The Voyager Division of the Hoodoo 500 is not for Everyone. The ultimate challenge in cycling in many ways sent me sailing off the high wire into the abyss. I took off strong with the only ex-european pro to take on an ultra, Sean Nealy, and quickly realized he was going at a pace way beyond anything I could handle. He told me he wanted to break 30 hours, which was a mighty audacious goal. I kept in second place pretty much the entire 1st stage other than a few miles where I rode behind Steve Lachaine, but I must have pushed a bit too hard as I began to really suffer on the climbs after Kanab. I enjoyed a ton of cramps, and lot of doubt about the day ahead. I realized quickly that the pannier that I had picked up in Kanab was not such a smart move as the weight was killing me on the climb. In one act of desperation at mile 110 I jettisoned my camelbak and rain jacket, but I was still suffering mightily into Hatch where I was passed by the supported solo leaders. But I kept pushing up towards Bryce Canyon National Park and started to get my legs back a bit. I pulled into the 202 mile park in under 13 hours of riding time and even though I felt pretty crappy, was doing great on time. I took a quick shower at the motel they provided us Voyagers and felt pretty solid taking off Boulder Mountain. I decided to not bring my Ski pants to save weight and slowly climbed up this climb to almost the 10,000 foot level. I froze on the descent off the mountain and started shaking so much that I had to stop on the side of the road. I pulled out the space blanket and tried to take a break, but this was probably a bad idea, as I was unable to get warm enough and I noticed a ton of black clouds above me which spurred me on to ride down the hill. I hooked up with Rick Jacobson and his crew and hitched into Loa for a DNF. The intimidation factor of riding up 10,000+ foot mountains w/o any support is what makes the Voyager so challenging. When the going gets tough, its up to you to work your way out of it. I went from feeling pretty how I would expect to feel at mile 260 on an Ultra to the bottom of the pit where I could not crawl out and it was all due to a mental breakdown. The supported divisions are so much easier as your team can keep you going and get you extra clothes, etc. I have a lot of respect for anybody who has finished this division. This year, it looks like 2 people might make it, but still not sure. The ex-pro must have had some major challenges as he may not break the existing record of 42 hours as I write.
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