Rincon de la Vieja 100 Miler, Seger Inspired Recap

"Took a look down a westbound road,Right away I made my choiceHeaded out to my big two-wheelerAnd just rolled that power on"...Roll Me Away - Bob SegerI was tired of my own voiceTook a bead in the northern plains

And westbound we were this past weekend as we headed to Hacienda Guachipelin, host hotel of the second edition of the only 100 mile race in Costa Rica and probably the only one in the world to circumnavigate an active volcano; the Rincon de la Vieja 100 Miler Challenge.

The day before a race is always a stressful one and Friday was no exception. Leaving San Jose took longer than expected, toll booths, slow cars on the fast lane and some rain made up our drive. Unfortunately for our teammates, our drive was easy in comparison to theirs. They got stuck behind a convoy of trucks hauling huge blades and other parts for gigantic wind turbines. I remember seeing them parked on the side of the road, however minutes later they got on the highway and kept a steady 20KPH pace while our teammates and several other cars waited anxiously an opportunity to pass.

Once at the venue, I picked up my packet with a number three plate. Adding some unneeded pressure since that was my result the previous year. A quick look at the starting line revealed that the talent pool had risen this year and all we could do was wait until the next morning to see how things would go.

If making any changes to your bike set up on the days leading up to race is a big no-no, where does switching to new bike fall? I made an exception this time, mainly because I have a lot of trust on our team mechanic Juan Onetto, who has been working on my bikes for a couple of years now. Team CoreCo set me up with probably the most competitive bike in the field for this race, a Niner One9 RDO, 1x11 transmission, carbon wheels and all. Although I only had ridden it once before the race, the geometry variations from my previous Air9 RDO were minimal and with Juan taking into account the must minute details, he replicated almost the exact same riding position. Except for tires, we left those for last and ended up doing a late night run up to the gas station across the street from our hotel to use their high power compressor to seat the tires I had chosen for the race. Geax Saguaros 2.2 Folding in case anyone wondered.

After going to bed later than expected, the 3:15 am wake-up call was brutal. Add to that the fact that our waitress took almost 20 minutes to get us coffee, one of our rooms got locked with the keys inside and this race morning isn’t up to a good start. Thankfully we got some coffee and food on us, kitted up and headed to the start which was a 30 min drive away.

Pre-dawn start line check-in. 

Once at the start line, at least for me, all the stress melts away. Signed the check-in board and casually wiggled my way to the front of the line. Having a single digit plate and the number three on it helped. 5:30 am came and went and we were still on the same place. Not all of the riders had checked-in yet and the path right off the start wasn’t clear of vehicles yet. Eventually, a few minutes before 6 am we rolled off behind a pair of four-wheelers.

The pace was keep awfully slow this time. I agree that the previous year it was too fast and there were some crashes just off the start, but today the pace was too slow. My hands were getting numb just holding onto the brakes for so long. Thankfully we made it to Curubande where the quads sped up and the green flag was waived. We quickly got into a single file with last year’s runner up Deiber Esquivel’s team Scotiabank setting the pace.

Those initial minutes are key. You make a quick analysis of your overall feel, how the legs are responding, are you breathing faster than normal, what’s the energy level and this often defines how you would feel during a good portion of the race. In my case “My hands were steady, my eyes were clear and bright, my –ride- had purpose, my – pedal strokes- quick and light…like a rock”!

Scotiabank’s time at the front didn’t last long. There were the team with the most riders but Jose Montoya, their initial pace setter flatted on the first creek crossing. So soon into the race that we slowed down and looked at each other. None of the other teams wanted to be on the bad side of the largest team in the race, so we continued riding, but at casual coffee-ride place. This caused the entire field to catch up to us until a Master rider took the initiative and drove the pace. 2013 La Ruta winner, Marconi Duran and I wasted no time to get on his wheel with Deiber in tow. Hey, we were not pulling! Eventually the master rider faded and Deiber’s teammate hadn’t rejoined. In fact to our surprise he had lost his other teammate due to a mechanical too. At that point, Paolo Montoya (Specialized) came near the front and the casual ride ended. Marconi, Paolo and I traded pulls at the front while Deiber sat on waiting for his teammates. The short, steep climbs leading up to PC1 reduced the number of riders on our group until there were just six of us. Paolo had two teammates, Alexander Sanchez and Ivan Amador who was racing masters. Marconi, Deiber and I were on our own, so we all did one last turn at the front and waited for Paolo’s team to take the lead.

Lead Group early on the race. Foto Courtesy of Andres from LeadAdventure Media

Shortly before PC1, so less than 30 KMs into the race, Alex went to the front and set a nice, steady pace for the next 56 KMs or so. It was the longest pull I’ve seen anyone do. Only interrupted by our quick stops at aid stations 2 where Juan lubed my chain and got me fresh bottles and PC3,  or the re-lube stop after one of the many river crossing and the much needed “nature break”. He was inspired and doing an awesome job for his team leader.

One of the crucial moments of my race came somewhere, between PC2 and PC3. We had crossed a few bridges already; a light rain had been keeping us cool for about an hour when we got to this old, rickety, twisted looking bridge. The boards were warped and wet and stood about 8-10 feet above the river. Somehow, at that moment I was the last wheel on our sextet and although all five riders in front of me crossed the bridge without problems, right on the middle of it, my tires just disappeared from under me. The next moment I am lying on the wet boards and my bike is sliding towards the side. I tried getting up but my shoes had no traction, I fell again and this time I barely managed to grab the rear wheel before the bike plunged onto the river. I had to crawl to get to the other side and remount my bike. This happened to the complete oblivion of my race mates. I tried not to panic and quickly rejoined the group. However the effort required took a toll on me and I arrived at PC3 looking like I was entering the pain cave.

Will and Liam did a great job of getting me back on course topped off on liquids and food, which was needed because we were on the 10KM ascent to the KOM point. If someone had asked, I wouldn’t have hesitated about letting Alexander Sanchez take the KOM, however with $500 on the line and the fact that Deiber’s teammate Moises Hernandez had recently caught up to us, an uphill sprint was ensured. Paolo took the money easily with Deiber and Moises a few bike lengths behind and I a little further back in fourth. But as soon as Paolo noticed that a gap had opened up, he floored once again and the four of us were chasing him hard for the next few minutes. We caught him at the entrance to the singletrack, helped in part by a photographer on a motorcycle that blocked Paolo’s left turn into the only technical section of the course. On the last rocky descent, he attacked once again and although we chased him for a few minutes, we wouldn’t see him again until the finish line.

Moises and Deiber decided to play their cards having the numbers advantage. Moises attacked first, Marconi and I brought him back but the effort proved to be a little too much for me and I started to crumble on a short pavement climb. Moises was hurting too and got gapped on this climb. Deiber and Marconi decided that the three of us had a better chance of catching Paolo, so they allowed me to get back on their wheel. I skipped a turn at the front to recover but with a strong tail wind and a gradual downhill, I was back helping in no time. Surprisingly Ivan Amador had also made our group but wouldn’t collaborate for obvious reasons. A few kilometers later Marconi would miss a turn, then another one later until Deiber and I ended up pulling away from our non-working partners. We gave it all we had. A little too much, I guess. We were so focused on chasing Paolo or at least to create some separation, that we ended up missing a turn off from the road. We rode off-course for almost 2 KMs until the race official caught up to us on their quad. We were disappointed but still bursting with adrenaline. We made a U turn and headed up hill into the worst head wind we had had all day. It took our hardest effort to barely push 17 KPH back to the course. Up ahead Moises had also missed the turn off and we caught up to him right before getting back onto the race route. The three of us entered the Liberia Canyon together. This is easily the most dreaded part of the race and the most challenging too. Coming into it with a lack of motivation and after going deep into our reserves took a big toll on me. I had to let the Scotiabank duo ride away while I contended with my own demons. The heat became a factor and no matter which direction I went, I kept “running against the wind.” “I found myself seeking shelter against the wind” and found none. Forgetting to hydrate and eat while trying to get back onto the course also made the crossing of the canyon very miserable.

Liberia Canyon. Looks easier than on race day. Photo from LeadAdventure

I arrived at PC5 and didn’t even notice our support crew wasn’t there. I was offered a Coke, which I chugged while some one refilled my two bottles. They asked me something but I don’t think I responded. A few minutes after I got back on my bike, I realized they were asking if I wanted water in one bottle and some kind of sports drink on the other. Due to my lack of response, I got just water. I got some fluids and calories on me, as the kilometers slowly ticked by. I was expecting to get passed by someone anytime. I didn’t think anyone was riding slower than me, until I saw Marconi up ahead. He had not gone of course but now he was hurting bad. He made me look fast and although I offered some encouragement and food he was bonking and wanted none of it.

I kept going, my motivation was coming back up and the white limestone road, mostly pointing down was and welcomed sight. Suddenly a steep hill comes into view. I went all the way to the biggest cog of my cassette and slowly worked my way up. A by stander poured some water on my back, which I was really thankful for.

The math game started right around this point. I am looking at my Garmin and it’s telling me that I have 35 KMs to go. Knowing that PC6 it’s at 20 to go, it takes all my working brain cells a few seconds to realize I have 15 to go before the aid station. I am running low on water so I tried to conserve some for the next few kilometers. Less than 5 KMs later I see a course marshal and the place looks similar to where the last aid station was last year. I make a right turn and off at the distance I spot the cars, easy-up and people sticking their heads out, trying to figure who is the rider coming in. I’ve made into PC6 and for the first time in my life I am so thankful my Garmin distance is way off.

Will and Liam get me ready for the home stretch, but the math games continue. If there are 20KMs to go and I am keeping a steady 15KPH pace, how long would it take me to finish? The answer takes time to come up and by then I am onto the sandy and bumpy private ranch road and my speed is only 10KPH. I concentrate on just getting out of the ranch section. The short, punchy climbs and the loose sand sections make different muscles groups twitch. I am a bad pedal stroke away from cramping up. I know that once out of the ranch the road is still going up, but at a steady grade. I look down and I see my race time is 6 hours 30 minutes. If I ride the next 10 KMs at 20 KPH I could finish under 7 hrs. Yeah, right! I get out of the ranch and I am not riding at 20, in fact I am barely doing 15.

5K to go. It felt as hot as it looks.

Ok, I decide to refocus my goal. I did 7:13 last year, I am just going to try and beat that. By that point I am getting to the host hotel, but I still have a 5Ks to go. I see Norma up ahead. My neck already hurts from looking back expecting to see someone riding up to me. I asked Norma to give me a time check to the next rider or 5 minutes, whichever happens first. I continue riding on my own. Chasing the shade on either side of the road. A tour bus coming towards me forces me to get all the way to the right side on this wide, gravel road; even though is smooth and shady on the left. They don’t know the kind of pain I am in. 3Ks to go, 7:13 seems unrealistic, right now I just want to finish.

Finally over the finish line. Foto from Taty of Grupo Sports Innovations

Norma catches up to me, says that no one is chasing within 6 minutes and that she’ll have a cold beer waiting. I get one last shot of motivation; pass under the 1K banner at 7:09. This is the longest kilometer ever. The last part of the hill gets even steeper. I jump off the saddle, power up the last few meters, make the left turn onto the timing mats and I am in. 5^th overall, 4^th in the elite field and 7:13 again. Forget the seconds, they don’t count today.

Man and the machine, done for the day!

Top 5 Podium. 

Tired, dirty, hungry, proud, thirsty, emotional…all those feelings are conjured into one after crossing the finish line.

Team CoreCo representing at the RDLV

A few minutes later my teammate, Pedro Arias crossed the line. Second in the masters A category. Later on, our riders on their sweet Borealis bikes sweep the Fat Bike category. It was a great day all around for Team CoreCo.

Under 9 hour belt buckle.

Thanks to our excelent support crew (Will, Liam, Juan and Norma) for taking care of us before, during and after the race. To the entire Team CoreCo for all the support and positive vibes and everyone that cheered us on at the race or virtually.

Jeff

Back to Blogging

It may seem like soo 2005, but after almost two years of not posting anything to this blog, I'll give it another try.
Stay tuned for my life, work and cycling adventures!
Jeff

Conquering La Ruta 2012 - Day 3

Day 3 – Rafting Adventures, Siquirres to Playa Bonita, Limon - 55 KMs

 

This day had the biggest variation from years before as it included an optional rafting trip down the Pacuare river from Turrialba to Siquirres. This was a non-competitive portion and most of the Elite riders decided to skip it. 

Shawn and I enjoying a cooler than usual day in Siquirres

I personally knew that I would be too cold after being in the water for over 3 hours and it would impact my performance during the race, so I skipped it too. We spend the night at the house of my relatives and had a great family dinner. Since we opted out of the rafting we got a chance to sleep in a little more and drive to Siquirres later for the noon start.

At the start chute chatting with some Belgian riders

 The competitive part of the stage was supposed to be a hot and fast ride to Limon on the flat gravel and railroad track course, however rain started to shower the area since early in the morning so the heat was unusually low. 

Narrow road for the start

The start was even more chaotic than day 1. This is the last day and all of the riders wanted to do well and being a Saturday more family and friends came out to see us.  It was a controlled start for 3 KMs and although I arrived early on to the start chute and ended just a few rows back from the leaders by the time we hit the pavement the front of the peloton had swelled so much I was among the top 100. Wet pavement caused a lot of close calls, lots of noise from tires rubbing and handlebard getting crossed but I made off the pavement safely, however once off the pavement the pace went from 20 to 45+ KPH in just a few seconds. I knew I had to get on the lead train to maintain my overall position and not get delayed on the railroad bridge crossings, so I started to work my way to the front going on the side and the rougher portions of the gravel road which was full of potholes filled with water from the morning rain and slippery baby head sized rocks. I was doing a great job of getting to the front and had made it to the top 30s when my front tire flipped a rock and sent it straight into my rear wheel. It got picked up by the spokes before bouncing off the back of my heel and onto the side of the road, then a clicking sound came from my rear wheel. I didn’t want to stop but the noise grew louder, so I pulled to the side of the road to investigate the problem and found out a spoke had been broken by the rock. My wheel was so out of true it barely turned without touching the sides of the chain stay. I tried pulling the spoke off but it was the cassette side so I decided to just wrap it around another spoke and ride it to the aid station where I could change my wheel. It didn’t take me more than 2 minutes to do that, however in that time more than half of the racers had passed me. 

On your right! doesn't really work here. Photo from Bici Aventura

Feeling pretty fresh and focused I jumped back on the bike and drilled it for the next 10 minutes and passed probably 100 riders in the process then as I bunny hopped across a railroad track my chain got stuck and I had to stop pedaling. The guy I was passing said a piece had flown off my rear derailleur, so I had to stop again to check the damage. Unfortunately this time it was a big problem. During the first two days my lower derailleur pulley had been giving me trouble and the chain would jump off teeth of the pulley and get wedged between the side of the pulley and the arm of the derailleur. This arm is made of carbon fiber and it had held on until that point. 

Broken spoke and broken rear derailleur

So I could still pedal my bike; but I had to keep the chain on the 19^th cog or higher to keep enough tension on the chain. That, in addition to the fact that I was riding a single 34 ring up front meant I had to spin a pretty high cadence to maintain a decent speed on the flat roads. The next section was pavement, so I jumped on the back of a group until before the first aid station. About a kilometer from the check point I went to the front and rode off the group then came into the aid station pretty fast to find out my support crew had had problems leaving the start area as the other cars and were not there yet, so I chose to keep going, however the next section was a bumpy gravel road and that’s where I realized it would be a long way home. I had try to keep tension on the chain, however if I went over a bump, a rock or anything else that could cause the chain to jump as it traveled from the bottom of the chain ring to the rear derailleur then it would jump off forcing me to stop, jump off the bike and remount the chain.

Frustration face starts to show. Photo from Bici Aventura

I got this drill figured out pretty well as I had to do it a few hundred times. Then we got to the first and longest railroad bridge. The line just to get on the bridge were long and once on the bridge I was stepping over one trestle at the time and stopping every two steps. Some people started to pass on the sides but with the rain and the fact this rail way has recently been re-activated the trestles were covered with oil and dangerous to walk on cycling shoes. It took me 22 minutes to cross the first bridge, which took me 5 minutes last year. Once off the bridge my troubles with the chain would continue as we alternated between rocky, bumpy roads or sections following the railroad tracks and my chain would jump off every few pedal strokes. I even tried running but it didn’t help much on the tracks and with lots of other riders trying to get by me.

Another group I couldn't hang on. Photo by Bici Aventura

Eventually we made it to the sandy road along the beach and I managed to keep the chain on for longer periods of time and tried jumping on the wheel of groups going by but I could spin at 120+RPMs for just so long before I had to let off or stop to put the chain back on. Finally after getting off the sand and onto the last pavement I drilled it just to save the honor and to try and make up even a few seconds. 

Sandy finish line in Playa Bonita

As I made the left turn onto the stairs that lead you to the finish line on the sandy beach of Playa Bonita contrasting feelings invaded me. I was happy to have finished after nursing a damaged bike for over 50 KMs but I was a little disappointed of knowing that if it hadn’t been for mechanical issues I could have had much better result at this event. 

There is a smile...sort of

Many members of my family, including my grandmother were waiting for me at the finish and were very supporting. Although the weather was still cloudy, I took a quick dip in the ocean and savored a beer before loading the car and heading home after a long race that took many months to prepare for and wouldn’t have been possible without the support from so many people. Once the final results were posted, I finished day 3 in the 184^th position, however after all the time lost, I only dropped two spots in the overall standings for a 16^th place finish at La Ruta 2012.

Final Elite Results. La Ruta de los Conquistadores 2012

Thanks to all for the support and hope you enjoyed reading about this 3 day experience. Thanks to Norma, the love of my life for being a key part on this and all events I participate, my family and frieds for offering the moral and economic support and to my sponsors for providing the financial and logistical support to make it happen.

Keep the rubber side down!

Jeff