24 Hours in the Old Pueblo on a Fat Tire Bike

The Great Event, the big one, the It, the most exciting of the year, the 24 Hour Mountain bike race! This event, put on by a local company, is in its tenth year. Yet this is the first year in which a team comprised solely of youth riders participated in a co-ed division. And we fielded not one team, but two! How did they do? There are many ways to answer that question but the easiest is to say that we got second and fourth in our division and we were on the brink of doing even more. In a word, it was "Superb!"

But I care more about other things than how we finished. The real victory was that each kid came away from the event a better, more confident, and accomplished human being. Each kid had the chance to do something great and each did so while under great pressure. They all stepped up when needed and made the team function as a whole. Will it work, will they communicate, are they ready, will they have the courage, can they do it? Sometimes wild dreams come true. THANKS TEAM!

We started the adventure by getting to camp on Thursday night with cars so cramped with stuff that the kids in my car could not put their feet on the floor. We arrived with six pizzas from Brooklyn Pizza to a completely set up camp. THANKS CHRISTIAN! We got there and all the tents were set up, along with cook tables, huge camp tent and parking spots. We arrived to luxury! It was freezing so we made a fire and proceeded to make sure that the pizza didn't go to waste.

Friday morning I took the kids out for a warm up ride to remember the course. Afterwards, we headed to 24 hour town to help out for a few hours. I thank every kid for those hours. Everyone was eager to help and no one ever complained. We got the metal saguaro installed, helped with the dedication dinner, and unloaded trucks. Friday night was uneventful and very cold so it was easy to get the kids in bed and get them snoozing. This was Ricardo's first night in a tent as well.

Saturday started with nervous excitement. The riders had that excited hesitation of "Are we supposed to be here, everybody looks so pro, are you sure about this?" sort of look. After breakfast, the tension was high and after hearing the rules I think the kids were are as nervous and excited as could be. So we sent the first riders off and we went to get ready.

Pablo, Ricardo and Alex were the first three to set off for their teams and they went running with the other 500 teams to get their bikes. As soon as we saw Pablo come in, things started to get better and the tension started to subside. The riders courage came to the fore. Donovan broke his bike on his first lap! He snapped the seat tube right off. No Seat! So Dillon, the newest El Grupo rider, flew into action riding his bike five miles to Donovan to swap bikes. Ultimately Donovan finished his lap. Then D goes on his next lap and gets three flats and still finishes! Talk about determination! The kid had everything go wrong but he still made it. That is what this event is all about to me. And Dillon having only know the team for about two weeks was the consumate teammate helping when ever he could. Thanks Dillon.

Next up: our two female riders. Julia and Angela are adventurous girls with nerves of steel. They had only been on mountain bikes maybe a dozen times but we knew they were ready for this. They were strong enough on the bike, they had done the trail, but now with people around and in a race setting... well everything was different. Yet Julia and Angela were super stars! They each did two laps. Julia preferred her night lap. Angela despite her better judgement pulled her night lap and did great. She was terrified but conquered her fear, qualified the team, and ended up with a huge smile on her face. Julia also rode two laps of a lifetime. I was most worried about her mentally being able to put it all together but she made me feel silly. The smile she had on at the end of the ride was worth every ounce of worry. She was ear to ear and rightfully so!

Milo the Biking Viking (all of 12 years old and 100 pounds in wet jeans and long hair) willingly took the first night lap. The first one of the event and his first ever. The same kid who can bonk in a second because he has no sugar reserves goes out in the middle of the night and hammers it, makes it happen and energizes the team. He then goes out and pulls another night lap and has to wait until morning to finally ride his bike without artificial light. His mom and dad were both there cheering him on and supporting the whole team.

Conner also took the first night lap for his team and, as I hear it, could have jumped to the moon with how excited he was. I was most proud of Conner when he told his team he couldn't handle his third lap. That took a lot of guts!
Max and Logan, the two young stud racers went at it all event, chasing each other and almost beating the coaches. They each rode three laps and never once complained. They were rock solid for their teams. Everyone knew they could count on these guys.

Ricardo and Pablo not only rode the first laps for their teams, they also rode the last! They each rode a fourth lap when they were exhausted and probably just wanted to drink hot chocolate, but the team asked them and they delivered. Team work is a beautiful thing and these guys know all about it.

Hey Kramer, don't worry we wouldn't forget you. Mr. Four Laps came down the rock drop every time. You even had your whole family watch you be a rock star. You earned this one kid and your folks will never forget it.

I will never forget this event or this team. You are a great group of kids that I love to coach. I also have to thank the many parents that helped to make this happen, Mr Bag, his brother Zach, the rocks in my way and the sun for finally coming up on Sunday.

I look forward to next year. Thanks to the coaches, Epic rides, the Sonoran desert, and to the mice who lost their lives.

You all rock!
Ignacio