Odd question - crying in 24 hour races

K

Klips

Likes Dirt
While it wasn't a 24 hour race, I recently did the hells500 everesting epic and it took me a shade under 25 hours to complete. I had a similar breakdown and a good cry with about 6 laps of Stromlo to go (I was doing 54 reps of the road climb, it had been raining for 21 hours, it was 2.30am etc etc) and was glad that I had someone there riding with me or I could potentially have pulled the pin. I've had someone else who's done a few 24s tell me that "Half of 24 isn't 12, it's 18" and I think that's what you'd be feeling. Nice to have an actual answer to why it happens though!
 
C

Chromo

Squid
matt36415 said:
An odd thing, yes, it probably is because I am a wuss.....

Each time I have done a 24 and not had a sleep I have ended up crying somewhere between 1 and 4am. I have no idea why although the question of why am I here and what was I thinking entering this... is strong at that time. It happens in the 24's where I have gone relatively hard and feel that I am doing well. I have done a lot of work in the lead up including a series of 7 hour races.

Might it be food? Has anyone else had this happen? Any thoughts - (apart from eating concrete / nails... and toughtening up)
Click to expand...

The great Jebus himself has experienced a similar emotional release - see his answer to the question about his toughest endurance event:

http://pin-it-you-muppet.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/interview-with-brett-bellchambers.html

If somebody as tough as he is has experienced this, you're in good company.
 
M

Machine

Likes Bikes
Nearly crying at Wembo

Thats what i like about solo 24hr its more mental then Physical but at Wembo last year i was nearly in tears with stomach cramps for the first 11hrs of the race. had to pull out at 1130pm.
 
minhtam

minhtam

Squid
I've felt like crying in (team) 24 hour races lots of times when things don't work out at 3am or 4am. Have an off, a flat, or even just not perform as expected. I've also felt like crying in multi-day adventure races and in overnight rogaines.
While I've come to accept that it will be a feeling that I will encounter and have to push though, I have learned that food can make a difference how bad it is.

I now try to always have a nice tasting energy gel right at sunset - that prevents me from feeling sad just when the light is gone. This is more important on foot than on the bike.
I also try to eat something every hour, to make sure that I don't run low and bonk. Hitting the wall at 3am will just make me emotional and sad and grumpy. And when the emotion hits, have a gel right away, even if I don't feel like I need one.
 
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