DK 200 2012 TRW Report

200 miles...yes one could think we're nuts for even attempting this.  What's crazy is TRW keeps coming back year after year to compete in this high class event.  Why????  To be honest with you, I'm not too sure how to answer that question.  I'll have to admit, riding 200 miles isn't necessarily fun at times.  Having a sore butt and sweating out gallons of water due to the intense Kansas heat isn't really considered fun.  Vomitting in a creek because you've reached your physical limit isn't necessarily considered fun either, but Emporia, KS knows how to throw a party.  There's something freakin' awesome about seeing hundreds of people lining the streets of this small town at 6am.  It's even more awesome when there's nearly a thousand people cheering you on at the finish line.  The awesomeness reaches its maximum when you cross the finish line and reflect upon the incredible feat you have just accomplished...riding 200 miles in one day...accomplishing something many people are smart enough to not try...All of Team Red Wheel did just that...FINISHED THIS BAD BOY!  Nick, Turbo, Peat, Adam, Bob, Robby, Corey, Stoney and myself got their finisher glasses and their brand new DK200 sticker.

So, how does one finish this event?  Well, let's just say that all of us have put countless hours in the saddle this year.  Training for this is no easy task.  When you really think about it, the training starts all the way back in February.  I was looking at my bike computer before I left for Emporia.  It read over 2000miles.  That's not recording all the time I've been on the trainer either.  That computer was put on my bike some time in Feb.  So...count the hours between all of us...it's a big number. 

That's a lot of freakin' riders!

The weather was perfect this year.  Some could say this helped.  To be honest with you, I'm sure there isn't a rider out there that wouldn't agree.  Past years have had temps topping out in the 100's.  When we checked into our hotel we were elated to hear that the high was supposed to be 85 with winds 5-10mph.  It was a dream day for a ride. 

The morning of the race was chilly...50 DEGREES.  It was hard to imagin 500 riders ligned up in the street with arm warmers on, but it was happening.  As usual we had our rolling start and the DK was under way.  Massive pace lines were forming.  Some people settling into a rhythm, others trying to creep their way forward.  It's hard to say this, but there is piece of beauty in Kansas.  Riding in some of the most barron land you could imagine has it's own mystique.  Mix the two together and you get the flint hills.  The first leg offers some of the most beautiful pieces of scenary the DK has to offer.  When you reach the top of the infamous Texaco Hill, you can see for miles...nothing but green hilly pastours. The beauty seems to fade when your bowels start rumble though.  I don't know what was going on with my body, but I pissed four times during the first leg.  There's something frustrating when you have to pull over every 10 miles to take a leak, and when the belly starts to rumble, it was time to get into Cassody.  Pulling in I was touching chamois and had to take care of business.

Leg two has some of the gnarliest pieces of gravel.  Any time you turn down a road that has a sign that says, "Travel at your own risk, minimum maintenance road," you know your in for a treat.  It's so gnarly at times you wish you were on your mountain bike. 

The 100 mile mark, Florence, KS...this is the point of the race where you really begin to push your limits.  Your tired, hot, hungry, thirsty, and you know you're only half way there.  In the past this has been the point in the race many riders throw in the towel.  Pulling in, I was feeling great. Corey was already there.  Last year I made a point of resting there for 30 min.  Going into the race I pretty much had the same game plan as the year before.  It worked for me then, so why not do the same thing. It was such a beautiful day I was ready to roll and so was Corey.  We probably breaked for about 10 min. and we were off to the leg #3.

Nick looking happy at Checkpoint #2

Leg #3 just plain sucks.  It's the hottest part of the day and most of the time you don't see many people.  Corey and I were both feeling good...until about 3-4 miles into the third leg Corey realized he forgot his Camelbak at the checkpoint.  Water is life in this race.  With no water, you aren't going to finish.  Corey decided to keep going.  We kept looking for water spigots...no luck.  Corey was down to his last bottle so I gave him a Gatorade bottle that I had just in case I ran out and took off.  I had a crazy idea that I could finish this race before the sun went down.  I finished the first leg in a little over 7 hours...why not finish the second leg in a little over 7 hours.  I started to panic a little bit when I ran completely out of fluids with 10 miles left to go in the third leg.  Like I said, water is life, and the 3rd leg is pure hell.  The terrain is nothing too tough (unless there's a torrential down pour from the heavens), but it puts a hurt on you mentally.  What made matters worse the same exact road that I had to pick up and carry my bike for miles last year was the same exact road I completely ran out of water.  Cursing that road the only choice I had was to keep rolling. 

Finally, mouth dry and parched with one sore arse (by the way thanks Wyatt Smith for the diaper rash cream), Council Grove, KS came.  Water was desperately needed.  The sag crew said everyone was still out there.  This news was awesome!  I've always felt if you can survive the first three legs, you'll finish.  The adrenaline will carry you through the last 37 miles.  I kept looking at my watch trying to do the math while shoveling mass quantities of food and fluids in my body.  The sun typically goes down around 9.  On a fresh day I can typically hammer out fourty miles of gravel in under three hours.  Unfortunately my legs weren't fresh, but seeing that my watch said 6pm I knew it could be done.  I was up and ready to go and Stoney and Corey came in.  High fives were given with sights of finishing were lingering ahead of us.

Coming into Checkpoint #3

The last leg brings some of the toughest hills in the race.  There's nothing like climbing viscous hills when you already have +160 miles on the legs.  All one can do is curse them.  There's definitely no stopping when you're this close to the finish line.  As stated once in this blog, Emporia does is it right.  Not only do they do it right, but when you roll through the small town of Americus (sp), they're completely into the race as well.  There's people on their front porches cheering you on, family bbq's with people ringing cowbells.  It's pretty darn awesome.  It also gives you that last boost of energy to pull you through the finish. 

Corey holding the finisher glass!

Peat looking whooped at the finish line.

Peat whooped!

There's nothing sweeter when you roll through Emporia State's campus knowing that the finish line is just down the block.  The guys I were riding with were high fiving eachother and the sun was still up.  No lights needed this year.  Not just for me...Corey finished 10 minutes behind me just beating the sun as well.  Stoney wasn't too far behind either I believe finishing right at 15hrs.  Next thing you know Peat is rolling through as well as Robbie.  While all of this was going on we were wondering what was up with the rest of the team.  Rumor had it Turbo got lost and rode a couple of miles in the wrong direction.  The sag crew said he was looking and feeling good...now Nick on the other hand...supposedly Nick came into the third checkpoint vommitting and shivering.  It was questionable whether or not he would go back out.  I don't know all the details, but supposedly pickle juice and fried chicken saved his life.  One of us got a phone call that Nick was going back out.  Turbo came in looking fresh as ever, Adam came in not too long after him...about an hour later Nick crossed the line.  Jenkin's was still out there too...finishing at 2:15am. 

As the great Barry Volmer used to say, "No one cares how you started the race, it's how you finish."  Well Dirty Kanza...TRW all finished.  As always, our sag crew was incredible!!!!  Jessica, Jessica, Alvyne, Chad, Nikki, and my wife treated us like kings.  They knew what to do as soon as we rolled into every checkpoint.  That's what's so great with this race.  It's truly a group effort to finish.  As always I couldn't be prouder to be a part of this team and couldn't be prouder of the team itself.  Nice work fellas.

Comments

[matt]

Peat Matt posted that picture before I could tell him no! Sorry!
Nicole

[Jenkins]

It's an amazing feeling when you roll into the final checkpoint and someone tells you the last leg is only 37 miles. I'm already excited to do this shit again next year.

[Barry]

that is pretty cool you all finished from TRW. Must have been the Cedar Cross that got you guys all in sync. Couldn't be happier for you all.

[Peat]

Nicole, don't worry about the pictures of me. They truly reflect what I was feeling in the moment...mostly pain. Too bad you didn't get a pic of me dry-heaving into the bushes in front of the church.

Barry, we missed your presence at DK this year. You gotta come back to town for Cedar Cross next year!