6 Hours On The Ridge MTB Race

 
Feb 2023

What a difference a year makes. 

Feb 2022

6 hours on the Ridge was my first MTB event in 2022. I learned how to ride a mountain bike (Karel's old bike) 8 weeks before the event. The event was a complete mess for me. My chain broke, my cleat got stuck in my pedal, I fell a bunch and I didn't have a lot of fun. While some things were out of my control, it was hard being a self-proclaimed 'competitive beginner'.

Fast forward to 2/25/23, I placed 1st overall female. 

6 hours on the Ridge is a simple concept: Complete as many 6.6 mile laps as you can from 10-3:15pm. If you can start a lap before 3:15pm, you can continue to ride into the 5th hour of the 6 hour race (which means one more lap to your total). The goal is to complete as many laps as you can in 6 hours. You bring your own aid and you can stop at any time (and restart).  This is a low key event with 65 max participants (sold out this year) and the comraderie and staff support is incredible. Everyone was so nice and cheering each other on throughout the event. 

Last year I completed 7 laps (42.9 miles) averaging 8.39mph. This year I did:
9 laps, 57 miles, 5400 feet of elevation gain, 5:52 riding time, 9.76 mph average.

Karel - 1st overall. 10 laps, 64 miles, 5:44 riding time, 11 mph, 6400 feet of elevation gain. 

                         

(Karel's Garmin didn't collect all his miles. He should be at ~64 miles)

Learning to learn is an important skill that has helped me throughout my journey. I'm thankful to Karel for being an exceptional teacher. I haven't had any serious crashes or scary falls over the past two years. Instead of skipping steps in my development, I stay within my abilities - starting where I am, not where I think I should be. We do a lot of skill work, sectioning certain elements so that I know how to get through something technical or sketchy with the best body position possible. When a skill is mastered, Karel helps me do it faster with the best line choice possible. Although this process takes a lot of direction, failing, patience, time and being open to advice, I am now doing things that I once viewed as impossible. 

Sometimes improvements are hard to see and it can be frustrating to struggle and fail, but if you want to get better, you have to remove your self-imposed limits and you must practice. It's easy to seek advice but it's another thing to take advantage of that advice. Advice is nothing if you aren't willing to apply and practice. Today I'm faster and I'm better but I'm nowhere where I want to be on the mountain bike and that keeps me excited to keep learning, trying and improving. 

A long distance event requires a lot of physical training but it also requires a lot of mental focus. The mind plays a lot of games when you are doing something for several hours. In a sport like mountain biking, it's not just physical but very mental. You need the physical strength to go uphills, climb over obstacles like rocks and rocks and also to stay balanced when going downhill. But if the mind loses focus, you may fall, pick the wrong line or struggle to get over a technical part of the course. This mental focus can be really exhausting.

Throughout the 6 hours, I kept my mind focused by breaking down the course into smaller segments. Only focusing on one segment at a time. I reminded myself to drink from my hydration pack every 10-15 minutes and to eat a few chews at the start of every loop. I also focused on my technique when I was tired and remembered Karel's advice "smooth is fast." I never let my mind get into a negative headspace, even when I looked down at my computer and saw 2 hours and realized I was getting really tired and sore and I still had 4 hours left. Hours 2-3 were the hardest but I just focused on one lap at a time and reminded myself that I wanted to be here, I trained to be here and I didn't come this far to only get this far. Refilling the bladder of my hydration pack after 5 loops gave me 90 seconds to stop, stretch and refocus. Also, we were able to select "Sassy's Pass" once after loop 1 and until 3pm. It's about as long as the upper section but it's less technical so it can be a little easier on the body. I continued to do the math throughout hours 3-4 to see if I would be close to making the time cut off of getting in one more lap by 3:15pm. Loop 7 was tough as I had to go really strong. Karel passed me and he gave me a great energy boost. I took Sassy's Pass on loop 8 and rode as hard as I could. I treated this as my last lap. Karel ended up passing me again right before we went through the timing station and we both made it in before 3:15pm. Kare had around 30 seconds and I had about 15 seconds. I sprinted as hard as I could to be able to start my 9th loop. Even though I was so empty, sore and tired between loops 5-7, I gave it may very best and never gave up. 
In long distance racing, it's so easy for the mind to turn negative and to try to convince you to quit to help ease the physical discomfort. Or if you aren't having the race you imagined, you may come up with excuses to stop. There's always something to learn and to gain by continuing and reaching that finish line. 

FUEL DURING RACE
Marni
-Started with 1.5L USWE bladder of 4 scoops C30 (480 calories)
-Also consumed 1L USWE bladder of 3 scoops C30 (360 calories)
-Consumed 1.5 packets PowerBar chews (~300 calories)
Total consumed: ~1140 calories and 2.5L fluids (84 ounces)

Karel
-Started with 1.5L USWE bladder with 1 packet 320 Maurten 
-Also consumed 1.5L USWE bladder with 4 scoops C30 (480 calories)
-Consumed 1 fig newton, 1 banana and 1 C30 gel 
Total consumed: ~1080 calores and 3L fluids (101 ounces)

BIKE SPECS

Marni's bike - Custom built by Karel 

• Frame: Specialized Epic Evo S-Works
• Suspensions:
  Front fork: Fox Racing Factory Stepcast 34 front fork - custom built for a lighter person (sent a stock set up to FOX service center to make it suitable for Marni's size)
  Rear shock: Fox Float DPS Factory rear shock.
  Both 120mm travel.
• Seatpost: OneUp dropper post 120mm with Fox Racing lever.
• Saddle: Specialized Power Expert 143mm
• Wheels: Specialized Roval carbon 29'ers with Specialized Fast trak control 29 x 2.35 tires (tubeless set up)
• Tire pressure for this race: 18PSI rear / 17 PSI front
• Cassette: Garbaruk 10-52t
• Crank: Rotor Kapic Carbon 165mm / 32t chainring
• Pedals: Xpedo CRX
• Shoes: Giro (not sure of the model, they are pink and that's what mattered when making the purchase 😉)
• Shifting: Sram Eagle XO1 AXS (wireless electronic)
• Stem: Syntace Flatforce 77mm,  -18deg
• Handlebars: Richey WTS Carbon flat +/- 5 deg, with silicon grips
• Brakes: Sram Level TL with Jagwire Organic pads

Karel's bike (also custom built)

• Frame: Specialized Epic ... yes, Marni has the better frame set 😁
• Suspension: RockShock SID Ultimate brain 100mm travel
• Shock: RockShock brain (made for Specialized) 100mm travel
• Seatpost: Fox Racing Transfer SL dropper 100mm with Wolftooth lever
• Saddle: FIzik Argo Vento R1 carbon saddle
• Wheels: Boyd Trailblazer Carbon 29'ers
• Tires: Front - Specialized Fast Trak Control 29x2.35, Rear - Specialized Renegade Control 29 x 2.35 (tubeless set up)
• Tire pressure for this race: Front 18 PSI, Rear 19 PSI
• Cassette: Garbaruk 10-52t
• Crankset: Rotor Kapic Carbon 170mm / 43t chainring
• Shifting: Sram XX1 AXS (wireless electronic)
• Handlebar/Stem - one piece carbon combo made by BikeAhead Components
• Grips: Richey WTS
• Brakes: Magura SL8 Raceline
• Pedals: Xpedo CRX titanium
• Shoes: Shimano RX8 (gravel shoes)

Both bike chains were optimized using Silca Super Secret wax coating.
(Thank you Karel for providing the bike specs)