DO YOU HAVE GRIT?
Only 5 more days before racing on an unprecedented course in St George Utah happens. This e mail will be your race bible.. read it, memorize it, use it on race day.
Schedule of Events:
1. Late Registration:
Late registration will be available on-line at truegrit.Athlete360.com until 11:59 3-24-2011. Walk –up registration will be available only at Friday packet pick-up. No day of registrations
2. Changes: Changes to your registration may be made at packet pick-up. A $20 change fee will apply
3. Packet Pick-up:
Packet pick up will be at Red Rock Bicycle from 4 pm to 7 pm Friday. There will be a mounted map to view
Last minute pick up will be from 7 am to 8 am at the venue
4. Racer Line-up:
Racers may start lining up at 8 am based on their category
Open : 1-99 blue
35+ : 100 – 199 blue
Masters 50+ : 564-599 blue
Single Speed: 200-299 blue
Challenge: 440-499 yellow
We will have markers to show where your section starts.. Please bear with us as this is a new venue and we are not sure how 170+ racers will fit. We may move the starting line accordingly
5. Racer Meeting:
The racers meeting will address all those who are lined up starting at 8:30 am
6. Race Begins:
The race will begin exactly at 9 am with a rolling neutral start out of the park
7. Cut –Off Times
a. Challenge Race: There are no cut off times. You must be off the course by 6 pm
b. Epic Race:
i. Bottom of Zen 1: 30.. You will return to finish via the Challenge course
ii. Junction of Stucki Springs road 3: 30.. You will skip the Rim Reaper/Runner and Barrel Rolls can connect directly to cove wash for a short return
iii. Barrel Rolls entrance: 4:30.. you will not be able to complete the barrel rolls and will proceed toward the finish
iv. All racers must cross the finish line by 6 pm
8. Venue Happenings
c. Yoga in the Park
i. 20 min sessions in the grass to help you release some of that lactic acid and unwind after a long day in the saddle. Sponsored by ST George Be –Yoga. Start times will be 3 pm , 4 pm and 5 pm with time in between to talk with the instructors and gain tips how to incorporate yoga to increase performance and recovery time.
d. Massage
i. Once again, we will be happy to have Pura Vida Message School on site to provide post-race sports massage therapy. Please tips these guys and thank them for their time. Therapist will be available noon to 6 pm
e. Music
i. Professional DJ and announcer Tim Porter will be on-site mixing up the tunes and providing play by play announcement as the race unfolds. This service is sponsored by Bumazing Chamois Stick and Findlay Subaru of ST George
f. Awards
i. This schedule is going to be a little loosely planned for the first year as we are not sure exactly what the winning times will be. Tentatively Challenge awards are planned for 1:30 and Epic Awards will be at 4 pm
g. Grub
i. Pork-u BBQ will be set up to serve food starting at 3 pm. They will be serving it up hot until about 5:30 , then we will have any left overs for anyone rolling in to the venue late. We only have food for racers and volunteers so plan accordingly. Everyone will get a food ticket in their pack for a plate. The menu will include pulled pork, dutch oven beans, dirty rice, and corn bread, and .
ii. There will also be carbo-rocket lemonade, water, and any left over goodies from Feed lot A starting at about 1: 30.
Rules, Procedures, and Strategies on Course:
1. Parking:
We have limited parking at Tonaquint Park; and much of this is needed for volunteers and support. There is only room for about 100 racer cars. These will be on a first come first serve basis. Once full all racers will need to park .3 miles up the road at the Dixie Commons shopping center. It is vacant and has lots of parking. This is also a good place to park if you know you will want to leave before the festivities are over. You can get to the park by going into the cemetery and accessing the bike path right to the start line.
2. Line – up
We have several big categories. You know your race goals and fitness level best. If you seriously think you can win this thing, get in the front of your line, if you are out to make all the check points and just experience a really tough, long, and technical race in a great southwest desert environment, hang in the back. That is all we ask, thanks.
3. Neutral Start
Again, we have a big group. We don’t want anyone getting hurt exiting the park. When the bell rings we will move as a group in a neutral fashion through the park and onto Dixie Dr. There will be about 100 ft of cones once you make the turn. As soon as you pass those cones you can put it into gear.
4. Traveling on the Road
Technically, we are not racing on the road because we are not closing the road. There will be officers at either end of the 1 mile stretch to the left turn to stop traffic but you must obey all traffic rules and be aware of any motor vehicles in the roadway. And please, tell you friends and family to park and watch
5. Spectators
If you know folks who are wanting to watch the start /and or finish we suggest they either line up on the bike path next to the park or park at the Dixie Commons and watch as the race begins on the road. Spectators are welcome to hang in the park and wait for racers to return. There is a playground for the kids, tennis courts, a nature center and bike path right at the park.
Spectators may also wish to watch as the race unfolds from the top of Canyon view Dr. After 9:15 they can park and view as racers travel up and down the terrain for the first 12 miles or so.
6. Navigating the Course
This course travel’s across 50 miles of remote desert.
We have tried to do as much as possible to make sure you can find your way along the course. There are course signs, warning signs, and information signs. Warning signs are in red ( pink kind of actually) and will let you know when something is coming up. The course signs indicate which course you are on.. for the first half they will say EPIC & CHALLENGE RACE COURSE. Then they will just say EPIC RACE COURSE. If you are near the start and start following an EPIC sign you are headed back home too early. In the final stretch of the race you will see the PIGGY and BACK TO THE RANCH.. so you know you are almost done.
That being said there are spots were you could randomly get off course if you are not paying attention. We have placed over 400 flags and 80 signs, we have 5 or 6 barriers and 25 course marshals out on course.. to make sure you stay on course. There are maps to download and gps files you can use… We expect that by signing up for a 50 mile endurance mountain bike race that you can follow a course. So please while you are out there pay attention to the flags and look for the signs, because if you get off course and miss a check point it will be your fault and you may be DNF’ed
7. Safety Zones
These sections have obstacles that may be difficult to naviagate from some racers. Even if you can make every move please watch out for people who might abruptly stop in the trail ahead of you. If you can’ make the move try to move thru it so other racers can travel past you safely. Don’t get hurt.. that is all.
8. No Passing Zones
Here is where I get real serious. To bring you the Grit race we had to secure 7 permits, the most difficult was from the Fish and Wildlife service. There is a section of trail that travels through an endangered plan habitat for about 1 mile. Over the last month we have worked with volunteer groups from our community to rehabilitate some of this trail to get rid of spurs and off trail impacts. We have assured the F WS that mountain bike racers are the “good guy” and that they are responsible enough to avoid any off trail impacts to this area. The fact is you will be traveling through here after mile 20. Racers should be pretty well spread apart. If you need to pass there are several marked alternative routes and a few pull-outs. Please wait until you reach these areas to over-take a racer. AND.. if someone need to pass, please give them room so they are not putting tracks in the dirt outside of the defined single track. If we show too many impact (1 could be too many) it could jeopardize the future of the event. Thanks for respecting our trails in advance.
9. Racers Support/ Emergencies
Only official race personnel may enter the race course during the race. If you have an emergency put my cell 970-759-3048 in your phone and notify us so we can get you proper assistance.
If you need your support person to bring you extra goodies, bike parts, etc to get you through they may do so at either of the Feed Zones ONLY
10. Suggested Strategies
Strategies will be different to win then to finish, but we thought we would share a little insight with everyone to help you have a great race.
a. This is the desert, drink water, and stay hydrated! I know it is obvious, but if you are not from the desert the warmth of the spring sun can sneak up on you and drain you faster than you realize. Many of you are coming from cool climates and although 65 degree’s sounds amazing, if the sky is cloudless it can feel like 80 as the hot afternoon sun burns your back.
b. There is no shame in walking. There are a lot of technical moves on this course and a lot of climbing. Together they can rob you of energy fast. In places you will find you only traveled 5 miles and feel like you did 15. So rather than beat yourself up and blow yourself up, if you can’t easily make a move get off, walk it, and hurry on to the stuff you can ride. It will keep you fresh when you hit mile 32 and start on the rocks again on the Barrel Rolls.
c. Have fun or go fast?? Similar to b, except here you make the choice with a big old smile on your face. The poppy trail is a roller coaster type trail with alternative lines for droping and jumping. If you want to win, take the left line or the one marked with “easiest route” always. However, if you feel you have a little extra time and want to enjoy ripping this fun section, take the big lines to the right or with the “more difficult sticker” .. But be careful, there is a reason this trail have section names like the 3 fingers of death, the acid drops and clavicle hill. ( but remember have fun without passing in the no-passing zone)
Feed Zones:
1. Feed Zone A
Sponsored by Bike Fix, there will be carbo rocket pink lemonade, water, honey stinger, pbj, and other assorted goodies
2. Feed Zone B
Sponsored by Red Rock Bicycle, there will be Elete CitriLyte ( brand new.. you will be the first to try it) , water, fresh fruit, and other assorted goodies
3. Support Bag Drop
We will transport a support bag for refilling your personal favorites to Feed Zone A only. There will be a New Subaru parked at the exit to the park with the hatch open and a sign on the windshield that will say “ GRiT SUPPORT”.. put your bag in there , clearly marked with your name. We will drop it off and then transport it back to the start finish after 1: 30
Timing Procedures
1. Start time: everyone’s start time will be recorded as 9 am.
2. Numbering and tags
Each person has a number plate and a pull tag. The color and number correspond with your category.. the pull tag corresponds with category and class.
3. Check Points and cut off times
You will have 2 stamps if you are a challenge racer and 5 if you are an Epic racer. Each stamp is a different spring animal and color. Make sure you get your stamps. Course marshals will have a race roster to check you off just in case you wash it off while dousing yourself in a squirt of water.
4. Finishing
When you come through the finishline your number will be recorded in the data base. Immediately go to the check in table. If several people cross the finish line close together make sure you stay in order. An official will take your tag, check your stamps and record that you completed the course and tell you what place you came in. The will then record that number on your tag on post it on the finals board. Official reports with times will be printed prior to awards.
Keeping in Touch with the world
We wanted a way so that we could update loved ones, family and other racers supporters with real time play by play information of the race. So we have set up a race blog and hope that it can work as a running news feed of the day’s events. We will be using it to post hourly finishing stats and finish photos. You can read the blog at
Extra Fun
If you want to have fun, dress in your favorite western wear .. we will
WOW, I can’t wait till Saturday, can you?
