Impossible is nothing and bittersweet is an understatement. Those were my sentiments last Saturday in a nutshell. I had a really good feeling going into the
Graham Swamp 360 6 hour race that I was going to have a good day. Hell, I was
due. But even though I spent the entire week prior to the race with
overwhelming low back pain, I knew if I could get on my bike Saturday there was
a good chance I’d have a good day. I’ve been through enough low back flare-ups over
the past 10 years to know how long they usually last and what I can handle even though
I wasn’t 100% positive that my back could hold up over a 6 hour mtn bike race. I was doing everything I could to manage the pain all week- Aleve, muscle relaxers, topical ointment, stretches, heating pad, ice packs, massage...I even had a SPECT/CT scan in nuclear medicine at Mayo Clinic to see if something could be found that x-rays could not. BUT, and here's a big BUT...I also remember what it felt like 10 years ago when I was diagnosed with a
heart disease and told I wouldn’t be able to do these things anymore, so it’s
gonna take hell or high water to keep me from completing my “missions.” Besides, adversity doesn’t own me...so let's race!
The Graham Swamp 360 is a 6 hour endurance race hosted by Triumph Endurance Events and The Graham Swamp Trail Crew just an hour down the coast in Palm Coast. The 7 mile trail is called Graham Swamp. This was the 3rd year of the race and I was eager to finally get it on my calendar. I had just started riding Graham Swamp this past year, 3 times to be exact. After the first time riding it I knew it would be the ideal place to train for the 6 Hours of Santos last month since the trails are so similar. The course is a good mix of technical drops, punchy climbs, crazy jumps (not for me!) and plenty of flowy single track where you can relax, stretch your back and take a drink or hammer to make up time. The race was on St. Patrick's day and the weather was literally perfect.
My plan Saturday was to start slow and roll steady. And when
I say slow, I mean go slower than what feels normal so there is no chance of
unnecessarily burning any matches too early like I sometimes usually do. I did a solo 6
hour/120 mile road ride a few weekends ago and felt great, so I knew exactly
how to handle my effort, hydration and nutrition. So Saturday during the race,
I nailed it...finally. I didn’t seem to have a lot of power during the race and
that was probably from so many muscles being fatigued from a whole week of not
being able to stand up straight. I didn’t actually need a ton of power at the
pace I was maintaining and I kept telling myself that. But I was in good
spirits, scratch that- I was in a damn good mood… and I thoroughly enjoy riding
Graham Swamp, so my mental game was strong. I felt my back a little on the first lap when I was crouched low going up the climbs, but luckily it never got any worse. I was able to move around a lot on the bike and stretch it out very opportunity I had. The day was also gorgeous and the
temps at race start were perfect- in the high 50’s. I also was able to hold off
cramps until my final lap as the temps crept towards 80. I felt strong on
my last lap and I was damn proud of that feeling because it took a lot of work
to get there. I also know that I usually feel like death at the end of these long races so this was a pleasant change.
Considering I do these races totally solo, I had no clue
where I was in relation to anybody else during the race. I assumed there were
several ahead of me per the norm. When I got to the finish line
after finishing that 8th and final lap and 11 minutes to spare...I learned that I cracked
the top 3. I was pumped! I was so excited that I finally made the podium after
so many tough races since I came back to racing a few years ago. My goals
typically don’t include podium finishes, but there are a few races I think I
have a chance to place top 5 if things go well, and I've been close a few times. That’s just the trick though...so many
things have to go well in order to do well in long races. Your bike, fitness, hydration, nutrition,
recovery, mental battles, luck...and one more for me...my heart. That’s always the
wildcard... I can never predict when I’m going to have a good heart day or a
bad heart day so I just show up as best prepared as possible and hope for the
best. I’m just excited as hell that I can actually be out there doing something
I love and show others struggling with heart disease that adversity does not
own you...you gotta keep your chin up and keep pressing on. Determination
usually wins in my world, so it can in yours too, right? Wearing Ironheart during these races embraces that
mindset of overcoming all aspects of heart disease via an active lifestyle. Do
I push the envelope? Absolutely. But at the same time I think I have many
aspects of my heart disease figured out and I am well aware of
the risks. If I trust technology, it should have me covered…
Ok, so it’s been a long time since I’ve blogged a race recap, so I
have some folks to thank…
First, thanks to my wife Char for putting up with my selfish
training schedule and filling so many gaps in my absence. I do my best to
minimize time away by training early in the morning or in the garage on the trainer,
but I am still away too much. I owe you and always will. Thanks to my
kids Avery, Riley and Caleb for just being awesome kids, being good and helping
out when dad is gone on his bike. Thanks to the Ironheart Foundation for your
continued support and inspiration. Thanks to all my friends at Bicycles Etc for
keeping my bikes in tip-top shape and for suggesting this Top Fuel that has performed
like a champ in about 20 races in just over 2 years. Thanks to CORE Nutrition Planning
for helping me dial in the never-ending hydration and nutrition battle. Thanks to Triumph Endurance Events and The Graham Swamp Trail Crew for putting on such an excellent race- the venue and atmosphere were incredible! Thanks to all of the racers on the course for being cool and also to the guys I chased for 6 hours...Todd and Frank...Great race fellas! And
last, thanks to all my bike buds who make playing bikes so damn fun year after
year.
Oh, one more....thanks to the Little Ceasars pizza I had with the kids the night before the race for not making me regret it...at least the beer I had with it was good!
Cheers!
-Todd
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