CTR 2012 Race Discussion

[TruthRider]

Quick shout out to Jason Osborne, who looks like he should finish today.  He's approaching Cape of Good Hope.  I don't know him, but relate to him as it took me 9+ days last year.

I think he's the last one of the mass Waterton start to finish up.  Big ups to Jason for persevering on this BEASTLY effort.  Finishing this is by far the rudest thing I've ever done, which includes climbing a 6000M peak.  WELL DONE to all.

Especially to Jefe, Ethan, and Jesse, who enthralled and inspired us all last week.  I'm still stunned at 3d23h38m.

[Yogi the Barry]

Glad that Chris is alive to talk about his experience...
Re: Hallucinations / Night Riding
Only substantial hallucinations I had was when riding at night on the La Garita Wilderness bypass. During the 9:30-10:30 PM time period, any rock that lined the edge of the road would move. I thought it was amusing and was aware it wasn't real, but by 10:30 PM the dark thoughts and sounds phase started and my brain just said it was time to quit. After my first night ride during the CTR, bombing down the backside of Georgia Pass, on a totally soaked trail and trying to beat the next t-storm, I realized that I wasn't going to make up any time at night if the trail was very technical and/or rough. I am a very competent technical rider, but riding with a 90 lumen light, always turned down a wee bit to extend battery life, wasn't the same as when I ride a 24-hr race solo with twin 900 lumen lights. Once I was reduced to walking at night, or wobbling like a drunk, I'd just stop and camp. I preferred riding late, vs. early, because it was warmer after sunset then the hours before sunrise, but my total riding time in the 'dark' was less than 12 hrs. Crashing at night just wasn't worth it. I'm 55 and my 20/40 can be corrected to 20/20 with glasses, but age seems to have taken a bit of my depth perception at night. The only substantial night riding I did [other my death march to bail in the rain] was finishing Cataract in the dark and arriving into Silverton at 11:30 PM, which was only possible because it was a road, not a technical trail.
If I ever do something like this, think I'd try to get an earlier start and force myself to take an afternoon nap. Perhaps the PM nap would help with the negative thoughts I had EVERY day about 2-3 PM. FYI, somewhere I read that if you are going to shorten your sleep cycle, it's better to get a few hours of sleep early in the evening, by going to sleep close to when you normally do, than it is to stay up late and sleep-in. Early sleep hours are of more value to the body than late sleep hours...

Everyone needs to go read about Chris Neumann's experience during the last 15 miles of this years CTR. I sincerely hope this will generate some good discussion about the dangers of sleep deprivation, knowing when to say when, and how to treat a fellow rider if you recognize what he/she may be experiencing.

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,4460.0.html

The CTR certainly has the capacity to take each and every one of us to places we never thought possible.  Sometimes those places aren't always what we expect or want...

[Done]

Wow, it feels great to have survived another CTR. It was good this year—hard and mind-expanding, but also safe and fun. I almost made it in 6+ days, but I would have had to ride Indian Ridge during a HUGE lightning storm—a risk that I wasn’t willing to take. I ended up hiding partway down the side of the ridge for the night. It paid off in the morning though, as riding the last 20+ miles in the light was an absolute blast. Very different from finishing in the dark in 2010! I set out hoping to knock a day off my 2010 time, and I did that and more—so I’m really happy. Thanks again to Stefan for the vision to establish such a great event!

I really enjoyed meeting some great people out there. Specifically, I had a great time riding on-and-off with Paul for several days. His bull-headed tenacity was truly inspiring. I also really enjoyed riding up Foose with Jennifer--her encouragement and enthusiasm got me up that climb much faster than I would have otherwise. There were many other similar moments with other riders, of course, which is why the group start is so much fun.

Turning down the offer of a replacement derailleur pulley was a tough moment. The day rider who offered it to me (I wish that I could remember his name!) was incredibly generous and kind. But I feel good knowing that I finished the race without any outside support. And, most importantly, I have added a spare pulley to my repair kit--one very small and light part that I should have brought to begin with!

Congrats to everyone who got out there and gave it their best--whether they finished or not. The CTR is a HUGE experience, and I doubt that anyone walked away without learning something new about themselves. I hope that those who failed (as I did in 2011) will return and try again--it's worth it!

[Woodland]

I was about to post my post-race report when I saw Chris N.'s experience. First of all, glad he made it out safely, sounds pretty scary. And glad to hear a fellow racer helped him out - self-supported should really only go so far in some cases.

Anyway, his experience makes mine - which I thought was tough - seem a lot less so. 

For those interested (I bailed in Salida unfortunately) here they are, just scroll down to Day 1 and start from there.
http://nickwoodland.blogspot.com/

It was a great experience, and after so much planning and prep to have had to bail was disappointing but I feel really privileged to have spent those days out there.

-Nick

[WSkean]

I want to give a big shout out for Jason Osborn.  We crossed paths several times. After racing down from Kokomo Pass in a rain storm Jason offered us a spot to sleep near him at Camp Hale.  We were very grateful.  The last time I saw him was at the Avalanche TH as he passed us while we were drying clothes out.  I know if I had tried to ride all the way to Durango I would be well behind Jason.   The truth is I don't think I would be able to make the complete distance in one try unless I was touring.  This time I rode as hard as I could everyday.  It seems six days may be my limit.  I had real trouble eating while on the trail and by day 5 1/2 I was bonking.  This will be something I need to work out for future rides.  I discovered I like going to bed early and
starting to ride again about 3 am. I would rather ride knowing it is getting lighter instead of darker.  Riding for 18 hours every other day seems very doable for me.  I have lots of experience with 24 hour solo races so this may be a benefit.
Since riding the complete trail in one try is probably over my head next year maybe I will start in Durango and stop at Hwy 50.  Then I would have at least ridden all the sections.
I had a fantastic time and got my Colorado fix for another year. Now to dream of 2013.
I hope three other racers ( Walt, Berry, and Jason) who did not have a spot were able to finish.  The last time I saw them was at Mt. Princeton.
Congratulations to all the riders who started.  Attempting the challenge makes you all a winner.
Special congratulations to Jefe, Ethan, Jesse.

[Done]

Yeah, give him a new tracker if you can find one.  What you said above makes perfect sense.  And Toby's out on course anyway...

But when he gets back, he's gonna be pissed.

Considering the level of support that many racers out there enjoyed, I suppose that this is pretty minor in comparison.

I've been thinking a lot about the issue of self-support, and think that one solution would be to establish two equal, but different, classes for future Colorado Trail Races: one for those who fully embrace the concept of self-support, and one for those who don't. No point in pretending that everyone is racing by the same rules anymore, because they're not. Those who want to call ahead for dinner, borrow gear from each other, call home for navigational assistance, ride though closures, deviate from the course in minor ways, etc. can be the "Sport" class. Those who don't can be the "Solo" class. No more head-butting, just two different styles to match two different approaches and personalities. Peace on Earth.

This isn't, of course, a formal proposal that I expect any of the race organizers to embrace or endorse. It's optional, and riders who want to can decide for themselves which approach they prefer. No fanfare or fuss, just a personal commitment. Kind of like mountaineers who choose to climb mountains with porters and guides versus those who don't. Like many others, I did the CTR "Solo" this year, and it was cool! Those who received support had a good time too. Peace on Earth!

[Roland Sturm]

Caught a ride back from Durango to Denver with Les Handy, who  is now looking very relaxed after his sub 6-day ride as shown in the picture. Mark Caminiti also joined us on that ride back, both of those guys finished both the AZT (Mark even doing the 750) and CTR this year. Mark may be riding slow, but he always finishes. Both on full-squish bikes - so the only that didn't finish was me, clearly must be because it was an aluminum hardtail....

My ride, as I said before, was a null event, 8 hours on the trail (half of it riding/hiking back to get myself off the trail and to the urgent care center), then 4 days in the hospital to get my right lung back (or really just making sure there are no air leaks left - it seemed to be just about 20 extremely painful minutes to get the lung reinflated), and a brief 2 hour goodbye ride on the trail yesterday just to stretch my legs a bit (slow and careful, of course). My bike was stored at the Fire Station and I talked to the folks there for a bit (they even picked me up, although I had planned to walk there).

Two events this week were still discussed, one being the type of situation they are there for, and the other that isn't an emergency and shouldn't even arise. On Tuesday, there was a serious fall in a wilderness area, communicated by Spot, and it was a difficult job, although at the end (after 9 hours), all they could do was recover the body of the hiker. In contrast, the Sunday spot call related to CTR was treated very differently and while they didn't refer to it explicitly as a "Yuppie 911 use"(e.g. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2010171491_trhikingemergency01.html ), the sentiment was palpable. Of course, they will extricate somebody who gets tired and hungry if needed and actually commented on how well and reliably Spot works for locating emergencies - but also the absence of information about the seriousness. The unspoken question that hang in the air (and that probably is getting more discussion elsewhere) is whether there is something wrong with events that encourage unprepared or inexperienced participants to go beyond their limited abilities in the backcountry.

If that happens repeatedly, there really could be a backlash against what has been a rapidly growing activity. A similarly situation at the back of the pack happened at the Stagecoach 400 (in that case, one participant didn't drink enough, didn't bring enough water, yet kept pushing along instead of rolling back down to the road with plenty of traffic, until he felt to be in danger). So maybe not exactly the Yuppie 911 misuse as described in the AP article because having hallucinations or becoming delirious is a real problem, but these situations are caused by bad judgment and are not making friends among rescue groups. So as a group, we probably need to emphasize better preparation and adequate equipment (rather than those "how light can you go" discussions) and that there are times to quit. Not the greatest time to make those comments given my own problems this year, but at least I turned back quickly and got myself off the trail.

But back to the happier aspects of bikepacking: A very relaxed Les Handy after finishing in under 6 days and hanging out a few days in Durango.

[VeloWidow]

Jason Osborne finished today and arrived safely in Durango. He said he was happy to be done and looking forward to a beer and hot shower.  He will post his experience in a few days upon returning home. 

[Done]

Jason Osborne finished today and arrived safely in Durango. He said he was happy to be done and looking forward to a beer and hot shower.  He will post his experience in a few days upon returning home. 

Yeah! On the CTR, last is NEVER least! Congrats, Jason beat the other 40+ people who bailed!

[nanath]

Jason also beat the 40 million other people who'll never even try.  Way to go, Jason!

[mtnbound]

I want to thank Stef, Scott, Matthew and all others who played a part in getting this year's CTR going.  It was awesome!  I really enjoyed it - well, when I was not cussing at the climbs   I had to bail in BV due to work issues coming up.  I knew going in that was potential issue but I went for it anyway and now the CTR is in my blood!  The urge is strong to do it again and finish.  I felt pretty good when I got to BV and hated bailing but life gets in the way sometimes.  I enjoyed the incredible scenery (but have love/hate relationship w/10 Mile climb) and met some fantastic people on the trail (other riders and thru hikers), creating indelible memories. 

My one embarrasing story is during one portion, I was cussing pretty loud, OK - it was near the top of my lungs (I was in a down moment due to rain/lightning, my GPS on the edge of dying, I disagreed with databook about how much climbing a segment had and had to verbalize it and I was running behind schedule racing sunset).  Minutes later, when I got to the top of that particular climb, there were two young (20 something) day hikers looking at me with concerned looks and asked if I was OK.  I knew that they had to have heard me and my face went red.  I said I was fine, quickly apologized and rode away as fast as I could.  After that, I kept my cussing to lower level!  Lesson learned.

I recovered fairly quickly (though sleep monster kept calling my name for several days afterwards) except the numbness in one foot is still lingering one week+ afterwards but mostly gone.  Anyway, CTR 2012 is in the books for me and I truly enjoyed the experience and look forward to doing it again. 

Congrats to everyone who finished!  Fantastic achievement!  It is a rarefied achievement.  I still have no idea how Jefe, Jesse and Ethan each crushed the prior record - way to go!  I also want to congratulate everyone who toed the line - it was a big ordeal to train, get the equipment ready and show up ready to slay the beast.  Only a few know how hard this adventure is, mentally and physically, and just to attempt this beast says a lot about your character and determination.  That being said - my rookie appetite has been whetted and, next time, I want to see Durango.   

[Woodland]

My one embarrasing story is during one portion, I was cussing pretty loud

Not alone there my friend! I was worried hikers might hear me too - or families out for nice walks :-)

That climb up ten mile with a bike just plain sucks! I noticed that Ethan pounded it out in 3 hrs from gold hill to the crest...took me 5. I was about to start hurling gear off the crest to lighten the load...ok, not really. Thankfully Sully - the runner - passed me when I was plopped down in the middle of the trail somewhere near the high point and gave me enough inspiration to keep plugging along. If he hadn't come by I might still be sitting there!!

[Done]

Not alone there my friend! I was worried hikers might hear me too - or families out for nice walks :-)

I've tried singing and yelling--and I always run out of breath before I can get too wound up!

[Walkurtalk]

"I feel like a bad a$@ now!" 
             -words spoken last night in a conversation by 2012 CTR finisher and fellow Durango resident.

Perfectly succinct words to describe all those who have a time and date behind their names on the results page. Awesome! Congrats and mad respect to those who did it 

Me? I was the green tent on Wadsworth not even 3 hours into the race:

http://allthingsepicwithjill.blogspot.com/2012/08/all-things-broken-ctr-fail.html


The upside?  Lessons learned the hard way only fuel the fire...

[LyndaW]

Huge congrats to everyone who finished. Special congrats to Jefe and Cat - awesome ride both of you.

[Platform Power]

I'd like to say congratulations to Becky Sears----she is a super bad#@s!!!! Mad Props to Max Nuttelman!!!

[mtbordie]

Congrats to all who finished and even those that attempted it like myself. Still am feeling bad about having to pull out after the ten mile
section, I was feeling good that day and actually enjoyed it. I met Jason Murell during this part and we both did it in around three hours
to the top so I was thrilled after hearing about a possible 4 hr hike a bike. At the top I fell hard after losing my balance while crossing
the boulders and after going to the doc this week I found out I tore my rotator cuff so surgery is in the near future. Even with my mishap
I am looking forward to next year and with a wealth of knowledge gained this year even as short as it was.

[Matt Schiff]

This is another one of those posts regarding the rules. Since I just rode the CTR I'll post it in this forum but there is also the recent cell phone post and cell phone usage is a big point of controversy.

Going into the race I thought the rules were clear enough and simple enough. During the race there were many times when I questioned whether doing something might break a strict rule like outside support or a more debated rule like the millions of things you can do with a cell phone. I tried describing the rules to my sister and she didn't get it. There seemed to be too many inconsistencies.

I think the majority of riders, myself included, want to play by the rules, but don't have a respect for many of them. This sounds horrible but let me explain. It's 2012 and most riders I met on the CTR were there to push themselves and race. They weren't thinking about how the pioneers did it and you definitely get plenty of "experience" no matter how you do. We agree on the basic concepts of self supported but not on the smaller details. Compare this to a citizen who understands the need for traffic laws but routinely sees a 55 mph speed limit sign and limits themselves to 65 or 70 just so they don't get caught. This person has no respect for that 55 mph law and this is what I mean by respect for the rules.

Here are some examples of the dilemmas I faced.

If I had a smart phone could I use it to check race status, weather, grocery store hours, etc? (that all seemed like cheating)
Could I use my phone to call friends and family and ask for any of that info? (that seemed like cheating too)
If a racer offered me some food, could I accept it? (if you're not asking and you're not out of food, that doesn't seem like cheating)
It's pouring rain, lightening, and I'm on the side of the road. If a driver offers to let me sit in the car and wait out the storm could I accept it? (this is where I got pissed because if this did happen, and I turned down the offer not wanting to break the rules, what a dumb decision that would be in regard to safety)
If my bike broke, could I call a shop and ask if they had a part? ask if they could work on my bike in say 5 hours when I come through? (I think this for sure is breaking the rules but don't see why? This is a service available to everyone)
Why could I not call a hotel and book a room?
If I'm riding with a racer and know we're entering the last water fill up for a while do you mention it?... and discuss other parts of the course ahead?
How is adjusting your riding pace in any way in order to ride with someone not cheating? (ex: experienced rider turns right, you would have gone straight. You check your GPS/maps and go right. You were just saved minutes or hours from going the wrong way. Riding with other racers, especially the way this year's 2012 TD turned out seems like cheating)

As far as me describing things as cheating, I mean it only in the way I understand the rules and in that it gives someone an advantage.

In the years to come I imagine I'll see people riding a course ITT and doing it in a way that satisfies them, most likely with less contact, focusing more on riding. There will be people racing in the mass start and using their phones to the full potential, following two main rules: 1. No caches/buddies providing material support. 2. No sharing of gear/teaming up materially among racers. That's it, no other rules. Then there will be people who aren't in contention at all and the rules aren't on the forefront of their mind. They've read the list once, not 20 times like myself, but perhaps break a rule without ever thinking about it.

I think of JJ this year asking if he could replace his spot, which of course provides absolutely no advantage to the rider, and I know the rules are stupid.

[Done]

There will be people racing in the mass start and using their phones to the full potential, following two main rules: 1. No caches/buddies providing material support. 2. No sharing of gear/teaming up materially among racers. That's it, no other rules.

Yeah, let's just dilute the CTR into another Disney attraction. Pablum for the masses! 

[joeydurango]

Can we stop talking about the "rules" now?  It's obvious that there are as many different opinions as there are bikepackers.  Keep it simple and let interpretation do what it will.  It's all about being out there anyway, not about writing a UCI-type manual for self-supported racing.  We're never all going to think the exact same thing, so let's just let it lie, eh?  Stefan/Scott's original CTR/AZTR-type basic guidelines seem to work just fine.

Or maybe we can have some folks start a SSEBA - Self-Supported Endurance Bicycle Association - with all the associated rules, membership dues, board elections, headquarters, sanctioned races, entry fees, insurance, and so on.  I won't join...