Austin Rattler Mountain Bike Race - Recap
This past weekend Cole and I raced the Austin Rattler, a 60 mile mountain bike race and Leadville 100 qualifier. It was a last minute decision, but with the help of some friends and already being down in Texas on a mini training camp we decided to jump in. We spent the weekend racing out of our cozy VanDoIt rig, with a queen size bed, full kitchen set up, and hot shower for after the race. It felt deluxe and simple all at once. With no racing this year, this was our first opportunity to race out of the van, so it was special to finally be able to.
This was our first mountain bike race back since March, and an incredible experience to return to. The course twisted through 60 miles of trail and Mesquite forest on a private ranch near Austin, Texas. 6,000 feet of climbing spanned across three 20 mile laps. The terrain was rocky, loose and grueling! It was a long, hard character building day, and the best way to return to racing.
The race started at 8am, and after a quiet pancake breakfast and coffee in the van we headed to the start. The race took me 5 hours, the longest race I have ever done. The early morning temperature was perfect, but it heated up quickly as the sun came out and we ended up racing the later half in the mid 80s. I was thankful to have bottles full of Skratch and a neutral feed with emergency snacks towards the later end of the race. It was strange racing such a long event, and trying to gauge how to pace myself. I can’t say I nailed it, but I finished in one piece so I call that a success. Cole and I both came away with the wins but more importantly our hearts full being back at a race and surrounded by the incredible Texas hospitality. Everyone has been so friendly, supportive, and encouraging during our time here and we both can’t wait to come back.
It has been a long time since I raced, and I was encouraged to see the race promoters and participants working hard to create a safe and responsible racing environment. I have one more race down here in Texas before it’s time to go back to work for 2021, stay tuned!