Adventures and Such

  Okay...I'm seriously going to make this an abbreviated race write-up for the first time ever.  This was my 3rd year in a row racing the "Lite" version of the Huracan, which means the more "gravel" version, with no major single track and no water crossings. It's just really fun and it's better for me so I don't have to burn as much PTO as I can get down there, get it done, and get home with only Monday off work. I had a new bike build that was completed by the wonderful Tom Bryant at Owen Cyclery in Chattanooga and I was pumped to race it. It's a Rodeo Labs Flaanimal 5.0 with SRAM AXS and some other fun bits.  Our route started at 7:45am. After some chats with friends, we were off. Last year, I got a time bonus for the hole shot so I made sure to go for that again. I quickly realized I wasn't sure where the imaginary line for the hole shot was as I backed off around the gravel parking lot loop and then I was quickly passed by Chris Thorpe wh...

  Hey friends! Thanks for stopping back by to read about my Huracan Lite 300 race. It was a doozie I tell ya.  The Huracan Lite is a 322 mile mixed surface loop out of Shangri-La campground situated on the Santos Trail System in Ocala, FL. There's also the OG route, now nearly 400 miles with a lot of the same dirt roads but also with nearly 100 miles of singletrack and some awesome water crossings that is more suitable for mountain bikes.  I raced it last year, finishing in about 30 hours straight through, with a little too much stopped time. My goal this year was a slightly easier pace with less stopped time. In my prep, I planned to tackle the race on a titanium hardtail instead of my gravel bike, as I felt pretty beat up on the gravel bike last year. But, true to form, I decided to change to my gravel bike the week of the race. I kept it super light with only a top tube bag and two feed bags. I carried a Nathan trail running pack with no bladder but instead, warmer glo...