12 Hours of Dauset

Never give up! After 12 hours of racing, it came down to the last lap. Throughout the day, we had been sitting 2 to 9 minutes down on Team Monkey Butt. There guys were just a bit faster than us, cranking out the day laps 1-3 minutes faster. We were able to always reel them back in when they sent their woman out, as she was much slower than us. However, she did only 2 laps, so by the time night fell we were back in the hole, about 5 minutes back.

I went out on the second to the last lap. Lisa came in on her final lap quicker than I expected and I had not seen Monkey Butt's man go out just a few minutes prior to Lisa's arrival, so I thought that we were in the lead. And the plan was that if I was ahead on my lap, I would pull a double. So I hammered that lap. With two HID's blazing away, I was able to maintain my speed.

I was thinking that whole lap that I was going to have to race the final lap as well, so I was in the consevation mode, trying to carry my momentum through each and every little twist, turn, and descent. I came through the transition area just two minutes slower than my day laps.

But then I saw Kim all geared up and ready to go. Suddenly I was confused, but handed off the baton to her. Lisa was there and then I learned that we were still 5 minutes behind.

Oh, well. It was then I settled for a 2nd place. You always have those thoughts of, "What if the opposition was to have a mechanical or crash? It could happen." But it rarely does. I got cleaned up and packed up. Then we went to the finish to wait on Kim.

After Kim had been out on the course for 50 minutes and Monkey Butt for 55 minutes, we began to fidget and wonder. The minutes kept rolling by and no sign of our competition. Oh, sh!t, could they have had some problems. We began to have a slight glimmer of hope that 1st place might be within our reach.

But Kim was late as well. She should have turned a 55 minute lap, but there was no sign of Kim. Then Lisa said that if Monkey Butt was having trouble out on the trail, she hoped that Kim had not stopped to help.

Talk about nerves. Lisa was chewing her nails and keeping close tabs on the minutes ticking by. I was straining my eyeballs as each rider approached, hoping that it was Kim. Julia's heartrate was probably higher than it had been out on the trail.

Then a rider came through with just a handlebar light. It couldn't have been Kim, as she had both a helmet and handlebar. But wait! It was Kim! Holy cow! We won! We sounded like a bunch of 14 year old cheerleaders hootin' and hollerin' as we rushed over and gave Kim a big hug.

Monkey Butt had double flatted and Kim had passed him on the last lap. Then her helmet light died so she had to slow up quite a bit to see the trail.

Sweet victory!

Just 5% faster was all it took!