No more predictions!

SM100 hurt me alot. Based on my performance improvements this year I incorrectly
guessed my finish time in the neighborhood of 12 hours. My previous finish in 2006 was 14.5 hrs. Like Doug said in his race blog entry, I think I am better at shorter rides. I have increased in power a good bit since 06 but my long ride endurance needs work. My best guess is that the key for me to improve on the SM100 will be nutritionally driven. I could have done under 13 regardless but I will get to that.
So I started at 630 right behind Doug, the only time I would see him Sunday. I held back a little. The first climb and descent went well. Had fun but not too much. Skipped aid station 1.
Climb 2 went well for a while. People made way for me. I think the bike horn worked very well. I rode about half way up before I redlined and walked, at the first "rock slide garden". Soon I got back on the bike and both my hamstrings cramped bad. Hit my enderalytes, walked a bit and got back on when I could. Not too much walking. I will ride this a few times before next year's 100. The descent went well until I hit the 2 ft rock ledge following a sharp right followed by a sharp left. Tried to stop, failed, and rode over too slow and crashed. Little blood, still hurts.
I stopped at AS2, my 3 water bottles empty. Loaded up my Perpetuem and hauled ass. Quick stop. Not out of breath. Avg speed over 9 mph. Good for an 11 hr day almost. So I cross the dry river, climbed the steps, and that was the moment the previous night's repast chose to make it's exit from my digestive system. Too far to AS3 and I was not moving backwards on the course.
As the bears do, so did I. No TP. Leaves...naw, didn't want dirty hands so my doo rag was pressed into it's final use. Thus lighter and more comfy gastricly speaking I rode strong. Cleaned alot, walked a little. Good down hill.
The ride went really good until AS4. I left there still over 9 mph on my avg speed, but I hit a wall...bonked maybe. Felt like HELL! I just wanted lay down and sleep. So tired. The road sucked with dust. Had many horse trailers dust me. The final FR climb sucked. Saw Brian who got under 13 hrs. Honked my horn but the ride was no fun anymore. When I got to AS 5 I felt like a freakin zombie.
So I had really wanted to bail out big time. Half hearted, I fiddled with my light. I really had hoped I could finish without lights. Bummed out. Then in rolls Janet. She's a trooper. Probably 95 lbs with a 28 lb bike. At 160 lbs I'd need a 47 lb bike to match her. Well, she won't let me quit. I waited for her. She was really hurtin. Ate some wraps and drank Coke and miraculously my body started firing on all 8 cylinders again. Damn, it was cold up there. Glad it warmed up after a drop in elevation and increased effort.
Since Janet helped me want to finish I decided, my goal was no longer doable, to ride with her the final 25 miles or so and at least not hate life anymore. Suffering solo sucks. HAd I not poked along with her I think I would have had a sub 13 hr day. She is opposite to me. I have power but no endurance. She is low on power, at 95 lbs, but keeps rolling. So I continually stopped and waited for her to catch up. Especially on the descents. I tend to crash if going too slow and faster is funner! Thinking of descending, I think I will adjust my Fox Vanilla forks back to 100mm from 80mm travel and see if my climbing suffers too much. I needed the cushion. Did drop tires from 28/30 psi on the trail and that helped. The descent to AS6 was fun. I cleaned the rock ledge I usually stop for and said OH SHIT for the uber loose and steep section where brakes are useless and speed is nigh uncontrollable. Its a crazy feeling when both tires are skating around and I'm on/off the brakes and steering between the trees. I got to the road and waited. After 15-20 min a guy I met says she crashed and was a ways back. Eventually I rode back in a little and found her. Busted lip. 30 min lost on my ride. I was having fun. No biggee.
After AS6 the light came on. 2nd climb up Hankey was uneventful. Legs were still strong. I need to figure out how to keep them strong all day. Gotta be nutrition. Single track descent was eventful. As I came around a sharp turn I glimpsed a smallish black bear hauling ass down the trail. Very close, my light is cheap and not too good. WHOA, brake check! If I had been riding at my normal pace I might have been on top of the bugger. We finally finshed,I banged the gong and promptly drank a beer in my race glass, ate 2 cheeseburgers n fries, and swallowed several more beers before calling it a night. Janet looked like hell warmed over, like I felt at AS5 .
Post Mortem/lessons:
Perpetuem is not my silver bullet. Maybe real food of some kind is better?
Need more enduance rides. Intervals are good for short rides. PRs at Fountainhead do not
translate to the SM100 well.
I swore I'd never do it again. This is my third. I'll make that 4 next year.