The purpose of entry is to give an insight on the Wee Chi
Tah triple threat challenge. This challenged is a part of the Hotter N Hell
weekend. It is comprised of a chip timed 11 mile mountain bike race, 100 mile road
endurance ride and a ½ marathon trail run. The events are spread though out the
weekend, beginning with the mountain bike race on Friday, moving to the 100
mile endurance bike ride on Saturday and finishing with the ½ marathon trial
run on Sunday.
I had my eye on this event over the past couple of
years. In 2011 I found out about
this event I was unable to work it into my calendar. I had already made plans with my fellow Tri Junkies to do “To Hell
and Back” bike ride. We basically rode our bikes to Wichita Falls from the outskirts of Fort Worth, did the 100 mile endurance ride, and road back. I used it as part of my IM Florida training. Here’s a little write up on that experience. http://www.trilifeblog.com/2011/08/to-hottern-hell-and-back-recap.html
In 2012 I was able to fit it onto my calendar, but I was unable to sign up because the
mountain bike event sold out. There are
only 225 slots available per category. If your category sells out you cannot
get onto the Triple Threat challenge. In 2013 I made it a point to register
early. I wasn't sure if the mountain bike would sell out again, but I decided
not to chance it.
Registration for the event can be a bit confusing. There are
two separate signups to enter the challenge. You must register for the mountain
bike and ½ marathon trail run on one sign up. You then have to sign up for the 100 mile
endurance ride separately. You will also need a one day cycling license to
participate in the mountain bike race. You can purchase that online or at
packet pick up.
Packet pickup was at the Bridwell Ag Barn instead of the MPEC
building, where the 100 mile endurance packet pickup took place. The Wee Chi Tah crew change up their approach this year, and combined all three bibs
into the single packet. This worked out really well. While the non Triple
Threat participants were waiting in line to get their HHH bib at the MPEC
building, I was able to walk into the Exhibit Hall, and pick up my goodie
bag without waiting in line.
The mountain bike and ½ marathon event hosted by Wee Chi Tah
was put together well. Not having the time to ride the trail ahead of time, I
liked the idea of the mountain bike race and ½ marathon trail run taking place
over the same course. I didn't know what to expect on the mountain bike race,
but it gave me the knowledge of the course for the trail run. The course was well marked and the aid stations
were strategically placed well.
I’m new to mountain bike riding and consider myself a
beginner. I was pretty comfortable on this trail. I had a couple falls, self
inflicted and I had to unclip maybe 5 times. The path was real clean so it made
for a smooth ride. It also made for a fast ½ marathon trail run. There were
minimal toe grabbers on the trail. The biggest challenge on the trial was the
soft loose dirt for the bike and switchbacks for the run. The trail is mostly single track with a lot of switchbacks. It’s not too technical, but it’s technical enough to keep from getting bored. There are several obstacles on the course which made for some fun. This is a clip of the mountain bike race to give you a better insight on what to expect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdeVmBweZFE
The Triple Threat participant’s bibs were a different color
than the normal 100 mile endurance rider bibs. On Saturday for the 100 mile endurance race we were allowed enter through the front of the start line. We didn't have to plow through
the crowed to get a good position. This worked out real well for me as a buddy of mine and I go to the
start line with maybe 5 minutes before the start time.
Both the
mountain bike race and the trail run gave out nice finisher medals. The
endurance 100 mile ride also provided a finisher medal. All Triple Threat
participants who completed the challenge received a slice of wood with a
finisher engraving on it.
I've
completed two HHH rides prior to this year’s Triple Threat challenge. Competing
in this challenge greatly enhanced my overall experience. I’ll more than likely
participate in this event again next year. I truly had a blast at this year's event. For more
information on the Triple Threat please visit the following link. http://www.hh100.org/events/wee-chi-tah-events/
One last
thought fairly irrelevant to the Triple Threat, but I made mention on a
Facebook post that I would blog about this. On Saturday I ended up riding
closer to 110 miles, and 30ish of those miles I had to hammer alone. My inner
thigh areas begin to cramp up during the last 10 miles of the ride. After
completing the ride my quads were pretty trashed and my hip flexors were
talking very loudly. I had the ½ marathon trail run to the following day, so I
decided to give the CryoUSA treatment a try.
Aside from
the CryoUSA treatment I kept to my normal recovery plan. That included
compression pants, stretching, recovery drink, hydration and food. Sunday came
around, and I didn't know what to expect from my legs once I started the trail run. The first mile or so
was flat and fast. I kept what I thought was a comfortable pace. Once I hit the
trail I readjusted the pace and found another comfort zone. Through the
duration of the ½ marathon trail run I had no issues with muscle fatigue or
cramping. I was able to keep the pace I wanted, and finished up strong. After
the two previous days of racing I walked away with a third place overall finish in the
½ marathon trail run. I can’t say for certain that CryoUSA was the main
contributor to my successful race, at the same time I cannot argue that it wasn't.
In the end I will give CryoUSA another shot. They are located here in Dallas. I’d
like to test it with some other upcoming events.
Thank you for reading this blog entry. As always
feel free to email me any questions or comments you may have.
..ej
