truespode
Moderator / Wheelie King
- Jun 30, 1999
- 7,980
- 249
Vince, Jim and I signed up for a 12 hour Harescramble at Durhamtown in Ga.
I figured since I my cardio was starting to come around that this would be a lot of fun.
I took Thursday and Friday off from my bicycling to let my body rest before the long rest.
Unfortunately, Thursday I was walking to my truck and as I stepped off a curb I flipped my phone open and then fell, twisting my ankle. Not bad... just bad enough to show you that you can get hurt doing anything.
On Friday I had to work later than I wanted and did not get out until 7pm.
I got there around 10pm. Jim and I BS'd a bit and then Vince showed up so we BS'd some more. Went to bed somewhere around 12:30am and turned around and got up around 5:30am.
We get to our pits and start setting things up. We decide I'll be the first rider so I start to get ready only to find out I forgot to bring my jersey and pants.
Thankfully, Durhamtown is pretty prepared. They have a large pro-shop with lots of gear, helmets and misc supplies. They have more in stock than most dealers I go to.
I buy a set of Moose gear and suit up.
The race starts at 7:30am and they tell us that at 6:15pm they will cut us off from being able to do another lap so nobody will end up riding in the dark.
There are 13 teams in our Amateur class. Around 30 teams total so there is never going to be more than 30 people on the 7 mile course at one time.
The start is a Lemond type start. I am 5 feet away from my bike while Vince is holding it.
As the flag waves I jump on my YZF262 piglet and in two kicks I'm gone. Behind some... ahead of others.
The first part of the course takes you on the MX track. The track is really nice with nice, safe jumps. Plenty of size of with the jumps to get some air but rounded on the landing and plenty of room to land. Nothing is do or die.
Then we go into the woods. By this point I have gotten in rythm with a group of riders and was feeling really good.
Then I stalled.
I get going and start running after the group. I catch one guy.
Then I stalled.
I get going again and it takes awhile before I catch another guy at the MX track.
As we go back onto the second part of the MX track I am able to catch the guy because I am doing some jumps he is not.
We come to the creek jump and I decied NOT to do it. It is about 30-35 feet but it is do or die. The pit in the middle is 15 feet straight down and the is absolutely no way of rolling it at all.
I take the long away around as does 75% of the riders (the pro's jump it and it is really cool to watch them fly over the gap).
I then get back to the pits and go another lap. I do really well this lap. No stalls, not falls. I decide to go for a 3rd lap.
I am averaging somewhere between 24 and 26 minutes per lap (unofficially).
On my third lap I miss a corner and go down. I hold on to the handlebars and when the front end slides into a tree I jam my wrist again. As I get back on the MX track I jump a few things and jam my wrist even more.
I probably could have done a 4th lap but decide to wrest. We have all day.
Jim goes next and he is moving. He is easily doing 23-24 minute laps (later in the day he does a 22.30 lap).
Vince and I go to the pit jump to watch a little.
The pro's are jumping things and looking really good out there. Then a kid on a KTM comes up to the ramp like he is going to roll it. Guess he didn't listen during the riders meeting.
He coasts over the face and with everyone yelling NOOOO! he lets go of the bike and falls 15 feet straight down.
Nasty crash but he doesn't break any bones. He does get a good concussion out of it though.
Jim does 3 laps and then Vince goes. Vince is riding Jim's KTm300 and has been off the bike for a year and a half. Still he manages to do 25 minute laps and stay on pace.
He does two laps and off I go again. By this time my ankle is hurting a little from Thursday's twist but I am not too worried at that point. I battle with a couple of guys before making a mistake on lap two and they get away from me. Then a guy on a YZ comes up and he and I ride together. He is a membero of www.georgiaoffroad.com and a really cool guy.
I catch him in the woods sections but in the open sections he blows my doors off and I have to work to stay close so I can get back to him in the woods. He is riding well and we are having a lot of fun.
As we are finishing up the second part of the MX track I make a mistake in one of the turns and fall and hit my knee. I thought it was hurt bad as I crawl away from my bike.
Luckily I am able to get up and while one of the course workers hold my bike I get going again.
The cool thing was when I fell, John (the guy I was racing with on the YZ) turns around to make sure I was ok. That is really cool.
I get back to the pits and Jim goes again. Then Vince.
Vince does his first lap in under 25 minutes. Then 30 minutes later there is no Vince.
Then 32 minutes. Then Jim asks the course workers if someone is hurt.
Unfortunately, Vince had fallen and dislocated his shoulder. The EMT's were able to set it but his day was done.
Once we get the go ahead I take off and am riding rather smooth and feeling ok. Tired but not bad.
I get to one section and make a turn, come out and twist on the throttle, click to third and WHAM!
I hit something and over the bars I go. It is my first true over the bars experience.
My face plants hard into the ground and I tumble.
The wind is knocked out of me as I crawl to the side of the trail. I lay there and catch my breath, then start to laugh as I look at my bike. It is sitting there on its handlebars and rear fender completely upside down.
I'm sure this crash would have made even Travis Pastrana envious.
I get up and get going. As I get in the pits I ask Vince to get Jenni. I figured she is an EMT and can tell me if I need real help.
Only problem is Jenni did not come down for this race.
Jim takes off and I sit down. 10 minutes later I am pretty normal again but my knee is hurting really bad and my forearm is sore.
My day is done.
Jim does two more laps for the team and he starts to cramp and has to call it a day too.
Overall we finished 12th out of 13 but had a blast. After the race we all gathered at the lodge, ate and got free stuff during the awards ceremony. 3 hours later I'm in bed. 10 hours later I am writing this from my wireless laptop in bed because I'm hurting too bad to get out of bed.
The side of my face is bruised from the impact into the ground. My helmet took all of the impact but I still got bruised good. My knee is pretty swollen and hard to walk on (especially since it is the same leg I twisted my ankle on). My chester hurts a little and my arm hurts a litte.
Plus I am dog tired!
I am very fortunate not to have gotten hurt worse so I am pretty happy. It was a great time and extremely nice facility.
I had never been to Durhamtown but it is a dirtbikers paradise. They have everything. 70 miles of trails. Multiple MX tracks (even an MX course through the woods). Freestyle jumps (one with a ramp only 15 feet from the big mound of dirt for the landing). Cabins.
A nice lodge to relax in. Pro-shop. Bike rentals.
It is someplace every dirtbiker needs to experience at least once.
Ivan
I figured since I my cardio was starting to come around that this would be a lot of fun.
I took Thursday and Friday off from my bicycling to let my body rest before the long rest.
Unfortunately, Thursday I was walking to my truck and as I stepped off a curb I flipped my phone open and then fell, twisting my ankle. Not bad... just bad enough to show you that you can get hurt doing anything.
On Friday I had to work later than I wanted and did not get out until 7pm.
I got there around 10pm. Jim and I BS'd a bit and then Vince showed up so we BS'd some more. Went to bed somewhere around 12:30am and turned around and got up around 5:30am.
We get to our pits and start setting things up. We decide I'll be the first rider so I start to get ready only to find out I forgot to bring my jersey and pants.
Thankfully, Durhamtown is pretty prepared. They have a large pro-shop with lots of gear, helmets and misc supplies. They have more in stock than most dealers I go to.
I buy a set of Moose gear and suit up.
The race starts at 7:30am and they tell us that at 6:15pm they will cut us off from being able to do another lap so nobody will end up riding in the dark.
There are 13 teams in our Amateur class. Around 30 teams total so there is never going to be more than 30 people on the 7 mile course at one time.
The start is a Lemond type start. I am 5 feet away from my bike while Vince is holding it.
As the flag waves I jump on my YZF262 piglet and in two kicks I'm gone. Behind some... ahead of others.
The first part of the course takes you on the MX track. The track is really nice with nice, safe jumps. Plenty of size of with the jumps to get some air but rounded on the landing and plenty of room to land. Nothing is do or die.
Then we go into the woods. By this point I have gotten in rythm with a group of riders and was feeling really good.
Then I stalled.
I get going and start running after the group. I catch one guy.
Then I stalled.
I get going again and it takes awhile before I catch another guy at the MX track.
As we go back onto the second part of the MX track I am able to catch the guy because I am doing some jumps he is not.
We come to the creek jump and I decied NOT to do it. It is about 30-35 feet but it is do or die. The pit in the middle is 15 feet straight down and the is absolutely no way of rolling it at all.
I take the long away around as does 75% of the riders (the pro's jump it and it is really cool to watch them fly over the gap).
I then get back to the pits and go another lap. I do really well this lap. No stalls, not falls. I decide to go for a 3rd lap.
I am averaging somewhere between 24 and 26 minutes per lap (unofficially).
On my third lap I miss a corner and go down. I hold on to the handlebars and when the front end slides into a tree I jam my wrist again. As I get back on the MX track I jump a few things and jam my wrist even more.
I probably could have done a 4th lap but decide to wrest. We have all day.
Jim goes next and he is moving. He is easily doing 23-24 minute laps (later in the day he does a 22.30 lap).
Vince and I go to the pit jump to watch a little.
The pro's are jumping things and looking really good out there. Then a kid on a KTM comes up to the ramp like he is going to roll it. Guess he didn't listen during the riders meeting.
He coasts over the face and with everyone yelling NOOOO! he lets go of the bike and falls 15 feet straight down.
Nasty crash but he doesn't break any bones. He does get a good concussion out of it though.
Jim does 3 laps and then Vince goes. Vince is riding Jim's KTm300 and has been off the bike for a year and a half. Still he manages to do 25 minute laps and stay on pace.
He does two laps and off I go again. By this time my ankle is hurting a little from Thursday's twist but I am not too worried at that point. I battle with a couple of guys before making a mistake on lap two and they get away from me. Then a guy on a YZ comes up and he and I ride together. He is a membero of www.georgiaoffroad.com and a really cool guy.
I catch him in the woods sections but in the open sections he blows my doors off and I have to work to stay close so I can get back to him in the woods. He is riding well and we are having a lot of fun.
As we are finishing up the second part of the MX track I make a mistake in one of the turns and fall and hit my knee. I thought it was hurt bad as I crawl away from my bike.
Luckily I am able to get up and while one of the course workers hold my bike I get going again.
The cool thing was when I fell, John (the guy I was racing with on the YZ) turns around to make sure I was ok. That is really cool.
I get back to the pits and Jim goes again. Then Vince.
Vince does his first lap in under 25 minutes. Then 30 minutes later there is no Vince.
Then 32 minutes. Then Jim asks the course workers if someone is hurt.
Unfortunately, Vince had fallen and dislocated his shoulder. The EMT's were able to set it but his day was done.
Once we get the go ahead I take off and am riding rather smooth and feeling ok. Tired but not bad.
I get to one section and make a turn, come out and twist on the throttle, click to third and WHAM!
I hit something and over the bars I go. It is my first true over the bars experience.
My face plants hard into the ground and I tumble.
The wind is knocked out of me as I crawl to the side of the trail. I lay there and catch my breath, then start to laugh as I look at my bike. It is sitting there on its handlebars and rear fender completely upside down.
I'm sure this crash would have made even Travis Pastrana envious.
I get up and get going. As I get in the pits I ask Vince to get Jenni. I figured she is an EMT and can tell me if I need real help.
Only problem is Jenni did not come down for this race.
Jim takes off and I sit down. 10 minutes later I am pretty normal again but my knee is hurting really bad and my forearm is sore.
My day is done.
Jim does two more laps for the team and he starts to cramp and has to call it a day too.
Overall we finished 12th out of 13 but had a blast. After the race we all gathered at the lodge, ate and got free stuff during the awards ceremony. 3 hours later I'm in bed. 10 hours later I am writing this from my wireless laptop in bed because I'm hurting too bad to get out of bed.
The side of my face is bruised from the impact into the ground. My helmet took all of the impact but I still got bruised good. My knee is pretty swollen and hard to walk on (especially since it is the same leg I twisted my ankle on). My chester hurts a little and my arm hurts a litte.
Plus I am dog tired!
I am very fortunate not to have gotten hurt worse so I am pretty happy. It was a great time and extremely nice facility.
I had never been to Durhamtown but it is a dirtbikers paradise. They have everything. 70 miles of trails. Multiple MX tracks (even an MX course through the woods). Freestyle jumps (one with a ramp only 15 feet from the big mound of dirt for the landing). Cabins.
A nice lodge to relax in. Pro-shop. Bike rentals.
It is someplace every dirtbiker needs to experience at least once.
Ivan
