Down for the Count; Groveling at the Growler

What a great weekend in good ole' Gunrack.  Wiensey was at it again, throwing 300 or more folks out into Hartman Rocks for some classic single track amongst the sage and rock.  It's a deceivingly brutal 64 miles that gives riders no quarter.  Up, down, around; with little time for physical or mental rest, the course is constantly dealing out another challenge.

My race was a race to implosion as I hammered my way into oblivion.  Some sort of volatile mixture in my stomach had me puking out at skull pass on the first lap, spraying myself all over my right arm and leg multiple times.  After this pleasant incident,  I could not hold down any food or water, specially at the pace I was riding.  I finished my first lap in about 3:15, too fast for my own good.  By the time I set out for my second lap I knew I was headed to a bad place.  I was getting goose bumps and chills yet it was 70 degrees and sunny.  I was getting some liquids down but things were not settling in the belly well.

After skull pass on the second lap I pulled into the aid station for some shade and a coke.  No sooner had I snapped open the pop top of the coke than up came all that I had drunk in the last hour or so.  Spraying of the sage commenced for a few minutes.  The aid station volunteers no doubt enjoyed my suffering.  Violent chills and uncontrollable shakes began.  Twenty minutes later I was no better off, and about to have one of the course workers check me out, when Sally, an EMT working the station came over.  She said she had been watching me and I didn't look so good.  I said I must look as bad as I feel.  She took my vitals and blood sugar count and told me I was done for the day.

Weinsey happened to be out at skull resupplying the water so he gave me a ride back to the front side where an ambulance met me to check my vitals once again.  Seeing some improvement and the fact that once I stopped riding, I was eventually able to get some liquids down, they set me free to wallow in my sorrow.

Regardless of this heinous experience, it was a great weekend for a great race.  I am looking forward to completing the Full Growler next year, after a trip back to the drawing board that is.