2016 Rhino Rally

[Greg]

You guys are very impressive, sounds like a brutal race with a lot of hazards... including the other riders!

 

[anderson750]

[video]https://www.facebook.com/rick.gardner.948/videos/10207351410215745/[/video]

I guess I can't see it since we are not friends........request sent.........hopefully I get approved.

 

[djgardner]

I'll chime in...this race worked me over, and was probably one of the hardest I've ever done when you factor in the terrain, the heat, and the dust and my health and physical conditioning.

I was sick all week leading up to the race, even on Friday I didn't have much of an appetite, and wasn't keeping much food down. Saturday morning I actually felt really pretty good, and was able to eat my normal pre-race diet, and I was feeling optimistic for the race, since the Rhino Rally is one of my favorite races of the year.

For the start, I think I was like 6 or 7 kicks...not good.

After the banners was pure chaos...there were riders going every where, I've never seen anything like it...needless to say I was way back in the pack.

Having raced this section of trail just after getting out of the wash and heading south, in the past, I knew that there were some gnarly G-Outs (one in particular that I remember) that come out of nowhere (especially in the dust) so I was careful to stay close to the course and not get to far off course to try and make passes. I'm cautiously riding in the dust and trying to key off of silhouette's...I'm closing in on a rider and then all the sudden his silhouette and the one to the right of it just disappear...I get on the brakes and roll past to see Mike Woodall's head pop up out of the wash and the 13s on his KTM...he looked okay...down in this wash (I didn't catch the other riders number...but I think there was a couple other guys down there too-all up and trying to get their bikes pointed the right direction, so it didn't look like anyone else was injured). It was like they just plucked off the face of the earth...one second they were there, and the next second gone. lol

Anyway...it was pure survival mode after that...every time I'd try and hop off trail out of the dust, it would cost me time (massive wash, way to rocky to make up time) so I found myself, just doing the best I could to make up time riding blind. It's very frustrating to be riding so much slower than I'd like to go...but I couldn't let that frustration force me to make bad decisions.

About that rode crossing at mile 25 or so (the one Paul posted videos of) that was really the first wide open section of course...the rest was rocks and whoops...and I was finally able to get some clean air and I've never been so happy to just get on the gas, lol.

Just before that big rocky hill, I bobbled in a corner and put my leg out to catch myself, and my hip started cramping. So I stood up trying to trying to stretch it out, and my other quad started cramping. Then I sat back down and my hamstring started cramping, then my calf. I'm taking deep breaths trying to relax...and the muscles did eventually relax, but I was nervous for what I was in store for. Literally at the base of that long rocky climb, my quad cramps again, and I tip over (I probably made it 10 feet up that hill). I crouched down to stretch the quad out and pick up my bike, hop on and start moving up the hill. Every time I would stand, my legs would cramp...every time I sat down, I lost all momentum. When I'd put my legs out to stabilize myself my legs would cramp... I must have tipped over 4 or 5 times on that hill.

I finally made it up the hill...completely exhausted, no energy at all. I was just done. I typically throw some "Gu" packets and an energy bar in my camelback...but totally spaced it this time. So no food to eat. I was in trouble.

I was hoping the course would open up a bit, but it never really happened. I was just coasting at this point...first gear...just trying to rest and get some energy back. As we dropped back off the top...I was having trouble focusing (it would take my eyes a couple seconds to focus on things, weird)...by the time I got to the bottom, I had the chills. Legs still cramping. I was getting worried about dehydration and even heat stroke. So I just took the road back to the pits and called it a day.

I'm sure it was a combo of me just not being in shape (I've ridden twice since the Chimney Rock enduro), and then being sick...but it was sure frustrating. I've never just not been able to finish a race before. I'm pretty disappointed in myself.

On a positive note, the new KX works great! First gear isn't even close to low enough...this bike doesn't like to go slow...but a rekluse will help with that.

 

[rholbrook]

That sucks DJ. I had Bronchitis the week before and I was hoping I wasn't going to die out there but I had taken my course of antibiotics and that part of me was fine. My legs were fine for a change, it was my forearms right before the big sandy whoops started. I normally have a very light grip on my bars but for some reason I was gripping them tight, so tight I created blisters that popped and opened up on me. I went through 1.5 liters of water and that wasn't enough. I opted for nearly a liter of fuel in my back pack instead of more water. I didn't want to have to sit and look for a fuel can and waste time doing so. I ended up with plenty of fuel left over. Yesterday I could hardly move, I was really sore but today is much better. I talked to a bunch of people who said that first hill took the spirit right out of them, I was trying to keep up with Harrison on that hill. I crashed twice and both times weren't very hard. I was running my Mountain Moto Z Hybrid in the rear aired down to 8 lbs or so and that tire rocked in the whole course. I know some will argue with me but an aired down Trials tire in Sand will compete with a regular knobby just fine. I flew up every hill in the sandy section just fine. I was also running a trials tire in the front aired down to 8 as well. That front tire kept me planted in all but the really sandy stuff but I wouldn't have changed my tire setup. If I had to do it all over again, I would still run what I did. The group I ride with have pretty much all switched to trials tires front and rear but ride mostly single track in the mountains and desert.

 

[anderson750]

Reading these race reports makes part of me miss racing but then the other part kicks in and reminds me that I have a hard time taking it easy out there and my price for failure has gotten to high. I enjoy seeing the struggles all of you talk about and your drive to make better on them. That is what is fun about this sport.....pushing yourself beyond the limitations you think you have.

 

[ricsrx]

I guess I can't see it since we are not friends........request sent.........hopefully I get approved.

Done
i cant figure out how to post the vid from Facebook, i hate face book

 

[djgardner]

Here is my brothers (Daniel Gardner) helmet cam. He ran my Replay Mini-XD camera this race, and it had short battery life, and then about 20 or so minutes of footage wouldn't play for some reason...so this is all he got of the race.

He ended up 9th overall, and 8th Open Expert. He had a great ride.

[video=youtube;UrnNhPttQJk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrnNhPttQJk[/video]

[video=youtube;sL8oW4RXat4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL8oW4RXat4[/video]

 

[anderson750]

He was on it when he passed the road crossing where I was shooting video. He has really found some speed the last 2 years.

 

[rholbrook]

You say his battery didn't last long? Thats depressing because he is already at the gas stop before his battery died. Harrison and I were in the wash right before the big rocky hill before his died on the goPro. We still had more than 2/3 of the lap left in probably the same time period. Daniel killed it. Its amazing how fast some of these guys are. The top riders all finished both laps well before I finished my first one.

 

[djgardner]

He was on it when he passed the road crossing where I was shooting video. He has really found some speed the last 2 years.

Yes he has. It's been fun to watch him improve so much (proud big brother here...must be a little bit of what its like to watch your kids do so well, Paul?). I really think riding so much with Carson Giles has really helped him out...Just from a technique perspective, and then getting to see/experience the pace Carson rides has helped him out.

When I think of the fact that he has only REALLY been riding since 2011-he had an 80 for a couple years when he was a little kid, and then rode off and on as a teenager on a beat up old honda 250, but nothing even remotely consistent (this is only his second bike), I just shake my head in both jealousy and amazement. lol

The other thing is that my other brother Dwight, has, I think at least, more raw talent than Daniel does. He just doesn't have the time to ride-really at all-and he also doesn't have the mental toughness/tenacity (I guess that's what I'd call it) that Daniel has...but Dwight can/should win some Amateur overalls this year-if he can finish a race without busting himself or his bike...he had surgery Monday to put his collar bone back together from his crash on Saturday. I sure did get the short end of the talent stick in my family...that's for certain.

 

[anderson750]

Your comparison between your brothers is a lot like comparing Jack and Bailee. Jack has an incredible amount of balance and talent but his drive and competitiveness is nothing compared to his sister. Baileeis quickly becoming a very good rider and is so intense that she scares me that she is going to push beyond her limits and get hurt.

 

[djgardner]

Your comparison between your brothers is a lot like comparing Jack and Bailee. Jack has an incredible amount of balance and talent but his drive and competitiveness is nothing compared to his sister. Baileeis quickly becoming a very good rider and is so intense that she scares me that she is going to push beyond her limits and get hurt.

I see what you're saying, for sure. It takes a special personality to really do well at desert racing, its difficult to get by on talent alone because its a long long long race and its hard to "mentally" stay in attack mode for 3 hours, and ignore the pain and discomfort. Some guys can do it better than others.

My issue? I lack balance, aggression, and intensity. If those things matched my love of riding...I'd be killing it! LOL

 

[Gravy]

Killing it would be if I was as fast as you DJ.

 

[djgardner]

Killing it would be if I was as fast as you DJ.

I appreciate that.

Here is my brother Dwights Helmet Cam...He forgot to turn it on for the start, and his crash is about 17 minutes in. I see a 22v in the video...

[video=youtube;bj_mKMgk7zc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj_mKMgk7zc[/video]

 

[Cascadia]

Does your GoPro look like this Brian? If so, you can have it back.

 

[jeeper]

Does your GoPro look like this Brian? If so, you can have it back.

This is beyond awesome.

 

[glockman]

Reading all these reports makes me a little happy I skipped this one and super pumped for Lyndal

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[rholbrook]

Harrison had too much fun at the Rhino Rally so he says we are riding Cow Dung too.

 

[anderson750]

Harrison had too much fun at the Rhino Rally so he says we are riding Cow Dung too.

You're done.....stick a fork in it.......cash out the retirement account.

 

[glockman]

Harrison had too much fun at the Rhino Rally so he says we are riding Cow Dung too.

Awesome! You riding too Russ or can you be the official Team RME manservan....uuuuhhhmmm Pit crew.