Race Report Psycho 48 2024 Part 1
Race event is Psycho48 .. So as some know I always go for the hardest option in such racing event. Yes, there are also 12- and 24-hour options available but its named Psycho48 so ... 48 hours it was again this year. I did this race in 2023 already and still remember how tough the 48 hours are. Last year I stopped after 670 miles. I had unfinished business since I wanted to get over 700 miles. I know with lots of great cyclists this year would turn out harder. Competition was much stronger to me than 2023 and many had amazing distance goals. That’s cool to have since its pushing us all. ace preparation was harder than expected due to the tropical storm getting through and causing me some serious challenges. But I worked around it and relocated for work and training to Bayboro NC area.
Had some cool chats with other racers before the race and interesting to see how everyone planned to approach the race. Personally, I admit that my time in the bicycle racing world and specifically ultra distance racing has been way too short. I started cycling in 2020 and do ultra distance racing since 2023, with the exception of the Sebring 24-hour race in 2022. After that race I had a major accident … hit and run while I was in the bike lane, and it took me about 8 months to mostly recover, though I’ll never fully recover. I kept going after my big goals despite that accident. My big goal was RAAM Solo, and I got that completed this year. Anything else is kind of a bonus to me.
At this year’s Psycho 48 I tried to take off in front since it’s a non-drafting race for me and was hoping with 19-20 mph for the first couple of laps to have a fast enough but not overly exhausting pace. One lap is a bit over 35 miles, and I was honestly shocked to see the first racer passing me after mile 4-5. He must have been going about 22-23 mph. On top of that, the second one passed me around mile 13-14 and going over 21 mph. Admittedly I was confused and head start spinning if my race strategy was wrong. So I did not want to play a game with them and get pulled into passing them I decided to speed up a bit between 20-21 mph. That way I calculated that they could not get too far away even they will be in the lead for a while. But a race is 48 hours and not just one or two. Also, schedule was one quick stop (1-3 minutes) every lap to swap bottle and get new container with perpetuem solid tablets. Besides perpetuem and heed I used several Hammer Nutrition products such as anti-fatigue and a few other options to avoid lack of electrolytes and minerals or carbs. In addition, I did eat solid food such as jelly sandwiches, noodle soup, oatmeal, rice … My crew chief, Heidi, with the help of her little granddaughter, did an outstanding job of keeping me on top of my nutrition; and I normally kept the stops very short with only a few exceptions. Coffee and a few energy drinks and Coca Cola was also added on request and ready for me to use.
