World Solo Championship Newsletter

WSC Newsletter: #11
WSC
Australia
October, 2010

 In this Issue

- WSC News

- Tinker Juarez could smell victory

- Prizes and Presentations at the WSC

- Competing in a Solo 24 at Stromlo, Part 2

- Spotlight Racer Cory Wallace

- Things I know and things I don't know
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2010 Australian Solo 24hr MTB Championships

Scott 24hr race teaser
Stromlo
WSC by the numbers
The field has increased to 400+ qualified and registered solo athletes from fifteen different countries.
Roots and singletrack
 Classic WSC Quote
At the 2008 WSC Tinker Juarez commented:

 "I wanted this; I had it in my hands, I should have worn glasses but there was so much tree cover that I didn't need them."

Mud leg
Night pit
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twenty4 sports inc. is the largest producer of 24 hour mountain bike events in the world under the brand of 24 Hours of Adrenalin and the World Solo 24 Hour Championships. Dating back to 1994 the 24 Hours of Adrenalin brand has hosted well over one hundred 24 hour events. 
Path through trees
How to qualify for WSC
If you have completed a previous qualifying event or you think you have enough race experience to get an entry spot into the WSC you can contact us by clicking here to get further details.
Greetings!

Welcome to our eleventh newsletter we hope you are enjoying them to date. This being the 11th such newsletter means we have only one newsletter left as we ramp up to the 12th World Solo 24 Hour MTB Championships.

The Journey...

End of raceSome say the result is the achievement, not the t-shirt, not the number plate, or the number of laps, just the result. Some say the achievement is the journey. Back in 1994 I decided to hold a 24 Hour mountain bike team relay. Four weeks later 24 Hours of Adrenalin (24HOA) was born, two years later a series across Canada was founded, and in 1999 the first ever World Solo Championships took place. Over the years 24HOA grew into a series of 13 events across North America, with over 10,000 participants. That beginning back in 1994 has lead me to today and over the years the journey has provided me with many memories; great participants, a great crew/staff, great locations and great challenges. If I were to constantly measure the journey by the end results I might be less than satisfied, but I know it's the journey that should be factored at a much higher degree.

Each journey starts with an idea and today I'm on route to Ironman Canada. It's my personal "A" race for the season. I've followed Ironman from the 80's onwards and I've participated once before (Nice 2006), but this is the first time I've set a final time (result) into the equation, as finishing was the only previous goal. So what if I do or don't make the time I've set for myself? Will my season be a success or failure based on my result? I don't think so, because that would discount the journey, the training, the people I've met along the way, the sacrifices and support of family, all that I've learned and enjoyed.

Back in 2008 we hosted the 10th Anniversary of the World Solo 24 Hours of Adrenalin Championships. Over the years (we) worked hard to provide a stage for the remarkable efforts of you the solo riders, it's been a journey measured over a decade. In '08 we celebrated the achievement with the inductees of the pioneers of solo racing, so we invited Eddy Hunt, John Stamstad, Roy Wallack, Steve Fassbinder and Brett Wolfe to the event. The journey of a decade allowed us to thank and recognize those that played such an important role as pioneers. There are many other names, places and supporters over the past 12 years that get my nod and the journey continues.

For me, I'm grateful for the opportunity to race this coming weekend, in one of the world's oldest and most respected Ironman courses. Regardless of my final result I will have succeeded in the journey, so thanks to all that played a part in my journey.

The numbers for this year's WSC journey at this point...

Largest field size ever: 400+ solo riders

Countries with largest number of athletes attending: Australia, UK, New Zealand, Canada, USA

Number of Countries Represented: 15



Sincerely,
Stuart Dorland
twenty4 sports inc.

WSC History - 2008
Tinker Juarez could smell victory at the 24 Hours of Adrenalin - he just couldn't see it

By Roy Wallack

2008 finish lineOne hundred and seventy-five racers representing 15 nations showed up in Canmore, Alberta, Canada, to compete in the 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championships July 26-27. But the big story was actually a piece of mud.

At 10:30 p.m., as defending champion Rebecca Rusch of Ketchum, Idaho, was building an insurmountable lead in the women's race, so was 47-year-old mountain-bike icon Tinker Juarez, also the 2007 champ.

The dreadlocked former Olympian had already demoralized his two main rivals and seemed headed to a second-straight victory. Kelly Magelky, 27, who rode wheel-to-wheel with Juarez in the 2007 race for 23 hours to take second place, pushed hard early but was blown off by his opponent's surge on lap three; he never recovered, eventually finishing 12th.

The 2007 Australian solo champ, James Williamson, 25, who caught and rode just ahead of Juarez for four laps, was so distraught after Juarez' lap-eight surge left him seven minutes behind that he stayed in his pit for several minutes to rest and eat, openly conceding the race. "I just want to finish," he told his crew.

That left Juarez to contend with his two toughest rivals: The mud - and himself.

An unexpected 8 p.m. storm left all the riders coated in clay-marbled muck from head to toe by nightfall. Juarez, without glasses or a fender, began having problems removing grit from his right eye.

"I couldn't see the ground well and started wiping my eye with my muddy glove when I scratched it," he said. The eye started swelling. Soon he couldn't see out of it; he slowed, and spritzed it with water, to no avail.

"Nothing worked," he said. "I was blind in that eye and it hurt bad every time I blinked."

At a checkpoint two-thirds of the way through the lap, after race volunteers poured water over Juarez's face and dabbed his eye with Q-tips, Williamson still hadn't arrived. But Juarez was now effectively blind; his right eye was only good for crying.

"I wanted this; I had it in my hands," he said sadly. "I should have worn glasses - but there was so much tree cover that I didn't need them. I'll be back with them next year." A vehicle ferried him to the first -id center at the finish, where he officially withdrew when his vision got no better than what he called "foggy."

The unexpected turn of events immediately cleared things up for Williamson, who maintained a comfortable edge on a half-dozen potential contenders, mainly Aussies, over the next 12 hours, winning with 16 laps (208 miles) in 22:49:09. He took home $3750 for the win.

Energized by a thriving 24-hour scene back home and by Craig Gordon's 2006 victory over the previously unbeaten Chris Eatough, the Aussie invasion brought 35 racers to Canmore. With Eatough and perennial top-five finishers Mark Hendershot and Nat Ross not attending, Australians took four of the five Adrenalin top spots. Jason English, the 2008 Down Under Solo champion, a P.E. teacher from Port Macquarie who was back on the bike just seven weeks after suffering a broken back, finished an hour behind Williamson to take second. Aussie Mark Fenner of Gerringong took third with 16 laps.

In the women's race, Rusch also finished with a large gap, lapping 37-year-old Aussie lawyer Katrin Van der Spiegel to finish with 14 laps and 182 miles in 23:26:21. "It was the hardest course I've ever done - the climbing, the rain, the mud - it was survival of the fittest," she said.

Legendarily fit, having spent a decade as one of the world's top adventure racers, Rusch made use of markedly improved bike-handling skills, which her boyfriend Greg Martin, winner of the singlespeed division with 14 laps, said make her his equal on technical downhills.

That combination of skill and strength overwhelmed early challenger Jennifer Gersbach of Avon, Colorado, who'd beaten her at the 2008 marathon nationals (third place to fifth place) and pushed her here on laps two and three before falling back with lengthy pit stops. Gersbach finished third with 12 laps.

The 10th-anniversary festivities included the first inductees in the 24-Hour Hall of Fame, including the world's first-ever 24-hour soloist Ed Hunt; endurance legend John Stamstad; single-legged rider Brett Wolfe; and Steve "Dr. Doom" Fassbinder, the first singlespeed 24-hour soloist, who took third in this year's event.

If you have a good story to tell, please email it to:

[email protected]


Stuart

CORC News
Prizes and Presentations at the WSC

Differences for AustraliansIn case you haven't had a chance to review some of the important elements for the WSC we wanted to remind you of a few things. The prizes and presentations for the World Solo 24Hr Champs will be done at a presentation dinner on the Sunday evening - not at the race. This is a big difference for Australians (although it is of long standing at the World solo champs).

Lots of overseas riders have been getting their tickets for the dinner, but proportionally fewer Aussies. I suspect this is because it is something "different" to the norm. You should read the sections on the event website about Differences For Aussie Riders and Receiving Prizes.

The presentation dinner is from 1830 to 2330 on Sunday 10 October at the Crowne Plaza, with the formal prize presentations starting at 1930, in accordance with the Event Schedule.

The cost of the dinner is $30 per person and tickets can be purchased here. It is easier if the riders purchase multiple tickets under their own name for their group, but individuals can also purchase tickets, as can other people from the Scott 24Hr and the general public.

CrowneCrowne Plaza Canberra is offering a discounted room rate to riders in the 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo 24 Hr MTB Championships, for rooms booked between 4 and 12 October. To access this rate, go here.

This offer has been very popular and Crowne has been progressively adding more rooms at this discount rate. If you have any difficulties making a booking, please contact Neil Ellis at neil.ellis@ihg.com and tell him you are attending the race. Discount rooms are currently still available but if you are looking for accommodation at the event hotel, we recommend you book soon.

If you want to combine your location in the Dyna Sys World Solo Pit Row, then you need to email Russ Baker at [email protected] pretty soon. Around September 4th, the bookings will be going in to the marquee suppliers and we need to know the pit  configuration to do that. Please remember that while we will try to accommodate all  
requests for combining pit areas, they are just that - requests - and the race organisers have the final say on groupings and pit location.
 
That September 4th date is also important for getting in your orders for marquee packages in the Dyna Sys World Solo Pit Row.You can order them by clicking here.
 
So, what else is happening around Stromlo as everything starts to line up for the race?   This weekend (25-29 August) will see a lot of activity out there. There is the ACT Schools Mountain Bike Championships, with a training day on Thursday and then the champs on Friday, then a gravity day on Saturday and a separate Endurance race  
on Sunday. Those ACT Champs, for high school students, have been a pretty good breeding ground for Australian riders. Last year, at the UCI World Mountain Bike Champs, about 25% of the whole Australian Team had competed in those champs on their way up. The great thing is that those riders come back, and on the skills afternoon, the next generation will be getting tips from a selection of Australian Champions and World Cup riders.
 
Behind the scenes, the trail gnomes are out there putting the final touches to the course and checking out any areas which might be suffering from wear and tear. Various sections of the course are being ridden by a select group of riders (sorry - can't tell you who they are) to make sure they all work in to provide a course worthy of a World Championships. We've had a bit of rain in Canberra recently, so this is when we find out that a piece of singletrack was actually built on top of a natural spring!

Channel 10And finally, in case you aren't excited enough already, here's a little video that gets us giddy courtesy of Channel 10 Sports Tonight.

Click here to watch the recent video mention about the 2010 WSC event.

It's getting closer and we can hardly wait!



Preparing for the WSC - A Pro's Perspective
Competing in a solo 24hr race at Stromlo

JasonJason English has generously agreed to share some insight on his preparation for this year's WSC. For those who don't know Jason, he is the 2009 World Solo 24hr Champion, the 2008 World Solo 24hr Silver Medalist and the current Australian Solo 24hr Champion. Part 1 of this series can be found in Newsletter #9, easily seen by clicking on the link found on the left column of the newsletter, here is Part 2...

In 2010 I will be competing in my 4th Solo 24hr race at Mt Stromlo. There are plenty of things to consider when racing solo at Mt Stromlo. These are a few things I will be considering, I will also try and make some comparisons to last year's World Championship race in Canmore, Canada.

Why am I doing it?

Having the 24 Hour Solo World Championships in Australia will be fantastic. I have been to several of the qualifying races this year and have witnessed riders pushing themselves that bit further to ensure they too can be at the big event. I have had the pleasure of chatting to a lot of these qualifiers and have asked them about their goals and motivation. Some are looking to compare themselves to the best in the world. Some just want to be part of the atmosphere, whilst others want to be a spectator from inside the race. I am doing the race for all of the above reasons.

Training for Stromlo

Until now, my training has mainly involved group rides at fairly low intensity in the mornings and the occasional back up in the afternoon with another low intensity ride of 1.5-2 hours. Higher intensity training comes from weekend racing and helps to keep the lactic threshold at a decent level. I find it hard to back up each day so I generally keep my training sessions under 3 hours per day. I like company when I ride so I opt for group rides to keep me motivated. Having training partners keeps me accountable to ensure I get up in the morning!

Thinking about Stromlo, the thing that scares me the most is the amount of climbing. Rumor has it there will be around 500m of climbing over an 18km lap. I anticipate some of the top riders will come close to completing 22-24 laps which will be approximately 11,000-12,000 meters of vertical climbing! As this event approaches my focus will change from low intensity base training to more specific hill training. It won't be hill efforts though as muscular power isn't critical. It will be based on just getting the hill done and developing muscular endurance. This will be done at low intensity to ensure sufficient recovery for further training in the week.

Approaching the race as a whole or part?

To keep motivated I tend to approach 24 hour races in parts. I use food and the daylight hours to help break up the race and to give me something to look forward to. Early on, when the race intensity is up, I try to ensure my carbohydrate intake is mostly from easily digested foods such as gels and bars. As night time approaches I look forward to both the change of scenery and the extra challenges with riding at night but also the change in menu to include some more solid and tasty food items! These changes usually keep me interested until the early morning when I start looking forward to the sun coming up to keep me awake and some breakfast! After breakfast, and with renewed motivation and warmth from the sun, there are only a few more hours to tick off before the race is over.

Preparation for the Worlds

Pulling off a successful 24 hour race requires plenty of planning and preparation. In the lead up to October I chose to race a couple of 24 hour and 12 hour events to practice some strategies. I've recently been playing with different tires to find something that is as light as possible (considering the climbing at Stromlo) but also able to handle the Stromlo rocks. With lights I am considering light weight options and have decided on a NiteRider 350 on my helmet. I'm still playing with bar mount options. Do I really need 1400 lumens?! With regards to nutrition, we are always trying different things and now have a pretty extensive list of things that do and don't work for me. My wife Jen has started a list of things we need to take to the race and we add to it whenever we remember something else. Aim to get organized now and limit the amount of stress just prior to the event!

Bike setup

The only things I change on my bike for a 24 hour race is the amount of pressure in the forks and the rear shock. I'm quite willing to have a bit more sag to ensure I am comfortable. More comfort means more fun! I'll also turn the dampening to almost off to allow the suspension to move back quickly for the next bump as it is usually the small bumps that destroy the wrists. Having the luxury of two bikes means that as I drop one off and pick up the next I can ask my mechanic to let more air out of the front. It is worth mentioning front fork so you don't end up with 20psi in your front tire as has happened in the past!

Light strategies

Light strategies depend very much on whether you have one or two bikes at your disposal. I am spoiled having two identical bikes so I can jump off one at 5pm and onto another (with lights fitted) for 6 hours. I can program my lights to run for 6.5 hours which means by about midnight it will be time to swap onto a bike with a new battery. Last year I had a preferred bike and I would come in at about 4pm and do a lap on the back-up bike while the main bike got prepared for the night laps. If you don't have the luxury of two bikes, make the most of the time you spend in transition while your lights are fitted. Do some stretching, put on some warmer clothes and have a good few mouthfuls of something warm and salty!

Pacing

Pacing and nutrition would have to be the two most important considerations of a 24 hour race in my opinion. I, along with many others, have started a 24 hour race like it was a 2 hour race. There is a saying that 'a 24 hour race can't be won in the first 2 hours but it can be lost' and I truly believe that.

Smashing out the high intensity race pace speeds up the rate at which your muscle glycogen is used. Once depleted, it can take hours (up to 12 hours) of creeping around the track like a zombie before you may feel good again. After hitting the wall in too many, I now look more closely at my heart rate monitor which gives a clear indication of the intensity I am operating at. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, use the "talk test". If you are puffing so hard you can't chat to the people near you, you're probably going too hard...24 hour races are meant to be social!

Spotlight Racer
Cory Wallace

Cory
I had a good laugh with Cory this summer while we were leaning against a wall at the Day 7 BCBR awards ceremony. In between laughs we got to talking about 24hr racing and Worlds.

Cory's pumped to be going to Australia and representing, hopefully we'll be able to find another wall to lean against after the event for a few more laughs. Till then, here's what he had to say for the WSC newsletter...

1)   Tell us a little about yourself. Cory.

I'm a 25 yr old ex-hockey player and tree planter. Currently I'm a marathon racer on the Kona factory Team.

2)   How many 24hr Solos have you done?

2.5 - the story being in 2008 I got 5th at Worlds in Canmore, in 2009 I rode 14 hrs at Worlds before curling up like a drunk college student and in 2010 I got 1st at the Canadian 24hr Nationals.
 
3)   What was it that got you into your first 24hr Solo?

Racer bud Dave McDowell encouraging me to unleash some hockey player rampage.

4)   Why do you do 24hr Solos now?

Good times and good people!

5)   What are your thoughts about the 2010 WSC this year?

Craziness!!! 400 riders. Australia is going to be rocking....

6)   How many hours a week do you train?

25 - 30hrs in the winter followed by a couple of 50hr tree planting weeks, then 15 - 20hrs during race season.

7)   What's the biggest thing you've learned about 24hr racing?

Giver till you can't giver no more and hope 24 hrs runs out before then.

8)   What's your favorite food in the pit?

Hemp Chocolate.

9)   What do you think is your strongest advantage in a 24?

Being a tree planter.

10)  What is your next race?

There's a couple of fall classics out here in the Canadian Rockies before the WSC in Australia.

11)  Anything else you want to add?

Lets get this thing rolling.......

Going Down Under
Things I know and things I don't know

I know in approx 6 weeks time we will all start bumping into each other in the parking lot at Stromlo. Pretty cool. I've tried to imagine what Stromlo is going to be like. Russ has put out loads of information and I've seen lots of photos of Stromlo along with a video or two, but in the end I still don't really know much about Stromlo.

I do know it's going to be quite exciting for those of us standing in the parking lot and looking up at Stromlo for the first time; getting to finally see what the climbs are going to be like, how fast and flowy a lap will be and how rocky is 'rocky'. Until I'm standing in the parking lot, I'm spending my time looking at all the little stuff that goes with international racing like what to do with my night light batteries and other minor stuff like... where are we going to stay?

CampervanDoreen thinks we should spend our time in Australia traveling around the region in a campervan, so do the boys. I'm trying to figure out how renting a campervan will impact my post-24hr tires and brake pads budget, I'll probably need a few things replaced. If anyone out there has a campervan in their backyard just itching to be rented by a Canadian family don't hesitate to drop me a line, promise I won't pay in Canadian dollars.

Back to what I know and what I don't know...

Our boys now know I'm not going to box a kangaroo, though I did pull their leg on that one for a while. We've had a few laughs watching YouTube videos of kangaroos boxing and I think they've still got their fingers crossed that I do it.

They also know I'm getting ready to do another 24hr race, in Australia, and that it's happening in the same month that I turn 47 years old - 10 years ago I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that was going to happen. Evan and Keegan figure Australia is a good place to have a birthday party, they also want me to invite people so if you aren't doing anything on Oct 24th you are invited to our rental campervan - which may be your campervan that you are renting to us. Just don't eat all the cake, Keegan likes his cake.

Finally, what's the biggest thing on my know and don't know horizon...

Well, I don't know how the race will turn out for me but I do know it's going to be EPIC. Not just normal epic, it's going to be 24hrs of WSC EPIC! If that's all I know about October I know it's going to be a great month.

That's all for now, see you in three weeks...

Shaun

World Solo Championships

twenty4 sports inc.