24 Hours In The Canyon.

As of this week I hold the North American 24 Hour Champion / Recumbent / 70 + record.  

Last weekend I traveled to Amarillo, Texas, to participate in 24 Hours In The Canyon, a remarkable bicycle event as a fundraiser to provide care to persons dealing with cancer.  In sum, this was an event of cheer, dedication, family fun and athletic challenge unlike any I've ever experienced.  Wonderful people, race organizers and volunteers.  And did I say ... it was in `Texas?'  

I did o.k..  I had two primary goals and one secondary goal.  First, to complete the 100 mile open road bicycle race.  Second, to complete as many 5 mile `in the Canyon' laps as possible.  Then, to assess the health and performance ability of my right (arthritic) knee.  I achieved all three goals.  

To do the 100 mile event the racers have to ascend a 1.25 mile climb out of the canyon.  The average (I mean `average') grade up that hill is 10 degrees, with several nasty `pops' of 12 degrees.  And then it was an out and back open road course for the remainder of the 100 mile event.  

Good road.  Very flat `high Texas prairie' terrain (i.e., rarely above 2 degrees grade). Very little traffic.  Considerate drivers.  Five organized `rest stops' for racers.  And then a `woo-hoo' return 1.25 mile descent back into the canyon.  

The `in the canyon' five mile laps were on smooth road with several 6 - 7 degree lengthy climbs and descents.  (To my mind the five mile loops were more demanding because of the many climbs).  

The weather was ... sort'a funny.  The day BEFORE the race the temps hit 109F and hotter, with 25 mph winds. But the day OF the race the temps dropped 20F and the winds increased to a steady 25 - 35 mph, with gusts a bit higher.  From `life threatening' to `very hairy hard.'  

I think I did a total of 144 miles (109 miles [https://ridewithgps.com/trips/23969900] and seven 5 mile [https://ridewithgps.com/trips/23803599] loops) with about 12 hours of ride time.  Interspersed over a 20 hour period with time off the bike for recovery, sleep and mild delirium (joke).  (The Garmin battery on the second unit crapped out after 11 miles of the 5 mile loops.  Frustrated, I just stopped fiddling with the Garmins.)

Unfortunately, the chip timing system experienced multiple failures in registering racer's passing through the chute.  In some cases this was corrected by race volunteers.  In some cases the racer's crew had to correct this.  In my case the chip timing system failed to register my completion of four 5 mile loops.  I have submitted a request for correction.  

There were easily 850 people doing the event, separated out into about 8 different events.  From the full 24 hours on open road and canyon loop, to a two mile monster hill climb race.  Serious competitie athletes to little kids riding supervised little races in the canyon.  `Family' was what it was all about.  

Typical of me, I started out stupid.  Instead of heading straight out of the canyon on the 1.25 mile climb I turned `left' and completed ten miles `in' the canyon before hitting the 1.25 mile climb.  (I was just following the crowd of about 815 riders NOT doing the 24 hour competitive road race.)  

And then, given the steep grade of the climb out of the canyon I decided to `not burn all my matches' ... and walked up the 1.25 climb.  (Made sense to me.  If I do this event again ... I'll walk up that 1.25 mile beastie again).  

These two `Fallon' diversions put me about an hour and a half behind the 24 hour competitive road racers.  Meaning: by the time I reached the `rest stops' that had water ... they had already closed.  And I was left with only one bottle of water for the first 60 miles.  Honestly, I was (in a very weird way) O.K. with that.  I had images of dying of thirst out in the Texas prairie with my dessicated body being blown into Mexico --- as a final rebuke to 45.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As it happened one of the SAG wagons was driving back over the course and found this otherwise perfectly content mad cyclist pushing into the 30 mph wind.  The SAG driver stopped and in an almost panic rushed to provide me with water, water, water.  And two orange slices.  

That was fun.  

And then I continued on.  

Here's the cool part.  Since I was the very, very last racer on the course the SAG vehicle stayed behind me for the remainder of the 40 miles.  My very own PERSONAL SAG WAGON.  With water and generous encouragement and support the rest of the way to the canyon.  HOW COOL IS THAT?!! :)

Finishing the 100 mile event I stopped, ate something, drank lots and went down for about an hour's rest.  Awaking I got back on the bike and started the second stage of the event, i.e., the 5 mile loop.  

And that is when things went south for me.  The right (arthritic) knee couldn't handle the 4 - 7 degree climbs.  Bone on bone.  I did about four 5 mile laps before I decided to give the knee a break.  Went down for about a half hour's rest and started the 5 mile laps again.  Another three laps and stopped.  This time for about 2.5 hours.  At the start of daylight I got on the bike again, hoping against hope, and did two more laps before it was just implacably undeniable that the knee was getting worse.  

So, goal number two was achieved.  That is, I did several 5 mile loops.  

And, goal number three, i.e., to assess the health and viability of the right knee ... that was accomplished, too.  

After about 8 months of trying to find a way to work with the right knee (rest, ice, compression, elevation, NSAIDS, two orthopedists, a primary care physician and a physical therapist) it looks like it's time to swap it out for a new one.  

I hope I can get the knee `replaced,' heal up, continue training and be ready for the 24 Hour World Time Trials in Borrego Springs, CA, in late October.  

Every time we breathe in and breathe out ... we get another chance.