It was ironic that a race called Vision Quest was the longest I had ever and ever will ride without lights in a race. For the first 55 mins of the race I was like a remora on the ass of a shark. Never leaving the sanctuary of the lights of the the lead duo. Tinker who was also without lights had this fat flashlight he must have gotten out of the bed of some ones old rusty Ford! I will never forget it Tinker is riding up the first dirt road with this light in his clutches like a eagle holds a wet snake after the kill. He eventually put it down his riding shorts so it would beam forward.. Ha ha ha!!! What the......??
We both had our excuses because Joshua just got his tonsils out; TJ barely made it at all. And I am from VA so I figured like the other Long races its dark or twilight for a few minuets on the first climb and then all is good. Besides why would they make us race in the dark?
NO light! It was pitch black and cold. In blackstar Canyon. Not even a moon. Sure enough the loose dirt roads where sketchy, I sped around them following the bright lights Mani and the other leaders had because the alternative of getting dropped was not an option.
I looked down at miles of switchbacks and the pure blackness was only interrupted by the Orange Grid below and to my shock a white snake like constellation on the ground that went for 5 miles down the canyon! All the riders that had lights!!!!
After cresting the climb 1 min off record pace with the lead 4 ( Mani, Cameron Brennamin Tinker and I)
I was worried.. we had a roller coaster of alpine dirt roads with tank traps and sand holes and all sorts of scary black stuff. STILL NO LIGHT Where is the SUN! Just a faint golden glow on the huge mountains south of Palm Springs.
10 mins to day break I guessed. I survived the short downhill section but had to jam hard to catch up the 100 meter gaps that would open as I chickened out. There was just a halo on shapes now I had to hit the single track first because Mani is going to go apeshit on his home downhills to put pressure on me. I decided to drill it and make him work to catch me I got a 30 sec gap but lost it with a small wrong turn. I did not want be off the back after the first down hill! "note racing down a 3,000ft decent on super steep side cut mountains with blind turns is not cool"
My max sprints on the opening dirt road decent worked or so I though, I fought him off with several surges. Just as I was dropping into the steep and narrow Mani went for a left had pass and nipped me into the single track!
Home turf is a big advantage. SOMETIMES
Stay tuned for the rest................
posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 11:43 PM 
