1st hare scramble
 

Getting ready for my first hare scramble this weekend! Really excited as i have wanted to do this for a very long time!

The past couple weeks i have been trying to get ready physically and mentally. The race will be 1:45 hrs mostly single track.

To get ready i have done several 3 miles runs, lots of core and leg workouts, hydrating, and riding!

I was a little worried about the length of the race so I went out last night and rode 1:20 hr to see how I would hang in there... I was sore but I think I found a good pace I can maintain safely (goal is only to finish the first one and have fun). Still a little concerned as I don't have any single track in my area to practice on so I am not sure how that will compare physically to the double track i ride (still pretty narly with lots of rocks and roots but wide enough for a four wheeler, also so rather long connecting roads where i was able to rest).

The ride was confidence inspiring and I did great with keeping one finger on the clutch and break with elbows up and legs gripping the bike. I did have a few take away's tho...

1.) keep you head up stupid! easy to just sucked into staring at a large rock or obstacles as you go by.

2.) wet boots/pegs=slippery when tired. noticed myself slipping off the pegs late in the ride.

3.) this is going to be way to much fun :D!

Heres a link to the race from a couple years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMGp7f6xEDM

I'll post up to this thread again after the race!

Good luck! As they say. racing improves the breed. Make sure that you pay attention to your pace and don't get sucked into following a faster rider too close or try and keep up in a section where your skills are outweighed by your ambition. Adrenaline is an addictive drug...

Good job on getting out and finding your pace. Most racers I see on the side of the trail are out of condition or have had a mechanical failure, so check over the bike for anything that might need attention during the race. And, if you won't be near the pits during the race, carry a few tools with you to get your self at least running; spark plug and socket, screwdriver, small wrenches (I have a small socket set), and pliers. Zip ties are critical to survival, so a couple in your pack can help heaps. Last thin: keep a section of nylon strap with you. I have an old 8' section of lashing strap that I keep in my pack for multi uses. Towing, strapping, or binding something into place.

Preparation breeds success! Have fun!

1st one under the belt
 

alright I am back from vacation and have my first hare scramble under the belt! It was a BLAST, and i am now hooked.

so how did i do?.... well not so good :). I started out in the back (as i planned) and the first wet snotty rooted hill (about 2 min in) there were people struggling left and right. i managed to lug my way up and around them and thought to my self "sweet! as long as i can keep making the hills others cant I am golden!". Then after about 20 min i got tired, dropped the bike a few times, got stuck on hills that everyone was getting stuck on, and eventually i became heat exhausted to the point of almost passing out. this really put a damper on things and i had to sit trail side for almost a half hour before i could stand with out feeling i was going to pass out/fall over. I was very hydrated and had water with me (luckily). Weather was around 80F or 26C which is much warmer than what i am used to riding.

I ended up with a DNF along with 7 others of the 17 in my class. The guys who have been at this for a long time said it was the hardest track they have ever rode.

now that i have rode one and have an idea of what its all about i plan to train by riding tougher single track, pushing my bike up hills with gear on, and picking my bike up repeatedly. Also the pace was not fast enough for me to need all the extra gear i had on, which i believe also contributed to my over heating, so next time i think i will ditch the chest protector and maybe wear a short sleeve (unless temps are lower in which case i could leave that stuff on).

all in all it was a great challenge and i want to do it again!

We race 2.5-3 hour hare scrambles all summer long in the Virginia heat and humidity, (90 plus degrees). In spite of this, I wear full gear, knee braces, Leatt chest protector with full elbow protection, neck brace, etc.. Even a small tumble at low or no speed onto a rock or root can break bones. Watched a guy standing next to his bike slip on a rock, break a rib and puncture his lung

As far as the heat goes, if you're gonna race in it, you gotta train in it. If you aren't wearing a hydration pack with the tube routed into your helmet, get one. Conserve your energy, take your time and pick the right line instead of just charging in. It doesn't matter how fast a guy rides, if he is picking up his bike every five minutes, he's never going to make it.

Practice ride on the nastiest, rutted, tightest, whooped out crap you can find. That's a true hare scrambles course. And when you're tired, ride it again. And again. And again.

And then, after all this work, there will still be somebody way faster than you making it look totally effortless. Get used to this, it never changes. Welcome to hare scrambles racing. :D

Same here and I agree with every point!

video
 

Thanks for the replies! I went out last night and started looking for / making harder nastier single track behind my place. I've never really rode true single track before but now that I've had a taste i want more :D. we don't get many hot days but the ones we do i will have to be out there full gear pushing through it if i want to go again.

here is a vid from one of the other riders in my class....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zRr...VgnJwPb85MC-BY

I was doing great, but had a drop at 14:00, the hill at 20:00 killed me (Very thankful a few guys were still there and helped me up the last part of the hill). and by 25:00 i was off to the side and waiting to recover for about a half hour.

deff going to spend some more time picking lines and try to avoid the drops!

Probably need to increase your cardio to gain more stamina by the sounds of it.

Racing your own race is probably another thing, no point riding off at break-neck speeds which you aren't used to just because you're trying to keep up with the guy in front of you.
Will end up wearing yourself out super quick and increase chance of crashing tenfold.