Holy Smokes! I’m just recovering from the big race. I put in 20.78 miles today at a VERY SLOW pace. Wow. That is like 1/8 the distance that I put in last weekend. Anyway, I was out smelling the roses. But it’s time to get back to business and document the adventure.


This posting addresses many of the “Lessons Learned” during The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Why would I do such a thing? Because I’m a geek and I believe in summarizing all the important details so the same mistakes aren’t made twice.

The Lesson’s Learned:


1) Need a Team Bus. How do we get this going? Anyone have any ideas?


2) Like beer? Drink beer! Drink beer right up to the start of the race. The 1st 100 miles is accomplished via basic physical fitness. All the ‘other’ miles are entirely due to the inner strength of one’s psyche. High blood / oxygen levels don’t get you past the 2AM demons. Low Blood / Alcohol levels won’t save you from the 2AM demons. So tip it back and relax prior to the big race.

3) Back of the Pack Racing must find team sponsers – New Belgium Brewing is desired, Oskar Blues would work. Ska Brewing would work. We aren’t looking for handouts or cash. We are looking for free beer, free food, cool patches.

4) B.P.R. must develop a good plan for the lemans start. Check out the race summary posting, when I post it. If we don’t come up with a good strategy – Tedd will kill me.

5) Reliable Internet access is a must, otherwise the B.P.R. Fan Club won’t receive the updates they expect. Don’t count on the advertised WiFi access. WiFi access at a race doesn’t mean WiFi access as you and I know it.

6) Show up 8 hrs before gates open at campground. Gate open at 12PM? Nope, they open way before 12PM.

7) Attitude, you must have a good attitude when it comes to jerks in lycra / gears / full suspension. Most of these jerks just had a 5 hour rest, so they are full of energy, feel like God and are willing to cut you off, yell at you, and otherwise act like they own the world. Don’t let these jerks pull you off your endurance strategy.

8) Avoid coffee – avoid heart burn.

9) Pack the Tums – avoid indigestion.

10) Must have dry clothes for every lap, in cold temperatures. Sweat sucks, but being a jerk in lycra is not an option.

11) Avoid over dressing. Warm at start = sweat during ride = freezing at transition area.

12) Don’t plan on ‘extra laps’ when the sun rises. Weather can & will change.

13) Foot covers? Frozen feet suck.

14) Tight socks = frozen feet.

15) Correct chain. Use a KMC chain that works with normal chain tool.

16) Helmet cam. Capture video of the ‘scope out’ ride prior to the race. Plan for the FAME! (Check out the link, dude.)

17) Bottles, prefilled prior to start.

18) Fire pit – absolutely required. Need a fire pit dude that can fill Ernesto’s shoes, since Ernesto will be racing next time.

19) Pills = Electolytes + Aleve

20) Headlamp for camp duties. Tedd’s headlamp has cooties.

21) Firewood. Firewood. Firewood. Enough said.

22) Have a Guns N’ F’n Roses play list. Why? Because, I said so.


There are definitely many more “Lesson’s Learned”. But I’m not spilling any more beans. (Ask Tim and Tedd to ‘spill the beans’.) B.P.R. must always keep the advantage, simply because we are not mountain bike racers – we are single speed addicts that enjoy kicking the S*^T out of mountain bike racers.


Oh yeah,


23) Clone Cindy and Ernesto. A 24 hour race with out a ‘Cindy & Ernesto’ would just be foolish.