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September 10, 2004 - INTERVIEW
Did you do anything special to prepare for this year's 24hr solo title defense?
As always, lots of miles, including long mountain bike rides at Patapsco and Gambrills. I also went through CORE training program with a personal trainer to strengthen my back and abdominals. It involves lots of functional exercises like push up variations, medicine ball drills, swiss ball work etc.
Did the intense competition from four time National Champion and former Olympians Tinker Juarez and Andreas Hestler - Rocky Mountain surprise you?
I knew Tinker would be tough. He rode well last year, and that probably gave him confidence, and taught him that the race is never over. I also knew Andreas would be competing, and expected him to be strong. He has been racing a long time, and is an intelligent guy. He was riding so well the first 5 hours, I was wondering how I was going to get rid of him. He was smooth and efficient and was doing all the right things, but he didn't have the mind set to stay with it for the entire duration.
From your experience we assume you have honed your 24 hour skills to the max. Were you happy with the handling of all aspects of the race this year or is there something else you think you could improve upon?
This was our best performance yet on all aspects. Even so, there is always improvements to make. Nutrition is very complex for an event like this, and I can improve as I learn more. I had a few tough laps in the early hours of the morning, and I'm not sure why. My eyes were not working correctly. It was like I was only seeing snapshots of the trail, one every few seconds. I drank some coffee and tried to ride a bit faster to find some adrenalin, and things did come around.
Your pit stops were incredibly fast (all less than a minute) - did you ever change riding shorts or socks?
I changed riding shorts twice. I wear regular shorts, not bib shorts, so I can change very quickly, probably only 15 seconds. I never changed socks. Conditions were good, not wet or sweaty, so it was fairly easy with clothing. I did put on knee warmers and an extra long sleeve jersey at night.
What was the hardest part of this year's race for you?
Midnight till 3am. The gap came down from 32 to 18 minutes at this time and I was not feeling good. This always seems to happen at some point, and I'm glad I could turn it around.
What inspired you the most this year?
I got some great messages on my handlebars. Poz was picking up email
replies from friends and family to his web cam and web log. My pit crew
would pass the well wishes on via the notes on my handlebar. Allison
also wrote some good ones, like "Pain is temporary, pride lasts
forever".
Did your Team work well together?
They are amazing. They stay up all night, and never stop working. They are willing to do anything, no matter how much trouble, if it can save me time or make me more comfortable. I did not have a single bike problem the whole race.
What did you eat during the race?
Powerbars, Fig Bars, Bananas, Ham Sandwiches, potato chips, donuts. I drank Emer'gen C, water, and Iced Tea
Did you have any unusual problems with the race?
Not really. Andreas and I did run off the course at the end of the first lap. When we came into the finish area, they had not moved a barrier yet, so we turned. They saw us and yelled, so we only lost 10 seconds.
How would you rate the course?
It's a good all around course. There were 3 or 4 nice singletrack
sections that were quite rocky, rooty and technical. It didn't seem too
tough at first, but when you get tired, it was challenging. This added
up to about a third of the loop. Another 3rd was smooth gravel, twisting,
doubletrack walking path. These were easy to ride, fairly fast, and a
good place to eat and drink. The other 3rd was 2 extended climbs near
the end of the loop. One was gravel road, about 6 minutes long, with
a few steep pitches. The other was up a grassy ski slope, about 4 minutes,
steady and quite steep.
Were you happy with the way the race was run?
Yes, the 24 Hours of Adrenalin guys work very hard, are very professional, and put on a great event.
Did you have any interesting experiences during your race (exchanges with competitors/spectators)?
I talk to a lot of people during the race, and it helps break up the time. On the last lap, a guy passed me wearing nothing but a New Zealand flag. He was wearing it around his neck as a cape, and it was not very big. He got some big cheers and laughs.
Congratulations on a well deserved and most impressive fifth consecutive 24 Hour Solo World Champion title. Is there anything you would like to add?
Huge thanks to Poz, Steve, my dad (Mike), and
Allison. They make a great team, and are a big part of this victory.
