. I went to the Skratch camp and started right away explaining to people all about the former secret drink mix that's been fueling the pro peloton for years.

After being with the crew for the rest of the day while standing most of the time (these guys are so disciplined) and going shopping for supplies, I tried to get some rest get ready to wake up for the big road race. In the morning I got into my race routine and headed to the start. Luckily I don't need a race strategy. Just hang on and survive. The course had over 780 feet of climbing per lap in 7.8 miles and then to make things downright cruel, on the last lap, it turned and finished on a 800 foot two mile climb. That made my race feature just north of 5,400 ft of climbing. Basically a nightmare for me.

It started out with a neutral roll out and then as soon as the moto blew his whistle, attacks came thick and fast. I stayed with the main pack thinking we would reel them in. On the first KOM climb, people started pushing the pace and we lost a whole bunch of people. The heat turned on literally and figuratively and every lap we were losing guys. On more than one occasion I would be standing on the pedals, looking back and seeing no one. The worst of the climbs for me was actually the feed zone. As soon as people took on bottles the road got really steep and then turned left. Guys started to go there and my legs were hurting bad. During the race two guys broke away and built a quick 30 second lead which peaked last I heard to nearly a minute. The pack had whittled down to only a few and on the second to last KOM climb, I counted the guys in front of me. I was 15th and holding. Just then, both legs cramped and were not working right. That sensation of knives jabbing into my IT band and calves was like a cruel bully. I lost contact with the group and in my futility chased for the sake of chasing, as hard as I could.
By the time we turned on to the finishing climb, I was glad the laps were done and all that remained was a climb. My legs were cramping so bad, I was zigzagging across the road, butt on the tip of the saddle, not able to stand. I poured water on my legs and even pushed with my hands to get the pedals over. I was in so much pain I was actually amazed how my muscles were staying contracted for the last 20 minutes. It was actually one of the few times I thought of getting off my bike and walking. Less than a kilometer to the finish and I was getting swept up by the 45+ guys. I heard a cheer from behind from another Swami. It motivated me to get to that line. Once crossed, ten feet after I tried to unclip my pedals but it didn't work. I just leaned on the barricade looking at my legs and wondered when I could actually bend them. After a few minutes I walked over to the top of the hill to get some water. I ended up 18th on the day and was just focusing on recovery for the next days circuit race. I got the car, spun the legs on the trainer and just laid there trying to figure out how to pull myself together before going down to the Skratch tent to work until the end of the day.

 

After standing on my feet working the Skratch tent, I was running on fumes. I luckily got fed some tasty rice cakes and random burritos when I could scarf them down in between explaining to people the benefits of Skratch and selling more copies of The Feedzone cookbook. All I can say is that the guys from Skratch are working animals. The terminators of the industry. Tough. In fact I was talking to Ian (Former Garmin Pro) and asked him advice on the bike and using a trainer. He just told me to harden the F**k up. Gotta love it!
After we shut things down, we headed to the store where we got insane amounts of food. Even the customers at Costco had to do a double take. We also went to some great local Mexican market for some top quality ingredients. Here's a rundown of some of the the things we got: 80 Dozen Eggs, 60 pounds of Chicken, 150 pounds of Rice, 60 pounds of Sweet Potato's. The owner of the market was so stoked on our purchases, he gave us a discount and a couple bottles of Fanta that Chef James thought would be cool to drive down the street in the Skratchmobile and drink it gangsta style. Ironic!
That night we prepped and I cracked more eggs that night than I ever have in my life!

That night my goal for the circuit race was to hang on until they pulled me. It's no crit, as it's got a nasty climb on it over the 2.24 mile course. I head over to the track and then wait patiently until it's my turn to get to the line. People take this course seriously. There were so many new faces I hadn't seen from the previous days road race that meant fresh legs and more pain for me. The famous corkscrew turn required tons of concentration as you could hit speeds over 50mph. I saw a huddled few cyclists prepping for the race. I went over to see what they were doing. They were praying for a safe race which actually made me less calm and a little more freaked out.
Our race was for just under an hour and the climb was going to separate people every lap.

From the whistle, it was quick. Rather than getting dropped right away I stayed with the main group even though there were attacks every time we hit the hill. At about the 30 minute mark, I lost contact and was dropped but there were so many others dropped it was hard to make heads or tails of where I was. I just told myself to ride myself into the ground until I get pulled. It never happened and I finished with a group of about ten stragglers and I ended up 17th. After the race, I didn't even get out of my chamois right away and got to helping the Skratch crew again. This time working inside the food trailer, making rice, washing dishes and all sorts of other tasks. I was in a haze but didn't want to let those guys down and make them feel like I earned my keep.

This race was huge on so many levels. Afterwords I drove a couple hours to see my brother and fam for some much needed rest before the drive back to San Diego. The legs were so sore from racing, then standing for hours and driving that even a leg massage from my three year old nephew didn't help. He tries though and he'll be one to watch on the bike in a few years.

The events and the participants, stoked kids and the unassuming pros. It was a bit of a reunion running into people and friends I haven't seen in years. This was one of the ages and I think I may have redeemed myself in some small way. The fire is going strong and I can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds. Big thanks to everyone at Skratch Labs, Swamis, Focus Bikes and to all the sponsors and volunteers of this great event. I'll be back next year.