Race Report 2011 Vision Quest/Counting Coup reports

Long time lurcher, first time poster. Thanks for the posting the pics! I finished 2 seconds behind Tinker (only I did CC of course), so it's funny that I'm in a lot of finishing photos!

 

Thanks for the movie! I've never ridden out there, but now it's a priority. Nice editing and song selection.

 

Great video Aaron, thanks for posting it and helping me relive one the best rides I've ever done!

 

Very nice! It's great to be able to relive the day without the saddle sores and tired legs. I especially love the shot of Manny crossing Trabuco Creek as you were starting up WHT. It always blows me away when the really fast guys come flying by, already done with the loop, when us mere mortals are just starting up. I was almost to the start of the Trabuco singletrack when Manny came by like a runaway train. My time was in the 7:30s so you really put some separation on by staying strong when I was fading up WHT...it seemed like the HAB took forever. Congrats on a great time and great movie!

 

Nice video! I think I was in that video more than anyone else.

 

sweet video...I'm the one fixing my broken chain on main divide about 2 minutes into the video.

 

I first heard of this epic ride "Vision Quest" last year here on STR. I followed the posts and read about the great experiences people had during the ride and what a challenge it is. When I signed up for VQ, I knew I would have to spend a lot more time on my bike and lose some weight. All my training rides and losing 28 pounds paid off. I finished my first VQ in 9 1/2 hours.

After the Pow Wow, the start was great. It was cool to see the line of little lights climbing the canyon. The view at Beeks and along Motorway was fantastic, super clear. I made it down to Maple Springs in 2:45 (personal best). I was greeted by Gene with a congratulatory high five, made it to the aid station, restocked and pedaled on. I had a good laugh when I came upon guys with the blow horns and bells (thanks). Felt good up to Four Corners, got a little water and some bug spray at the aid station and pedaled to the peak. Now this is where it was all new to me. I didn't get a chance to pre-ride the rest of the course, so thanks to the ranger telling me the way and someone from WS sitting at the top of Holy Jim. If not for them I would have kept on going down the road. Going down HJ I met up with Steve (steviebfromtheoc) and hung with him the rest of the way (thanks Steve!). We made it to the last cutoff with 15 minutes to spare. The hike a bike up WHT was tough but the pay off at the top was the burger with extra mustered. The ride down Trabuco singletrack was fast and fun. I didn't see the river crossing at the end being a problem just another part of a great ride. The reception at the end was great but what made it even better was my wife waiting for me with big beautiful smile and a ice chest full of beer.


Thanks to the Warriors Society, and everyone who volunteered their time, all the racers and the cheering fans for an awesome day!! Next year I plan on camping at O'Neill and shaving an hour off my time!:bang:

On a side note... I was disappointed to count four freshly used inter tubes laying along the side of the trails. If you have room to pack them for the ride you have room to pack them out.

 

Tinkers ride report: http://tinkerjuarez.blogspot.com/

 

That's Chris aka chanson on here. Someone is always sitting there as well as the bottom to point the direction, but unfortunately, sometimes don't get there in time for the front runners.

The last sweeps usually pick up after the last rider and pick up what they can. I did that part last year, but was not the last sweep.

 

Thanks for the great writeup Gene! Loved the shots and it was fun hanging out on Saturday...

 

First VQ and like all my rides on a Single Speed. Set a goal of 2:30 to the bottom of MW and got there in 2:22. At the MW aid station my wife and daughter were there cheering me on and to give me some more food and water. Got my kisses and told them I would see them in two and a half hours at the bottom of HJ. Headed up Maple still feeling really good and got some much needed encouragement from the horn crew. UHJ is not my cup of tea and did quite a bit of walking. HJ was a blast and I think the first time I have ever cleared every switchback. Got to the the HJ parking lot where my Brother, Dad, Father in Law and Wife were waiting for me. My brother and wife went in to action like a NASCAR pit crew and got me out riding in a few minutes. This is where my day made a turn for the worse. I had my eyes on a sub 8 hour ride but when it took me 2 hours to get to the top of Horse Thief putting my current time at 7 hours I new my goal was shot. I got my hamburger and took off down MD and was happy to see Trabuco knowing my climbing for the day was done. Went as fast as I can down Trabuco and hit the wash going full speed thru all the water crossings. Crossed the line at 8:09 to my families cheers. It was the toughest day I have ever had on my bike and right now I am saying no to next year but I am sure that will change. Thanks Warrior Society and my family for being there all day to help out and cheer me on.

 

Wonderful video. Well done.

 

Good to know, thanks Gene!

 

This year was a volunteer year for me. If I'm not riding the event, I'm doing my best to volunteer for it. I have been doing it since the year 2000. The course has changed, the times have changed but the feel is still the same!

I have said this time and time again: the event is not about winning-its about discovering yourself. Its about digging deep and pushing beyond your emotional limits. Its amazing what can be done when you put your mind to it.

First off, congrats to all who finished. You did it!

I want to give out a HUGE thank you to the rest of the Warriors Society members. Seriously it takes months to get this done every year. Working on the trails is only part of it. Doing the behind the scene stuff is truly mind boggling. Gene, we bow down humbly for your efforts. There are SEVERAL others that need mention, but they don't post here, so I won't bore you with that stuff.

I was the gate keeper at the beginning of the event. If anyone rolled out a few seconds early I was to cut the front tire with my knife. It worked! No one left early!!! I then went to Aid Station #1. This is my resting home for the event if I'm not riding it. I worked with Permagrin. We counted the number plates going by, checking them off one at a time. The gnats love her. Thanks for all your hard work Nathalie. She started around 4am and continued till about 4pm. She is not a Warrior member. She simply wanted to help. Thank you!!!

The inspirational story of the day goes to the gentleman who finished last this year. This was his third year trying to complete it. I'm sure he has some stories to tell. He told me one of them.... Apparently I met him years ago at a bike shop called Bike Tech in Aliso. We did shop rides every Sunday. One Sunday, this gentleman came up and wanted to ride with us. We took him along. We rode some trails that are no longer considered legal. He remembers it well. Unfortunately, I don't. And he remembered me. Apparently I made a good impression. Phew!!!
Congrats to all and to all a Good Night!!!

 

that rocks!

 

I don't know what it is about the VQ that is so addictive. It hurts, but you never remember that when signing up at 12:01am. I only remember the beautiful things from the day. The riding above the clouds to see what appeared to be islands on Blackstar. The amazing sunrise to the east. The view while climbing to Modjeska and Santiago Peaks. The smile on my face railing down UHJ and HJ. The awesome people you meet along the way who help push you to keep moving. The guy riding down Trabuco with a cow bell yelling at me, "Come on 55. Push Push Push". Awesome. Nothing compares to the yells from my 3 year old and 1 year old girls at check point 1. So happy to greet me with hugs and kisses. It pushed me to the peak I swear. None of my accomplishments from the day could be possible without the support of my wife and pit crew captain. The event requires a great deal of training and she is always so ever supportive of my crazy addiction. To you, I thank with all my heart.

VQ number 4 and my best time to date. 8:13

Thanks to all the WS members and volunteers for another amazing event.

 

I love reading these stories...Tinker's Blog...each post tells a different story with a commmon theme... suffering, persistance and personal reward. This is the reason I spend long hours working this event. It is so personally satisfying to witness the dedication it takes to take part in this great event... to see people push themselves to new heights... to see riders dig deep and continue on when the body is saying "Stop this sh*t!"... The last VQ I did was several years back... it was aptly named the Mud Run... I swore it was my last one. But never say never... I'll be 70 this year and it looks like I'll be honoring my friend Bob Haslett and riding the next one... there's an inner voice that says "You idiot!"... I guess I'll just ignore it...

 

NICE!! Way to go Frankie!!

 

A couple extra thoughts

1) Read Tinker's Blog...wholly cow...5:10 with a ~10 flat...is someone going to break 5 hours next year? (Both he and Manny had flats)

2) I had a better plan this year..
a) Cross Training: I really think cross training helped me significantly this year, both core and upper body strength and today I am nowhere near thrashed as I thought I would be even with that "Bounce" off the rock on UHJ.
b) No Caffeine, Good Food / Hydration: No Caffeine after last Sunday. I was finally well hydrated, well rested and I drank and ate and kept ahead this year, my best effort to date in that area.
c) Rest / Taper: I was feeling tired the week before so I just rested/ tapered and just stretched and my legs felt fresh for the first time all spring, that was a great feeling on Blackstar. I knew I was going to have a good day, and rode strong all day.

3) Like a strange True Grit Vision Moment, Right when I got to the peak pretty tired but happy...Hugh came cruising up from the other side on his single looking like he was just out for a stroll, and just smiled, uttered a few encouraging words, and just kept on moving...seemed surreal at that moment....but would have been better if he was wearing a bear pelt I suppose...that actually went through my head...how strange is that?

4) Most everyone I talked to, passed me or I passed was in a great mood and very pleasant (Like Impy), and checks on each other, that is very cool, however to the one tall guy who clearly did not know his way through the streams and rocks at the bottom of LHJ and who I was trying to shout helpful directions to and / or pass / get around ...and just kept saying "What???? HUH????" take your damn earbuds out ... at least one you dope... when someone is trying to help you....

5) I really liked the wash at the bottom it reminds me of all the Mud Runs/ Obstacle course there is always one last big obstacle at the end... When I first came up on it I was caught off guard like most but I just attacked and rode the whole thing passed a bunch of folks and helped a guy struggling up the soft bank on the other side...I also liked the finishing line area too.

Thanks again to the Warriors and everybody that helped!.... and damn my arms itch...basterd bugs...

 

Yeah big thanks to Matty aka Solo_rider. He rode with me from the end of the pavement section to the vuvuzela crew. Apparently they gave him a cowbell and he didn't stop ringing and screaming for a couple hours. I saw him the next day and his voice was hoarse and he had blisters on his hand from the intense cowbell ringing .

Nice day for a bike race (I mean..timed event). I left it all out on the course for my first VQ. I wanted to break 8 hrs and managed a 7:43. WHT was quite possibly the most miserable I have have ever been physically. The burger and cold cytomax was the only thing that kept me going after that HAB. Thanks to the BBQ crew, couldn't have done it without you. Congrats to all the finishers and all the volunteers.