6 hours of Oleta.  6 hours of roots, rocks, and reggae (?).  It's the same course that has seen two- (count 'em: TWO!) World Champion Cyclists quit racing due to it's difficulty.  It's not that it's "mountain biking" as we don't have mountains, but, it is some of the most challenging, technical off-road cycling in the contiguous U.S.  If you don't have suspension on both wheels, it can be a real pain-in-the-@$$, literally.

There are options to this race.  A team option (with 3 or 4 team members racing for 12 hours in a relay-type format), or, a duo-team option (just 2 team members) or, a solo 12 hour, and a solo 6 hour.  The 6 and 12 hour races are who can do the most laps in the alotted time.  There is a cut-off time, and as happens in these races, the competition goes a lap beyond 6 and/or 12 hours.

I woke up at 4 a.m., and was trying to tear myself off of my warm couch and onto my bike.  By the time I packed my Hydra-pak (hydration back-pack) with a tube, some co2 (for quick tube inflation) and two euro-gels, it was sun-up, and the mercury had risen to 42 degrees.

17 miles South on North Federal Highway put me at Oleta River State Park, home of over 12 miles of single-track.  It was still sub-45 degrees, and the numbers of competitors reflected.  It's hard enough to ride Oleta when it's a perfect 70 degrees out.  Add cold weather and multiple laps at race-pace- things get dicey.

After a Le Mans style start (competitors line up at a start line and run to their bicycles to string out the start so riders don't get bottle-necked into the first trail), I came out in front and rode at a steady 80% effort.  After 7 hours went by, I was atop the podium on the 2nd place block with a trophy in my hand, some good race stories, and itching to get home to a fat tuna steak at the Downtowner.

Off season you ask?  Sure, i took 3 days off the bike at the end of December...