On Friday the 13th of May, 25 racers gathered at the Oark General Store early on a foggy morning to take on the first ever DOOM race. By the end there would be only 10 finishers and Jacob Loos would take 2nd place overall and set a new Single Speed FKT (fastest known time) with a time of 2d 11h 18m.
What made his race interesting is that around mile 255 I ran into him on route as part of the media team. I was there to take pictures of him, but what I didn’t expect is that he had been having thoughts of doubt creep in and was unsure of his ability or willingness to continue. With all the discussion surround media involvement in these types of events I was keenly aware of my roll and did my best not to influence his decision.
We chatted for about 30 minutes, he called Andrew Onermaa (race director) to discuss with him about where he was at mentally and physically. I walked away to allow him privacy as they worked through that process. When I walked back over he was loading his bike, “Andrew told me to go into town, rest, and think about it more, so that’s what I’m going to do”. That was all I needed to hear, I gave him knuckles and I left the area as fast as I could to remove myself from the equation.
I didn’t know what to expect, but what happened suprised me. I saw Jacob at his lowest low on route, I know where is head was at, but what neither of us knew was that he wasn’t done. Not even close. He proved that by moving forward, slowly at first, and then with more gusto. Ultimately, he went on to not only set a new FKT, but beat his own personal goal of finishing within 60 hours.
This is a remarkable story that showcases how tough we are and we think we are done, maybe we actually aren’t.
EPISODE SPONSORS
Ruby Coffee – Today we want to focus on their certified organic year-round coffee options. You can check out Organic August Seasonal Blend, which is designed to be a bright, easy-drinking all-day coffee blend, or Organic Tomorrow Seasonal Project, which highlights coffee from a single farm that’s transitioning to quality focused coffee farming.
Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.
🎉 New Patrons 🎉
Ashely
Manuel Busse
Joel Freudenberg
Nic Fox
Join them won’t you? This episode includes 30 minutes of bonus audio available only to Patrons!
