MBC 2017 - Pre Departure, Pre-Race, and Stage 1
It's difficult to find a place to begin.
Words, pictures, and videos cannot even begin describe the experiences that I had gone through the past week. I still don't understand or know the feelings that I have felt both before, during, and after the event, so here is my best attempt at capturing the raw emotions of it all.
Pre
The most difficult challenges in life always seem to be made more difficult by the other small unforeseen challenges that stand in the way. I was stung by a wasp, my ankle was sprained, a typhoon came, and I had to prepare and present on an orientation committee. These hardships, I will admit, set me back a bit. A massive decrease in training and massive increase in stress. None of that really mattered though in the end, I was still going to go and do my best.
2017.08.10
I had an orientation that was re-scheduled due to a typhoon the day before departure. Of course it added stress. I had to travel to the city, present, and worry about things that I didn't want to worry about. My life is fortunate enough to have people in my life who are irreplaceable friends. I knew the stress before departure would be high. I would have many chores to worry about all while trying to prepare myself mentally for the journey ahead. With many thanks to Jennifer, I was able to focus on the things that mattered to me while she took care of the other distractions in my life.
Although completed in the final hours, I was packed and ready to go.
2017.08.11
Travel day. Everything went as planned.
I arrived in Ulaan Baatar at around 930pm. Once I exited the airport, 2 people were waiting for me. The driver and another racer, Dave from Malaysia. It was hard to get an idea of what the city looked like as it was dark, but the sensation of being in a new place hadn't hit me. I suppose I was just tired.
When I got to the hotel I was tired and didn't feel like riding a bike. I spent some time watching TV, ate the musubis made my Jennifer, then went to sleep.
2017.08.12
I woke up early and immediately looked out the window. I finally got to see what the city looked like. It was nicer than I had thought. Some light sprinkles created a rainbow and overall it was a beautiful day.
In the morning I ate breakfast and met up with some new friends: Roberto, an American living in Japan, Shun, from Shizuoka, Mashu, from Tokyo, and Choon, from Singapore. The support from these 4 individuals throughout the race is something that I will cherish forever.
After breakfast we set-up the bikes. I had mechanical service provided by +QUEBICI, so I was fortunate to not have to worry much about it. I gave them my bike bag and they did the rest.
Later in the day we had race registration and a briefing. All of that was relatively straightforward and clear.
Night approached. We had dinner and I got my things ready for the next day.
2017.08.13
Stage 1
I woke up and ate breakfast as planned. I didn't know what or how much to eat. I'd never done an event like this before. I sort of looked around and then got an idea of what everyone else was eating.
When the time came to line up at the start, I didn't feel like I was about to partake in a race. I didn't feel anything. I was just going through the motions of life. We counted down till the start and off we went through the streets of Ulaan Baatar.
We rode through the city and to the start point for about 15km. That ride in itself was already one of the longest ride I had been on in 1.5 months or so. What a cool feeling it was to ride through the city alongside the other participants. I started to look forward to the day.
We got to the start point. It was a gate entrance along a jeep-track dirt road. It was quite metaphorical as we entered into the unknowns ahead of us.
The first 40km were real fun. It was a wild world. We were thrust into the steppes of Mongolia. IT was beautiful. Rolling hills among rolling hills. It was never ending. Adding to the fun was the descents on the jeep tracks, the small climbs. It was a blast.
I forgot how poor my mountain bike skills had become. In truth, I hadn't been on a mountain bike for over a year. Luckily, sooner rather than later, my handling skills improved along with my confidence.
The sun started to bear down on me and the day got longer. The hills didn't end and the suffering began to creep in. I don't remember much of the rest of the day, but had taken some pictures to remember my incredible first day of riding.
As I started to fade in the day the light remained at the end of the tunnel. Once my garmin suggested that I had only 12km to go, I pushed along with Shun. We arrived at the camp in just over 6 hours.
The camp was just as I had imagined. Some modern facilities available, but with traditional Gers. It was a nice and comfortable place. Dinner was ok and the Ger worked just fine as a place to sleep. I was housed with Rob, Mashu, and Shun.
There wasn't any wi-fi, the shower was ice cold, the food was ok at best. At night the temperature dropped well below the comfort level for someone from Hawaii. It wasn't a rough night, but I knew the strain of the days ahead would add up. Stage 1 was over. I wasn't sure how much I looked forward to Stage 2.
Words, pictures, and videos cannot even begin describe the experiences that I had gone through the past week. I still don't understand or know the feelings that I have felt both before, during, and after the event, so here is my best attempt at capturing the raw emotions of it all.
Pre
The most difficult challenges in life always seem to be made more difficult by the other small unforeseen challenges that stand in the way. I was stung by a wasp, my ankle was sprained, a typhoon came, and I had to prepare and present on an orientation committee. These hardships, I will admit, set me back a bit. A massive decrease in training and massive increase in stress. None of that really mattered though in the end, I was still going to go and do my best.
2017.08.10
I had an orientation that was re-scheduled due to a typhoon the day before departure. Of course it added stress. I had to travel to the city, present, and worry about things that I didn't want to worry about. My life is fortunate enough to have people in my life who are irreplaceable friends. I knew the stress before departure would be high. I would have many chores to worry about all while trying to prepare myself mentally for the journey ahead. With many thanks to Jennifer, I was able to focus on the things that mattered to me while she took care of the other distractions in my life.
Although completed in the final hours, I was packed and ready to go.
 |
| bike. 70L bag, backpack, and friends |
2017.08.11
Travel day. Everything went as planned.
I arrived in Ulaan Baatar at around 930pm. Once I exited the airport, 2 people were waiting for me. The driver and another racer, Dave from Malaysia. It was hard to get an idea of what the city looked like as it was dark, but the sensation of being in a new place hadn't hit me. I suppose I was just tired.
When I got to the hotel I was tired and didn't feel like riding a bike. I spent some time watching TV, ate the musubis made my Jennifer, then went to sleep.
 |
| i was given a twin room. didn't know what to do with the other bed, so i did this |
2017.08.12
I woke up early and immediately looked out the window. I finally got to see what the city looked like. It was nicer than I had thought. Some light sprinkles created a rainbow and overall it was a beautiful day.
In the morning I ate breakfast and met up with some new friends: Roberto, an American living in Japan, Shun, from Shizuoka, Mashu, from Tokyo, and Choon, from Singapore. The support from these 4 individuals throughout the race is something that I will cherish forever.
 |
| shun, mashu, choon, and myself |
After breakfast we set-up the bikes. I had mechanical service provided by +QUEBICI, so I was fortunate to not have to worry much about it. I gave them my bike bag and they did the rest.
Later in the day we had race registration and a briefing. All of that was relatively straightforward and clear.
Night approached. We had dinner and I got my things ready for the next day.
 |
| rode with mr. koala all race |
 |
| lefty |
 |
| chicken and rice at the hotel |
 |
| bikes, bikes, and more bikes |
2017.08.13
Stage 1
I woke up and ate breakfast as planned. I didn't know what or how much to eat. I'd never done an event like this before. I sort of looked around and then got an idea of what everyone else was eating.
When the time came to line up at the start, I didn't feel like I was about to partake in a race. I didn't feel anything. I was just going through the motions of life. We counted down till the start and off we went through the streets of Ulaan Baatar.
 |
| myself, rob, and shun at the start line |
We rode through the city and to the start point for about 15km. That ride in itself was already one of the longest ride I had been on in 1.5 months or so. What a cool feeling it was to ride through the city alongside the other participants. I started to look forward to the day.
We got to the start point. It was a gate entrance along a jeep-track dirt road. It was quite metaphorical as we entered into the unknowns ahead of us.
 |
| the real start of the mbc |
 |
| ulaan baatar in the background |
I forgot how poor my mountain bike skills had become. In truth, I hadn't been on a mountain bike for over a year. Luckily, sooner rather than later, my handling skills improved along with my confidence.
The sun started to bear down on me and the day got longer. The hills didn't end and the suffering began to creep in. I don't remember much of the rest of the day, but had taken some pictures to remember my incredible first day of riding.
 |
| rob (fat bike!) and shun. preparing for the light rain to come |
 |
| a reminder of the harsh environment despite the beauty |
 |
| a life-saving tent every 30-40km |
 |
| an incredible team. it seems unreal that a tandem took on this course |
The camp was just as I had imagined. Some modern facilities available, but with traditional Gers. It was a nice and comfortable place. Dinner was ok and the Ger worked just fine as a place to sleep. I was housed with Rob, Mashu, and Shun.
There wasn't any wi-fi, the shower was ice cold, the food was ok at best. At night the temperature dropped well below the comfort level for someone from Hawaii. It wasn't a rough night, but I knew the strain of the days ahead would add up. Stage 1 was over. I wasn't sure how much I looked forward to Stage 2.
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