CC/VQ reports :) / Preliminary Results (merged threads)

Vision Quest 2010 was the conclusion to an indecisive and tough 2+ weeks.

The original plan started with doing Ultra Quest and having 2 weeks to recover before VQ. When Ultra Quest was rescheduled OTB_Again, Hippydude and I decided to ride the UQ course unsupported on the 5th so we would still have time to recover for VQ. We decided not to do UQ.

After doing the UQ course the first time Hippydude and I decided that we really didn't want to miss out on the actual event and decided to do the Ultra Quest after all. I decided not to do VQ.

After doing UQ I decided that I didn't want to miss out on VQ. I would be satisfied if I could finish.

The morning went well. A quicker pace than I had intended had me on the main divide watching a nice sunrise with city lights flickering below. I backed off my pace, knowing I would pay later if I didn't. About half way to motorway I had a minor mechanical and was off the bike. When I got back on both legs cramped. I wasn't to motorway and I was walking one of the hills. I was expecting a long day.

My time was better than expected to the first aid station where Hermit, Alpine Rob and House had me back on the bike in a couple minutes. I spun granny along the pavement and just past the turn with the guard rail up in the dirt. I refueled along the way and took in plenty of fluids. After that I decided to push again. Surprising made good time to 4 Corners and to the Peak with my legs feeling much better.

When I rolled out of the Holy Jim aid station I noticed I was only a little slower than last year. Not sure how that was possible. I rode with jonathan_sykes81 up to West Horsethief (nice meeting you). The climb up WHT was hot. I took my helmet off and tried my best to refuel and hydrate as I inched my way up. About 3/4 of the way up I decided to ride a couple of the mellower sections hoping to get closer to last years time up to the main divide. Relieved to be off of WHT I was pretty well trashed but only a few minutes off of last years time.

A torn sidewall on the way to Trabuco crushed any hopes of finishing close to or better than last years time. But even that was a decision that changed after starting the day only wanting to survive the day. I was content that I was going to finish. As I fixed the tire every rider that rolled past asked if I needed anything. As I rode down Trabuco a few of them were fixing flats of their own.

Hung out and watched some friends finish their day and enjoyed some great company at O'Neill. On the shuttle back to Blackstar I rode with some of the last guys to finish. The one decision we all made that never changed was to give it our best and enjoy the day.

 

I just have to say THANK YOU & many kudos to the Trail Angel that was in the cheering section at the bottom of Maple Springs that loaned my friend Chris her bike to finish CC when hers had a mechanical and she was going to have to DNF! You are a true Angel! :clap::clap::clap:

 

This was my first CC. I think I got a 5:56 (guess I'll know for sure when the results get posted). My initial goal was simply to finish.

I've ridden Blackstar at night countless times but I'll never forget looking WAY up on the hills above me seeing the lights from the race leaders. How is it possible for someone to be THAT fast?!?! I felt a little better later on when I looked back down and saw a long stream of lights down below me. At least I knew I wouldn't come in last

All in all, a pretty uneventful ride for me. No mechanicals, no flats, no crashes, no bonking. I think I could have pushed harder but my back was starting to kill me up towards the top of the Main Divide. I think I might have inhaled a couple bugs up there too (part of the nutritional intake).

Will I attempt VQ in the future? I dunno. I cringe at the thought of dropping f-bombs all the way up WHT. To those who do so in the VQ, you've got my respect. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped with the event!

 

more is coming back to me... at random:

Went through every emotion as expected, some twice But, the giddiness at the beginning and end were worth it.

Start/darkness/blackstar was so fun, was having a blast the whole way up... I think I hit it too fast and paid for it on MS. Felt better from 4 corners to the peak.

After having been hiking on WHT for a long time thinking you MUST be close to done, then seeing people WAY above you.... F&%@!

I've got to be the slowest HABer around.

Dumb crash on the way out, flying down the wash and trying an 'alternate' cratered line to avoid a car, didn't work out so well... but mostly unscathed.

mmmm burger @ WHT... might have hung out there a bit too long.

one of my best weird moments was killing a horsefly that wouldn't leave me alone... after shoo-ing it for minutes, it finally landed on my wrist and I took my other hand off the bar and nailed it in a flash, it was a Mr. Miyagi moment. I was on my way to the peak and surprised myself that I still had those reflexes.

who was the kid (maybe 12-13 yo?) doing the VQ in the american flag jersey? He was kicking ass, wish I had started that young! I'm afraid of how fast he is going to be.

thanks to all the volunteers! And especially my support staff aosty, who woke up and drove down with me!!

blue jersey? musta been you... we were also talking on the trabuco climb about the two way traffic and you were expecting it to be a fireroad. good times. :lol:

 

My third VQ and this year was especially challenging for training. Our second daughter was born December 17 so needless to say we have been running on little to no sleep for the last 3 months. Sleep is a good thing especially when doing endurance events.

I started the ride feeling like crap; possibly the oatmeal did not agree with my stomach at 4am? I shook that off just after beeks and things got better. I met Hotchkiss just before Motoway and we had a brief summer Phish tour conversation. Good to meet you and way to kill it on the SS! I rolled into first AS just after 8am and was happy with the time. The hightlight of the day for me was hearing my 2 year old screaming, "go daddy go" as I rode off on Maple. Maple Springs pavement, I hate it. I had an early bonk there but told myself that when I got to dirt to never go back to small ring. I made it to the peak just before 11 and flew down UHJ and lower HJ. This was the first year I noticed riders allowing people to pass on the downs and it was much appreciated. In years past it looked like a train coming down the single tracks because the slower riders would not pull over. Anyway, I appreciated it because I did make up time on the downs.

Trabuco climb was fairly slow. I did have trail runners waiting at the HJ AS and that did help the WHT climb. Thanks Kyle for being there with my goods. The last section has gotten me every time I do this event. I make good time but then loose it all on the final loop. I finished at 8:45 so I was slower than last year. My goal is always sub 8 but I guess that is out of reach. I was upset with my time at first but then remembered how tough it has been to train this year. Happy to finish and get my 4th feather. "Daddy's feather" my daughter told everyone at the finish waiving it in the air.

A big thanks to my loving wife and daughters for all the pit crew help and motivation. Thanks for being so supportive with my crazy addiction. Congrats to all who took on the challenge of the VQ and CC.

 

You should really stop your ranting. It's not really becoming. I personally was glad to see the Sho Air Studs giving encouragement to all the riders. They have every right to ride every trail that is open. If they didn't want any other riders to ride the course they should have closed the trail to all other riders not participating.

 

Few things are coming back to me as well.

I sat at the finish line waiting for my wife to finish the VQ. It was awesome!!!! but the best thing was seeing the sweepers come down with the last rider. They had taken down the cones and flags, most everyone still there was a volunteer, and that last group down got applauded louder than almost anyone else I had heard. Not gonna lie, I teared up a bit.

And I wanted to out on the trail, but I was either to winded or to shy to say "your awesome Gene!". I saw you several times assisting stopped riders, I want to do that one of these years.

Matt (solo_rider), I should of known you were on here:wave:

 

Back to the bugs....

I have no less than 10 of these on my arms. I am not usually the biggest bug bite guy...but I remember distinctly being bitten when I needed to stop to "balance" my hydration at that big left hand switch back about .5 mile from the peak...guess I picked the wrong spot. Maybe my particular potion of perpeteum, probars, edurolytes and dentyne ICE, were luring them to me.

Little Bastards were just trying to add to the fun.

 

I just found a bite on the back of my arm!!!

 

milk no...beer yes

First of all thnx to the Warrior’s Society and volunteers for another great event and to all the participants who made the journey more enjoyable.:clap::clap::clap:

A day I will not soon forget. By 4:10am (with 3hrs sleep) I made a mistake I would regret until noon. I changed my morning routine and made a quick bowl of cereal and milk#-o in addition to my planned Clif Bar and diet Coke on the way to the trailhead. Even leaving the house I knew my stomach as in for a ‘treat’. Oh well..what’s done is done, time to ride. I knew I should not bust of the gate at a fast pace so I tried to start in the first 1/3 or the pack and slide back until I found my groove. One mechanical on my climb up BS when my light slipped and turned back at me giving me temporary blindness and panic.:-s OK…carefully stopped and get the allen wrench out to fix it while a dozen or so pass me...no prob…race is against myself. I loved the look of lights ahead and behind me on the climb, it was quite a sigh. I did stop at the ball to shed a layer and ran into Waldo, as well as Cedric who I was climbing BS with and ended up riding with quite a bit. I ended up walking a brief section to Peasant’s Peak due to bad line, but made my time up. I am really enjoying Motorway and at one point wanted to pass the rider in front of me, but figure why risk it for both of us for what would prob be only a minute gain (journey..not destination!) I made my best time to the bottom of Motorway at 3hrs flat. Dan (Konadupee) was there as a pit crew and had my camelback filled and tires pumped to 50 psi for the climb while I tried to eat a banana. I had probs with the banana so mixed another Perptuem bottle for the climb to 4 corners. I rode with Cedric ½ of the pavement then finished to 4crnrs solo but talking with those who passed me/I passed. At 4 crnrs the lack of solid food was winning..big time. I was scared to eat my cliff bar so I sat and let my stomach try and recover. I was there for 30 minutes…arghh…time lost AND the thought of a brew at the end was seeming repulsive (plz don’t hurt me). I finally grabbed some pretzels and head to the peak. It was prob the most painful peak climb I’ve done due to the lack of solid food. Over the peak and to UHJ…walked the usual tight switchbacks, but rode more than I thought. LHJ is always fun and my skills seemed pretty good as I rode things that sometimes give me probs and ended up singing along to my ipod tunes (one ear bud so I could hear others). As I could hear the water of the falls approaching, a grin came to my face. The road out was the usual and I thanked each vehicle I passed. I final grunt sprint across the finish line in 7:56 was faster than last year, but not what I hoped. To me, the challenge and camaraderie of fellow riders makes this event. Thank you to all those I talked with along the way, from fellow riders to the awesome volunteers. As I looked back in my mind and remembered the ride I forgot to take the 50psi out of my tires for the Holy Jims…doh!#-o](*,) The best thing was…between 4 cnrs and the end I was brought back to reality and could not wait for my brew at the end! Mmmm Racer 5 after a non-race event.:beer:

*just wanna say thanks to Dino for the last minute PM wishing me luck and reminding me what a great place STR can be and should be...keep it positive folks, it make the journey more enjoyable. http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/general-discussion/48837-just-wanna-say-thanks.html

 

Kev when I saw you at 4 corners I was a bit worried about you and the solid food thing (seriously) but had you told me beer was sounding repulsive ...I think we would have called in the Life Alert. Glad you finished well and you and brew are back in sync ... the universe is realigned.

 

When you see your own file details, there is a link at the top of your browser. Just copy/paste

 

ok

 

That wasn't a group Tink. It was just Frankie and I. Serge bailed at four corners. While riding up the section of the Main Divide I rode in the chunk and left the good line for the racers which were all very friendly. It was a good day! :beer:

 

MOD NOTE: Anymore rants about unregistered riders on the course will be deleted. It happens every year and the WS does try and close the course, but we can't, so we don't. Please back to just R&Rs. Thanks.

Gene

That is WS member Troy Sladeck. He did the CC on a SS in 2008 and finished in 8:02.

Here's my RR:

Another VQ compete. I did very little to no training this year partly cause of medical reasons and told to stay off the bike for 3-4 weeks and partly cause I was burnt out on training for these events. After 4 Pow Wows(1 CC, 3 VQ), 3 Traverse, 6 24 hr events I hated the sound of "training ride". As many of know, I've battled some serious knee issues as well as lower back issues the past 2 years. This year I went and got a bike fit, have massages regularly and been going to a chiropractor for adjustments on regular basis. Each has revealed why I've had issues which in many ways all pointed to tight hamstrings, seat too low, knees not tracking properly, L-5 degenerated disc..., etc. This season, I dialed down my riding/training and made the adjustments. Now to go see if it all worked.

The start for me is always fun. It was so dark out you can't see in front of you. You hear your name and have know idea who it was. I pulled next to car and finally realized it was Ken aka freekengo, sorry forgot who he was with. Saw many friends out, xhuskr, Bergsteiger(my fellow RM rider), Zippo, jbh65, numerous Trail Angels, geoladder riders, so many other STR riders I couldn't even begin to remember them all.

Once we got going, I settled into a nice pace, passed a few and got passed. The stream of lights was so amazing I pulled over at the 1st switchback just to soak it in. I decided this year to dial it down just a bit and be 10-15 min off pace than in previous years to 1st Aid Station(usually 2 hrs). I didn't want to push my knees too hard as I was still unsure how they would feel. So many rider/volunteers asked me before the start and throughout the day how my knees were, my reply was, "so far so good, we'll see on Maple Springs". That's is where the pain usually sets in.

Blackstar: The road was recently graded which made the climb very fast. It was like riding on a paved road. The section at the top was also repaired. Any small washout was marked by bright orange rocks. Thanks to the USFS for the work.

I was feeling real relaxed and good at this point. The temps were perfect. The added time in darkness did not bother me at all. I came upon a rider who's crank arm had fallen off. He was having tough time cause it was still dark so I offered my light so he could see what he was doing. Once he was ok, I rode off to Beek's, got there and hung out for a bit and hung with Rach and Bob Mac. After a quick break, I headed on the Pain Divide. It was light enough now so you could recognize people. Saw stevieb a few times, told him he was on a good pace. I was picking up trash on the way, only a couple bottles though as my jersey pocket was full since I went without a pack. Came across another guy with a flat on the MD. It appears he had 2 bad tubes so I gave him mine. I only had 1 since I opt not to bring 2 since my pockets were so full. Lucky for me, I never needed it.

Motorway: I love this trail. I knew there would be lots of riders here with very little room to pass. Most guys pulled over when safe. I just told them to hold their line and I'll pass when I could. Caught up to a 7 rider conga line and one by one I got by, thanks guys. Made it to the 1st Aid Station got another tube from Vickie(thanks girl), refueled and headed up the pavement.

Maple Springs: This is where it has fallen apart for me in the past. I took it easy, never hammered and kept a mellow pace. I was well behind my pace so I just kept picking up trash. Got to 4 Corners about 1 hr slower than usual, but NO KNEE PAIN! Emptied my pockets on the table and Virgil of the USFS asked "did you eat all that? I hung out a bit and when I saw Debbie Brown come up Randy from RnR aka Butcher decided we would ride with her. As many of you know, Debbie finished the Ultra Quest just last week, she was hurting and told me she didn't think she would make the cutoff and finish. I told her just to take it easy, we'll make it.

The Peak: I ran into Doug aka Abui there later to find out he didn't make the HJ cutoff. Next year Doug. Deb took it easy on the way up, taking in fuel. I gave her a Shotblok with some caffeine. Onward and upward, we finally made the turn at the peak at 11:08. Deb can descend well so I was not worried, I knew we were home free....almost, since the WHT cutoff was brought back.

Upper/Lower HJ: The trails are in the best shape right now. UHJ was just worked on by WS members Mike C and Jeroen B. Riders on this trail would hear you coming and quickly moved aside. Thanks guys. I waited at the bottom of UHJ till I saw Deb then headed to LHJ. Arrived at LHJ and told the Keith E and the others there that Deb was right behind me and they were all happy to hear it. Lower HJ is prime right now. Got to love it when there is water at the crossings. The work we did before the big rains held up well. I hadn't been up there since before yesterday. Lots of hikers and riders going up. I got to the 2nd Station(1st VQ cutoff) at 11:42. Told the crew there that Deb is still riding. Refuel with some grapefruit juice and crackers while I waited. Saw Dave aka Kish Me and Randy come in and finally Deb at 11:50. We refilled her and headed up. I started to cramp up so I stopped and took endurolyte tabs cause I ran out of pickle juice. Kept a good pace towards WHT. I knew Deb was hurting as were the others at this point. I arrived at 12:37. I took off my shoes and soaked them in the creek. Felt so good. Randy shows up and says he didn't think he could make it up WHT, I told him to take one step at a time. Deb arrived just ahead of the Lubos, the WS member who was assigned there and anyone behind him was done at this point cause he got there at 12:48, cutoff at 12:45. Deb broke down into tears knowing she accomplished something most of us will never attempt. UQ/VQ back to back! :bang:

West Horse Thief: We sat a bit the bottom of WHT so she could take a breather and then started up WHT at 1:05. I thought, "man, it's getting late". I got to, I believe the 4th switchback and saw my roommate Chris aka chanson(towmater before) sitting there with 3 others. They all looked spent and Chris out of water. I gave Chris what I had left. I chatted with them for a bit and told Chris that Deb was with me. He was stoked to hear it! One of the guys asked how far up and I said when you see Manzanita, you're close. . I kept on because I knew the longer I sit, the longer it'll take. It was hot up there with no breeze so I just kept on hiking and riding when I could. I made it to the top at 2pm, still no knee or back pain. The crew up at WHT asked if I was sweep(I bet they hope I was cause it meant, they were done). I told them that there are about 8 riders behind me. #-oI sat and had my cheeseburger while I waited. They also had cold Gatorade. It tasted so good! Thanks Brian for the burgers. The final riders and sweeps ended up arriving at 3pm. While the others re-fueled, Calvin shows up coming from Trabuco. He just completed the VQ on a SS and was running the VQ in reverse. He stopped a bit, grabbed some water and Shotbloks and headed down WHT. Once the others got rested a bit and refueled we headed out. I wanted to beat Calvin to HJ lot.

Trabuco: We finally headed to Trabuco. I felt really good so I motored along pain free.:bang: Arrived at Trabuco and told the crew there the remaining riders numbers and headed down. I told the crew there to let the others know I'll wait at the HJ lot for them. I knew there would be no one on Trabuco at this point and I really enjoyed this moment of solitude.

Final Stretch: I arrived at HJ lot and the crew there was happy to see me cause they knew I had the remaining riders with me. Next thing I noticed, Calvin shows up, says his hellos/goodbyes and heads towards Holy Jim. The others arrive and I told them Calvin just left, they really weren't surprised. Riding out Trabuco Creek Rd didn't seem so bad this time cause I knew the long day is almost over. We made sure to ride together and crossed the finish together. We did, Randy, Chris, Deb and I along with WS sweeps, Treve and Lubos. :clap:

My knees and back held up which is all I wanted this year and got more than I could hope for. Finishing with my friends who have gone through a very tough day makes the Counting Coup/Vision Quest what it is. Huge thanks to all the participants and especially to the volunteers who make this event a success year after year. Good job to all who made their goals and even if you didn't, I'm sure this was still an experience on the positive side and one you'll never forget. As of now, I plan on sitting next year out and working the event, but we'll see.

 

Congrats to all! What was the finishing rate for this years CC and VQ?

 

I'm sitting at work enjoying reading all the RR's during my break. Wish I could have been out there supporting all you great guys and gals this weekend instead of working. Heck I'm almost thinking about signing up again next year, you guys are so inspirational!


Notice I said *almost*.

Congrats to all who finished as well as all those who attempted. Always an extraordinary event!

 

Thanks to the WS for putting on this event. It seems to be well organized and is cool that it is in the local mountains.

This was VQ#2 for me.

Heading up Blackstar was neat in the dark. The lights of the fast guys in front could been seen way up above on the MD from the climb out of Hidden Ranch. Looking back it was like a ribbon of lights all along the road.

The MD had been graded beyond the Skinsuit turnoff since last weekend which made it easier in certain portions to navigate within groups of riders.

At the Aid Station #1, it was like a pit crew. A nice volunteer took my water bottle and filled it up. Also saw Al Louie there taking pictures and hanging out to support Burner

Up and over the peak was uneventful. Enjoyed the views out toward the IE. There were some trucks headed up to Santiago Peak to do some work, but they went by quickly.

I was lazy the past few weeks and never made it out to UHJ. It was a bit looser than in the past, but still in good condition to ride. LHJ had several groups of hikers. At Aid Station #2, Al helped me get a bottle refilled with Pertetum and gave some words of encouragement for the last bit. The hike-a-bike up WHT was everything I remembered. It is always a joyous moment for me to get to the part on WHT toward the top where it is possible to ride again. Passed on the burger and kept going toward Trabuco. Didn't see another person the whole way down Trabuco until the junction with WHT where there were 2 guys that were asking where they could get water. Didn't notice if they were part of the VQ or not.

There were lots of people coming up Trabuco toward WHT as I was descending. Got to Trabuco Creek Rd. and started pedaling. At about the model airplane field, something started feeling strange with my bike, kinda loose. Turns out that the front tire was going flat. Like hell was I going to stop to change the tube that close to the finish. It was good motivation to pedal as fast as I could. Got across the finish around 7:10 or so...didn't actually look at the official clock (my cyclocomputer said 7:05, but that doesn't count stops). Tire was completely flat within 30s of stopping. Looked at it today and there were several thorns in the sidewall of the tire. Must have gotten it on the way out of Trabuco where the wheels occasionally got in the brush on the side of the trail.

Congratulations to everyone that attempted and/or finished the CC or VQ...you earned it.

 

When the alarm went off at 2:45 am I really started to think this was a bad idea. Luckily (?) the truck was packed, my clothes were laid out, and the espresso machine and blender were pre-loaded with breakfast. How could I not go? Besides, it wasn't as if I was able to sleep anyway!

Pulling up to Blackstar for the first time (never having ridden any of the CC course before) in the pitch black with the temp gauge reading 48* made me wish that I hadn't pre-loaded the espresso machine. At least then I would have had an excuse to stay in bed.

An hour or so later, struggling to find a line up the climb with my little LED light, surrounded by faceless compatriots in the pre-dawn, with bike lights stretched out as far as I could see above and below - I knew it was going to be a special day. Doubts, annoyances and the cold all faded away.

The next few hours were a mix of pain, suffering, fun climbs, sketchy descents, humor, frustration, joy, hatred (at my bike seat and a stripped seatpost bolt, mainly), hallucinations, yoga, fear, riding along with cool folks, letting fast folks through and overwhelming relief.

Never will I not pre-ride a course again. Never will I forget to thank a course worker again (thank you kind lady who filled my water bottles while I whacked my seat into position). Never will I descend HJ again. Never will I squander my fitness because of crappy descending again (at least I was wearing the proper kit, I was both dressed as, and descending like, a chicken). And I will probably break each of these promises next year. Maybe during the VQ...

 

Tandem RR

My girlfriend Katie and I attempted VQ this year on an orange Ventana tandem. I believe we were the only tandem on the course yesterday.

First, the bad news: We called it quits at the bottom of West Horsetheif. Came in right at the edge of the 12:45 cutoff and were hoping to continue on, but I wasn't confident in my ability to captain that bad boy down Trabuco. Last time I rode Trabuco was VQ 2009 on my single bike, and it was the only section we hadn't test ridden on the tandem. I'm sure we could've made it up, though...

The good news: Despite the DNF, this was hands-down our most solid tandem ride to date. A few highlights...

1) This was Katie's longest MTB ride ever, and our longest ride on the new tandem. GPS stats showed 48 miles with 9300' climbing, 8:18 total time. We received the bike in February, so you better believe with another year under our belts, we'll be back for a VQ attempt next year.

2) Silverado Motorway. So much fun on a tandem. Other riders were all courteous and let us pass, even those that passed us on the climb up Main Divide.

3) We made the Holy Jim cutoff by 4 minutes. Upper and Lower Holy Jim took us 54 minutes on the tandem. The switchbacks were brutal and we hiked most of Upper. I think we made 3 or 4 of the switchbacks on Lower. With about 15 minutes before high noon, another rider told us we weren't going to make the cutoff. Thanks to him, we pushed it that much harder to make it down the mountain.

4) Our friend Joe had his pedal break at mile 10 and still rode all the way to the base of Holy Jim (and started up WHT/Trabuco) on just a spindle. Wow.

5) Aid stations. Awesome last year (my first), and awesome this year. I love it when the volunteers come up to you and ask what you need.

Overall we're satisfied with our performance yesterday and know what we need to work on for next year (including upper body weight lifting - that is one heavy bike to muscle around). Thanks to all the people that cheered us on.