zombee508

I guess I should clarify that these my goals for this year’s Furnace Creek 508. While I have set a lot of goals, I don’t think there are more than 500 of them just yet.

There is a lot of redundancy in this list, so here’s my logic. Regardless of how well I’m doing, or how poorly, I want there to be goals I can achieve. In many cases, achieving 1 goal will actually take care of multiple ones in that stage.

This endurance race, for me, is all about finishing. I have 48 hours to finish the ride, so I’m focused primarily on that one overriding aspiration. Beyond that, everything else is gravy. Here, then, are my goals before and during the race, including individual stage goals. At the end of the list, you’ll see a breakdown of all the possible time goals and the speeds I’d have to average in order to achieve them.

Furnace Creek 508 Goals

Pre-Race Goals:

1. Raise $2500 for race
2. Get entry fee sponsorship (accomplished)
3. Get hotel sponsorship (accomplished)
4. Get rental van sponsorship
5. Keep a record of all training rides
6. Complete all training rides according to Emde’s schedule (in process)
7. 165 pounds maintained
8. <160 on race day.
9. Find a bike mechanic for the crew (in process)
10. Get new wheels for the bike
11. Keep up with the blog (in process)

Overall Race Goals:

1. Finish the race, no matter what
2. Finish in the top 25 riders
3. Finish in the top 15 riders
4. Finish in the top 10 riders
5. <45 minutes off the bike
6. Stick to the race plan as decided by racer and coach
7. Finish in under 43:49:45 (Team 2x Thrasher 2009 time)
8. Finish under 45:21:31 (Thrasher solo time 2007 time)
9. Finish in under 40 hours
10. Finish in <35 hours
11. Finish before midnight
12. Finish in daylight
13. Finish ahead of more than half 2x/4x teams
14. Over the Trona Bump and into Panamint in daylight
15. Get to the base of Townes Pass and start the climb in daylight
16. Make it over Townes Pass between 7-8 p.m.
17. Descend safely off of Townes Pass
18. Don’t stop on the way up any of the climbs
19. Don’t stop at the top of any of the climbs
20. Enjoy the opportunity and ability to race

Stage 1 (Santa Clarita to California City) Goals:

1. Show up at the start line
2. Stay in the pack, toward the back, during the neutral start
3. Keep the adrenaline in check at the official start up San Francisquito Canyon
4. Start in the back and pass >15 riders prior to meeting crew van
5. Don’t stop at crew van
6. California City before noon
7. Average between 18-20 mph for stage 1
8. Don’t stop at the time station
9. Be in the top 50 riders through California City
10. Finish Stage 1 in <5 hours

Time Cut-offs:

2:45 p.m. absolute cut-off time to finish

2:00 p.m.  for midnight finish

12:45 p.m. for daylight finish

Stage 2 (California City to Trona) Goals:

1. Arrive in Trona <4:00 p.m.
2. Finish in <4 hours on the stage
3. Be in the top 40 riders through Trona

Time Cut-offs:

9:30 p.m. absolute cut-off time to finish

7:15 p.m. for midnight finish

5:15 p.m. for daylight finish

Stage 3 (Trona to Furnace Creek) Goals:

1. Get up and over the Trona Bump in daylight
2. Be on the Panamint floor in daylight
3. Get to the base of Townes Pass and start the climb in daylight
4. Get to the top of Townes Pass <8:00 p.m.
5. Climb Townes Pass without stopping
6. <1 min stop at the top for clothing change (if necessary)
7. Safely descend Townes Pass
8. Get to Furnace Creek in <18 hours
9. Finish the stage in <7 hours
10. Reach Furnace Creek <Midnight
11. Don’t stop at Furnace Creek

Time Cut-offs:

6:45 a.m. absolute cut-off time to finish

3:15 a.m. for midnight finish

11:45 p.m. for daylight finish

Stage 4 (Furnace Creek to Shoshone) Goals:

1. Get to Shoshone by 4:30 a.m.
2. Reach Shoshone by dawn
3. Complete both southern climbs in dark
4. No stopping on either climb
5. Don’t stop in Badwater
6. Finish stage in top 25
7. Finish stage in <5.5 hours
8. Stay on the bike (<5 minutes in stoppage time)

Time Cut-offs:

1:45 p.m. absolute cut-off time to finish

9:15 a.m. for midnight finish

4:45 a.m. for daylight

Stage 5 (Shoshone to Baker) Goals:

1. Reach Baker by 7:00 a.m.
2. Reach Baker by dawn
3. NO RIDER STOP IN BAKER AT ALL
4. No stopping on the KelBaker grade
5. Stay on the bike (<under 5 minutes in stoppage time)

Time Cut-offs:

7:00 p.m. absolute cut-off time to finish

2:45 for midnight finish

8:30 a.m. for daylight

Stage 6 (Baker to Kelso) Goals:

1. Be in Kelso <1 p.m. =15-hour double century pace
2. Be in Kelso <noon
3. Stay on the bike (<5 minutes in stoppage time)

Time Cut-offs:

11:00 p.m. absolute cut-off time to finish

5:30 p.m. for midnight finish

11:00 a.m. for daylight finish

Stage 7 (Kelso to Amboy) Goals:

1. Be in Amboy <5:00 p.m.
2. Stay on the bike (<5 minutes in stoppage time)

Time Cut-offs:

2:00 a.m. absolute cut-off time to finish

8:00 p.m. for midnight finish

1:00 p.m. for daylight finish

Stage 8 (Amboy to 29 Palms) Goals:

1. Finish
2. Finish the stage before Midnight
3. Finish the stage in daylight

Pace Goals:

Finish: 10.65 mph average

Finish by midnight: 12.43 mph average

Finish in daylight: 15 mph average

Finish in top 25 (estimate based on 2010): 12.75 mph average

Top 10 (estimate based on 2010): 14.2 mph average