Thank you Felt for the F2 with Di2 and SRM for the Dura-Ace 7900 Crank Wireless Power Meter
Thank you to my crew for believing me even when I was no longer believing in myself. Steve, Rachel and Jaime you guys were awesome.
I am now an official five time finisher of the “Toughest 48 hours in sport”, the Furnace Creek 508. I have finished five out of five consecutive Solo division 508’s I have entered, including one on a fixed gear (49×17), in 2007. As a five time finisher I am now qualified to be included in the Furnace Creek 508 Hall of Fame. I set out to achieve that goal five years ago. I thank ALL my crews from 2006-2010 for helping me in my journey.
A huge thank you also goes out to my sponsors who have supported me this year and years past. SRM for the awesome Dura-Ace 7900 Wireless Crankset Power Meter, Infinit Nutrition for the customizable nutrition formulas, Felt for the stiff yet supple F2 with Di2, Bont Shoes, PRO for the comfortable and versatile saddle and perfect stem, Bike Religion, Skins compression garments, Swiftwick socks, Oakley for my Jawbones, and Zipp for my Zed Tech 2’s.
A race report will follow soon.
Thank you for reading my blog.
George's Epic Adventures 
Congratulations George! It has been awesome following your training this year, and to see you accomplish your goal.
Nice job, George, though I didn’t expect anything less.
Great job George!
Way to go! I’m very happy for you.
Congratulations!!
Way to go Vireo..! Be sure to look good for your Hall of Fame photo shoot.. Maybe see you next October in Santa Clarita..
e..ThRasHeR..t
I thought about you as I did the Kelso and Sheephole climbs. I hope to see you at Santa Clarita again. I know you do a lot of other activities but you gotta come back to the 508 every now and then.
Cheers,
Red Eyed Vireo
Congrats on your 5th finish of the 508!!!
Thank you Jennifer!!
Congratulations, George, it truly was an honor to be part of your crew. I’m in if you should ever ask me to crew for you again. I promise to do a better and faster job of getting your lights on next time;)LOL
Jaime,
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support you and the rest of the crew gave me. No Solo racer can finish the 508 without the help of their crew. Thank you so much for crewing for me. I feel I disappointed you guys by falling apart at mile 300. But you guys believed in me and you kept me in the game. You were patient and confident in my abilities. I finished only because of you and the crew.
Hey Number Five! I have a question: In retrospect, what effect do you think participating in the 2010 Everest Challenge have on your FC 508 performance this time around?
Milly,
I believe Everest Challenge was very good prep for the 508. I have done it twice before when the event was two weeks before the 508. In 2010, Everest Challenge was less than a week from the 508. I had great legs during the 508. People thought I was crazy doing EC and the 508 back to back. But I know how well and how fast I recover. I would do the same thing again if I was ever going to race the 508 again :p
So what’s going on with you? EC or the 508 in your future plans?
Cheers,
Red Eyed Vireo
I have a lot of respect for long and hard races. Your body AND mind really do need to be conditioned to sustain and complete such an effort. Conditioning therefore is the key. Excitement can only get you a fraction of the way to the finish.
From what I’ve seen and studied, the first 250 miles are “easy” insofar that the mileage and effort is well within the abilities of any cyclist who can pull a double or a 400k brevet. The issue is the final 250 to 300 miles. That’s where some cyclists seem to hit a wall, whether physical or mental or both. I’ve seen that part of the 508 route and it seems to lack the “romance” of the first 1/2. It’s not as beautiful, not as new, not as adventurous. Shoshone to the finish is a battle of attrition where the dull and rough elements of the scenery, the road, the trucks, the heat, and fatigue can wear anyone down to a nub. It seems that the last 250 miles *is* the 508.
I look forward to your report, especially your account of the last half of your race.
I’m still interested in doing the 508 and EC. Absolutely. However, since 2008 I’ve added awe and reverence to my childlike enthusiasm for the event.
Congrats George, My Training Partner is John Culligan.. He says he enjoys riding , racing , and dropping you,, LOL,, just kidding, once again, congrats on 5 in a row, Mike
Mike,
Thank you for reading my blog. I don’t mind getting dropped….but I always finish what I started!!
cheers,
george