Sea Otter Classic report

The Sea otter classic is always the best race to see where I land in my fitness and my ability to good at the Coolest 24 hour race in May. My volume for the months prior to the race was way down. I was only doing a 8-12 hours a week of exercise. I have a big life/work change so I'm still adjusting to it. My weight and fitness seem to be right where I wanted it. The few day's prior to the race was to rest and keep the calorie intake way down because I wasn't exercising.

Race morning came and was excited to race. As always got there real early before the race start. My group was starting at 8:25 on the actual race track at Laguna Seca. The temperature was going to be a big factor today. I knew this when the temperature hit almost 80 degree's before the start. So I drank half a bottle of fluid and calories before the start and took one bottle with me. And were off. I manage to stay up front pretty easy. We stayed on the paved race track for almost 1 mile before hitting the cross country course. I made a mistake and got out front before hitting the track. That put me middle field entering the dirt. I found my groove pretty fast and hit it hard as I could. Trying to keep it steady and not blow up on the climbs. This is a real hard course with all the climbing. Got to the first and only aid station with no problems. By this time I was starting to climb back up through the field. The temperature was climbing fast. I noticed a lot of riders already starting to cramp and slowing down. At the aid station I crabbed one bottle of fluids with calories and sucked down one gu packet and sucked down the rest of my bottle. So I get through the first lap of two and feeling the effects of the heat. I grabbed two more full bottles at the half way point and kept on drinking. I kept the pace hard and was pushing the peddles. I had to back off a few times before I blew myself up. I started to pass a lot of riders and everybody pace seem to drop off dramatically. I figure I was in the top 10 going into the second lap. Well about 3 quarters of the way through the 2nd lap I crashed hard. The hardest I ever remembering crashing. When I went over the handle bars I knew it was going to be bad. My head slammed into the ground and then my shoulder hit the ground and I heard a big pop. There I was laying on the ground in the middle of a down hill section on the ground trying gather my injured body and bike off to the side of the course before I got run over. I sat there in bit of fogged daise. I waited for a bit before checking my extremity's for injury's. My head was leaning toward my shoulder, my left shoulder was starting to hurt. I stood up and I knew I wasn't getting back on the bike. I couldn't even lift up my left arm. I remembered a few cars and volunteers a few hills behind my so I grabbed my bike and my broken ass and started walking. We'll after the trip to the emergency room and ex ray's I ended up with a separated shoulder, swollen knee, and a bruised race confidence. My worst injury yet! Except for my over training issues I suppose. Look like 2-4 weeks before I recover. Then I get start my training again.