Beer-backpacking the Pisgah trail!

This would be fun!

http://www.pedalingnowhere.com/routes/bikepacking-pisgah-appalachian-beer-trail/

Kerstperiode

I was pondering wether to rest or not at the end of last month. Well, I decided to try and topple my mileage for December 2011. With plenty of time off of work I looked forward to some epic rides and setting a "new base" for some intense training leading up to Masters CX Worlds in Luhvuhl, Kuntucky.

Kerstperiode is celebrated in Belgium with 7 CX races in 11 days between Christmas and New Year's. This is based upon the 7 cyclocross races that Joseph had to race to earn money for the return trip from Bethlehem to Nazareth. Let it be noted he placed 4th, 2nd, 3rd, 36th, 1st, 1st, and 3rd. Payment? Goats. Goats. And more podium goats.

My kerstperiode was more about hours and miles in the legs and cutting back on racing. I wanted to go to the final CapCity but my sister was in town and I opted to stay local. Well, mother nature had other plans for my kerstperiode. She decided to pour cold rain down upon us, relegating me to some trainer workouts and runs when I would have loved to ride to Rabbit Hash or ride an epic hill ride.

The nice thing about the colder temps and some precipitation was waking up super early and going for some mountain bike rides. Rode East Fork with Rogue Pals, Versailles with BioBuds and a solo ride at Tower Park.

I did get a wee bit of CX training in. I would wake up early and do a CX workout at some local trails or I would ride up to Kings for some training races. Nice to do the sport I love without the pressure of packing the car and traveling.

Legs are feeling rested again with less intensity although the running was a bit tough on 'em. 

I hope all of you had lovely holidays and may we have a lovely 2013 full of epic rides!

Race #135: 6 Hours of Good Mojo!

Photos by Jamie Clifton Images and Karen WH

Months ago I dreamed that I might have a chance to win this. My friend Marty has owned this for years but I felt if I had a good day and he had a bad day that I might have a chance. Then I remembered Brent. Brent is from a motorcross background, and when he rides it likes he is in another league — like he has little motors in his legs. Last year he was fourth but it was only because John Bryan was his first endurance race. This year Brent has been hanging with the pros in all the NUE races. So second place or third again, right? No pressure.

Luck was on my side that day. I picked a good place to drop my bike for the Le Mans start. I ran quickly, not going out too hard, Spencer was ahead and grabbed his bike. This perfectly opened up a spot for me to run through with my bike. I wheelsucked Gary Lunsford for a sec and jumped into the woods in third place. The first lap was really muddy, my crossmark rear tire fish tailing everywhere. I kept waiting for people to catch and pass me. I just tried to ride well, keep it smooth and stay upright. I kept it steady and emerged from the woods still in third with Brent ahead of me and 1 Male Duo team member just in front of me.

I was pretty much alone for a lot of the race. Just pushing myself trying not to lose too much ground to Brent. I thought he was 10 minutes in front if me.

I was approaching the race like a long time trial. In years past I have focused on completing fast laps, then doing recovery laps. But this year I changed my tactic by attacking and recovering in the same sections each lap. This made my lap times more consistent.

So in the middle of the race I caught Brent. Brent was single speed and he chose a very hard gear to push in the wetter conditions. I know if he was fully geared he would have won that day, although he is kind enough to say otherwise. We rode together for a few minutes, but I became worried that we would be caught. I had no clue who my competition was!

So I pressed ahead and felt that pride you feel when your wheel is in front. It used to make me nervous and I would l ride too hard and wreck. But I was confident in my consistent lap times and I was feeling great! Wow, I rarely have mojo this good!

I was trying to beat my time from 2011 but the muddy start slowed me down a bit. I chose consistency over flooring it and it paid off!

I can't but feel this may be one of the last wins I get. I am grateful for it, and I am grateful to have shared it with friends. Jeni, Darrin, Brent, Bjet and I enjoyed some BBQ and a bit of beer after!

Another year of Hot Harbin TTs!

Are the results right? A fight for the clipboard and some swagger. 

I love the Harbin Park time trials. They are pretty tough and they really help set you up with a base fitness for cyclocross.

Unfortunately this year I did not get to do too many of them. And when I did, I definitely did not feel as strong as in the past. There were times I owned all the lil hills in the course and flew up them like a wannabe Alberto Contador. Now I feel like I am just crawling up them — they are really putting the hurt on me!

I thought I would look back and see how I faired in historical context.

We had a sunset picnic after the last race. 

7/11/2012 Week 1, hanging with friends
Lap 1: 24:53
Lap 2: 25:28  
8.6 mi, 0:50:21, 10.25 avg mph
AVG Heart Rate 160, Max 180
6 out of 19, finished in top 31%


8/1/2012, Week 4, Feeling a bit tired
Lap 1: 24:37
Lap 2: 26:34  
8.6 mi, 0:51:11, 10.08 avg mph  
AVG HR 164, MAX 184
5 out of 12, finished in top 42%

2011, Feeling Strong for Cross
7/14/2011 Bastille Day Chain Suck
Lap 1: 24:08
Lap 2: 26:06
8.4mi, 0:50:14, 10.03 avg mph
4 out of 9, 44%


7/21/2011 Psyched Out and Baked
Lap 1: 24:05
Lap 2: 24:42
8.4mi, 0:48:47, 10.33 avg mph
2 out of 12, 16% and Second Place!




2010, My First Year!
7/15/2010 Week 2
Lap 1 24:31
Lap 2 26:01

8 mi, 0:50:32, 9.5 avg mph

6 out of 10, 60%

8/5/2010 Week 5
Lap 1 23:57
Lap 2 24:23

8 mi, 0:47:50, 10.03 avg mph

5 out of 8, 62% but getting faster

8/12/2010 Week 6 
Lap 1 23:10
Lap 2 23:49

8 mi, 0:46:59, 10.22 avg mph

2 out of 6, 33% and bested myself!

Races #132-133: Conquering Versailles

This year I thought I would have fun and push myself a bit to freshen things up. First, I ran that blasted Flying Pig Marathon. While I was training for that I started daydreaming about doing an Xterra triathlon.

But after Mohican all I really wanted to do was ride my bike. So I did not take my Tri training too seriously. I just did 3 swims (but making sure each swim was about 30 minutes long, around the time I would be in the water). And I would just run here and there. At the end of the day, I like swimming and running but I LOVE TO RIDE MY BIKE!

So my friends Dan, Boris and I headed out to Versailles Friday night. They have really great campgrounds, they are clean and the other people are pretty respectful. Not like the camping I did after Capitol View (where people were blaring club music till late). By the way, sites #90 and# 92 are pretty sweet for tent campers.

Dan, Boris and I carbo-loaded on beer, including a stop at Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora, Indiana. We stayed up late and BSed around the campsite. Woke up around 6am, did some yoga to stretch. Got everything ready. It was weird to try to think of things I need for swimming, cycling and running!

So we started the Xterra out in the water. It was weird to swim in a pack. In the first few minutes you are clumped together and whacking each others legs and arms! I kept it pretty chill, I did not want to over-exert myself. Actually, this was my best/fastest swim to date. Usually in my training swims I would get tired and have to stop or alternate to breast stroke. So I swim pretty inefficiently — I started the swim by keeping my head constantly above water, always pointing forward. I found that it regulates my breathing and I less taxing on my system. Later in the swim I started this other technique where my head shifted from side-to-side with each stroke, I became more efficient but over a few minutes I made myself very dizzy! In the last 200 feet I swallowed some lake water and almost started vomiting — that slowed me down!

So I got out of the water and my transition was a bit slow, perhaps socks are a bad idea... Anyway, I jump on the bike and start riding and I am still very dizzy and I crashed into a tree right away! I collected myself and launched myself up Shadow Run. I tried to balance the need to pass people with respect and safety. I was blown away how many competitors were not extremely strong on the bike. I felt like a super star — I think I passed nearly 30 people and put in a decent lap time to boot! One guy was not so happy to have me pass and told me I should be a better swimmer! He's right, it would have been so much easier!

So I really loved the bike leg! I kept a bunch of gas in the tank and by riding more restrained I read the course and trail with a clearer head. I really had my mojo that day! I felt so smooth!

The iPhone Strava app allows me quick uploads — I feel so badass until everyone uploads their Garmins...

So I get back in and started the run. I just had to pull off my gloves, helmet and switch shoes. The run went pretty well. I haven't really run much at all since the Pig so I did not know what to expect. I guess I had leftover fitness — I went out and ran the best trail times of my life. Somehow I managed a pace of just over 8min/mile with almost 500 feet of climbing and some technical downhills! Wow!

I didn't wear my heart rate monitor but I was feeling that I raced the whole race fairly conservatively. But that night I started feeling pretty tore up. Perhaps I gave 100% and not the 120% that I am used to. Perhaps also all the adrenaline made me feel awesome!

I really feel like the Xterra format is a great event — training doesn't have to take over your life and you can get out and train while enjoying nature. I strongly suggest an Xterra to anyone considering triathlons. My race was over in 2:11, you could easily compete within 3:00. It doesn't really kill you day and all the distances are easily achievable.

There were vegan and vegetarian competitors, then there was this guy...

That night I hung out with Kathy and Fraser. We rode into Downtown Versailles on a recovery ride and they invited me over for some beers and a delicious Italian lentil dish that Kathy made. It was nice to pass the time with friends instead of reading "Devil in the White City" all alone in my tent all night!

I also did some yoga overlooking a ravine to loosen up and stretch out my muscles. I love doing yoga in nature. I know, it's nerdy! It's just cool to connect with nature again — I haven't camped in over two years and this is my second time this year. I've really enjoyed getting away from the rat race and just mellowing out for a weekend.

So the mountain bike race the next day was a smidge tough! I woke up fairly early, got ready and actually rode a full lap of the race course to warm up before the race.

But my legs were still not there. The start went off and I immediately went to the back. I lost a minute to the next rider within a few miles. I was really struggling. Then the Red Zone Juniors leading the Cat 2 race came rollin along. They were the wind in my sails and they woke me back up! I jumped on the leader's wheel for a couple minutes until I nearly wiped out in a dusty turn. Then Red Zone junior #2 and #3 came rolling up. Those kids are fast! I jumped on their wheels and had a blast! I rode with them for most of the reaming part of the first lap. I GOT MY MOJO BACK!

I started passing the other guys in my race. I think I gained 4 positions. But suddenly I heard a rubbing on my back tire. I looked down to see what it was and I wiped out going pretty fast! I stopped, it was the end of the front derailleur cable. I lost about 3 positions I just gained! I bent the cable back out of the way and restarted my chase. Over then next two laps I regained the positions I lost as well as gaining 2 more.

I crossed the line in 2:12:14, taking a minute off my previous best time and equaling my highest previous placing in the DINO Versailles race. Wow, I just wish I started stronger!

Tour de Trails 2012

Last year I wrote about some baseballs fans try to visit every baseball park in their lifetime. I thought it might be fun to see all the local trails in one year.

KY:

Fort Duffield, not yet.

Cherokee Park, not yet.

Waverly Park, not yet.
AJ Jolly Park, not yet, it's nearby too.

Tower Park, Haven't ridden since the race in 2009!

General Butler, Raced last year. Fun Old School trails

Capitol View, rode almost 11 hours and 10 lap here during 12 Hour race. Very fun course. Ouch.

England-Idlewild, Check! I've trained there a couple times this year, hopefully racing there soon.

Devou Trails, I hit'em this week. Nice loop I can bike commute to!

OH:

Paint Creek, Never been there!

Huffman MetroPark, Never been there!

Caesar Creek, Not in a couple years...

Mount Mitchell, Near my in-laws. The old-section is very fast and flowy. The new section is pretty bad-ass and technical (for me). Cool local 8 miles of trails!
Keehner Park, Been twice this year. Cool little trail system if you live nearby.

Hueston Woods, Raced there last year, didn't hit all the trails.

Landon-Deerfield, We take Kona there from time to time, nice lil loop.

John Bryan, always ride the 6 Hour race, we just went up recently. Very fun!

East Fork, My home court.

South 80 Trails, kind of a flat little short loop. Might make a nice short track course. These are still being developed. Since this is right out my front door in Mariemont I hit'em a lot. HOwever, they are being mowed by a Kubota tractor — which means the trails are double-track and not very technical.

IN:

Muskatatuck, not yet. Maybe AMBC race?

French Lick, not yet.

Brown County, Epic, but haven't been there in 2 years! Need to get back.

Versailles, Check! This was often dry when Cincy trails were wet this spring. Great Trails!

Race #125: Longest race of my Life!

Photo by

More like 12 Hours of Capitol Punishment!
Write ups on this and Mohican coming soon...

Here are the approximate splits I recorded during the race:
Lap 1 (11.2mi + Le Mans start run around a baseball field): 0:56:36
Lap 2 (22.4): 0:56:09
Lap 3 (33.6): 0:56:31
Pit Stop: 0:00:58 — quick swap of 50ml CamelBacks
Lap 4 (44.8): 0:59:40
Lap 5 (56.0): 1:01:36
Pit Stop: 0:02:51 — Extra water, lubed chain, switched to bottles of Infinit, washed up with cold water and re-applied sunscreen
Lap 6 (67.2): 1:04:24
Pit Stop: 0:01:10 — Extra water in drained bottle, used to drink and pour over head on climb
Lap 7 (78.4): 1:11:35
Pit Stop: 0:06:07 —  Extra water, lubed chain, switched bottles of Infinit, washed up with cold water

Lap 8 (89.6): 1:08:21

Pit Stop: 0:01:14 — Extra water in drained bottle, used to pour over head on climb

Lap 9 (100.8): 1:12:14

Pit Stop: 0:04:12 — Extra water, switched bottle, washed up with cold water

Lap 10 (112): 1:03:59 — Really tried to fly through it, feeling like I was being chased!

Race #124: The One-Two Punch!

Photo by Julie Lewis-Sroka

Wow! I had a stellar race at Mohican this year!

My rolling time was about 8:25, and my overall time was 8:37:09. Compare that with last years result of 9:20 of rolling time and an overall time of 10:35:51. That means I was almost an hour faster riding and I cut 2 hours off my overall time! Holy shit!

First, I would like to thank Mitch and Nate at BioWheels for fixing some last minute mechanicals. I also want to thank Sophie, Rick and Lydia at Norwood Chiropractic--they helped all my muscles recover after the Flying Pig marathon.

Bjet and I didn't get up to Loudenville until 8ish in Friday. We were waiting in an order of Infinit to arrive, plus I was trying to finish some design projects. All that sitting made my legs feel like bloated sausages. We only got in a short spin before getting ready for the race.

We got up about 5:15am. I downed some Infinit Mud, a coffee protein shake. I did forget to take my Hammer Anti-Fatigue caps, full of potassium and magnesium to prevent cramping.

The race started and I did not feel awesome... I felt a wee bit sick and my legs were still heavy. The race starts out on the main street of Loudenville and you go straight up a hill. I was do far back, and I saw all my teammates hitting it hard, they looked great. For some reason I could not climb as well as usual, all day. It got to be demoralizing early on.

Once into the single track I kept it chill for about 15 minutes. Then we hit some double track sections. People where still riding single file, but the CXer in me woke up and I conservatively gained spots. Back to some more single track. The pace line was semi-slow, but too much intensity too early can ruin your day. One guys didn't get the memo, he kept trying to pass and then would crash like a total loser. After about 3 or 4 crashes and some yelling amongst the riders the guy finally settled down.

So I've been trying to cut back on chain slap my shifting into the big ring. Then to keep it easy I would gift into the granny gear. I was using all 27 gears! Well, I think I forgot what gear I was in. We hit some downhill double track. I went to shift into my big ring and hammer it but my chain made a bunch of noise. So I pulled over. I think I was Already I the big ring, and I was cross-chaining. The chain was forced off and it wrapped a figure 8 around my crank. Damn! So I muscled it backwards and got it going again. That's when I saw my teammate Mark Rucker.

Mark Rucker is a beast, with powder legs for quads and calves that devour cyclists -- he sits on the front and holds 28 mph, typically on some bike that's 5 lbs heavier than yours! We both mentioned taking the start easy. It's mostly trail to the first aid station, and it can really take the piss out of ya!

Mark and I mentioned riding together. I took a quick break at Aid Station 1 to refill bottles--Mark kept riding, rocking a sweet CamelBack. So I had some incentive to crush the next section, I needed to make up my 3-4 minute deficit on Mark! I finally caught him, but once again grabbed some water for insurance from Aid Station 2. Once again I had to chase down Mark!

Some advice. The first 47 miles of Mohican are tough, tons of trail and climbing. But don't quit at Aid Station 3, it only gets easier. So I roll into Aid Station 3 fast and furious and Mark is waiting for me. I fill up quickly and we set out together.

It was a great choice to ride together. Mark and I were nearly equally matched (Mark had suffered from bronchitis all Spring and wasn't destroying me). He would still kick my ass on the hills. I would lose time, but would TT to regain the 10 - 30 seconds I would lose. It was great to ride with someone you could trust, you could talk and keep your morale boosted while the miles flew past. On all the downhills and flats we would trade pulls to keep the pace high. We destroyed the bike path section

Here are my approximate splits:
To Aid Station 1 (20mi): 1:57/10.26mph split/10.26 avg, took about 3 min: A lot of trail
To Aid Station 2 (34mi): 1:32/9.13mph/9.5 avg, took 4 min messing with Infinit, more trail than I remembered
To Aid Station 3 (46mi): 1:04/11.25mph/9.82 avg, took 4 min, Rucker waited, we tackled the climb together!
To Aid Station 4 (72mi): 1:52/13.33 mph/10.96 avg, last fill up, about 3 minutes
To Aid Station 5 (88mi-ish): 1:29/10.79 mph/10.67 avg, Caught Collier, we blew through it into the woods.
To Finish (93mi-ish): :32/9.33/10.79 avg, yes, we bested all expectations!

The times were really fast this year because I think they shortened the course a tad. But even if there was the extra 2 miles I had to race the year before, and we covered it at an average of 11 mph, we still would have achieved my goal of 9 hours. I'm very happy with that!

WWBD: What would the Badger do if they closed a bridge during a race?

Gearing up for Goal Number 2: Mohican

Photo by Jen Farmer

I'm feeling pretty good this year. The last two years I went into Mohican a little over trained. So this year I really backed off and spent the last two weeks doing shorter, more intense rides. Well, not this week, I've kept it fairly chill.


So I got 3 goals this year: 1. Marathon, 2 Having a Mohican 200 miler I am proud of, 3 Race with the Big Boys in Cross.


Within the Mohican race I would love to pull off a 9-hour ride. However the conditions may be muddy now. So I just have to hope to try and beat last year's time of 10:35. And, most importantly, have fun and enjoy the ride!


Nutrition:
Using mainly Infinit. I'm going to mix up a secret weapon "syrup" bottle that I keep in my jersey pocket.


What I'm packin:
2 Bottles of Infinit (Infinit is like Gatorade but with more calories, it has electrolytes PLUS my personal custom blend of carbs and protein and caffeine, very cool stuff!)
1 Syrup bottle of Infinit with 8 more servings
1 flask containing Gel (I prefer the chocolate GUs, a tasty treat while I am suffering)
Small container of Anti-Fatigue caps


All this stuff is small and in containers I can keep within reach in my pockets.

What my current formulation of Infinit looks like. High carbs, from protein and amino acids (with the hope of diminishing muscle deterioration during event, but science proves protein probably has no effect). Check out www.infinitnutrition.us

Pre-race breakfast of Infinit Mud — a protein shake with coffee in it. Post-race recovery drink will be ready in the fridge (expecting to be a zombie after).


Put it in your f@nny!:
I like to call my saddle bag my fanny pack... I got that loaded up with some emergency gear:
1 multi-tool with chain tool
1 extra tube
1 patch kit
2 tire levers
1 SRAM quick link
2 CO2 cartridges
Some emergency duct tape to repair side wall tears
First Aid (Remember last year!)

What my pre-measured dose bottle of Infinit "syrup" looks like.

Pit Stops!
What I should do within 3-4 minutes:
1. Have bottles filled with water
2. Light stretching
3. Squirt dose of Infinit into bottles
4. Take Anti-Fatigue cap
5. Check chain lube
6. Drink extra plain water (noticed last year feeling a tad thirsty, but it was hot)


Do it on the Bike!
I'm going to try to stretch, fuel and urinate while I am riding! This way save some time.

Clothing

– I'm going to wear a regular race kit with the 3 pockets in back. keeping my bottle and gel flask in the pockets.

– I bought new gloves, need new gel pads

– Seriously thinking about wearing Balaga running socks, they have a padded footbed for extra comfort. Not "cool," but maybe necessary.

– Switched to Superfeet footbeds this year. I place these in my race shoes and they make my pedal stroke more efficient by supporting my arches and pronation issues.


Tires
We're doing Maxxis Ignitors on front and CrossMarks on back. We use this as an all-rounder set up and race it dry and wet.

Aid Station Times for Target Time of 9 Hours:

Last year I finished in a total time of 10:35:51, with a moving time of 9:20ish and average moving speed of 10.24 mph. So this year I wanted to target 9hour-ish — meaning with pit stops that I need to average 11.5 mph. For any ride I feel like this is a laughable average speed, but with all the trails and hills of Mohican this is like running a 3:15 Marathon.

First 20mi: 1:50:00 (avg 10.9 mph)
Aid Station 1 (20mi): 0:04:00
2nd 14 miles: 3:05:00 (avg 11.03 mph — target 12ish for the leg)Aid Station 2 (34mi): 0:03:00
3rd 12 miles: 4:08:00 (avg 11.13 mph — target 11.5ish for the leg)Aid Station 3 (46mi): 0:04:00 
4th 26 miles: 6:15:00 (avg 11.5 mph — target 12.3ish for the leg)Aid Station 4 (72mi): 0:03:00
5th 8 miles: 6:55:00 (avg 11.5 mph — target 12ish for the leg)Aid Station 3 again (80mi): maybe skip or 0:02:00
6th 12 miles: 7:55:00 (avg 11.6 mph — target 12ish for the leg)Aid Station 5 (92mi): hopefully skip 
Finish 8 miles: 9:00:00 (avg 11.5 mph — target 7.5ish for the leg)


But if it's muddy, I'm just going to have to slog through it!

Race #89: I got the bonk!

I love England-Idlewild. It is one of my favorite local race courses, along with east Fork and Versailles. I typically do well here and I was looking forward to the race. Could I hold onto my lead over Marty in the CORA series? Could I beat my friend and teammate Matt Fox?

Well the race got off to a vicious start. It was fast and people were jockeying for position. I felt pretty good and I was holding the wheel ahead. There were a few crashes and I gained some spots. At some point there was a miscommunication between Marty and I. He thought I wanted to pass so he got over, I thought he wanted me to pass so I tried. Well, my handlebars hit a tree and I went down. Damn! I lost a handful of spots. Then there were more crashes and I gained the spots back, but only after redlining my little engine.

So I got back up to a pretty good position, maybe even a podium. Foxy was on my wheel and we had a couple riders behind in a pretty tight chase group. The first two laps I could "gas it" and create a separation but I noticed something. All the sections where I typically lay down the law and completely own it, I found myself feeling a bit whooped and not 100%. I kept feeling like I was saving myself for the next lap.

Well, Foxy and the others eventually caught up and held my wheel for half a lap. Then it happened. I missed an opportunity to take a drink and a few minutes later I started riding poorly. I was getting tired. I lost one spot. A few minutes later the wheels fell completely off the wagon and Foxy passed and I went backward. I decided to guzzle water no matter how slow I rode and tried to recover. I was to defend my position and I ended up getting fifth.

It was just a bit frustrating to ride a less than stellar race on this course, but unlike past years where I came on strong riding from the back of the field, this year I was feeling the pressure in the front of the race.

I think I have to make sure my nutrition is worked out a bit better in future cross-country races. I changed my nutrition mid-season and I could feel the effects in the last two races.

Race #88: Deja Vu all over again...

Photos from Brent and Amanda, Podium pic from Dion at VeloVivid.com

The epic spring rain that hit the Midwest had wreaked havoc upon Caesar Creek. So the race was cancelled and moved back to Hueston Woods. The race was also on a Saturday, the same weekend as KyMBA, OMBC and DINO races — attendance was down. It was only Brent and I in Expert Men. So Philip merged the Expert and Sport class. It really spiced things up! I was happy to have more people to throw down against.

I was still a bit tired from John Bryan so I felt like I wasn't killing it. But I guess that John Bryan really gave me some fitness because even though I wasn't going 100%, my first 3 lap times were pretty comparable. After lap 1 I was 5th place overall, and 2nd in Expert (obviously since there was only 2 of us). I tried to keep it consistent and I reeled in 4th as he had a mechanical, and eventually I passed Darrin to be 3rd overall.

Actually my 3rd lap was the best, I cleaned most of the technical stuff. Earlier in the race the fatigue from John Bryan made me dismount everything and I had to do cyclocross practice. The sport guys finished and about that time I fell apart. I noticed I lost 3-4 pounds the day before and I didn't realize that I was dehydrated the morning of the race. I think I ended up bonking and barely made it in the 4th lap! I was lucky no one was there to woop me!

After the race I got to hang out with Dion and Jeni in Downtown Oxford. It was nice to make a day of it. The weather has cooled and it's made for some lovely rides and hanging out outside.

Races #81, 83 and 87: Plagued by Mechanicals

I love the Harbin Time Trials. They are great training races for cyclocross, the course offers a lot of short punchy climbs and corners to power out of. Typically you race in brutal heat and it really tests your fitness.

7/14 Bastille Day Chain Suck
Lap 1: 24:08
Lap 2: 26:06
0:50:14, 4 out of 9
I was still rocking the same bent up chain since Mohican, so I finally got to change it that day. Well, I didn't realize that my chain rings were toast. I spent most of the race on the side of the trail putting my chain back on (I was getting major chain suck). My legs felt great and I really think I could have easily had first or second. Oh well, at least the mechanical in the training race gave me time to fix it before the next race.


7/21 Psyched Out and Baked
Lap 1: 24:05
Lap 2: 24:42
0:48:47, 2 out of 12
I didn't see any of the usual favorites so I got pretty psyched I could win. I went out the gate like a banshee — riding a bit too rabid and ending up putting my wheel wrong a few times. At one point I ran right into a tree! I was burning myself up, the heat index was near 110F, and I was drained by the time I hit the rollers at the end of the first lap. I decided to ride smarter on the second lap and put in effort on the power sections.

I went pretty fast compared to previous weeks but it was no use. I wasn't as fast as my best time last year, and there was one rider who rode even faster...


8/11 Oops
DNS (Did not start)
My pedal fell off during my warmup. It was 3 years old and had seen a ton of muddy races. I have some replacements at home, and I was really just thankful that it didn't happen during a race where I was doing well. It was nice just to watch my friends, continue to recover from my John Bryan effort. I got to soak up some beautiful weather and even hit the trails low and slow after the race with my dog Kona. She is a blast to ride with, she made the trip worth my while and I felt so happy and content with the day.

Race #86: Like Nascar in the Woods, but with Cramps

Photo by Kimberly Sink on Flickr

I was really happy to have made the podium at last year's 6 Hours of John Bryan "Race for Relief." But in the past year the competitive landscape has changed and now some new faces have come on the scene looking super fast and becoming new friends. Stephen Huddle just raced the Continental Divide and I am sure has the legs of the energizer rabbit, and Brent Mayer rides like a MotoCross racer with his legs as the engine. And Marty, as always, is a badass. Marty and I both have been dealing with reduced training from life in general and a busier than usual cross-country MTB racing season. I knew this year was going to be tough and it took the edge off my nerves going into this race pretty much knowing I would be lucky to get fourth. This was to be my third John Bryan race and each year I use lesson from the previous year to race more efficiently.

Lap 1: 0:53:41
I had a hell of a run in the Le Mans start this year. I guess the 90 degree runs up the stairs to Mount Adams have paid off. That was, until I got to the bikes. I placed my bike 3 rows in from the right, only to find some last minute hosers had thrown in some extra rows and my bike disappeared. Once found, I made up ground on the gravel road leading into the trail. Marty flew by looking great. A paceline formed of me, Joe and a bunch of homies from Rogue. We were really flying that lap. Stephen was on the front for a while and I think he overheated his motor, Damn. Sam Dombrozsi was killing it on his cross bike, doing jumps off all the obstacles.

Lap 2: 0:54:09
Tried to mellow out a bit and find my own pace. But Bjet yellow that I was only 30 seconds down on the next place so I started going at it again. Around the end of the lap I caught up to them and it was Marty. I was feeling a bit fresh so I jumped in front and we rode the rest of the lap together. When we came in Dan mentioned we were 2 minutes down on the leader. I was like "Geez, who is this robot." Marty had to stop to mix bottles. I had my secret weapon, I was wearing a CamelBack that was allowing me not to pit for the first 3 laps. Thus saving me time in the pit like Nascar or Formula 1.

Lap 3: 0:55:34
Out there alone trying to keep a decent pace. Rode with Darin and some kid from RedZone. It was nice to keep a fast pace and do less work by sitting in behind and getting some benefits of drafting. By the end of the lap I was starting to feel the effects of the race. Compared to last year I was flying, every lap faster than my fastest lap the previous year. Maybe first place would blow-up and I would win?! I had been going at it like a cross-country race, like the finish line was at mile 30. Add to that my reduced training and I was starting to fade. I started to cramp. I came into the finish line and saw Marty just behind me, and Brent was with him. I thought to myself, "oh well, you're getting fourth today."

Pit: 0:00:30
I had a second CamelBack all filled and ready to go. Plus I kept all my gels in my back pocket so little time was lost refueling.

Lap 4: 0:55:43
I can't remember too much of this lap. I think Brent passed me. I think I spent most of the lap about 10 seconds behind him until my leg cramps got the better of me when we hit the little, tiny hills! Ugh.

Lap 5: 1:00:28
I passed Brent when he pitted but he caught up to me on the twisty section. I was tired. I was just trying to do a recovery lap hoping that I could finish the race. My stomach was starting to sour for the first time in my riding career — I think I was over-fueling with Roctanes and EFS and I felt dehydrated, cottonmouthed and like I had a brick in my belly. This awesome spectator in the woods was ringing a cowbell and handed me a water bottle on 2 laps (THANK YOU) — I needed all the water I could get. My body was screaming. Hands hurting, back sore. I lost the core strength and endurance I had at Mohican. Brent caught me and we made a gentlemens' agreement just to recover, just to get some miles out of the way. A few minutes later this guy passed and said he was first place in Solo. Brent and I were like "Dammit, we both had our wheel in front for a few minutes and didn't know it!" After a while Brent got away again. I was wooped but still in third trying to give Marty a run for his money.

Pit: 0:00:54
Tossed off my last CamelBack and grabbed some bottles. Noticed my shifting was getting funky so I lubed the chain. I tried to start stretching because my quads, hammies and groin were spasming and cramping. But then Marty rolled up and I decided I better bail. I gave him a good luck pat on the his butt and took off.

Lap 6: 0:58:21
I tried to up the pace again. But I was feeling pretty bad still. Then Marty passed me looking pretty fresh on one of the access roads. Part of me wanted to surrender but part of me wanted to fight it out. With two laps to go who knows what could happen. I began to ride with a higher cadence to keep my momentum up while not putting too much strain on my aching muscles. It worked. Somehow I passed Brent. I spent the rest of the lap with the same focus: speed without too much exertion. Smoother lines, smarter pedaling. Plus I was smoother without that CamelBack weighing on me, those things can be hot and clumsy.

Pit: 0:00:20
Grabbed one last bottle from Bjet and took off trying to hold onto Third Place.

Lap 7: 0:56:43
I rode it like I stole it. At first I was delirious but finally I woke up and really started hauling ass like last year. I tried to crush every uphill with my high-cadence spin, a mix of power and maintaining momentum. I kept hearing something behind me, was it Brent? Little did I know that it was my spare chain link jingling in my pocket. I felt really good and I think I was pedaling smarter and smoother on this lap. I came across the line and saw Marty all torn up. He said he got first and killed himself to hold his lead. Somewhere I had passed the former leader of the race and didn't realize it. I got second place! Whoa!

Finale: 6:36:25
Man it was a blast to ride at the sharp end of the race, constantly battling for position. The top 4 riders really went at it today. That was the most competitive endurance race I have ridden, and I think the fastest. Thank you to the organizers and volunteers of Race for Relief, as always it was a very fun event. The trails were great, well-marked and thanks for the food! Too bad a thunderstorm rolled in and I couldn't enjoy a beer with my teammates in my new trophy pint glass.


P.S.
Next year I have to double-check my caloric intake per hour, maybe I went too far:
1 50oz Hydration Pack with 4 scoops of First Endurance EFS
1 56oz Camelback with 4.5 scoops of First Endurance EFS
3 Podium Bottles of EFS
3 12oz Water Bottles
7 Roctaines

Well, I got the 6 Hours of DINO coming up!