Race Report

Race Report by Kathleen Meyer

Granny Gear 24 hours of Temecula. I really did try to keep this short...

I had so much fun last year but it is a far drive and not cheap. I had the chance to join a team. Yet once I had my kids settled for the weekend I decided to stick with my plan, ride solo. I thought more about that later!!!

Arriving at 11pm on Friday, I missed the deadline for registration. Saturday morning I begged forgiveness and the folks at Granny Gear were very nice to me.

I stayed where I had put my tent the night before. A bit off the course but I was in no rush to come in and out THAT quickly each lap. In camp were the Bontragers, each with their own team. Keith had a group of veteran guys from the Santa Cruz area, while Laura had 4 women. Jain Light and herself, Joan from Walnut Creek and Elizabeth from North Carolina. Those of you who have done a Granny Gear may recognize her name. She worked there (may-be from the beginning) until this year. Now she was coming to have fun. Their team name "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" fit aptly. They had matching helmets and jersey-the jerseys were custom and had their team and individual names! The camp also included significant others, Jain Light had Michael, another friend whose named I missed and Joan had a friend too. Lucky for me he had a pump I could stick in my pack. I don't get flats often but didn't want to push my luck. A nice surprise in camp. I met Chris and Chipps. Jeff got a laugh when I told him I spent the weekend with a Chippendale. According to Chris, the brits have a fashion to assign a nickname from your last name and that becomes your name. I still don't know his real first name but you may see some of his photo's in your mtb magazines. His British magazine "singletrack" is available in a few places locally. I found the websirte for it at www.singletrackworld.com, check it out. Chris is from the New Jersey/Pa area. Imagine my shock when she said she was going to be the mechanic and if I needed anything-let her know. Wow! Never had anything like it and a woman to boot. She stayed up all night continually working and all I could offer in return (besides a great big thank-you) was the box of Jelly Bellys Joan had given me!! I had three rear tire choices with me. Asking for opinions, I chose one and she asked if I wanted her to put it one the bike. What a life!!! The trail is fun. Just no other way to describe it. Good punishing climbs, fun downhills-rocks, sand and more sand. A bit scary some of it but that's why Granny Gear doesn't promote their racers for beginning mtber's.

Heat. Last year it was 70 degrees. This year someone measured 92 in the shade. I figure it was 15 to 20 degrees hotter in the back canyons-sitting in the sun. I have never felt anything like it in memory. Once I rode Kennedy at 2 in the afternoon on a really hot day and thought "you suck". Then I realized how heat can knock you down fast. After lap two I opted to change back the rear tire to my old worn-out "baldy". While the knobs were good for traction on the climbs and descends, it felt like Lloyd's rear brak was on my bike (read his NVDC dnf'd story). The change was good. I missed some points of the new tire but immediately felt like my energy level picked up. Saturday afternoon I was told someone was being bought in with a heat condition. On his first lap-a 12 mile course-it was that bad. I started stopping at the most remote point where the EMT station was located. I was dying for plain water and they supplied it. The heat with no sleep the night before was taking it toll fast. I had only completed three laps (12 miles each, 1800' climbing) and felt dead. Chipps helped me set the lights on my bike, Chris was doing some stuff to it and I headed for what I hoped to be a "power nap". Thankfully I woke up feeling much better. My stomach felt better and my body had cooled down. Probably that burrito and large bottle of endurox helped too! I completed another two laps and decided to stick with my plan of taking time off in the night. I used the excuse of recharging my battteries but it was always in the plan, that's why none of you had me begging to borrow extras. Night riding in not my favorite and I didn't plan to beat myself so bad here that I would be useless for Laguna Seca in May. I slept fairly well. Much better than the night before. I could hear the work going on out side but overall was too comfortable to move until a bathroom call had me decide it time to get back out there. At six am the weather was still too hot for the long sleve jersey I chose but not unbearable. I changed back to short sleve for the next lap. Still plenty of time for two more laps but I was undecided as I headed out. Fairly quickly it became obivious that the weather was going to be as hot as the day before-and quickly. Once I made the decision to enjoy this as my last lap I probably became the number one pain-in-the-ass on the course.

Chatting up a storm, many folks were ready to be done. I watched three guys climbing (on the bike) the "burning calves" hike-a-bike section. Impressed I was, they seemed pleased with the audience and cheering section I had become. Here is where I came upon Iasis's partner (Iasis and his teammate Jason formed their own team "Los Dos Meshugeneh"). Asking how they were doing, he said 1st place by two laps. Secure, he had no plan that either of them should go out for another lap. One day Iasis will give me the beer he owes. Jason had every intention of checking in but doing so before noon would disqualify them under Granny Gear rules unless another team member went for a lap. Learning this, Jason hid under a tree until 12:01. Checking in he secured them 1st place.

I stopped at the EMT station on the course to say good-bye to the folks from Arizona (and get more water too!). The radio came alive as people were searching for a woman racer who was having heat issues on the course. It was thought she was at the "tunnel of love" but I let them know that I saw a woman racer off the side of the trail with a couple of guys just before the "marine corp climb". They were thankful as they sent off help in the right direction and I was glad to be helpful after all they had done for me.

A rider past me just prior to the slight climb before the "tunnel of love". I decided to practice my drafting skills, probably much to his frustration. Actually he seemed to eventually get acclimated to having me back there as I verbally pushed him to the finish. His team was trying to get another rider out to cement their 3rd place finish. We caught up to Iasis buddy Jason, told him I'd dig up Iasis so they could figure out their strategy. A fine final lap. Keeping with the spirit of Granny Gear courses, from Donner to Truckee to Moan and now Temecula, they hold to their promise of providing fun with the pain! Speaking of pain, Temecual dished out its' own. More than the heat, Jain Light had a tough fall on her lap. The vedict is not in yet on how the shoulder is going. The bruising is colorful, a good match to a few bruises incurred by her teammate Joan. I saw some other nasty looking people but having recently healed from my own, it brought back memories I am still trying to bury.

3rd place of three women solo. That means I now have a Granny Gear apron from the 1st two Temeculas. I may have to learn to work on my bike more!!! My goals were met and I got a good lesson in EXTREME heat. I had a great traveling companion (Megan Bontrager) on the way down. I pumped her for all sorts of info so that when Patrick turns 15 I'll be more ready for him!

No words for having Chris there. I told her that she has a room in my house any time she is in the area. If she shows up before 6 months I'll have to give her mine (we are adding an extra room soon) but that's a small price to pay for knowing her generosity.

People really do make these races for me. Bring on Laguna Seca!

Kathleen

Back to Main Page