How to punish yourself in 12 (not so) easy hours
I did the 12 hours of Enduarnce race in Park City today with a buddy of mine (just a 2 man team). I probably shouldn't still be up to type this, but sleep is not far off right now. Overall, great race...and a painful/humbling experience. The course was a 10 mile loop on the Round Valley Trail, with roughly 1,100 ft of gain (1,300 was reported, but I only measured 1,100 on my computer). The first few laps were interesting. The trail marking was less than stellar (due in part to local riders stealing the flags...for whatever reason). I made 2 wrong turns on my first lap that cost me some time and, more importantly, energy. Eventually the sun got high in the sky and things just went to shit...there is absolutely no shade on that trail. It's just incredible how much the sun can sap your strength. Overall, we finished with 11 laps. Not sure where we were in the overall, we weren't really that interested in sticking around...showers and food were in high demand at that point. Other observations:
* Some people have far too much energy to be considered safe for society
* People that do races like this solo on a single-speed should be committed
* A 10 mile lap doesn't really sound that bad until you get 3 laps into it
* Never underestimate the value of a good support team
