Hoping things turn around quickly.
We just had a stomach bug wreck the whole house. Dropping down to green and hope that’s good enough 
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Yeah,Massimo v I can get out there, I’ll almost certainly drop down to Blue, at least and maybe green.
Feel better and good luck
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This is my first SBT attempt and we’re going big with Black course.
Welcome advice on pacing and nutrition strategy from the veterans!
I have done long gravel races such as Unbound 200, BWRs, etc.
Thanks
Altitude is real, despite what Keegan says. 
Have a solid pacing plan and stick to it….if you go into the red at altitude, it is really hard to bounce back. Proper pacing will also help you in the last 40 miles where some of the longest / toughest climbs are.
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The neutral start will be fast. The race itself is pretty damn fast and smooth until you hit the oak creek loop. Easy to get caught up in the hoopla for the first 30-45 mins and blow yourself up though. I live at 10K so this race has always been good to me. Find a good group that is pacing/rotating well and you’ll have a great day. Corkscrew climb is ruthless. Cow Creek descent is a blast. 7 miles of pavement back to town that feels like it never ends. I
Lots of aid stations. I skipped the first two last time as I ran a pack. The aid station you hit twice at Trout Creek is a party. If you find a group and they are just a bit slower than you want, there’s probably another group you’ll catch on a descent or if you put in a lil effort to jump on.
It’ll be cold at the start but you’ll be warm 20 mins into the race as you hit the sun on Fly Gulch. Fly Gulch can be a bit chaotic and would recommend being near the front of your respective group as you rip through that area. There’s usually one good line and I have found the shoulder in parts of it to be smooth and fast.
Have fun. A bit bummed I’m not racing it this year! I may make the drive over from Summit on Friday or Saturday for some of the rides.
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OK, I may pull this off…or some version of it.
Rough night, including 
at 5:00….but I think that was mostly due to just swallowing a lot of crap. Feeling much better and should be able to get on a plane tomorrow. Still testing negative, so should be OK.
But dunno if I have the energy to pack my bike up….so I texted my buddy at Vecchio’s and he has a Moots Routt 45 w/ Ekar I can rent.
Will definitely be dropping down to the Blue or Green course, though…will see how I feel on Saturday.
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You’ll be fine at SBT. It’s not as long of a day as Unbound. The altitude will mean you have to drop down to a lower pace than you might at sea level, but the climbs are reasonably modest (grade, length) by comparison to, say, Leadville standards. SBT I’ve found is not as hard as Unbound, which is not as hard as Leadville.
You’ll likely need to drink more than you would at other venues due to the dry air. So if you typically ride with your hydration + nutrition combined together in your bottles, would plan to have a source of liquid that is just water, or water + electrolyte - I.e. no carbs included.
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You know your body better than anyone else…. But if you don’t think you are capable of packing a bike I’d strongly suggest you are better off skipping the race this year. There will be other events and you’re running a pretty decent risk of finding yourself in a hole that takes a long time to recover from
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I hear ya…and believe me, I had those same thoughts….the reality is that I probably could pack the bike now based on how I am feeling. but there was just a lot of stuff that I wanted / needed to do before I packed it (in addition to having to bike I had in SD last weekend). Change the cassette, fresh wax on the chain, etc.
I will be going slow and easy (and short) on Sunday. Definitely not racing it, even for the Red course. Will probably be similar in length to what I would have ridden on Sunday if I just stayed home.
If for some reason I feel crappy when I am out there, I have no problem just pulling the plug.
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If they did transfers I would offer to take it from you if you do end up not riding/racing. Feel better soon!
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Their deferral policy is the same as lifetime for Leadville - have to pay entry fee again.
“As a reminder, if you choose to defer, registration fees will not roll forward. Those who opt to defer 2023 registration to 2024 will have guaranteed entry, but will pay 2024 fees for the course of their choosing.”
Start the black course and ride easy - can always switch to the blue course at the turnoff. 
No, no deferral for me. If I don’t race, I don’t race. We were only going out this year because one of the guys we rode with last year went down at mile 60 and separated his shoulder. He still finished mind you (
), but wants redemption. I have other races I want to do next year.
According to the last e-mail they sent, I can change courses this weekend for $5.
Yup. Blue starts at 9am this year - a change vs last year when it started at 7:00. If you think you might ride blue, may be better to start the Black at 6:30 and just ride blue. Finish earlier and avoid riding in the heat (currently the forecast is 87F for a high).
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I’ll see how I feel on Saturday….won’t do packet pickup until then so I can give myself as much time as possible to make the right call.
I have some other buddies doing Blue, so I could ride with them as an option, but if I end up doing blue, I would probably just start with Black and make the turn.
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The ski mtn at sunset this evening. It doesn’t look like it, but it’s a 4000 ft climb to the top. So if you’re looking for a warmup ride before Sunday… 
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We’re going to spectate the HLL CLMB. It sounds just absolutely bonkers.
I just checked the weather 87F is going to feel a lot warmer on a bike, six inches from the sun 
Well fook me……I’m out. Despite the fact that I was feeling better and had tested negative twice before, I just came up positive.
Made it 3.5 years without catching it……
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HPPY SBT WKND!
Up-and-downed Cow Creek today. That was a super rude transition from Gucci gravel to that thick rocky section. Was immediately evident that I was not fully recovered so I will be sleeping in and riding Green this year.
HLL CLMB might just be the best thing about the whole weekend. The costumes were hysterical, I hope that becomes a permanent event. Booked the condo for next year already.
Good luck to everyone. Stay hydrated, gonna be a scorcher.
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Smart decision….tough to make, I’m sure.
So my daughters were gonna go out and act as a support crew for us (not during the actual race, since it is not allowed) and they decided to go out anyway and still help out my buddies. I have to say I love, and am kinda bewildered by, the fact that my daughters are out hanging with some of my best friends without me.
Talked to them all last night and they said the Hill Climb was a lot of fun….
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